First Glance: Sanyouting, Yonghegong
Nestled near the evasive exit D of Yonghegong Station, just south of King’s Joy, Sanyouting is a much-needed new Japanese eatery in an area seriously lacking in reasonably priced Japanese food.
The space itself is petite, seating 12-16 people, includes a private room in the corner, and is manned by two staff. The décor is typically Japanese – noren curtains hang in doorways, sake bottles contour the walls, and a TV shows a Japanese cooking channel in the background.
The menu covers sushi, salads, fried dishes, noodle dishes, tempura, barbecue skewers, and rice dishes. Fortunately for Japanese-beer lovers, there’s a keg of fresh Asahi beer underneath a shining beacon of light: the ultimate mix of food and drink and all the bases ticked for a fuzzy, elongated night.
The Sanyouting salad (RMB 28) was fresh and composed of lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and a generous portion of deep-fried chicken hidden underneath, with a dressing of soy sauce, ginger, and miso, which perhaps was applied a little too liberally. The house roll, the Sanyouting sushi roll (RMB 68), really hit the spot, with a hearty combination of prawn tempura, Japanese omelette, shredded cucumber, rolled in fish roe, topped off with a spot of Japanese mayonnaise.
Bar a couple of neighborhood restaurants mainly catering to domestic tourists, or the more expensive eateries on the ever-gentrifying Wudaoying hutong, this is a great addition to the Yonghegong area. Stop by before a night out at Café de la Poste or use it as an alternative to the spicy nibbles of Guijie after a visit to the Lama Temple with out-of-towners. We look forward to a return visit in order to try one of the several udon (RMB 25-38) or rice dishes (RMB 20-88) for an affordable lunch, or test a wider range of sushi with friends.
Sanyouting
Daily 11.30am-1.30pm and 5-11pm. 31 Yonghegong Dajie, Dongcheng District (6408 7824)
东城区雍和宫大街31号
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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Margaux Schreurs
