Shichahai Food Street

　　In the past, Shichahai was quite peaceful during the day, but things have changed. Restaurants like Starbucks, Roast Meat Season, Hakka Cuisine, and Tea Horse Road remain bustling in the evening, while the newly opened “Jiumen Snacks” is especially lively during the day as it brings together 11 time-honored snack shops that had once disappeared due to renovations around Qianmen.

　　Exiting the narrow alley of Yan Dai Xie Jie, crossing the Yinding Bridge, and continuing westward, you’ll arrive at Xiao You Hutong next to the former residence of Soong Ching Ling. Suddenly, a sight greets you—a traditional-style courtyard siheyuan is none other than “Jiumen Snacks.” Walking past the corridors and through a narrow passageway, you’ll see rows of tables lined up just like on the street outside, all occupied. Further inside, the space suddenly opens up into a proper dining hall, dimly lit with only a few orange lamps. To the right, there’s another parallel passageway with a long queue—that’s the food street featuring over ten time-honored brands such as Yue Sheng Zhai, Bao Du Feng, Cha Tang Li, Nian Gao Qian, Nai Lao Wei, Yang Tou Ma, and Dou Fu Nao Bai. Particularly amusing are the private room names, which are based on Beijing districts like “Qianmen” and “Chongwenmen,” adding to the old-Beijing charm.

　　Dining at “Jiumen Snacks” requires good time management. The operating hours are 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM; it closes promptly after those times. It’s said the venue can accommodate 400 diners at once, but it feels a bit cramped during peak hours. It’s common to see people carrying trays, frantically searching for a seat, and eventually resorting to eating standing up while looking for a place. A staff member mentioned that due to limited space, some time-honored brands have reduced their menu offerings.