The original Pinotage in Shunyi has long been popular with local families for its hearty South African food and play area for kids. Only the former has made it to the restaurant’s latest site in Sanlitun SOHO (but then space is a little harder to come by downtown). With fresh, clean décor and high ceilings, Pinotage’s Sanlitun branch is a great place for lunch after a morning of shopping with the kids, especially if you can grab a seat in front of the huge kitchen window where you can see the team of chefs in action.
While the restaurant does not have a specific kids’ menu, there is still plenty for youngsters to get excited about. The mini pizza wheels with cheddar and marmite (RMB 90) and bullie beef hash made from corned beef, onion, potato and poached eggs (RMB 120 from the weekend brunch menu, 11am-5pm) both stand out, as well as decent array of child-friendly sides including triple-cooked fries (RMB 10), pumpkin fritters (RMB 20) and broccoli, cauliflower and cheese sauce (RMB 20). There are also gourmet takes on children’s favorites like the beef burger and boerie roll – essentially a foot-long South African hot dog (both RMB 120).
Adults and more adventurous kids should sample the unusual combination of flavors found in the savory vetkoek (RMB 120), a classic Afrikaner dish consisting of minced beef and tomato chutney delightfully balanced against coconut and dried banana.
But perhaps Pinotage’s greatest strength can be found – as the name would suggest – in the adjoining wine cellar-cum-bar. So with the kids back at school, this is as much a spot for a grown up mid-week treat as a family lunch.
Restaurant: Sun-Thu noon-10:30pm, Fri-Sat noon-11:30pm. Wine bar: Sun-Mon noon-2am. Shop 2-105, 1/F, Bldg 2, Sanlitun SOHO, 8 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (5785 3538) 朝阳区工体北路8号 三里屯Soho2号商场1层2-105室
photo by JAMIE GU
This article originally appeared on p28 of the beijingkids October 2013 issue.
Check out the PDF version online at Issuu.com