Advertisement
It's only a few days until Epiphany (Jan 6) and there are plenty of places in Beijing to get a king cake, aka galette des rois (国王饼 guówáng bǐng in Chinese) to celebrate. For those who are unfamiliar, Epiphany is a Christian feast day that celebrates the three wise men visiting the baby Jesus. Part of the celebration is to eat a king cake, which consists of flaky puff pastry layers filled with frangipane. Traditionally, a lucky charm is hidden inside the cake ('une fêve') – similar to how money is hidden in a Christmas pudding – and whoever gets the piece with the luck charm is crowned king or queen for the day.
Whether you want to celebrate Epiphany or just fancy trying this delicious cake, there are plenty of spots in Beijing to get yourself a slice or a whole king cake.
La Maison Lyonnaise
French restaurant La Maison Lyonnaise has traditional galette des rois available for pre-order for either take away or pick up on-site. You can choose either one for 4-6 people (RMB 299) or one for 8-10 people (RMB 449). To order, scan the QR code in the poster above.
La Maison Lyonnaise
44 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区光华路44号
Hours: 11am-11pm
Phone: 132 6003 4808
JiangMaiTang
As you’d expect from any French café worth its salt JiangMaiTang does king cake each year! Here you can either get it by the slice (RMB 46) or as a whole (RMB 268) and what's more their whole ones include a lucky charm imported from France! You can either get it in-house -- if you want to try before you buy the also offer free tastings -- or order via JiangMaiTang WeChat mini program (search JMT讲麦堂).
JiangMaiTang 讲麦堂
Unit 102, Tower 20, Central Park, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳门外大街6号新城国际20号楼103底商
Hours: 8am-5pm
Phone: 010 6597 0724
Comptoirs de France
French bakery chain Comptoirs has traditional king cakes available in three different sizes. They have Galette Individual (RMB 42), Galette des Rois, medium (RMB 198) and Galette des Rois, large (RMB 298). You can buy king cakes from Comptoirs in-store (see the picture below), via their mini program (scan the QR code in the picture above), on Meituan Waimai or on Eleme.
TIENSTIENS
French café TIENSTIENS brings a bit of variety with two different flavors of king cake (serves 6-8 people): Classic Almond Flavor (RMB 268) and Hazlenut and Chocolate (RMB 288). If you don't want a whole one you can also buy it by the slice (RMB 59). Whole cakes need to be ordered at least one day in advance and can be bought by calling the number below, ordering through Meituan Waimai, Eleme, or by visiting one of the TIENSTIENS branches.
TIENSTIENS (Zhongguancun branch)
1F, Bldg B, Rongke Information Center, Kexueyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区科学院南路融科资讯中心B座B1层艺术空间旁
Hours: 10.30am-9pm
Phone: 010 6250 8267
CHEZMOREL
This bakery in Maizidian is sticking to tradition, with just original flavored galette des rois on offer. They have 22cm for 4-6 people (RMB 228), 28cm for 8-10 people (RMB 288), and Mini for one person (RMB 38). They have a limited number of the Mini and 22cm ones available for immediate delivery on Meituan Waimai, otherwise, you need to order in advance via their WeChat mini program which you can access by scanning the QR code in the poster above.
CHEZMOREL
5, Shouhoudajia Dishang, Nongzhanguan Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东三环农展北路甲5号首厚大家底商
Hours: 8am-10pm
Phone: 177 4440 6563
Gontran Cherrier
This year Gontran Cherrier is just offering a classic king cake, which can be bought by the slice (RMB 38) or whole (RMB 299). They’re available to buy immediately at either one of their shops, through Meituan Waimai, or through their WeChat mini program (search: GC可颂GO), though please note the number available each day is limited.
Gontran Cherrier (Joy City Branch)
2F-72 Chaoyang Joy City, Chaoyang Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳北路朝阳大悦城2F-72
Hours: 10am-10pm
Phone: 010 8581 7529
Le Grenier à Pain
French bakery chain Le Grenier à Pain has two different varieties of galette des rois available: Almond (RMB 288/whole, RMB 49/slice) and Pistachio (RMB 298/whole, RMB 49/slice). Both can be ordered in-store, via Meituan Waimai or via their WeChat mini program (search: 正本原 LeGrenierAPain).
Le Grenier à Pain 正本原 (Grand Summit Branch)
1/F, South Wing, Grand Summit, 19 Dongfang Donglu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东方东路19号官舍南区1层
Hours: 8.30am-9pm
Phone: 010 8532 6397, 185 1924 0205
Bellota
Lastly, for those looking for the Spanish version of king cake aka roscón de reyes, Spanish restaurant Bellota is now accepting pre-orders. The Spanish variation is made from a brioche type dough typically filled with whipped cream or custard and decorated with icing sugar, nuts and dried and candied fruit which represent the jewels of a crown. You can order a whole one (RMB 280) from Bellota by scanning the QR code in the poster above or calling 010 8048 2108 and need to order 48 hours in advance.
Bellota
882 Rongxiang Plaza, 2, Xinyuan Yilu, Konggang Jiedao, Shunyi District
顺义区空港街道馨园一路2号院荣祥广场882号
Hours: 11am-10pm
Phone: 010 8048 2108
READ MORE
38 Events and Happenings in the 'Jing This Weekend (Jan 3-5)
Images: Canva, courtesy of the venues
2024 Year-in-Review: New Restaurants Pt. 1 | |
Q MEX Teams Up With Lao Fang's BBQ for Meaty Collab |
2024 Year-in-Review: New Beijing Bars | |
International Star Studded Ballet Cast Takes to the NCPA Stage |
