NANJINGNOW

I went the wrong way out of the Xinjekou subway the other day and wound up beneath the Orient Dept. Store. There I found Bebbi’s, which I had never seen or heard of before. So I had lunch.

Their website (www.bebbis.com) will tell you that Bebi’s is a restuarant in Switzerland that now has an outlet in Nanjing. The decor is, I guess, Swiss-style; a lot of wood and European-looking bric-a-brac. There was a small bar area, but it is mainly a restuarant. On the wall was a flat screen that was off, but has potential for sporting events.

I ordered from an English menu from an English-speaking Chinese waitress. I tried some kind of potato-cheese-bacon skillet that reminded me of some traditional USA breakfasts that I have sorely missed in Nanjing. I washed it down with some cold Tsingtao’s, but I noticed that they claim to have a large selection of European beers and liquor. The food selections were Euro-looking but interesting.

Pricing was highish, but it is Western-style, and it is Xinjekou -around RMB 120 for my lunch and beers.

The underground section where this restaurant is located is currently under construction. This situation makes their low-visability location even worse. But it’s really easy if you know where it is. Just go to the basement of Orient Dept. Store (right beneath GUCCI) or use the Orient Dept. Store subway exit from the Xinjekou metro station. There was basically no one else there during my visit, and I really doubt they see much traffic, but I will surely go back to try dinner.

- by Floyd Thirsby

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