I honestly can’t remember when the first time was that I came to eat at Sihai Yijia. I only found out about this place because a friend brought me here—it’s tucked away in an alley, the kind of spot you’d never notice otherwise. This isn’t an area I usually come to unless I live nearby, and especially now, with the Miramar Entertainment Park (京華城) long gone, there’s even less reason to wander around here. So I assumed it wouldn’t be very crowded. Turns out, I was completely wrong.
The place is packed. Large tables can be reserved in advance, but if you’re just a small group, you’ll have to queue and wait.
This kind of restaurant is much more suitable for group meals or family gatherings. That way, you can order a wider variety of dishes to share, which makes the whole experience more satisfying. Otherwise, you end up stuck in that annoying dilemma—seeing so many dishes you want to try but worrying you won’t be able to finish them. And once you look at the menu, your brain might just shut down, especially if you suffer from decision paralysis. Row after row of dish names can be seriously overwhelming.
The dining space is surprisingly spacious—much bigger than you’d expect. As you walk further in, there are even more seating areas hidden inside.
If you really don’t want to overthink it, the simplest solution is to just order from the recommended dishes.
There were four of us, and even then, we almost couldn’t finish everything. The pickled cabbage and pork hot pot has always felt a bit mysterious to me—it doesn’t look like much at first, but once you start eating, it somehow feels endless. The other dishes were originally meant to keep us busy while waiting for the hot pot, but as we ate, our appetites kicked in and we completely misjudged how much we could handle. Scallion pancakes, pan-fried flatbreads—and in the end, we were tempted by the red bean pancake too. What a disaster~~~ That feeling of wanting to eat everything, yet not having a stomach big enough for it all.
Anyway, there will always be another chance to come back. We’ll leave it for next time!
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