Eating and Drinking Around Maizidian Pt.1: Ichiban Street

Just southwest of Solana lies the Maizidian area, home to plenty of great places to eat and drink including a multitude of Japanese restaurants that’s definitely worth exploring.

In this first part, we’re going to focus on the haven for Japanese food lovers that is Ichiban Street. Located on Nongzhanguan Beilu, not far from Solana, Ichiban opened up a little over eight years ago. The little street expanded in 2019 to a building just around the corner dubbed Ichiban Yokocho.

Both Ichiban Street and Ichiban Yokocho are crammed full with mostly Japanese restaurants making them two of the best places to go if you’re craving Japanese food. As there are just so many restaurants, we’ve picked out a select few which we think are worth checking out.

Please bear in mind that as it’s Chinese New Year, some places may be closed, so it’s best to check ahead to make sure they’re open. You can check this post for Ichiban Street’s holiday schedule.

Yume Wo Katare

Yume Wo Katare specializes in a specific type of ramen called jiro-kei (jiro-style) ramen, and is currently the only restaurant in Beijing to do so. This style of ramen is characterized by a thick broth that is almost like a gravy with a shoyu and tonoktsu base and plenty of fatty pork. Added to the broth are thick, homemade noodles; slow-braised pork tenderloin; a heaping mound of bean sprouts and cabbage; and a spoon each of minced garlic and rendered fatback. There are three sizes or jiro-kei ramen (二郎系 èrláng xì) available: Mini (RMB 45), Standard (RMB 58) and Large (RMB 68).

Aside from jiro-kei ramen, they also do a number of Japanese-style Chinese noodle dishes like Japanese-Style Dan Dan Noodles (日式担担面 rì shì dàndàn miàn, RMB 36) or Char Siu Noodles (叉烧面 chāshāo miàn, RMB 45). They also have a range of classic Japanese smaller dishes like Gyoza (RMB 25) and Takoyaki (RMB 25).

Yume Wo Katare 拉面莊夢语拉面·八椿
2F Ichiban Street 一番街二楼
Hours: 11.30am-11.30pm
Phone: [phone]

Suika

An izakaya-style restaurant, Suika is a great spot for a casual dinner washed down with some crisp Japanese beer. A cozy little space, it has some rather interesting decor with thick ropes hanging down from the ceiling and walls plastered with a mixture of posters and pages from their menu. On said menu are classics like Sukiyaki (RMB 98/one person, RMB 198/ two people), Pork Cutlet (RMB 68), Miso Ramen (RMB 58), Fried Chicken (RMB 38), Pork and Kimchi Stir-Fry (RMB 48) and much more.

Suika 醉香
1F Ichiban Street 一番街一楼
Hours: Mon-Fri 5.30pm-midnight, Sat-Sun 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-midnight
Phone: [phone]

EBISU

Situated on the corner next to the 7-11, Ebisu brings yakitori with a side of chic. The decor inside is modern with a mostly black color scheme offset by a color-changing light display on the back wall behind the counter and grilling area which adds an artistic flair to the space. On the yakitori front, they have your usual options like Chicken Wings (RMB 16), Chicken Oysters (RMB 25), and Chicken Skin (RMB 30) along with non-chicken options like Smoked Pork (RMB 28) and Wagyu Beef (RMB 100). They also have an intriguing Foie Gras Sandwich (RMB 60) and a range of grilled veggies with the Asparagus and Cheese (RMB 18) being particularly popular.

EBISU 海老寿EBISU本格碳火燒
1F Ichiban Street 一番街一楼
Hours: 5pm-1am
Phone: [phone]

Mr Whale Fish and Chips

Located on the outside of Ichiban Street, just around the corner from the 7-11, Mr Whale Fish and Chips do British-style takeaway fish and chips. It’s pretty much as close as you’re going to get to a chippy here in Beijing, and they do a fairly decent job, especially given the reasonable price. The menu is bare bones, with just four items available: Fish and Chips (RMB 49), Shrimp and Chips (RMB 49), Calamari Rings and Chips (RMB 49), and Fish Ball Soup (RMB 18). You can also add tartar sauce for an extra RMB 3.

Mr Whale Fish and Chips 炸鱼和薯条
1F Ichiban Street 一番街一楼
Hours: 10-4am
Phone: [phone]

Tokyo Lounge

Having bravely opened up back in 2021 during the uncertainty of Covid times, Tokyo Lounge has since become one of Beijing’s top live houses with live music most days of the week covering a range of genres from jazz to rock ‘n’ roll to RnB and more. To sip on while you’re enjoying some smooth tunes, they’ve got a great cocktail menu with classics like Whisky Sour (RMB 98) or a Side Car (RMB 78) along with more unusual offerings like a Lychee Martini (RMB 98). A variety of small dishes and bar snacks are also available if you’re feeling peckish.

Tokyo Lounge
2F Yokocho Ichiban 一番街横丁二层
Hours: 6pm-1am
Phone: [phone]

Xiao Man Teppanyaki

This teppanyaki spot has an original branch in Ichiban Yokocho and recently opened a second branch on Ichiban Street, so you can take your pick of which one you want to go to. Xiao Man Teppanyaki isn’t a spot where you sit around a teppanyaki grill with a chef making the food in front of you. Instead, they just do a range of teppanyaki dishes such as Beef Fillet Steak (RMB 98), Stir-Fried Pork With Kimchi (RMB 48), Grilled Tornado Sausage (RMB 49) and Grilled Seafood Mix (RMB 78) all made to order.

Aside from teppanyaki, two intriguing specialties they do here are Osaka-Style Japanese Pizza and Hiroshima-Style Japanese Pizza. Called okonomiyaki in Japanese, it’s also sometimes referred to as a Japanese-style pancake and consists of a batter made from flour, eggs, and shredded cabbage which is fried and layered with a range of toppings and condiments, the Osaka-style has a thicker dough while the Hiroshima-style has a thinner dough. At Xiao Man Teppanyaki, the choice of toppings includes things like Wagyu Beef (RMB 169), Squid (RMB 59), Spicy Cod Roe with Rice Cake (RMB 59/Osaka, RMB 79/Hiroshima), and Pork Belly (RMB 49/Osaka, RMB 65/Hiroshima).

Xiao Man Teppanyaki 铁板酒场小满
1F Ichiban Yokocho 一番街横丁 一层
Hours: 11.30am-2pm, 5-11pm
Phone: [phone]

Xiao Man Teppanyaki 铁板酒场小满
2F Ichiban Street 一番街二楼
Hours: 5-11pm
Phone: [phone]

Luna

A relatively new addition to Ichiban Street, Luna is one of the few non-Japanese restaurants housed in the block. Named after one of the owner’s cats, which also features on the logo and in artwork throughout the restaurant, Luna serves up a range of Western fare. It’s an interesting mix of dishes with everything from Beef Stew (RMB 58) to a Roast Beef Hamburger (RMB 68), Luna Signature Fried Chicken (RMB 48), Clam Chowder (RMB 38), and plenty more besides.

Luna 洋食屋
2F Ichiban Street 一番街二楼
Hours: 5pm-midnight
Phone: [phone]

A note on VinVino and Onishi Saketen
Ichiban Street residents Vin Vino and Onishi Saketen are currently closed as per the notice below and it remains unclear when and if they will be reopening. In the meantime, however, you can still get meals and drinks from them in Tokyo Lounge.

Ichiban Street 一番街一楼
15 Zaoying Beili, Nongzhanguan Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区农展馆北路枣营北里15号

Ichiban Yokocho 一番街横丁
78 Maizidian Jie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区麦子店街78号

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Images: Uni You, Katie Coy, Dianping
 

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