Ma Kai Restaurant is the first Hunan restaurant to build a store in the capital after Quyuan Restaurant, when 13 Hunan villagers raised funds to open the "Ma Kai Cold Drink Shop" in the west of Houmenqiao Road outside Di'an Gate, and the name "Ma Kai" was used. Historically, Ma Kai Restaurant was a smash hit, when it opened in 1953, it was Mr. Mei Lanfang who cut the ribbon, and then because the dishes were authentic, the reputation in Beijing became bigger and bigger, especially in the literary circle, there were many people who came here to fight tooth sacrifices, Pu Jie, Shu Yi and other literati and celebrities were frequent customers. In 2004, it was closed due to the renovation and demolition of the Gulou area, but fortunately, in 1999, in order to preserve its technical strength, the company opened another branch on Changchun Street, which is now "Huatian Makai Restaurant".

In Beijing's gluttonous sour and spicy belly tip dish, the only one that can be on par with Quyuan is Ma Kai. From the beginning of the selection of materials, until the dish, layer upon layer of test of the chef's skills, can also measure the cooking level of a Hunan restaurant, the entrance is a little more refreshing than Quyuan, the taste is very tender, there is no smell of internal organs, the waiter will occasionally remind the best time to eat this dish in a few minutes after the pot, while it is hot, the tip of the cold belly becomes old, the taste will be worse, although the price of 158 yuan / case is expensive, but it is indeed worth the money. Dongzi'an chicken as a classic signature Hunan cuisine, second only to the former in the popularity of Makai, the plating may have the rough and unrestrained style of the state-run restaurant, but the taste is authentic to make people amazing, select fresh old hen meat, through red pepper, ginger and other ingredients to match, belongs to the hot and sour mouth, the meat is delicate, no longer appetite can be stimulated by it several bowls of rice, the faint taste of pepper in the aftertaste is the highlight, 48 yuan / example; Another must-order Mao's braised pork when entering the store, fat and thin, ruddy and oily color, soft and rotten in the mouth, slightly sweet, 88 yuan / case.

Of course, Huatian Makai Restaurant not only inherits traditional Hunan cuisine, but also launches a series of innovative dishes that are more in line with the public's taste on the basis of sticking to the original taste. Pocket tofu is one of them, as the name suggests, the seasoned salmon meat is stuffed into the tofu shaped like a pocket, the taste is benevolent, and those who are not used to it will feel tired, but the soup is very fresh, it is a dish that children and the elderly will like, 88 yuan / example. In addition, what Makai likes most about its takeaway window, where it has become a daily routine for nearby residents to buy classic dim sum such as minced pork cakes, bean paste crisps, and mahjong sugar cakes. The traditional method of bean paste crisp makes the taste more mellow and has the fragrance of beans, 2 yuan / piece; The sesame sauce sugar cake is full of sesame sauce and brown sugar, and when you take a bite, the satisfaction instantly overflows, 18 yuan / sheet.

Compared with the previous Makai restaurant, the renovated Huatian Makai restaurant will be more spacious and bright, and the layout will be more neat, but now in the whole Beijing Hunan restaurant, the hardware equipment of the restaurant in all aspects is outdated, and the seats are mostly round tables and too dense. There is a wall hanging calligraphy of "The Story of Yueyang Tower", and this prose has become one of the symbols of Hunan, and the TV loops its signature dishes, and the old customers joke that they can memorize it by heart. The waiters are not very enthusiastic, but they will recommend and suggest dishes that suit the customer's taste when ordering. Usually there are fewer dishes in emerging online celebrity restaurants, but Ma Kai is very rich, which reflects the long-term accumulation of its cuisine research and development team, and is also the strength of this kind of old restaurant, but its menu has been revised many times and has more stickers, so it is recommended to reprint. Ma Kai will launch a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner set every year, and the dishes are not limited to Hunan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and Beijing cuisine can be eaten here. Nowadays, Makai's business is not very hot, and there is generally no need to queue, but it is recommended to make an appointment in advance during holidays, after all, there are fewer parking spaces at the door, and there will still be a shortage of parking spaces during peak hours, and it is not convenient to drive.

In general, Ma Kai, as a state-owned time-honored brand of Hunan cuisine in Beijing, has a longer history with the passage of time, but the taste is far less than it was back then. The level of the dishes is sometimes high and sometimes low, and it is not stable, so it is recommended to order the signature dishes recommended by CNPP100 to taste, and it is not easy to step on the thunder.