You Rate It

Peking duck is a favorite of twin brothers Jonathan and Benjamin Wong (4) and their big sister Esther (5), who are from Singapore.

We love Peking duck, so Da Dong Roast Duck restaurant is one of our much-loved places to eat. Other than the sugar-coated duck skin and meat with sweet sauce, there are other numerous interesting things to eat, including the complimentary fruit and dessert!

Da Dong Roast Duck
北京大董烤鸭店
Chaoyang Branch
Daily 11am-10pm
Bldg 3, Tuanjiehu Beikou
East Third Ring Road (SE corner of Changhong Qiao)
Chaoyang District (6582 2892/4003)
朝阳区团结湖北口3号楼东三环长虹桥东南角

Dongcheng Branch
Daily 11am-10pm
1-2/F, Nanxincang International Plaza
22A Dongsishitiao (SW corner of the intersection)
Chaoyang District (5169 0329)
东城区东四十条甲22号南新仓国际大厦1-2楼(立交桥西南角)

• Read more

Half-Norwegian and half-Belgian 21-month-old Simon is the happy of son of Jan Wostyn and Mariam Kjellsen.

 Simon’s favorite Saturday afternoon outing is the fifth floor of Shin Kong Place, across from the Dawang Lu subway station. Tucked away in the corner of the toys section are two playgrounds with slides, tubes and a ball pool that can keep him busy. One of the slides goes so fast that he gets an adrenaline kick every time. When he’s had enough of rolling around in the ball pool and crawling up and down the tubes, the many toys on display keep him from getting bored. The toy train on display is another inexhaustible source of entertainment, and Simon doesn’t seem to mind that it just goes round and round and does exactly the same thing every time!

Shin Kong Place
Daily 10am-10pm
87 Jianguo Lu (next to China Central Place)
Chaoyang District (6530 5888)
朝阳区建国路87号 (华贸中心旁边)

Would you or your kids like to rate it? E-mail editor@tbjkids.com

Kaz Michalak (British) and Wang Jingyan (Chinese) on one of 1-year-old Alina’s favorite restaurants.

We like to eat at Lemongrass, which is located next to the western wing of China World Mall. The restaurant makes good Indian food, and also very good Thai food! Alina likes going here because the staff are very friendly. Every time we take her, they are very helpful, and things like that make a big difference for families like us with a young child.

Lemongrass Thai and Indian Restaurant
Daily 10am-11pm
1/F, Jinzhiqiao Dasha, 1A Jianguomenwai Dajie
Chaoyang District (6500 3855)
朝阳区建国门外大街甲1号金之桥大厦1层

Would you or your kids like to rate it? E-mail editor@tbjkids.com

Grandma’s Kitchen

Zianne (6), Ryan (3) and Zaeila (1) Indanan of the Philippines have fun eating at Grandma’s Kitchen

If there’s one place that could hold us together on a school night or on lazy Sunday afternoons, that would be Grandma’s Kitchen in Jianwai Soho. There are other restaurants near the area as well, but what sets Grandma’s Kitchen apart from all the rest is the cozy ambiance, great food, warm service and kid-friendliness. They have coloring paper that they dole out to kids to keep them busy while waiting for food, and the kids love to eat chicken baskets and mini-sized pizzas. Chocolate shakes are also favorites. Nemo can’t get enough of the hefty servings of fries, and the same goes for Zianne. Our littlest tyke, Ella, watches in amazement and grapples for her own share, too!

Would you or your kids like to rate it? E-mail editor@tbjkids.com

Casa Mia

Luca (7) and Maria (5) Allegrezza are Italian-Chinese and love to eat at Casa Mia

Casa Mia is a nice Italian restaurant that we usually go to on weekends. We like the sociable and pleasant atmosphere created by Stefano, the owner, who likes to mix with the customers. It’s very homey place! Stefano comes from the same place as our father (Modena, Italy), which is also the hometown of the distinguished tenor Luciano Pavarotti. We really like the authentic northern Italian cuisine at Casa Mia, and the restaurant is often used for kids’ birthday parties on Saturdays and Sundays.

Would you or your kids like to rate it? E-mail editor@tbjkids.com.

Happy Valley Amusement Park

Happy Valley Amusement Park is the biggest amusement park in Beijing, and it’s a very good place to have a lot of fun. There are about 40 rides, 100 games and seven cinemas. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to get on the rides – it’s much cheaper than any other amusement park in Beijing.

It’s a nice amusement park, but it’s so big that people spend lots of time walking. There are many scooters, but they are so expensive to ride.

The other problem is all the people who hang around – some parents don’t want to go on rides, but want to watch what their children are doing. I think they need to contribute to the park’s profit; they can join in some park activities, too.

Judy Jeon, from Korea, is in Grade 9 at the Canadian International School of Beijing.

Alex Novadnieks, 14, hails from the UK and is a student at Dulwich College, Beijing.

I went to TGI Friday’s for my last birthday and I will always remember my first glance at the room: I had entered the twilight zone between Beijing and Texas. I saw Chinese cowboys and cowgirls prancing around, all in Texas gunslinger outfits.

I was welcomed with a huge “birthday Coke” from a waiter called Kevin (last time I checked, Kevin wasn’t a Chinese name). Also I saw Wendy and Chad, which puzzled me, but I was seduced by the large amount of beverage in front of me. The food is always good there, no matter what you order. I would recommend the potato wedges though – those are to die for.

For a wacky, crazy, fun-filled dining experience, head on down to TGI Friday’s. It really is scarier than clowns. 

Would you or your kids like to rate it? E-mail editor@tbjkids.com

Felicity Liu, 17, is a student at the Beijing Industrial and Commercial University and has lived in Beijing her whole life.

I’m a Beijing girl and I just love Beijing so much! My favorite place in Beijing has to be Ditan Park. It has a long history and really gives people a strong feeling about the culture of Beijing. Most of all, though, it makes me recall so many memories from my childhood.

When I was younger, my old house was near it and I always used to go and play games there with my friends. I love it!

Would you or your kids like to rate it? E-mail editor@tbjkids.com

Martijn Hildebrand, stay-at-home dad and law student, and daughter, Sarah Hildebrand, age 19 months, both from Holland.

It’s a nice shop, but the real old toys are not really suitable for playing with since they are made from wood and stuff – they’re better as showpieces. Sarah loved the little instruments and the stuffed animals, but you can buy them everywhere. The owner, Mr. Tang, is really sweet. And Sarah loved it because there was so much to see.