All this month, we’ll be introducing 50 picks for some of the best family-friendly restaurants in Beijing. These reviews originally appeared in the January/February 2013 issue of beijingkids (see end of post).
Kerry’s Kitchen, Kerry Hotel Beijing 嘉品
Type of cuisine: Asian, buffet
English menu? An English a la carte menu with over 100 dishes is available for dinner, while breakfast and lunch are served buffet style.
General kid-friendliness of menu: The made-to-order nature of the buffet allows for lots of flexibility, vegetarian options, and customized levels of spice. The chefs at each station often offer their own serving suggestions for different dishes.
Best dishes for adults: The grilled seafood bar, sushi and sashimi bar, Hainan chicken from the Chinese station (dipped in oyster sauce, chili sauce, and pounded ginger)
Kids’ menu? Yes, with games and activities
Best dishes for kids: Häagen-Dazs ice cream bar (flavors include chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and mango), dim sum bar (with spinach dumplings, chashao bao, spareribs, and more), customizable pasta bar, and dessert bar (try the walnut tarts, tofu crème brûlée, and coconut pudding with nougat pieces)
Kids’ play area? No
Play areas nearby: The Place, Central Park
Kid-friendly staff? Yes, English-speaking and extremely attentive
Bathroom: A very clean bathroom with sit-down toilets is located just outside the restaurant within the hotel. No changing table, but a section of the elongated sink counter may do in a pinch.
Seating: The indoor seating consists of tables and cushy chairs and long tables, with highchairs and kids’ cutlery available.
Price: The lunch buffet costs RMB 238 per adult, is half price for ages 6-12, and free for kids under 6. Prices are subject to a 15 percent surcharge.
Credit card accepted? Yes, both foreign and Chinese
Parking available? Yes, some parking available at the hotel
Must-order item: Chili lime chicken wings, which are marinated for 24 hours in Kerry Kitchen’s special sauce and served with lime wedges and chili sauce. Put in your order first, then wander the stations; cooking can take some time.
In a nutshell: Set in a beautiful, contemporary space, Kerry’s Kitchen is slowly but steadily developing more family-friendly features for its popular lunch buffets – already a fixture with the CBD business crowd. Kerry’s Kitchen distinguishes itself from other hotel buffets by the distinctly made-to-order nature of its stations, with lots of room for mixing and matching. Heap a plate with grilled seafood and have everyone share, or direct that picky eater to the pasta station for spaghetti just how they like it. In addition, a new kids’ menu with fun games, child-sized plates and cutlery, and highchairs makes dining with younger kids easy.
Additional notes: Every Sunday, Kerry Hotel Beijing has a popular all-you-can-eat dim sum brunch at its Cantonese restaurant, The Horizon.
Also try: Aroma’s Sunday Gourmet Brunch at The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Feast at EAST Beijing
Photo by: Littleones Kids & Family Portrait Studio And Lova