Indian

Chingari (Xingei)
Cuisine
Indian
Hours
Daily 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm (closes at midnight Fri)
Address
Dong Zhi Men Wai Dajie 27
Location
At intersection with Liangma He Nan Lu; on 4th floor, above Pizza Hut, Chaoyang East
Phone
010/8448-3690, 010/8448-3691
Prices
Meal for 2 „180-„250 ($23-$31)
Credit Cards
AE, DC, MC, V

If it weren't for the half-hearted decor and dance-club pretensions, Chingari would easily be the best Indian restaurant in Beijing. Portions are a bit small for the price but service is friendly and flavors are authentic: This is where Beijing's Indian residents come to eat.

The tandoori chicken, tender and flavorful, is as good as it comes this far north of the border; mutton do piazza (lamb pieces in spicy coconut sauce) and palak paneer (spinach curry) are also highly recommended.

The band starts playing Bollywood covers of 1980s American pop at 8:30pm. Get there well beforehand. The business lunch (11am-1:30pm) is a tremendous deal: „38 ($5) for choice of curry, rice or nan, and a drink.

Taj Pavilion (Taiji Lou Yindu Canting)
Cuisine
Indian
Hours
Daily 11:30am-2:30pm and 6:30-10:30pm
Address
L1-28 West Wing of China World Trade Center, Jianguo Men Wai Dajie 1
Location
Chaoyang Northeast
Transportation
Metro: Guomao (122)
Phone
010/6505-5866
Prices
Meal for 2 „220-„260 ($27-$33)
Credit Cards
AE, DC, MC, V

One of Beijing's oldest Indian restaurants, the Taj Pavilion is a classier and slightly more expensive alternative to Chingari. The small dining room holds only a few tables, nicely dressed in white linen, with subtle decor refreshingly free of camp. Food and service are both consistently high quality.

Recommended dishes include vegetable kofta curry (deep-fried vegetables in tomato-based curry sauce), palak paneer (spinach curry), rogan josh (mutton in spicy tomato curry), and chicken tikka masala (marinated chicken in rich tomato sauce) -- all authentic, thick, and deceptively filling.