The Hakka (kejia, or “guest” in Chinese) are known as the nomads of the Chinese people. My family typifies this characteristic, and has migrated throughout East and South Asia to America. Throughout their travels, they’ve adapted Hakka food, incorporating flavors from the various places they have lived in, while keeping traditional cooking methods. But finding similarly tasty Hakka cuisine in Beijing isn’t easy.

What exactly distinguishes Hakka cuisine? My grandfather—the toughest food critic I know—considers Hakka flavors to be distinct, simple and rustic, flavorful but not too robust in spice, salt or sweetness. “Even though the Hakka are originally Han Chinese, we cook with more components than other Chinese foods,” he explains. “When we stir fry, we always use oil and garlic and cook with a higher flame to bring out the flavors fully from each ingredient. Our cuisine is special, and few are familiar with the food outside the Hakka home.”

In Beijing, Kejia Yuan only has a few dishes that reminded me of what can be found in my refrigerator at home in America. The baked san huang chicken with salt (¥32) was the most authentic, similar to Hainan chicken, but with crispy skin. The braised Hakka pork tofu (¥28) did have the savory soy and pepper I expected, but the pork balls were miniature compared to the way my family cooks them.

Left unsatisfied, I continued to Houhai’s Lao Hanzi, which came a little closer. The sliced pork with dry mustard greens (¥38) was spot on in flavor and texture, and the meat was perfectly prepared with sweet soy. My family is from Meixian, in northeast Guangdong, where freshwater fish is the specialty. This is also true at Lao Hanzi, where the toasted perch in tinfoil (¥58) is fried then baked in tin foil with sweet soy sauce and red wine.

Kejia Xiao Zhen is definitely the Hakka restaurant in Beijing that would most please my grandpa. Their menu includes more traditional items, and their execution hits as close to home as I could get. I especially loved the salt-baked chicken (¥30), cooked with mustard paste and sesame oil. The poon choi (¥38) is the perfect one-pot family meal. This colorful dish is filled with multiple components, each adding different flavors and textures: salty, juicy pork belly; crunchy, tangy red and green peppers; crisp, sour string beans; and soy noodles as a base.

Given that the Hakka bring their distinctive cooking style with them all over the world, I was disappointed not to find more good choices for Hakka cuisine in Beijing. But in the end, I’m happy and relieved to have finally discovered an authentic taste of home.