Gulou Area

From hutong house to renovated restaurant
By Annie Wei

Café Sambal, best known for its Malaysian cuisine, is Jiugulou Dajia’s first hutong house turned upscale restaurant since 2002.

“Malaysian food is more accepted in western countries than in China,” the owner Cho Chonggee, who hails from Malaysia and looks younger than his years, said.

Enjoy a good time for 60-70 yuan, or spend 300 yuan per person for a very rich meal. For curry lovers, Sambal is the place to go. Chili or curry crab comes highly recommended by customers, and has to be ordered one day in advance at market price. The dish is s made of fresh, seasonal materials and has very rich taste. Other top dishes include Kang Kong Belacan for 30 yuan and fresh Vietnamese roll with prawns and herbs for 25 yuan. 

Cho agrees that his design style is a bigger hit with the city’s internationally-minded diners, especially expats, though the bulk of restaurant-goers may find his interior “average.”

The restaurant is divided into three parts: the first has a more modern setting with a concrete bar area, white-painted wall and black leather sofa; the second is the original hutong courtyard, which is very chilly on summer nights; the third part keeps the original wood window frame of the old house, antique furniture, old pictures and ceramic vases.

This reporter’s first experience with Cafe Sambal and its quirky interior came in summer of 2003 after moving to the city. Some photographs of her in the courtyard made their way to an artist in another city who wondered why she left everything behind for life in one of Beijing’s decrepit hutongs.

A real visit is all one needs to know a picture can hardly do the cafe justice, and it is anything but a decrepit hutong.

If you do not plan on making it a Malaysian night, Sambal is still a good place for appretivo or an after-dinner drink. Some regulars spend their Sunday afternoons there for tea.

Café Sambal
Where: 43 Doufuchi Hutong, close to Jiu Gulou Dajie, Dongcheng
Open: 11 am – midnight
Tel: 6400 4875