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When it comes to authentic Beijing flavors, nothing is more approachable than a bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste).
Before leaving Beijing, I had dinner with some local friends and we talked about traditional Beijing zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste). We were talking about where the most authentic and delicious zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste) is made. My friend's son, a post-90s kid, immediately replied, "No. 69 Fangzhuanchang." My Beijing friend nodded and asked, "How does that zhajiangmian taste?" I nodded repeatedly, holding out both hands, each with a thumbs-up.
Fangzhuanchang 69 isn't a big shop. A long table stretches out in a row in the middle, and several small four-person tables are crammed into the corners around the walls. These are so small they can only fit four bowls of noodles, making sitting there feel like a shoulder-to-shoulder experience. Seated at the tables are several foreigners with blond hair, blue eyes, white skin, and hooked noses.
The shop is incredibly crowded, but there are ample aisles for those who have finished their delicious meals to easily evacuate.
One day in December 2020, we strolled along the shops of Nanluoguxiang, looking here and there, taking photos here and there.
Before I knew it, it was already past six in the afternoon. My stomach was rumbling. I was hungry; the little lunch I had was long gone.
Let's go find something to eat.
When I'm out looking for local specialties, I have a habit. I avoid the commercial streets and instead seek out more secluded alleyways and see which ones are bustling with people. I usually find places where locals hang out.
Those places are the most authentic and delicious. Because so many people eat here, the ingredients are fresh; because so many people eat here, the cooking methods are unique and meticulous, and the taste must be absolutely delicious. We left the brightly lit Nanluoguxiang and entered a quiet, dimly lit alley, heading towards Shichahai. There were very few people on the street. If it weren't for the streetlights and the lights from the surrounding windows, I wouldn't have dared to come here. I checked the time and it was only a little after six o'clock. It seems that just getting a bite to eat is really not easy. We twisted and turned along the alley. From time to time, covered electric tricycles passed by. The alley was made even narrower by parked cars.
We walked like this for about half an hour. We saw dozens of people queuing at a street corner. Through the window, we could see it was packed inside, each person eating from a large bowl. The windowsill was neatly lined with jars of already green Laba garlic, tempting us to move closer to take a closer look.
Turning the corner, we arrived at the shop entrance and saw the words "Zhajiangmian" (fried noodles with soybean paste) hanging on the door.
I immediately decided to eat there tonight.
Seeing such a long line, I hesitated. Should I try another place? The line would take forever! We hurried over to ask. A chubby young man was guarding the door, his eyes constantly glaring inside as he escorted people in line. He said the line would go quickly.
That reassured us, and we joined the long line, but we all ended up at the back end of the street. There were a lot of stools in the corner outside the window, but no one was sitting there, perhaps because it was too cold. As we waited in line, we inexplicably developed a certain longing for this jjajangmyeon (soy bean paste noodles), and from time to time, we looked with envy at the people outside the window, holding huge bowls and desperately stuffing huge mounds of noodles into their mouths.
What exactly is this jjajangmyeon? Is it really that delicious? Watching the people exiting the restaurant one by one, their faces radiating happiness and contentment, I longed to slap them twice. Look at how cocky they looked.
I was just thinking it. How could I dare to do anything? Looking at their tall and burly figures, I'm not one to be slapped. Besides, I'm a law-abiding citizen!
A short while later, the handsome, porter at the door called us in. We were seated at a table for four against the wall.
Before we even sat down, the entire set of noodles, sauces, toppings, and so on arrived.
This was incredibly fast. The key is that we haven't even ordered yet. Speed is of the essence! I'm impressed, No. 69, Fangzhuanchang.
Noodles, sauce, and vegetables were laid out before me, and a fragrant aroma filled my nose. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the shimmering dish of fried sauce.
This fried sauce is said to be the shop's signature dish, a recipe the owner developed himself, simmering for nearly two hours. Every day, the owner wakes up before dawn to make the fried sauce, 365 days a year.
It can be said that they have been unwavering, day in and day out, preserving this traditional Beijing flavor for decades.
A bowl of noodles has always been priced around 10 or 20 yuan, unlike other noodles that often cost 40 or 50 yuan.
No wonder celebrities like Nicholas Tse frequent this place.
In the final analysis, the quality of your noodles reflects your character, and your character reflects the quality of your noodles.
I looked up and saw a photo of Nicholas Tse eating noodles on the wall next to the table. It was so fitting, haha.
Across from us sat two young men, students currently attending school in Beijing, wolfing down their food with relish! The waitress passed by and took a moment to say, "Eat slowly, don't choke. If you don't have enough, you can get more noodles or sauce for free, but don't leave any leftovers."
The two handsome guys discussed as they ate, "Another bowl? Or two?"
I suggested that we order one bowl first, split it between us, and talk later if it's not enough. Don't leave any leftovers." The two handsome guys gave me an "OK" sign as they ate.
We stopped talking and quickly got down to work. With such delicious food in front of us, there was no need to talk about anything else. We just devoured it with relish.
Each table also had a small jar of green Laba garlic. I unceremoniously scooped a few garlic cloves onto the noodles. The green color was stunning.
A bite of garlic, sour, sweet and slightly spicy, then a mouthful of noodles, delicious, so delicious that I want to fly! Hahaha!
In a short while, the noodles were gone.
I burped, my face flushed, picking my teeth with a toothpick, straightened my back, looked happy enough to be beaten, stood up, and walked out of the store.
Hey! I remember there were only a few people left at the door when it was our turn.
We came out and looked, wow! There were dozens more people lined up in a long, winding line.
No. 69 Fangzhuanchang, Zhajiangmian. I'll remember you.
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