At Jiao Zi Monday, we don’t stand on ceremony or care much about hierarchies. We do, however, have a few rules that we abide by every week. These rules are the foundation of our little gathering and keep the JZM spirit alive.
The 50RMB rule. Jiao Zi Monday is about exploring hidden gems in Beijing, and by definition these restaurants are off the beaten track and (by and large) have escaped notice of the guidebooks and major restaurant reviewers. That means they are cheap – which is exactly how we like it.
Every JZM meal has to cost less than 50RMB per person – that’s about 8USD these days. That includes all the food and drinks (including beer and other alcohol) for everyone. We agree this is a reasonable amount in Beijing, since it allows us to have delicious food that is safe and at least one rung up from the sidewalk. This rule also ensures that JZM is inclusive.
If the cost per head exceeds 50RMB, here’s what happens: the person who picked the restaurant has to make up the difference. Every week we state who’s chosen the place, so we have a culprit if one is needed.
The no repeat rule. Beijing is full of wonderful little restaurants – in a city of almost 20 million people there are literally thousands and thousands of places for us to try. Therefore, we don’t go to the same place twice, except on very special occasions. We’re adventurous and want to get out and explore our (adopted, for most of us) city.
It’s the responsbility of the person who chooses the restaurant to make sure we haven’t been there before. A complete list is included right here on this very website, which can easily be searched or browsed by category.
If we find ourselves at the same place twice, it must mean that the person who chose the restaurant really really likes it. And if he/she likes it that much, and they are so excited to share it with us, they must treat us like guests and invite us for dinner. That’s right – if we repeat, the chooser buys for everyone.
So consider yourself warned!
Just for clarification, this rule does apply to chain restaurants – i.e. if we’ve been to one of a chain, we’ve been to them all.
