Traveling to China but worried about weird food? Or maybe you’re a China hand craving the comforting tastes of home? Either way, these wonderfully Western-style dishes on our list of must try Chinese food proves that food in China, in all its delicious variety, can satisfy any stomach. 随便吃！
Pastrami deli sub
Chinese name: lurou huoshao 卤肉火烧 
Looks kosher enough for Katz’s Deli, right? Almost – but for the fact that this scrumptious sub is filled with sliced donkey. Fear not – a Chinese saying goes that there’s nothing tastier than dragon meat in heaven and donkey meat on earth. Try it at one of Beijing’s much-loved donkey meat eateries on our Street Snacks & Market Tour.
Marvelous meat pie
Chinese name: danxia subing kaorou 蛋馅酥饼烤肉 
This hearty pie (from Xinjiang, not Oz mate) stars crisp, golden pastry with a classic pleat, a deliciously moist and steamy filling of veggies and egg, and the crowning glory – a big heap of fried lamb and onions dumped on the top.
Sino-style spag bol
Chinese name: zhajiang mian 炸酱面 
Essentially noodles with a dollop of mild meat sauce (and a few other accompaniments like cucumber, radish and soybeans mixed tableside), this classic Beijing dish is guaranteed to warm the souls of wanderers craving Mama’s home cooking.
‘Almost’ Canadian poutine
Chinese name: hasake tudou 哈萨克土豆 
Travelers missing Montreal’s famous mess of fries, gravy and cheese curds can sate their sorrows on this unlikely approximation – ‘Kazakh-style potatoes’, available from many Xinjiang restaurants around Beijing. You’ll have to bring your own cheese, though.
Sunday roast chicken
Chinese name: Dezhou ba ji 德州扒鸡 
If heads, feet and unwelcome extras are fouling your fowl, take refuge in this foreigner-friendly Sunday lunch from Shandong. Fragrant crispy skin covers meltingly tender white meat with a hint of five-spice – all deboned and delicious. Available from shops and snack kiosks around Beijing.
The ultimate tapas plate
Chinese name: rubbing huotui 乳饼火腿 
This platter of crumbly goats cheese and smoky, house-reared jamon wouldn’t look out of place on an Andalusian bar. Crafted by the mountain-dwelling Baizu ethnic group in Yunnan Province, it’s a tantalizing tapas plate most visitors would never have expected.
Faking-it fajitas
Chinese name: chunbing 春饼 
A Beijing creation, this build-your-own feast utilises the steamed pancakes from Peking duck and marries them with all sorts of stir-fried fillings, like spicy pork, bean shoots with egg, green beans, shredded carrot and pork, saucy duck and more.
‘Wunderbar’ pork ribs and sauerkraut
Chinese name: Suancai zhupai 酸菜猪排 
For multiple Bavarian favourites in one warming pot, head to a Dongbei (northeast) style restaurant. This witches brew consists of vinegary pickled cabbage, stewed pork ribs, slippery glass noodles and even chunks of blood sausage. Sehr gut!
Breton crêpe, Beijing style
Chinese name: jianbing 煎饼 
Available all over town, this crepe creation is a brilliant breakfast snack, consisting of a thin wheat pancake fried on a griddle and topped with egg, spring onions, soy paste, a dash of chilli and a mysterious crispy fried wafer that imparts its characteristic crunch. Nom.
All-Chinese hamburger
Chinese name: roujiamo 肉夹馍 
Roujiamo is a blue-collar bite from the streets of Xian. Juicy stewed pork is sandwiched, together with a few sprigs of fresh coriander, between a crispy, unleavened flat bread ‘bun’ called a ‘mo’. It’s also the only food that shares its name with everyone’s second favourite James Bond (say it out loud, folks). — If this list has awakened your appetites, you’ll love Bespoke Beijing’s Street Snack & Market Tour and Peking Duck & Kitchen Tour. Happy eating!
About the author: Tom O’Malley is Propaganda Secretary at Bespoke Beijing. A lifestyle journalist, guidebook author, glutton and bon vivant, Tom is a tireless crusader for fine food, hospitality and tourist experiences in China’s capital.