Kurt Groetsch @ OldTasty.com

One of the things that’s different from my last stay in China is that it’s a lot harder to find good street food these days. I’m sure it’s because of the Beijing city government’s push for modernization, the same modernization that’s resulted in the huge luxury apartment complexes — including mine — that are sprouting all over the city. And to be sure, it’s easier to “regulate” restaurants than street vendors. But the restaurant experience isn’t the same, so I’ve halfway been looking for a place to get good old Chinese snacks since I arrived. And whadda you know, not 10 minutes from my apartment by foot, there’s a little storefront that serves up everything I’ve been looking for.

What you’re seeing below are xian bing (or xiar bing if you’re from Beijing), fried bread filled with minced pork and scallions. What I didn’t get is a photo of is the gyro-like rack of chicken that they use to make a spicy roast chicken sandwich that… well, it’s just very, very good. More photos forthcoming because you can be sure I’ll be going back as soon as possible.