Noon.
Jiang Yuan and the others had lunch at a donkey meat restaurant near the Zhengguang Bureau, choosing it for its affordable and interesting menu as a break from the usual cafeteria fare.
Beijing's local dishes were hardly commendable, essentially just tourist traps. But the restaurants from other regions were competing fiercely, earnestly seeking recognition.
The Hejian Donkey Meat Huoshao Shop they chose was serious about its craft, using real donkey meat, real donkey intestines, and freshly baked flatbread, along with just-cooked millet soup—a combination of high-quality protein and explosive calories that was delicious and guilt-inducing, perfectly replicating Western fast food but with a transcendent twist.
