Southern Chinese food is on the menu this edition and we are raising the temperature with robust Sichuan spicy dishes, an awesome house beer and fruit rice wine, with a perfect sweet end to a meal that any kid would love. When it comes to Chinese food it can be difficult to get the kids on board and equally as challenging to find the right place that can dish up local style dishes in space that exudes cool vibes.
Looking for cool? Looking for vibes? We might just have the perfect place for you and the family to experiment with her spice tolerance and get the kids enjoying the more adventurous side of Chinese cuisine.
Nestled in the back alleyways of the famous Qianmen Hutong area, is NiCaf. With an urban chic aesthetic, this hideaway Sichuan style restaurant, with exposed brick walls and artisan vibe is wonderful for weekend dining and special occasions. It was the Faltin-Elakl family that joined us for our Dining Out experience, and of what fun was had.
Manager and creator behind the NiCaf concept, Sue, made a delectable selection of dishes for our family of three to try. Proud parents of almost two-year-old Louis, Franziska and Charles usually go with the flow when it comes to dining out with their little one, and encourage him to try a little of everything at least once. A lot of the menu for the days tasting packed a punch with chili, however many of the dishes were well balanced and varied in spice levels. Louis was open to trying everything laid out on the table and one of his go-to dishes, so happened to be the spicy tofu.
The sides
Baked mini potatoes with Tujia flavor (RMB 48) were a nice staple addition, along with Vegetable Silk Doll (RMB, 32, tofu wrapped vegetables with chili dipping sauce). The Xiao Tao Yuan Spicy Beef Baozi (RMB 32) was a definite hit and although the filling was a little too spicy for Louis he lapped up the soft and fluffy shell of what is one of his favorite foods to eat at home.
The crispy Fried Beef Shredded with Tea (RMB 68) was the star of the sides show. Salty and crispy it matched perfectly with the ice-cold house beer (RMB 32) and although mixed with Sichuan pepper was one of the milder dishes on offer. To finish off the starters were the sweet and sour pork spare ribs (RMB 48); sticky, sweet, and falling off the bone, this too, was a winner.
The Mains
Meat-brewed Peasant Tofu (RMB 48) was the ultimate crowd pleaser. Silky tofu in a spicy broth with onions and peppers couldn’t have gone down better. Mom, dad, and Louis enjoyed this robust dish, which was balanced and delicious. The Pot Fried Pork (RMB 48) upped the ante and was slightly more packed with spice with the addition of explosive green chilies. Charles loved this option ladled over steaming white rice (served in beautiful bamboo cups) and although Franziska has a somewhat more tempered palette when it comes to chili, gave it a try.
Something Sweet
It goes without saying that the crispy Chinese Corn Pie, dusted with sugar (RMB 38) was a complete and utter go-to for Louis and the parents! Light and crispy with a sugary sweet finish, this dish was like tucking into candied popcorn. The dish was surprisingly oil-free and was a sweet but not overly indulgent finish to the epic and colorful meal.
The Drinks
The house beer was dark and hoppy and served ice-cold. The restaurant serves only one signature beer from Boxing Cat and a house Passion Fruit Rice Wine (RMB 48), which stole the drinks show. Light, summery, sweet, and ice-cold, the grapefruit colored rice wine was a treat and would be perfect as an aperitif as it would a sweet palette cleanser and grand dining finale. I say order several of these and spend the afternoon sipping and snacking.
Although this restaurant may fall out of the distance zone most families are willing to travel for when dining out, this little gem is worth a visit. When asked if they would dine here again, the Faltin-Elakl family said this was the perfect haunt to bring out-of-town family and friends to introduce them to one of the many dynamic aspects of Chinese cuisine and was a great environment for laid back dining with the family. If you can handle the heat, get down there and tuck in!
This article appeared in the beijingkids September 2019 Family Foodies issue
PHOTO CREDITS Uni
