Cozy Comfort Food: Mac and Cheese in Beijing

After the recent temperature drop this past weekend, you might be looking for some cozy comfort food to get you through the last few weeks of cold weather. In my opinion, nothing quite says comfort like a delicious bowl of creamy, gooey macaroni cheese. Well, if you agree and want to know where you can get said bowl of deliciousness, here are a few spots around the capital where you can do just that!

Let's kick things off with The Local and their Classic Mac & Cheese (RMB 50). A great thing about theirs is that it's super adaptable, with options to add bacon (RMB 18), broccoli (RMB 10) or chicken (RMB 15). If you're looking for a less traditional option, they've got the Buffalo Chicken & Blue Mac & Cheese (RMB 70), which comes with spicy and tangy buffalo chicken and blue cheese crumbles as well. For the carb-conscious, you can also choose to replace the pasta with broccoli for the Classic or with cauliflower for the Buffalo.

The Local Bar & Grill
1/F, 101, Southeast of Zone E, Bldg 80, Courtyard No. 4, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体北路4号院80号楼E区东南侧第一间101一层
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-1am, Sat-Sun, 11am-2am
Phone: 010 6591 9525

Along with making top-quality Roman-style pizzas, Forno has a range of excellent pasta dishes using their fresh pasta made in-house, including their take on mac and cheese called Maccheroni Al Forno (RMB 99). Beautifully golden brown, it features baked maccheroni curvi in a rich four-cheese sauce with crispy pancetta. Or if you fancy trying your hand at making your own mac and cheese at home, they also sell their homemade pasta – including maccheroni curvi.

Forno 意角 (Sanlitun branch)
S6-33, 3/F, Taikooli South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯路19号太苦里南区3层 S6-33
Hours: 11am-midnight
Phone: 010 6462 7448

We all know that Great Leap does some banging burgers, but did you also know they do Macaroni and Cheese (RMB 50)? Serving the dish in a skillet, Great Leap keeps things classic with the macaroni baked in a cheesy sauce topped with spring onions. 

Great Leap #12
1/F, Zi Ming Mansion, 12 Xinzhong Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区新中街12号
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-2am; Fri-Sat 11am-3am
Phone: 010 6417 0018

Great Leap #45
45-1 Xinyuan Jie, Chaoyang District
大跃啤酒45号新源街店
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-2am
Phone: 010 5947 6984

Great Leap Lido
Rm 103, Nuo Center, A2 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区将台路甲2号诺金中心一层103室
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-2am; Fri-Sat 11am-3am
Phone: 010 6434 7221

Beersmith keeps things simple with their Mac & Cheese (RMB 58), which sees macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce baked until golden brown and then sprinkled with herbs for a finishing touch. Although listed as a side dish on their menu, it's definitely substantial enough to eat as a meal for one.  

Beersmith
1/F, Hotel Jen Beijing, 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街1号新国贸饭店1层
Hours: 11am-2am
Phone: 010 8647 1098

Usually known for their square Detroit-style pizzas, Pie Squared also does a decent Baked Macaroni & Cheese (RMB 58). For theirs, they use a blend of cheddar and mozzarella topped with breadcrumbs and baked until the top is a crisp golden brown. They also have the option to add on smoked ham, bacon, or sausage for an additional RMB 10 each. 

Pie Squared
8 Laiguangying Dong Lu, Building 1, 1-5, Chaoyang District, Beijing, Chaoyang District
朝阳区来广营东路8号1楼1-5
Hours: 11am-8pm
Phone: 010 6438 2112

As you'd expect from American restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory, they've got Macaroni and Cheese (RMB 79) on their menu. You won't find it in their pasta section, though; instead, it's in the side dish section of the menu. However, as anyone who's been to The Cheesecake Factory will know, their portions are pretty huge, so it's safe to say it's enough for a full meal.

The Cheesecake Factory
412-419, 4/F, East Building, WF Central, 269 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区王府井大街269号4层412-419室
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-10pm; Sat-Sun, 10m-10pm
Phone: 010 6525 1703

Cajun restaurant Nola, located just south of Ritan Park, does a Bacon Mac & Cheese (RMB 75) that takes the classic dish and then adds pieces of crispy bacon and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs for some extra crunch. If you're looking for more comfort food dishes, they've also got Southern and Cajun classics like Shrimp & Grits (RMB 88) and Jambalaya (chicken/RMB 90; seafood/RMB 105),

Nola
11A Xiushui Nanjie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区秀水南街11号
Hours: 11am-11.30pm
Phone: 133 6618 8770

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Images: Canva, courtesy of the venues, Dianping, Meituan Waimai