*** Part 3: Crayfish and Frog Where to find them: Of the 9,000 restaurants on Guijie (Ghost Street), try one of the three Huda's. In an effort to save some of the sheep in China, as well as to do our part to combat “chuanr-driven pollution” in this city, this week, we'll turn to two other Chinese summer classics: crayfish and frogs. Guijie, with its aerial canopy of red lanterns that stretches for blocks between Dongzhimen and Beixinqiao, is the haven for these kinds of restaurants, with almost every establishment offering their own take (or their imitation of someone else's) on these dishes. Restaurants here are judged by locals on the length of wait time and the amount of sunflower seed shells already on the ground. Some venues can command waits of upwards of two hours on weekend nights. Huda holds one of these coveted positions. Opening in 1999, they have since expanded to three restaurants, all of which are in a two-block radius on Guijie. Yeah, one street, three of the exact same restaurant -- popular place. And even with this saturation, they are still commanding a wait time of at least 1 to 1.5 hours on any given night. It's a classic Beijing scene outside: Which opens to a humble and straight-forward restaurant inside: *** Without further ado...

Crayfish

There's a few regional variations on the preparation of crayfish, but for me, the Hunanese method hits the spot. The flavor profile starts at simple mala but rapidly transcends those taste borders thanks to also being red braised. The crayfish are cooked to juicy perfection. The spicy broth only slightly permeates through the sweet tail meat. As you eat, the heat slowly grows and your lips begin to tingle, until you become a captive to the flavor, knowing that it is only going to perpetuate the heat. And all you can do is lean heavily on cold beer (or suanmeitang) to help you get through. It's brilliant. There is no doubting why Guijie, an entire street, is devoted to the dish. Mode d'emploi: First, don the flimsy plastic gloves the restaurant provides. Grab which ever one looks the most delicious. Separate the tail from the head; the tail holds that treasured meat you're after. Peel off the shell like you would on a shrimp. Take out the vein in the back. Enjoy! For those of you playing along at home, you can also suck on the heads (where some of the best flavor is). Ordering: Huda offers a selection of 3, 4, 5 and 7rmb crayfish. The difference in price is related to the size of the crayfish. Pictured here is a selection of 15 5rmb crayfish. These are big enough to make the effort of getting to the tail meat worth it. If you are feeling decadent, the 7's are great. I will do 4's on occasion when they run out of 5's but I am a little wary of the 3's. And onto the frog...

Frog

Despite its vaunted position in Creole and French cuisine, Frog can be a bit of a stretch for some. I can understand that. But if you're up for it, the meat is tender and flaky, like a well-cooked white fish, with a flavor that's a bit meatier than chicken (I hate that analogy). It doesn't have the “off” taste most people find unappealing about gamier fish, and it doesn't have the heavy texture or flavor many people may not enjoy from pork, beef, or lamb. The legs offer large chunks of succulent meat. The rest is similar to fish. There are a decent amount of bones, but if you are willing to work for it, there are some great chunks of meat in there. Boiled frog -- gnarly Ordering: There are two types of preparations: The first, and more traditional, is similar to a shuizhuyu technique called chanzui (馋嘴蛙仔), which comes in a dish for 88rmb. Employing a mixture of chilies, chili oil, water/stock and various other spices to slowly poach the meat, the result is a tender experience and yields big flavors. The pot also contains some braised cucumbers which have a nice sweetness to give a nice contrast of flavor. The second is a BBQ preparation which is 10rmb per piece, with a minimum order of five. I like this better if you are already going to be ordering the crayfish. (I'm a sucker for anything on a stick.) It gives a much better contrast to the whole meal. The BBQ preparation yields juicy, tender meat with a slightly crisp, crunch on the outside. The frog is well seasoned with salt, but the chili powder, cumin, and other seasonings -- typical chuanr stand ingredients -- are held in check so as to let the sweet taste of the meat shine through. And rounding out with a few recommended sides...

Everything Else

Huda also has a great representation of a large number of other favorites, most notably ganbiansijidou (干煸四季豆), with are dry-fried green beans. Here, the green beans arrive at the table not coated in grease and oil but surprisingly dry. The ground pork, chilies and pickled vegetables are all well represented; however, they are in concert with the green beans themselves, allowing the crisp, fresh crunch to shine through. Other than that, I would suggest getting the gold and silver mantou. The plate of half steamed, half fried mantou with accompanying sweetened condensed milk truly helps to cleanse the palate and take a good bite off of the heat. Although most people enjoy the crisp, fried side of the plate, I really prefer the steamed mantou for its slight sweetness and pleasing texture. *** Pro tip: The best use of your time is not to try to arrive together and wait, but send whoever will get off of work first to get a number. Then, camp out at one of the bars or C stores nearby and have a few drinks. * Huda has three locations on Guijie -- biff, bang, pow. Here's the signage you're looking for: