Everyone loves kung pao chicken, which from here on out we’re going to refer to properly as gong bao (宫保鸡丁, gong bao ji ding). When you walk in a restaurant, ayou know no matter how fancy or shady the place is, ordering a gong bao chicken couldn’t get you too wrong. As a Chinese cuisine veteran, I am sure you have several favorite restaurants for gong bao chicken, even if you won’t publicly admit to liking the dish.
According to Wikipedia, this classic dish originated in the Sichuan Province, and was created by Ding Baozhen (丁宝桢) in the late 19th century,. It is a spicy dish made of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns. However, there are numerous outlets in Beijing that insist that dish is indeed local, and that the name comes from it having been developed by a palace guard, hence the “gong bao.” There’s also that nasty rumor about a couple of guys whipping it up in a kitchen in Queens, but that’s crazy talk. Anyway, here’s a round-up of tasty kung pao chicken for your reference.
E Mei Jiu Jia 峨眉酒家
Just like roasted duck reminds you of Quanjude, gong bao chicken is their specialty for a long time, and is limited to 100 orders per day. Opened in 1950, it is a well known as the very first Sichuan restaurant in Beijing. The gong bao chicken here is soft, spicy, and sweet with authentic flavors.
Price: RMB 38/55
Xian Lao Man 馅老满
This chain restaurants supplies good dumplings and homestyle dishes. Their gong bao chicken is more Beijing-style, which is salty rather than sweet.
Price: RMB 30
Min Fang Restaurant 民芳餐厅
Started in 1985, its first restaurant was in Dongsi, and has now expanded to five locations. It’s famous for affordable family dining. The gong bao chicken here has green peppers in.
Price: RMB 28
Chuan Ban 川办餐厅
Cited as one of Beijing’s best Sichuan restaurants, gong bao chicken is one of their specialties, it is spicier than in other restaurants. And you can also try other spicy dishes here, if you are truly a lover of the heat.
Price: RMB 22
Mei Zhou Dong Po Restaurant 眉州东坡
Since 1996, Mei Zhou started to serve traditional Sichuan cuisines at reasonable price. This chain has branches all over China, which includes 38 branches in Beijing. Their gong bao chicken is full of flavors. You could also try the dishes here. Our readers voted this their favorite Sichuan restaurant of 2016.
Price: RMB 26
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