Famously Cheap Food in Athens

Being self-guided budget travelers, one of the most important questions on any of our trips has been ... What is the PINNACLE OF CHEAP PEASANT FOOD in Kyoto/Florence/Prague/Hong Kong/Dubai/Quebec City? Based on this question I've come across my favorite Ramen-ya in Osaka, my favorite Chalou in Guangzhou, my favorite Osteria in Milan, and my favorite Deli shop in Montreal. And my favorite Gyro stand? That, was one of the major objectives of our trip to Greece.

Our search for that elusive taste worthy of our 14-hour-flight started several months prior to the trip, as usual, with suggestions from various people to give us a starting list of definitely must-tries, maybes, and avoid-at-all-cost tourist traps. Some restaurants would end up in all three categories, depending on who you talk to. At the end we amassed all the information and visited just a few, based on comments from other visitors and convenience of location.


Food Review: Ariston
Address: 10 Voulis Street, Athens
Hours: Rumoured to be 07:00-14:00
Website/Map: Review from Trip Advisor
Directions: Start from Syntagma Square and walk West along Karagiorgi Servias Street and turn right on Voulis Street. Ariston should be on your left.


Gyros and Souvlakia may be more well-known among foreign tourists, but the most popular fast food, based on the sheer number of Athenians we spotted chomping them down by the mouthful, seems to be the wide assortment of savory pastry pies. Just walk down Athinas Street any given weekday morning and watch the people coming out of the Everest branches with flaky phyllo pastry sticking to the chin.

And I did enjoy Everest -- it may be the McDonald's of Greece, or at least of Athens, but the quality is decent for a two euros Tiropita. But our time in Athens was limited and we wanted to find a truly traditional, authentic place the connoisseurs of Tiropita would go. So we took Matt Barrett's advice and headed to Ariston.

The above picture is what Ariston looks like -- an oldish, bland storefront flanked by rows of parked motorcycles on a nondescript street. It's only two blocks from Syntagma Square, but not busy enough to catch the eyes of the uninitiated. But look closely and you'll see its store sign proudly stating "Since 1910," the bold letters advertising "Tiropites," and most alluringly, the welcoming aroma of cheese, butter and pastries you can smell from a block away. You know you're in pie heaven.



Pies pies everywhere! From the typical Tiropites and Kototopites to Melizanotopites and more than a dozen other kinds I could hardly pronounce. Even the ubiquitous Spanakopites had a couple of variations -- I loved the one blended with Feta cheese pictured above.



We also had the Kotopoulo (Chicken Pastry) on the right, which came with some of the thickest, most flavorful chicken filling anywhere. So do what the locals do. Don't miss this cheap, authentic and filling breakfast if you're passing by the Syntagma Square in the morning.

Bill for Two Persons

Spanakopita with Feta Cheese	Euro 1.7
Kotopoulo	Euro 1.7
TOTAL	Euro 5.4 (CAD$6)

Food Review: O Thanasis
Address: Mitropoleos 69 (entrance to Monastiraki Square), Athens
Hours: Around 09:00-21:00 (unconfirmed; based on experience)
Website/Map: Review from Trip Advisor
Directions: Go to Monastiraki Square and face the Acropolis. The little alley to the left side is Mitropoleos Street. O Thanasis at the entrance to the alley, on the right hand side.


Tasty. Cheap. Conveniently located. Having Gyros at Athens’ Monastiraki Square is as essential an introduction to the city as stopping for Ramen at Dotombori in Osaka. Situated near the two Agora ruins, this popular crossroad is home to three of the city’s best-known Gyro joints -- O Thanasis, Bairaktaris and Savvas.



Twice we couldn’t resist the alluring smell of charred meat and dripping fat when passing by, and ended up hitting both O Thanasis and Bairaktaris. We visited O Thanasis for an early lunch one morning, sitting down (which cost a lot more than take-out) out front in the shades and ordering a full plate of Pork Souvlaki as well as a lamb kebab pita.



The above Souvlaki was actually quite enjoyable -- nicely charred, succulent and slightly spiced for a mild kick -- but it was also overpriced at 8 Euros. I would pay 4 to 5 Euros for a good Souvlaki but I felt 8 was a little too much. But this is at the centre of Athens's tourist district ... oh well.



A much better deal, and one of my favorite memories of Athens, was this lamb kebab pita at a much more reasonable 2.2 Euros -- lovely minced lamb with grilled onions, tomatoes and parsley. Juices oozed out of the lamb at each bite and became soaked up by the soft pita. This is what I would order next time, skipping the table and grabbing a kebab pita to go. But as we found out, O Thanasis’s arch-rival across the alley had great deals to offer too ...

Bill for Two Persons

Pork Souvlaki Plate	Euro 8
Lamb Kebab Pita	Euro 2.2
TOTAL	Euro 10.2 (CAD$16.3)

Food Review: Bairaktaris
Address: West side of Monastiraki Square, Athens
Hours: Around 09:00-21:00 (unconfirmed; based on experience)
Website/Map: Review from Trip Advisor


Here's the arch-rival of O Thanasis right across the narrow alley, sporting your typical electric rotisserie out front along with a line-up of tourists and local faithfuls alike. One of the oldest establishments in town, Bairaktaris is said to have been standing here since 1879, having passed down from father to son for generations. But does it live up to its legendary history? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Prior to our visit I had heard as many high praises as vehement attacks about this place, as if every patron either loved its no-nonsense Gyros or left feeling terribly ripped off. But as I stood in line and watched the locals in front paying 1.8 Euros for a Gyro, I realized that much of the criticism probably came from people who tried to sit down and ordered more complicated food than a simple Gyro stand should offer. I mean ... how ripped-off can you get for 1.8 Euros?



So how did it taste? I admit that we may have been slightly swayed by the reasonable prices, but both my wife and I thought our Gyros Pita were better than the Souvlaki at O Thanasis the previous day. How can anyone argue against charbroiled meat heavily smothered in thick, rich, garlicky tzatziki? This alone, in my opinion, propels Bairaktaris way above O Thanasis in my memory. Too bad we didn't have the stomach to also try Savvas around the corner ...

Bill for Two Persons

Gyro Pita (Pork)	Euro 1.8
Gyro Pita (Beef)	Euro 2
TOTAL	Euro 3.8 (CAD$6.1)

Athens is such a great place for cheap and good food seemingly around every corner, just waiting for the curious tourist to stumble upon. In fact one of the best Gyro Pita we had was at this nameless but packed Gyro place on Navarinou street in Piraeus, just a couple blocks from the ferry terminal. Juicy meats, thick Tzatziki, loaded with fries and tomatoes ... all for just 1.5 Euros with a table for sitting down. The whole lunch for two people, even with an Amstel to share, cost 5 Euros. I'm sure every adventurous foodie have similar stories to tell of Athens, and these were a part of ours.

Athens - a Photo Gallery

Hopping from one ancient culinary influence to another, we took our tastebuds to the sun-blessed terrain of Greece this past summer.

Raw sea urchins. Well-grilled sea breams in sea salt. Crunchy Symi shrimps. Creamy Pastitsio. Strong unfiltered coffee and delectable Galaktoboureko. Even simple peasant fares like Souvlaki and Fakes soup occasionally blew us away with wondrous flavors. A year would be too short to sample all of the delicious pleasures offered by this cultured and yet rustic nation.

After a couple months of planning and ferry booking, we ended up with an itinerary that would take us on an 18 day trip from the plains of Central Greece to the eastern expanse of the Aegean islands. The final plan went like this:



This wasn't my first choice, as the original plan was to fly into Thessaloniki, make our way south towards Meteora and Delphi, then to Athens to start our island hopping. But our connection in London wouldn't work very well for the Thessaloniki flight, and so we started our journey in Athens, just in time to catch the start of the Athens Festival.



This is where we arrived -- the chaotic, rambling, urban sprawl of Athens. Through my travels I've recognized at least two definitions of beauty when it comes to appreciating a city. First there is the FIRENZE definition, where exceptional aesthestic qualities permeate the entire central core of the city as a whole. Then there is the KYOTO definition, where a seemingly characterless modern city on first glance presents endless surprises at every street corner with objects of astounding cultural heritage and elegance. Falling into the latter category would be the maze-like concoction of ancient and modern Athens.



Our self-guided tour of Athens started with a morning visit to the Ancient Agora, the heart of Pericles' Athens crowned by the Temple of Hephaestus. Located just southwest of Monastiraki Station, it's also conveniently located a few minute's walk to the souvlaki heaven of Mitropoleos Street for a gratifying and cholesterol-filled lunch.



One of everyone's highlight in Athens, the National Archeological Museum definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the world's great museums IMHO. The privilege of coming face to face with the death mask of Agamemnon and the Poseidon of Artemision costs a worthwhile 7 Euros, not unreasonable compared to the nationally established museums in, say Rome or Vienna.



But most memorable was the 2100 year old statue of the Jockey of Artemision -- just look at the flesh and veins of the bronze horse in full gallop! This was one of my favorite ancient sculptures during our visit ... next to the Charioteer of Delphi that is.



One of our favorite indulgences wherever we go on vacations is ... the afternoon nap. A waste of valuable time perhaps, but it's so sinfully enjoyable and gives us the recharge of energy to sustain our sightseeing exploration into the late evening. On this particular evening we did need the extra energy, as I had pre-ordered a ticket to a Thanos Mikroutsikos concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.



The Odeon of Herodes Atticus may appear to be just another of Athens' many archeological sites in the daytime, but it's about to become jam-packed with a raucous crowd as it transforms one of the venues for the annual Athens Festival.



Frankly I had never heard of Thanos Mikroutsikos prior to shopping for tickets on the Athens Festival website -- I craved only the rare chance to attend a musical performance inside an 1800-year-old amphitheatre. After some quick research I realized that he isn't just a typical musician -- not only is Mikroutsikos a well-regarded composer of popular music in Greece, he was also the former Minister of Culture who initiated bringing the 2004 Olympics to Athens. Unlike the North American concerts I'm used to, this one actually started on time at 21:00 and there was no opening act besides Mikroutsikos!

Despite not understanding any of the lyrics, we quite enjoyed the music and came out with a fond memory of the performance. It was songs after songs of strong, emotional ballads, which our neighbours all knew the lyrics by heart and sang along with. Everyone was having such a good time and the concert lasted well into the late night on this Tuesday ... which made me wonder ... don't Athenians need to work the next morning?



Well we don't, and the next morning we started our day at Syntagma Square, slowly making our way westward towards the Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds. But the true highlight of the morning was ... the 100-year-old traditional pastry shop of Ariston! I'll write up a proper review latter, I promise.



Our arrival in Athens also coincided with the grand opening of the new Acropolis Museum -- in fact we visited on the 4th day of opening when an online reservation was required to guarantee entry. This is Athens' other world class museum, airy and well-organized and filled with the several floor's worth of priceless artifacts from the Acropolis. The long benches within the museum was also the perfect place to recuperate our tired legs, with a marvelous view of the Parthenon through the glass walls.



The graceful Caryatids is one of the two attractions everyone has come to see. After 2400 years of weathering the elements, the maidens now greet their admirers in their new temperature- and moisture-controlled home. The other main attraction is, of course, the controversial Parthenon Marbles. But I won't start to get into that debate here.



We saved the highlight of climbing the Acropolis until our second last day in Athens. The 30-minute ascend starting from the Acropolis metro station was longer than we expected, or perhaps it was just the afternoon heat. We must have spent close to an hour just sitting in the shadow of the Parthenon, adoring one of the world's sacred monuments while taking shelter from the sun.



Besides the main attractions of the Parthenon and the Erechtheum, an added bonus to visiting the Acropolis is the sweeping panoramic view of central Athens. It was a glorious sunny afternoon when the visibility stretched way past the harbour of Piraeus into the Saronic Gulf. To the northeast, Mount Lycabettus rose like a giant pyramid, imposing and nearly symmetrical, from the heart of urban Athens.



On our last day in Athens I wanted a serene, uncrowded location for a panoramic view of the Acropolis in the sunset, so we started from Thissio Station in an attempt to scale the Philopappos Hill. After thirty minutes of our uphill climb through atmospheric backstreets and small trails, we reached the flat summit of a hilltop when, I then realized, THIS WASN'T THE PHILOPAPPOS HILL AT ALL. We ended up at the Hill of the Pnyx instead! Oh well ... we still got the serene sunset view of the Parthenon that we originally wanted.



But frankly, many of our favorite memories of Athens had to do with the excellent food the city offers. Starting with the next post I'll try to document our favorite eateries from our rummage in Athens.

Savory Greece in 18 Days

This is the INDEX PAGE of our 18-day self-guided trip of Greece, with stops at Athens, Meteora, Delphi, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Rhodes, and Symi.

Authentic local cuisine, as usual, was the heavy focus of our trip.


Symi - Restaurant and Hotel Reviews
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My Favorite Greek Island - Symi
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Rhodes - Restaurant and Hotel Reviews
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Three Slow Days in the Medieval City of Rhodes
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Santorini - Restaurant Reviews
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Santorini's Traditional Backside
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Four Leisurely Days on Santorini
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Doing Nothing for a Day on Paros
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Day-Trip to Delos
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Best Uni Sashimi of My Life ... in Mykonos, Greece?
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Getting to Know Thyself at Delphi
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Traveling from Meteora to Delphi through another World Heritage Site -- Hosios Loukas
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Hiking Among Meteora's Cliff-top Monasteries
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Athens - Our Neighbourhood Ouzeri and a 150-Year-Old Taverna
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Visiting the Poet-Sandalmaker of Athens
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Famously Cheap Food in Athens
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Athens - A Photo Gallery
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Beijing Food Trip - Part 5: Imperial Cuisine vs. Peasant Snacks

From exclusive Imperial recipes sneaked out of the Forbidden City to cheap street snacks peddled at New Year's Temple Fairs, the taste of Old Beijing is deeply rooted in centuries of illustrious culinary traditions. These two extremes have both blossomed into specialized but integral branches of modern Beijing cuisine, and on our Beijing Food Trip we searched for the best within both genres -- authentic, reasonably priced, and highly recommended by local foodies.

While peasant snacks can easily fit into any backpacker's tight budget, finding a moderately priced restaurant for Imperial cuisine is a bigger challenge. The most famous of Imperial cuisine restaurants, Fangshan Fanzhuang, starts at RMB 198 per person for tiny set lunches and twice that for dinners. Of course patrons also behold the lovely view of Beihai and of waitresses dressed in Imperial Court gowns, but that's aside from the food.

We consulted the opinion of local Beijingners, who suggested another restaurant with an even better reputation for quality food, better service and, amazingly, much cheaper prices. The location is harder to reach, but if you're going to visit the Summer Palace (aka. Yiheyuan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in itself), you're almost in the neighbourhood already.



Food Review: NAJIA XIAOGUAN, Main Branch (Haidian, Beijing)
Address: 29 Xiangshan Yikesong, Haidian District, Beijing
Hours: 10:30-21:30
Website/Map: From Dianping.com
Directions: Taxi is the easiest way -- flag one down outside Beigongmen subway station and it should cost around RMB 25 (as of 2011). But if you opt for cheap public transportation like we do, take bus 331/563/696 across from the Beigongmen subway station and get off at Wofosi or Botanical Garden. Najia Xiaoguan is located right on Xiangshan Nanlu.

Hidden at the foothill of Xiangshan where the Emperor's Manchurian Legions traditionally settled, the old residence of the Na family has been converted into an intimate restaurant serving the family's own recipes. But this isn't just any regular family, but one that served the Emperor as court physicians and inherited the secrets of the Qing Dynasty's imperial kitchen.



Najia Xiaoguan isn't easy to find -- this is outside of the 5th Ring Road after all -- which tells you how good this place is. Visitors have come for the proprietor's 200-year-old recipes, many of which still call for rare and expensive ingredients in addition to the ultimate requirement of tasting good. How this place manages to charge relatively low prices for the quality of food they serve is entirely beyond me.

Prices listed on its old-fashioned menu of bamboo strips are all surprisingly affordable, especially for Beijing's rapidly growing middle class. Smaller cold dishes such as Sliced Pork Knuckle, Fish in Gelatin and Chinese Yam in Guihua Sauce are mostly RMB 28. Hot entrees generally range from RMB 38 to 48 and include intriguing choices like Braised Belt Fish, Stir-fried Mongolian Lamb with Green Onions, Old Duck in Sour Broth. Larger meat entrees such as Braised Deer Meat and Dry-Braised Yellow Croaker Fish start at RMB 68 and up.



It was fitting to start our meal with Najia's most famous dish, originating from a 200-year-old recipe that once served the Emperor and his concubines. This dish fits in the category of Yaoshan, or medicinal cuisine, which traditionally served as a dietary staple of the Chinese royalty. Available (though not necessarily affordable) to peasant workers nowadays, this Manchurian thick soup is known as Huangtanzi, or Vessel of Royalty (my translation).

Inside this heated claypot was an extremely thick and smooth yellow chowder with a deep, mouth-watering Xianwei (aka. Umami) flavour extracted from a soup stock of chicken and cured ham. But it was the ingredients floating inside the soup that asserted traditional Chinese opulence: deer tendons, fish lips and bamboo pith. This was the collagen diet for the Emperor's harem of concubines, and is still trusted by modern day Chinese consumers to enhance the skin's elasticity.

For us though it's a deliciously thick soup and a rare glimpse into Imperial culinary traditions. Huangtanzi comes in several versions with various medicinal values (and escalating prices). The cheapest (Saiwai) starts at RMB 38 and the most expensive (Manhan) climbs all the way up to RMB 208. We ordered the Hougong (Emperor's Harem, RMB 68) version, infused with collagen-rich ingredients tailored for the female body. The male version, Bawang, is priced at RMB 58 and contains deer penis as an aphrodisiac. Very appetizing.



Next came one of the best dishes of our 16-Day trip, and certainly one of the best prawn dishes I've ever had. Even after reading countless raving reviews about this dish from local Beijingners we were still amazed at the first bite. This was another one of Najia's hugely famous dishes -- Mizhi Supixia, or Secret Recipe Crunchy-Skinned Prawns.

These gigantic prawns were sweet and firm like any good prawn, and were liberally coated in a honey sauce with a tinge of spiciness in Old Beijing tradition. But what really set this dish apart was the incredible crunchiness of the prawn shells -- all of the shells and even the tails disintegrated under my bite and became completely edible. I don't know what's inside their so-called Secret Recipe, but at a measly RMB 38 (CAD$5.8) this marvellous dish has to be one of the best bargains of Beijing.



My wife loved this cold dish of Guihua Shanyao, or Chinese Yam in Guihua Flower Sauce, which has the starchy yam generously smothered with the distinctly fragrant and sweet jam. I always like Guihua in Northern Chinese desserts and apparently it works in more substantial dishes as well.



We wanted one more dish and had to decide between the warm Spring Water Spareribs (Quanshui Paigu) or this cold dish of Jellied Crunchy Cartilage (Cuigudong). This turned out to be quite an interesting dish with slightly softened pork cartilages suspended inside a gelatinized Lushui sauce. Just the right supplement of calcium and collagen after an afternoon of hiking at the Summer Palace.

The bill totaled RMB 168 (CAD$25.5) for two persons even with a beer, not exactly cheap for the locals but certainly much more affordable than most other places serving high-end Imperial cuisine. Najia Xiaoguan has recently opened a few more branches all over Beijing, with one being centrally located near the Yong'anli subway station. If they can maintain the same exceptional quality as the main branch, Najia Xiaoguan has the potential to truly assert its claim as one of Beijing's star restaurants, just like the rise of Dadong 10 years ago.

Bill for Two Persons

Huangtanzi (Hougong)	RMB 68
Secret Recipe Crispy-Skinned Prawns	RMB 38
Chinese Yams in Guihua Sauce	RMB 18
Jellied Crunchy Cartilage	RMB 28
Draft Beer	RMB 16
TOTAL	RMB 168 (CAD$25.5)

At the other end of the spectrum is the much more budget-friendly Xiaochi, or traditional Chinese peasant snacks, which some translators equate with the Spanish concept of tapas or the Greek concept of Mezedes. That's not entirely correct in my opinion. While there are similarities in terms of size and informality, the Xiaochi of Beijing is often breakfast, after-meal dessert, AND late night snack to the locals. And there's no better way to experience it than to live inside the Hutong alleys of Old Beijing and to rub shoulders with the locals while seeking their advice for what to order.

Food Review: HUGUOSI XIAOCHI, Main Branch (Huguosi, Beijing)
Address: 68 Huguosi Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Hours: 05:30-21:00
Website/Map: From Dianping.com
Directions: Take Ping'anli Station's northeast exit and walk east along Huguosi Street for half a block. It's on the left hand side.


This is a mecca for anyone interested in authentic Beijing cuisine. How good is this place? We booked our guesthouse around the corner so that we can have breakfast here everyday. Crazy perhaps, but it was well worth it.

Huguosi Xiaochi is widely recognized by locals as one of the city's best places for peasant snacks. For hundreds of years these traditional recipes were passed down through independent street vendors hawking outside the Huguosi Temple. But with the old temple's partial demolition back in the 1950's, these vendors were assembled into an troupe of specialty chefs to carry on their tradition in an eatery setting. Dozens of mouthwatering choices await curious visitors -- presented below are the varieties recommended to me by the locals.



My own favorite was probably the Naiyou Zhagao (Deep Fried Cream Puffs, RMB 6 per order), a filling-less Northern Chinese doughnut. Deep-fried and dusted with sugar, these morsels were feather light and tasted much less oily than they look.



Look at the puffiness of the scrumptious dough! Good thing each order came with five puffs as I can easily finish a dozen for breakfast.



But our daily breakfast staple was Shaobing Jiarou, Beijing's counter-punch to New York's Pastrami Sandwich. Literally meaning Meat in Roasted Flatbread, this beef sandwich makes a delicious light breakfast for only RMB 5 (CAD$0.8). The more adventurous can also walk next door for an equally appealing Lurou Huoshao (Donkey Meat in Roasted Flatbread).



Wandouhuang (Yellow Pea Cakes, RMB 1.5) has been a springtime favorite of Beijingner peasants and Empresses alike for centuries past. These blocks of mildly sweet, smoothly ground peas may look and taste like Japanese gelatinous Yokan, but are actually made of pure pea paste and thus are quite filling as a breakfast item.



The curiously named Aiwowo (RMB 1) is actually a round ball of soft glutinous rice flour with a centre of sweet sesame paste. Now this gets even more filling than the Wandouhuang, and for a cheaper price as well! This is precisely the attractiveness of the Chinese concept of Xiaochi -- any blue collar worker can get reasonably full for RMB 5 (CAD$0.8) or less.



But perhaps the strangest name belongs to the Ludagun, or Rolling Donkey, certainly one of the best selling items judging by the breakfast trays of the locals. This little cake of millet flour and red bean paste is mildly sweet and wonderfully chewy.



And if the above breakfast staples aren't filling enough, there's still the fruity and densely packed Hawthorne Jelly (Shanzhagao, RMB 5). Despite its resemblance to the ubiquitous varieties of starchy rice cakes, it's actually refreshingly sweet and sour and slightly crunchy.



These absolutely delectable pretzels drenched in Guihua flower syrup are known as Sanzi Mahua (Loose Twisters, RMB 2 per order). Now these are much more suitable as casual snacks than breakfast items.



Those who have a sweet tooth can consider a bowl of the steaming hot Babaozhou (Porridge with Eight Treasures, RMB 3), a chunky porridge filled with sweet red beans, lily root, peanuts and other goodies. This is even more filling than the Aiwowo.



One of the more expensive snacks (still costing only RMB 7) is the Niuroubing, which literally means ... ahem ... Beef Cake. This pan-fried roll of flat bread was deliciously greasy and came with a savory filling of minced beef. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite items.



The common Sanxian Baozi (Bun with Three Delicacies, RMB 1.5) is probably a better option for the budget-conscious -- three or four of these would make a very cheap and extremely filling breakfast.



Finally there's the Beijing equivalence of McDonald's Big Breakfast, a complete breakfast set with a millet porridge, a salad, marinated steamed peanuts, and your choice of hearty entrees. We chose this Stir-Fried Shrimp and Dough Lumps (Xiaren Chaogeda, RMB 13) for brunch on our final day. The shrimp stir-fry certainly wasn't as spectacular as the traditional Xiaochi snacks though, and I really should have picked my favorite Beef Cake as entree ... which would have dropped the price of my breakfast set down to RMB 10.

Hungry yet? To tell the truth we only tried a TENTH of Huguosi Xiaochi's offerings -- I still haven't braved the famous (or infamous?) Douzhi, or Mung Bean Milk, yet. And then there are a number of other famous Xiaochi eateries around the city (eg. Longshengming, Baodu Feng, Baodu Zhang, Jiumen Xiaochi). If you consider yourself a foodie, definitely don't deprive yourself of these delicious and cheap treats during your time in Beijing.

Bill for Breakfast for 2 Persons for 5 Days

Deep Fried Cream Puffs	RMB 6
Meat in Roasted Flatbread x 6	RMB 30
Yellow Pea Cakes x 2	RMB 3
Aiwowo x 2	RMB 2
Rolling Donkey x 2	RMB 3
Hawthorne Jelly	RMB 5
Loose Twisters x 2	RMB 4
Porridge with Eight Treasures	RMB 3
Beef Cake x 2	RMB 14
Bun with Three Delicacies x 2	RMB 3
Stir-Fried Shrimp and Dough Lumps	RMB 13
5 DAY TOTAL	RMB 86 (CAD$13)