Slurpin’ it Up

Sanlitun | Turay’s Place

Soups and stews form the backbone of the menu at this chill restaurant that feels like a good friend’s living room. From the thick and pungent seafood stew to the wilted spinach stew with hearty cubes of beef, the dishes are best accompanied with pieces of polenta, a corn-based cake that’s rather dry and flavorless on its own but is the perfect vehicle for absorbing liquids. Turay’s peanut butter stew (¥50-¥80 depending on your choice of side) is a standout. Spices and small yellow peppers imported from Hainan and Africa give a playful kick to the dish. Whether with polenta or ladled onto rice, you’ll want to sop up every drop. Find it: Xingfu Ercun, Next to Xingfu Hotel, Chaoyang District 朝阳区幸福二村幸福村宾馆旁 Tel: 6416-0600

CBD/ Guomao | Comptoirs de France

This winter, Comptoirs de France is the place to sit down with a generous bowl of soup (¥28) as a side or a meal itself. Don’t miss Monday’s soupe du jour, a creamy mushroom soup with enough mushrooms to give the soup flavor and texture. Other promising soups rotate throughout the week: Tuesday brings carrot cumin, Thursday features bacon lentil and Friday’s pumpkin cream comes with just the right amount of sweetness. Come in the weekends for Saturday’s broccoli and cauliflower or Sunday’s curry zucchini. Each bowl comes with a slice of bread, but you should order a roll or baguette to really clean the plate. Find it: Bldg 15, Suite 102, Huamao Center, 89 Jianguo Lu, 建国路89号华贸中心15座102号, Tel: 6530-5480

Haidian | Jiangxi Meishi Fang

These soups cooked in huge ceramic vats (瓦罐汤) are the regional Jiangxi specialty. Sample a variety at this restaurant located next to the Jiandemen Subway Station on Line 10 whose lunch menu ranges from ¥10 to ¥48 for small to large serving sizes. These restorative soups are made fresh every morning with ingredients ranging from duck and frog to seafood or vegetables, and come served in mini ceramic pots. Only a limited number of these claypot soups are made each day so come early before your favorite is sold out. A medium pot serves three to four people. The bilingual menu makes ordering easy but service is spotty during busy hours. Find it: 103 Beitucheng Xilu 北土城西路103号 Tel: 6238-3966

Larissa Zhou