Sweet & Sour Pork, Served Cold on Ice? Yes Please!

Being ethnically Chinese, I was so excited to come to Beijing to try the local cuisine back when we first arrived. But I quickly learned that the Northern Chinese palette is quite different from that of Southern Chinese (which I descended from), so that means that I generally don’t quite “get” a lot of the local food. It seemed the same for my American husband, who had gotten used to the Chinese food back in my home of Singapore. That’s why I was really happy to find The Tree.

The Tree is a chain restaurant that currently has two branches in Beijing – one in Hopson One Mall in Shuangjing and another in Chaoyang’s Joy City. Both restaurants look the same: brightly lit, minimalistic white decor resembling the rings of a tree, with some real and some fake green plants. Both restaurants are highly popular with local families – probably because their menu strongly caters to the young.

The cuisine here seems to be a mix of Northern and Southern Chinese, with modern influences, as showcased in their bestseller curry bread bowl (RMB 77). The curry is slightly reminiscent of those pre-mix powders that come in a packet where you add water and a couple of fresh ingredients, but it’s still tasty. And I don’t know about you but I just can’t resist a bread bowl! Another must-try dish? Definitely, the sweet and sour pork with fruit (RMB 88) that’s served cold, with dry ice for some fun atmospheric fog that never ceases to amaze the kids. If you want, you can bring it home and stir-fry fry warm too!

Kids will absolutely adore the milk tea that comes in the shape of a bear (RMB 26) that dissolves into the cup when you pour the tea over it, as well as the cotton candy dessert that comes in the shape of a tree. The thick toast with ice cream (RMB 58) is also a popular choice, and great for sharing.

The staff at The Tree are very happy to accommodate your requests for high chairs and are understanding when it comes to kids’ behavior. That said, the popular restaurant faces some high wait times if you go during peak periods, and the kitchen may be slow to churn out your order at times.