河南苑记胡辣汤

This restaurant's spicy soup is truly heartwarming. It comes in a large bowl, with generous portions of minced meat; you can find it in every spoonful. The aroma of pepper is strong but not overpowering, and it soothes the stomach completely. Having a bowl of this on a rainy day is incredibly relaxing.

Four mini fried dough sticks for one yuan is a pretty good price around here. The key is to dip them in the spicy soup. Soak them for about three seconds; the outer skin absorbs the soup and softens, while the inside remains slightly crispy, creating a wonderful texture. Eating fried dough sticks alone can be a bit dry, so this combination helps cut through the richness.

Two pan-fried buns for just one yuan, what a bargain! I bought the minced meat and vermicelli filling, it smells so good. They also have vegetarian fillings. If you go, go early, last time I went I was late and they were all sold out of vegetarian fillings.