Fang says that he loves the kimchi's crisp texture and mixed sweet, sour and spicy taste, done just right.

Koreans in Beijing can also buy snacks and drinks from home here, such as instant noodles and pastries. Workers at the supermarket speak Korean and will greet guests in Korean when they enter the shop.

Jinshilian Supermarket

Address: No 35, Chengfu road, Wudaokou, Haidian district.

Business Hours: 24 hours.

Confident eatery

With three branches in Beijing and none of them in the two major Korean communities of Wangjing and Wu-daokou, Aijiangshan Korean Restaurant still manages to draw in crowds who seek original Korean food.

"We set up shop in Beijing to offer 100-percent Korean food to Chinese guests, not necessarily just the Koreans, and we're confident in our recipes, so it's not necessary to settle down in a Korean community," says Shin Ja-sang, chairman of Aijiangshan.

The sticky rice with chicken soup features glutinous rice that's been put in water for two hours, and tender chicken stuffed with ginseng, dates, chestnuts and garlic cloves, all stewed together for hours.

Guest can dip the chicken in spiced salt from the ROK, and slurp the non-greasy soup that has an herbal fragrance. The dish can help enhance the body's immune system, claims Guo Shouhui, a chief chef with the branch restaurant in Hai-dian district.