What's to Eat?- Eating Out Nearby

I had learned from this blog that eating out is essential to living in China. I have learned this to be true,quickly, due to the fact that it is, many times, cheaper than cooking at home AND it is just a pain in the rear to grocery shop every other day!

I thought I'd share what we have right outside our building.

First you have to walk down Ya Bao Lu, which is the Russian street. It is dirty and lined with Chinese selling furs. Notice the baby on the scooter and his haircut.

Chinese~

This is a dumpling place that we can get to in two minutes. You can buy a dozen fresh dumplings through that window for 10 kuai ($1.50). They are really good. You can also go inside and eat...if I would've known I'd be eating in a place like this a month ago I would've said, "NO way!" When in Rome...

Just behind the dumpling place is hubby's favorite neighborhood place.

This is a picture of the outside.

Check your snobbiness at the door of this place. Well, most places...

The inside.

Notice the cut out holes in the wall that they pass the food through from the kitchen. I try not to imagine what the kitchen looks like.

The view from the inside looking out. In China there is a rating system of restaurants based on cleanliness. A is a high standard, D is poor.

This restaurant is not even rated, which scares me a bit.

Why in the world do we eat here then?

Because here is our dinner for four. It is really good. Emma loves the fried rice.

Total these three dishes cost us 30 kuai ($4.50).

But one can only eat Chinese so many times a week!

Western~

Living in one of the embassy districts, there are plenty of non-Chinese food restaurants nearby. We have eaten at TGIFriday's, Subway, Grandma's Kitchen, Steak N' Eggs. There is also Sizzler. Of course we are within walking distance to McDonald's, Burger King and KFC. Did you know there are more KFC's in Beijing than McDonald's?

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By far, my very favorite restaurant that I have eaten at is called "Peter's Tex-Mex".

I cannot even tell you how much I LOVE this place!

First of all, there is real American country music playing. Second, the food is amazing! Third, you can order diet sodas (hard to find elsewhere). Fourth, they deliver!! Fifth, they speak English!

To eat at Peter's Tex-Mex for my family is costs around 200 kuai ($30.00) and that is not ordering a steak. That is just your basic tacos, nachos or wraps. They also have something that I thought about in the states for a while. They have an area right in the main area where kids can play while the parents eat. Where was this when my kids were little?

There are many more restaurants to explore.

I will keep them coming!