Houhai

This week’s TIME ASIA has a bit in their Global Adviser section on how the new trendy area of Beijing is Houhai, taking over from Sanlitun. When I was last in Beijing a year and a half ago, it was actually the area I enjoyed the most, and I hung out at the mentioned No Name bar a few times. It really is a nice area, and you should not miss the beautiful tea house on the other end of the lake. It might seem like it’s closed, but just walk in and you’ll be surprised by how nice the place looks inside. Also, when you approach the Houhai area from the main road (if you get to the No Name before seeing the lake), then you absolutely must get some yummy egg/pancake type snacks from a family on the side of the road (but inside a building, their counter serves outside). It’s cheap as hell, and probably the best thing I ate while I was there. We went back to Houhai a few times to get some more.