Tom O'Malley
Wokipedia: A is for
… Abalone 鲍鱼
The Ferrari of the single-shelled mollusc world, this deep-water treasure is a status ingredient in China. Dried, it can be even more valuable than fresh, and the best examples come from Japan. Yang Guanyi, the 78-year-old master chef of Sanlitun's Ah Yat Abalone Restaurant, describes it as "uniquely sticky and tender with a smooth, chewy, mushroom-like texture." Yum.
Oddball Pizzas
Ever since a Neapolitan baker recreated the Italian flag in dough form, we humans have been devising ever more fabulous toppings for pizza. Get a load of these Beijing originals.
Apricot Chicken - Nasca Café RMB 49
This deep-pan pie boasts mighty hunks of chicken, pine nuts, rosemary and mildly tangy apricot sauce. Not wacky enough for you, eh? Sounds like you're game for a New Zealand dessert pizza - wholemeal base with banana, chocolate sauce and "special custard."
Daily 9:30am-11pm. 105B, 38 Zaoying Beili, Maizidian, Chaoyang Park West Gate (opposite Yongan Hotel), Chaoyang Park (6592 4537)
Good Eats
Date Night: La Sushi
This underlit Nali Patio restaurant feels more like a French bistro than a typical sushi joint, and is the perfect locale for a night away from the kids. Toro, the highly prized underbelly of bluefin tuna, is the big catch here. It's flown in fresh from Tokyo thrice weekly, so if you're not short of a few kuai, the luxuriously fatty flavor is truly a revelation (RMB 280 sashimi, RMB 80 sushi). For the environmentally conscious, hamachi (or yellowtail, a farmed fish similar in taste to bluefin) is a fine substitute (RMB 120 sashimi, RMB 20 sushi). For a more intimate meal, a range of sharing-sized sushi and sashimi platters featuring abalone, tuna, octopus and more (from RMB 198) all come with freshly grated wasabi and delicious miso soup. Landlubbers should try the wasabi beef fillet (RMB 70), a quality cut seared for mere seconds in the pan and swamped in a creamy-hot wasabi sauce. Add a touch of European flavor to your evening with a selection from the wine list, which is just as extensive as their sake offerings.
Good Eats
Bring the Kids: The Orient Kitchen
New to the Village at Sanlitun, this bright, buzzy eatery turns out tasty, healthful Chinese and Southeast Asian food at easily digestible prices. Part industrial loft, part hip hangout, the funky interior fuses traditional elements like pillars hand-painted in Chinese ink with sleek, jet-black tables and chairs and an open kitchen. All the dishes we sampled were unfailing fresh, colorful and appetizing, with many suitable for younger diners. The Hainan chicken rice set (RMB 45), boasting tender poached meat and ethereally soft skin (with no bones), is perfect for even the littlest of gourmets. And you can be sure of clean plates if you order in the curry pineapple fried rice (RMB 32), Thai-style spaghetti with plump shrimp (all nasty bits removed – RMB 45), or steamed codfish with black bean sauce (RMB 48). Older kids will love the super-sweet iced drinks for dessert (RMB 20-25), brimming with red beans, shaved ice and coconut milk. A Kids Club, starting in the New Year, has events like cooking classes, kite making, clay workshops and even farm trips in the pipeline. For more information, contact Jacqueline Li at jacqueline.li@xiaochenghk.com.
Daily 11am-11pm. S4-31, 3/F, Bldg 4, The Village at Sanlitun, 19 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang District (6417 4070) 朝阳区三里屯北路19号三里屯Village南区4号楼3-4层
Good Eats
Bring the Kids: Argo
Themed on the ship of Golden Fleece legend, Argo is a rare vessel in this part of town - a genuine family-friendly restaurant. A bright, split-level dining area dedicates the galley (downstairs, landlubbers) to families with several large tables and a carpeted corner full of toys, games and cushions. A kids’ menu (for under-12s) plays it safe with spaghetti and meat sauce or cod fillet and fries (RMB 32), but why bother when chef Kipouros Ilias’ authentic Greek food goes down such a storm with little ones? You won’t go wrong with a dish of mild hummus and soft, floury pita bread (RMB 28), and the creamy baba ghanoush is a great way of getting your little ones eating eggplant. Other child-friendly dishes include spanakopita (RMB 35), layers of flaky pastry baked with feta cheese, spinach and herbs, and dolmadakia (RMB 32), grape leaves stuffed with herby rice. Be sure to order a plate of tender, lemony calamari too (RMB 35) – just tell them it’s chicken! Take note that most dishes come with un-pitted olives, so you might like to request that these be left out, or better yet, put into a big bowl for the grown-ups.
Top 5: Places to Get Your Cake Fix
21Cake
These cute cubist creations use only fresh New Zealand cream, Swiss chocolate and American hazelnuts in their search for confection perfection. Go retro with the Black Forest, or try the Nut Job, which is filled with rich choc-hazelnut goodness. If a birthday is on the way, forget slaving in the kitchen and get a giant birthday cake delivered (RMB 168 for 15x15cm). Delivery only; order five hours in advance.
Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, Sat-Sun 8am-6pm. Rm 1002, Bldg 9, Jianwai Soho, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (400 650 2121, order@21cake.com) www.21cake.com
廿一客, 朝阳区东三环中路39号建外Soho9号楼1002室
Dining: Good Eats
Date Night: Dali Courtyard 大理
The light, fragrant flavors of China's southwest are a wonderful complement to Dali Courtyard’s picture-perfect hutong garden. More so than at other Yunnan restaurants in the capital, the food here plays on the geographical and cultural proximity the province shares with Southeast Asia. Liberal use of fresh mint, lime leaves and sour flavors are characteristics more often associated with the cuisines of Thailand and Laos, and make a pleasant change from the stronger, oilier cooking favored by Beijingers. No menu means you'll pay for a changing line-up of around six to eight dishes per visit (from RMB 100 per person), but regional specialties like stir-fried pine mushrooms and delicious pan-fried goat’s cheese make regular appearances. The wine list carries local and European bottles starting from RMB 149, and friendly, unhurried service sets a relaxed pace to the meal. Alfresco diners can be warmed up by outdoor heaters if the autumn evenings demand it, but several of the inside rooms also open out onto the central courtyard.
Daily 10am-9.30pm. 67 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District (8404 1430) 东城区鼓楼东大街小经厂胡同67号
Dining Out
Bring the Family: Meeting Point
With complexes like Pingod, Fuli City and Landgent International in the vicinity, the Shuangjing Qiao area just south of Guomao has become a haven for young expat families. To meet the demand, a host of new dining venues have opened in the Viva shopping mall and the new outdoor food court at Landgent City Mall across the street. The latter is home to the new location of Meeting Point, a family-friendly space specializing in cucina Italia with an Abruzzese touch. This is quite simply, a no-
Dining Out
Family Outing: InspiRED brunch at Senses
An all-you-can-drink champagne brunch might not sound like the most appropriate place to take your little ones on a Sunday afternoon, but they’ll surely thank you for it. And that’s the best thing about InspiRED – the kids think it’s a treat especially for them, but you’ll have just as much fun. As they dash around dipping strawberries into chocolate fountains and mixing up teppanyaki ice cream, you’ll be busy pondering on whether to have tuna, beef or salmon tartar, and what to put inside your made-to-order sushi rolls. And when your kids have had their fill of spaghetti, pizza, nuggets and other favorites, they’ll happily head off to the supervised play area for arts and crafts, face painting, cartoons and Nintendo Wii action. There are even mini-sized “heavenly beds” for a nap when the jungle gym gets too much, leaving you free to sip champers and indulge in more of the international delicacies on offer. The buffet costs RMB 368 for adults including free-flowing champagne and cocktails, and RMB 148 for kids under 12, while kids under 6 dine for free. Tom O'Malley
Sunday 11.30am-2.30pm. 1/F, The Westin Beijing, 9B Jinrong Jie, Xicheng District. (6629 7810) 味,西城区金融大街乙9号北京金融街威斯汀大酒店1层
