First off, Guomao Roast Wings is not located at Guomao. It is, instead, located at the scenic juncture of the Fourth Ring Road and Outer Jianguomen, about a 15 minute walk east the Dawanglu subway station on the south side of the street (Exit B). This place has been busy since the first time I was in China about 5 years ago. The atmosphere is lively and jovial. It is a favorite among the young adult crowd in Beijing, both for those on dates as well as those looking for a much more rowdy time. The inside and outside seating areas tend to fill up very fast almost every night of the week, from my experience somewhere before 6:00/6:30pm. The inside is comprised of two large rooms decorated in a way a lot more appropriate for Guijie rather than the east Fourth Ring Road. The outside is surprisingly well lit with a respectably large seating area. Although no tiny plastic chairs, the benches and sturdy tables do a fine job (and can hold more wings and beer). The sustained hype is not simply the result of a good marketing campaign. The wings, no matter the flavor, comes out tender and juicy with big flakes of chicken falling off the bone. It is a testament to the pride the restaurant takes in their food that they brine their wings. This takes up a bit more time in the kitchen but gives them a much better flavor; one that pops, allowing the real taste of chicken to stand up to whatever spices get thrown on the outside. The chefs also seem to have a grasp on restraint when it comes to seasoning. I have yet to have anything unbalanced there. I really haven't seen this much pride taken in a chicken wing in a very long time. On offer for wings are 5 different flavors, ranging from traditional to spicy, garlic to sweet. I normally find a lot of traditional/natural flavored wings around the city to be pretty bland, but here, thanks to the time spent in the brine, they are full-flavored and well… taste like chicken. It is a flavor that seems to go amiss in most of the restaurants around town. Honey roasted wings One of the biggest hits on the menu are the honey roasted wings. They reminded me of the New Orleans style wings you see around town but not as sweet. The sugar in the honey caramelizes on the outside which helps to take away from the sweetness and give it a more earthy, rich flavor. Mmmm... garlic! Next up on the ladder would be the garlic wings. I have to say that these have always impressed me. The garlic is not that raw, carelessly chopped stuff that you get on your shellfish here, but instead, it is a sauce based upon roasted garlic which is much more tame and matches very well with the smoky flavors given off by the charcoal. As a warning, these also do have a little bit of pepper flakes. Sporty spice Now, we start getting to the spicy wings. The first is the spicy (or spicy sauce). For those that do not like spicy, this will probably be just on the threshold of what you may want to tolerate so just make sure there is a beer handy. The sauce used is similar to a spicy ketchup with a little bit of tomato/fruitiness and a kick of heat. It is well balanced kind of spicy, without making you uncomfortable. X-treme wings! This last one is for the masochist, the show off, or someone that for no other reason likes to set an atomic bomb off in their mouth. The spiciest offering on call is the extreme hot. After the cooking is through, to ensure no spice falls off, the wings are dredged on both sides with chili powder. Every millimeter of the outside of the wing is covered. These wings are sneaky. Instead of using something like cayenne pepper that hits you right on the nose the second you taste it, they use a Chinese pepper with a much more smoky flavor. The heat, like any good hot pot, doesn't get you right away. Instead it lays in wait. Something like 15-30 seconds later, your entire palate and mouth start to heat up and you start sweating. All that being said, I actually like them. The flavor is well balanced enough to taste the chicken and the chili has a nice depth of flavor. But, still, at the end of the day, I guess some of us just must be masochists... *** Finding it: Guomao Roast Wings is located at the scenic juncture of the Fourth Ring Road and Outer Jianguomen, about a 15 minute walk east the Dawanglu subway station on the south side of the street (Exit B).