Affordable Chinese food is everywhere in Beijing, and not all of the places that provide it are an offense to Western hygiene standards. As with shopping in this city, high prices don't necessarily guarantee high quality in dining, and cheap restaurants often provide better food than expensive ones. Down-market dining also offers the best chance to connect with the average Beijing resident.

Most convenient is a stable of adequately clean Chinese fast-food restaurants, many of which deliberately try to rip off their Western counterparts. Menus typically offer simple noodles, baked goods, and stir-fries. Top chains include Yonghe Dawang (with KFC-style sign) and Malan noodle outlets (marked with a Chicago Bulls-style graphic), both with locations throughout the city.

A better option is to visitone of the point-to-choose food courts on the top or bottom floor of almost every large shopping center. These typically feature a dozen or so stalls, each selling snacks, noodles, or simple pre-cooked selections from different regions. Prices are reasonable, making it easy to sample a wide range. Just point to what looks good. The food court in the basement of the Oriental Plaza, requiring purchase of a card you use to pay for food at each stall, is the most extensive. Others can be found in the China World Mall, the Yaxiu Clothing Market, and Xi Dan Baihuo Shangchang north of the Xi Dan metro stop.

One of the most enjoyable local dining areas in Beijing, the legendary 24-hour food street on Dong Zhi Men Nei Dajie known to most as Ghost Street (Gui Jie), took a severe hit from the wrecking ball in 2001 but is still there in abbreviated form. Beginning around the Dongsi Bei Dajie intersection and running east, dozens of small eateries offer hotpot, mala longxia (spicy crayfish), and homestyle fare through the lantern-lit night.