Reduce Tariff Tensions w/ These 7 "Incredible!" US Restaurants
In the past few days, tensions between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China have grown due to tit-for-tat tariffs on certain products set by the respective governments. With the two superpowers slapping up to 25 percent tariffs on USD 100 billion worth of goods since July, it's fair to say that the nations aren't on the best of terms. Much like the lines entering Guomao subway station on a Friday evening, the list of taxed goods is depressingly long and squeezes the importation of livestock and food processing equipment. Add those to the list of Chinese favorite foodstuffs that were slapped with tariffs earlier this year like abalone, shark fin, durian, and betel nuts and you have a bonafide war on the country's diet. Fear not, however, as you can do your part to keep ties strong with our freedom-loving brothers and sisters, by heading to these seven great American restaurants in Beijing and eating the most 'Muhhhcan thing on their menu, as chosen by their great proprietors.
Slow Boat Brewery
Slow
Boat Brewery's brewpub, with its 36 beer taps over three floors, has
been a consistent part of the Beijing expat scene for the past two
years. While their menu offers a vast variety of American cuisine, the
pick of the litter for founder and boss Chandler Jurinka is the Classic
Burger (though you also can't go wrong with their three-time Burger Cup
winning Fryburger). "It's a 100 percent beef patty topped with American
cheese and onion, plus mayo or mustard," explains Jurinka. "It's a
classic, no-frills example of classic American fare." Uncle Sam would be
proud.
Pie Squared
This
Shunyi-based pizzeria has been cooking up Detroit-style square pizza
since opening in 2013, feeding a whole neighborhood with crunchy,
gooey, cheesy, and addictive slices. According to owner and Michigan
native Asher Gillespie, Pie Squared's most American dish is, you guessed
it, "Pizza!" Why? "Because it's pizza! It sounds pretty simple but
that's the truth. When I think of American cuisine, I think of pizza,
burgers, hot dogs, and so on."
The Local
Located
in Sanlitun's Courtyard 4, The Local is the area's trusted pub hub and
no-pretense American joint. Once lured into the five-year-old bar,
you'll find a wide range of hearty American cuisine on offer, with
everything from mac 'n' cheese to a full American breakfast. Kenn
Bermel, co-owner and manager of The Local tells us, "So, we had a little
discussion, and decided that the Buffalo chicken and blue cheese pizza
is the most American thing on our menu. While many come to The Local
specifically to order this pizza, most are American. The intense flavors
are an acquired taste, to say the least."
Jing-A
Jing-A,
a six-year-running North American creation, was founded by two long-time
Beijing expats and as well as featuring multi-award-winning craft
brews, also sports a damn fine range of classic Amerian grub. Of that
belly-rubbing hot-off-the-grill fare, Emmy Andréasson, manager of Jing-A,
explains, "The Carnivore Platter is a ridiculously big American-sized
portion of all our best Texas-style barbecue meats: beef brisket, pulled
pork, sausage links, and pork ribs, and it comes with coleslaw,
pickles, and grilled mantou on the side. All meats are slow-smoked in
our custom built smoker in the back of the brewpub. It feeds between
three to four people, so it works great as a shared meal over a pint (or
two)."
Home Plate
This
barbecue mecca has been serving up Beijing's most American food since
2009, with joints in Sanlitun and Sanyuanqiao, and countless iconic
American dishes on their deep and diverse menu. "It's a bit hard as
everything on our menu is pretty damn American," says Home Plate's
General Manager Charlie De Pellette, "but at a push, I would choose our
New Fangled BBQ Trail. It has a pork chop, house-smoked pastrami,
sausage, pork belly, and barbecued duck, and comes with six sides!
Basically the most you can get in one order, so that would make it the
most American thing on our menu!" Legend has it that this BBQ Trail
actually causes you to hear the Star-Spangled Banner as you deliriously
chow down its various meats.
The famous 50 Stars are best exemplified through their tacos, according to Michael Tsai of Palms LA
Palms L.A. Kitchen and Bar
Despite
the name, Palms L.A. might not be the first restaurant that springs to
mind when thinking of classic American food in Beijing. However, don't
deny this Korean-Mexican eatery its strong American roots. According to
owner and professional drag queen Michael "Tiger Lily" Tsai, "Tacos are
surely our most American dish, even though they are Mexican. The US has
fully embraced tacos as a staple in the American diet. We have
fusion-ized our tacos which make them even more American because we
took the best of Mexican and Korean cuisines to create what we feel is
the most American thing to do ... which is to bastardize other countries'
cuisine and to call it our own." Amen to that, and so was born a true
21st century American dish.
3 Little Pigs
Having
been ousted from his small Yashow-adjacent digs early last year, owner
and New Jersey native Andy Horowitz's meat-based business has been on
the up and up. Having now settled into his 3 Little Pigs digs located
just east of Nanluogu Xiang, Horowitz now serves Dongcheng with some
fine American classics. Horowitz reckons his Reuben sandwich (pictured
above) best encompasses the USA out of all the items on his menu,
explaining, "We make it with our own corned beef and sauerkraut; this is
something that few places even in the US still do. The Reuben is such a
great combination of the great things Jewish, German, and Irish
immigrants in the lower east side of Manhattan had to offer. Such a good
example of the immigrant spirit and entrepreneurship that defines
America." God(s) would be proud.
Photos: ua.news, Uni You, TripAdvisor.com, Maoxian.com, Crowdstrike.com
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