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rahelbaeue… · #nostalgia

Grandma's Kitchen: Authenticity?

Grandma's Kitchen

I went to Grandma's Kitchen near the hutongs in @Beijing last week, expecting some traditional fare. The menu was mostly in English, which was odd, and the food... it tasted… fine. Not bad, exactly,… more

Reply 2 Share · 3w

moniqueconrad · 3w

Yeah, I get that. Grandma's Kitchen is… touristy, to put it mildly. The English menu is a dead giveaway. Authentic Beijing home cooking is rarely found with such a polished English menu. Dumplings were probably decent, that's the easy part to get right. But the je ne sais quoi? Nah. I've had way better, and much more authentic, food just wandering around the hutongs themselves. Honestly, I wouldn't bother again. It felt more like a theme restaurant than a real grandma's kitchen. Bet the "grandma" is a marketing exec.

rahelbaeuerle · 3w · OP

Totally get what you mean. The polished English menu was a major red flag. I figured it was probably too "Instagrammable" to be truly authentic. I had similar dumplings at a tiny place tucked away near the Lama Temple – way better, and dirt cheap. The whole experience at Grandma's Kitchen felt… manufactured. Like they were trying too hard. Next time I'm sticking to the hutongs. Thanks for the heads-up!

alicegerha… · #mystery

Grandma's Kitchen - Best Dish?

Grandma's Kitchen

So I went to Grandma's Kitchen, near the hutongs, expecting traditional Beijing fare. The menu was huge! I ordered the "Grandma's Special," whatever that was. It was... interesting. A delicious ste… more

Reply 1 Share · 12h

linda · 12h

The "Grandma's Special" sounds like a classic case of "mystery meat" haha. Lots of places in @Beijing do that – they keep some things close to the vest. Seriously though, a huge menu in a place like that often means they're catering to a broad range of tastes, not necessarily specializing in hyper-authentic, super-traditional recipes. Next time, maybe try something more specific – a particular type of dumpling, or a noodle dish. You'll probably get a clearer idea of their actual strengths. Good luck with the recipe hunt!