In our third episode of the "24 Hours in Beijing" series, we speak with Charles de Pellette—a British-born, Hong Kong-raised expatriate who has spent 13 years in Beijing. He has sold craft beer for Master Gao, crafted cocktails at Ron Mexico, and for the last 8 years has worked at Home Plate BBQ as the Operations Director (and co-host of “Will It Smoke?”). Here’s how he would spend 24 hours in Beijing—complete with food, drinks, and a bit of chaos.
Must-visit location? The Hutongs. While the Great Wall is more breathtaking and the Forbidden City more grand, to me, if there’s one area you should explore, it’s the hutongs around Gulou, with all their gritty, charming beauty. Nothing epitomizes Beijing for me like the narrow streets filled with cars, small hole-in-the-wall shops, a mix of restaurants, and the occasional public restroom—where a lack of doors (or even walls between stalls) can transform a simple restroom visit into a more social event. Although “The Brickening” years ago led to many bars and restaurants closing, making these alleys less vibrant than before, they still represent the heart of Beijing.
The best way to kick off the day? Late. This is an unconventional day where we end with breakfast, so we’ll start a bit later at lunch, getting out of bed and heading to our first stop for midday: Zhang Mama. Nothing wakes you up quite like a bowl of spicy dāndànmiàn, some zhǒng shuǐjiǎo (Sichuan-style dumplings), and a chilled Běibīngyáng to get the system going. We’ll be grinning all the way to the checkout since the prices here are incredibly affordable.
Afternoon: Hutong Exploring & Beers. After that, we’ll venture further into the hutongs for a light round of day drinking. First stop: Peiping Machine in Fangjia Hutong for a pint or two of their beer. In the same courtyard is Aimo Town, a delightful Yunnan restaurant with a lovely raised terrace, perfect for the warm months. We'll enjoy a plate of sū hóngdòu (crispy red bean pastry) and some fried ěr kuài (Yunnan-style rice cakes)—a fantastic spicy-savory mix to munch on between drinks.
The hutong crawl continues at Side Street with a pint of Zeffer cider for one of my five a day, before wandering toward Great Leap #6 for another round. Along the way, we’ll grab a lǘ ròu huǒshāo (donkey burger) from Wang Pangzi—probably one of Beijing’s most underrated street foods, resembling a steak slice more than a burger. The pastry is flaky, the meat is tender and lean, making it simply delicious.
Dinner: Peking Duck & Cantonese Comfort Food. Once the sun begins to set, we’ll change our scenery by hopping on a bike and heading to Sanlitun. You can’t experience Beijing without having duck, and Sheng Yong Xing serves what I truly believe to be the city’s best Peking duck. Yes, it has a Michelin star, but it’s not just fancy for show—the duck is exceptional, the skin perfectly crispy, and the meat incredibly tender. It’s not just the duck; the other dishes on the menu also stand out. Unfortunately, since we’re on a monumental food tour across Beijing, we’ll keep our visit this time focused solely on the duck to share.
Post-duck, we’ll stop by Home Plate for a Pitmaster Porter (our winter smoked porter collaboration with Jing-A) and enjoy a few rounds of darts while we wait for a table at Yi Lou Yi Huo Guo, a Cantonese restaurant in the same yard that reminds me of home in Hong Kong. The char siu is indulgent in all the right ways, and the clams in black bean sauce are quite addictive, though perhaps less so today given all the food we’ve already consumed!
Late Night: Spritzes, Techno & Breakfast Finale. After dinner, the natural move is to head to La Platea, also known as Little Italy. We’ll find a spot on the terrace, order a couple of Gin & Tonics or an Aperol Spritz to refresh, and if anyone is still hungry, we’ll get a tapas of Prawns Pil Pil—nothing like garlic-chili breath to fend off the vampires! Most likely, Oshi will be behind the decks as usual, spinning some eclectic tunes to get everyone in the mood before the night gets wild.
By “wild,” I mean dancing in a basement with a sticker over my phone’s camera so I can’t take pictures since it disrupts “the vibe,” aka Zhaodai. It’s time for some dark, heavy techno, or
In the third edition of our 24 Hours in Beijing series, we have a conversation with Charles de Pellette, a British-born expat who grew up in Hong Kong and has been residing in Beijing.
