Dining out as a family is about more than just sharing a meal, it’s about creating memories and bonding together as a family. One of the most beautiful additions to the Tiago restaurant group is Casa Talia at Parkview Green. The beautiful interior gives you that chic vibe that takes family dining up a notch, but the friendly staff and kid-friendly menu options lets you enjoy an afternoon together at Casa Talia by Tiago no matter how old your little ones are. The Zaugg family spent an afternoon together over good conversion and great food.

Unleash the Kraken!

If the little mermaid learned how to deep fry, her favorite go-to dish would be calamari. Tender baby squid deep-fried to golden crispy perfection and served with a side of garlic mayonnaise (RMB 68), these poppers are one of Casa Talia’s most popular option amongst seafood lovers.

Garlic Makes Everything Better

For those who love garlic, these jumbo prawns are cooked with a healthy dose of garlic and olive oil (RMB 78). Arriving at your table still sizzling hot, it’s one of those dishes whose delicious aroma will fill the restaurant and turn heads all around.

All Nice and Toasty

Being a seafood lover mom Marzey tries to share her favorites with her family as often as possible. While waiting for the rest of your meal to arrive, these smoked salmon toasts (RMB 68) are fantastic appetizers to get your tummy excited for what’s to come.  Accented with truffle oil, honey, and caviar, they’re great for introducing your little ones to a more grown-up palette.

Make Way for the Show Stopper

Dining out as a family is all about making memories, and one of the most unforgettable dishes on the Casa Taglia menu is their Australian Wagyu M8 Tomahawk Steak (RMB 1,688). Weighing approximately 1.6 kilos of juicy beef, the tomahawk comes with sides of comfort food for the whole table to share. It’s one of those things that’ll get the whole family taking turns posing with before anyone takes the first bite. Sharing a gigantic juicy, melt in your mouth, cut of wagyu steak is one of those picture-perfect moments that’s too precious to not share on your WeChat Moments.

Keep It Sweet, Keep It Classic

Casa Talia’s dessert menu is possibly one of their best sections. Numerous creative desserts like their matcha wanna cotta
(RMB 98) that literally looks like a beautiful pot of edible flowers or their famous nitro tiramisu (RMB 128) that adds a molecular gastronomy spin on the classic Italian favorite. But, Ariana opted to keep it simple and sweet with a simple classic roasted light cheesecake (RMB 88). After all, who doesn’t love a good piece of cheesecake?

Casa Talia by Tiago
Daily, 11.30am – 10pm
Unit L1-22, Parkview Green, 9 Dongqiao Road, Chaoyang District
东大桥路9号侨福芳草地购物中心1层L1-22单元
(6553 7021)

This article appeared in the beijingkids December 2019 Giving Back issue

Several Sundays ago, a fellow traveler invited me to Liangmaqiao area to have dinner. He brought me to Solana, one of the malls in the area and also home to a mini lights festival. After talking about our recent travels in north Beijing and Hebei, we went to an Italian fast-food restaurant that offered gourmet-like meals. Since the meals were affordable, I saved some money and still enjoyed decent fare.

I went back to try the food again and I must say it didn’t disappoint. The menu has mouthwatering eats that are surprisingly affordable, with most pastas priced at an average of RMB 16 each. The main courses range from RMB 14 to RMB 38 while  bottomless soft drinks and hot drinks only cost RMB 8! Desserts are quite cheap too, starting at RMB 10.

Seafood Spaghetti with Salmon Spinach for RMB 16

Grilled Chicken with Vegetable Salsa for RMB 16 and Chicken Popcorn (upper left) for RMB 12

One quick note though, for their grilled meals, the barbecue sauce tends to be extremely salty!

Though it tends to be busy and quite noisy, I recommend Saizeriya for quick brunches or dinners you may have planned. Its big space is usually crowded while its tables and chairs are comfortable enough. There are no toilets inside; the nearest one is on the opposite side of the restaurant. It also has high chairs if you decide to bring your baby.

How to get there:

Subway Line 14: Get off at Zaoying Exit A (northwest). From there, continue walking northward Chaoyang Park Road for 400 meters (around 5 minutes) until you see the bright extravaganza.

Subway Line 10: Get off at Liangmaqiao Exit B (northeast) and walk straight out of the exit on Liangmaqiao Road for 500 meters then cross the main road heading to Chaoyang Park Road. After crossing, walk 400 meters. Solana is on your left side.

After entering the left-hand side of Solana: You will see Zara on the left side of the ground floor. Take that way towards the end. Saizeriya is on your right side.

With the in-laws visiting from the UK, a trip to 798 Art District was called for. Every time we visit 798, there are new stores and gallery’s to be explored, it really is a great place to pick up some unique gifts for those back home. After a couple of hours strolling around the lanes, admiring a vast array of art work, and spending too much money on ceramics, it was time to find somewhere for lunch. Eatalia serves up authentic Italian food, using good quality ingredients, and is the perfect lunch-time spot.

To start, we devoured some of Eatalia’s home-made focaccia bread (RMB 18). It smelt divine, all rosemary, basil, and sundried tomatoes. The crust was rich with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, the inside beautifully soft with a perfect airy texture. It was one of the best focaccia’s I had ever eaten. Dipped into the generous servings of olive oil and rich pesto, I could happily have foregone my main course and eaten half a loaf of this beautiful bread.

For mains, we ordered two pasta dishes, the Lasagna di Manzo (RMB 70) and the Penne al Tonno (RMB 58). The robustly savory meat sauce of the beef lasagna, contrasted well with the rich and creamy béchamel sauce, and just a hint of cheese on top. The star of the show was, rightly so, the thin and perfectly cooked sheets of fresh pasta. The pasta in the penne dish was cooked perfect al-dente. Smothered with a rich cherry tomato, tuna, and olive sauce, it was a truly delicious dish.

The rest of the group opted for pizzas. The Marinara (RMB 45/88/176) was topped with mozzarella, capers, olives, and wonderfully fresh and salty anchovies. The Ruestica (RMB48/99/198) combined mozzarella with cherry tomatoes, parmigiana, plenty of parma ham, and finished with ruculo. The Salsiccia (RMB 42/85/169) is topped with slices of herby Italian sausage, onions, and mozzarella. The small pizza size is a generous serving for one, the medium easily feeds 2-3 people, and the large is exactly that.

The toppings on every Eatalia pizza incorporate good quality fresh ingredients. Their pizza base is an authentic Italian base – thin and crispy, achieving the perfect balance with the softer garnishes. Eatalia serves up wonderful Italian cuisine, in a great 798 setting.

Eatalia
Daily 11am-10pm.7 Qixing Xijie, 798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (5978 9813) www.eataliagroup.com 朝阳区酒仙桥路2号798艺术区七星西街7号

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Sally Wilson, courtesy of Eatalia

We struck dessert gold at the Ritz-Carlton’s Barolo restaurant at their "Sunday Bubbly Brunch" with their creamy flavorful tiramisu name after the restaurants head chef. The Chef Ivan’s Tiramisu is a guilty pleasure that makes the trip to the tucked away hotel all the more worthwhile. The new brunch menu was unveiled in December 2014 and offers two, three, and four course dishes at RMB 198, RMB 278, and RMB 338 respectively. 

The bubbly part of the brunch is in the form of a complimentary Italian sparkling wine, for those who want a non-alcoholic drink then there’s the option a virgin grapefruit inspired mocktail, that was a little on the sweet side. we had mixed reviews for the different foods, firstly was the appetizers, we ordered a duck breast with duck liver pate and roasted eggplant that was rather dry. The French mussels were fine and finally a cream of mushroom soup that was a bit oily due to olive oil sprinkled. 

As for the mains, we ordered the amberjack that came with a cauliflower puree, florets, and a red wine syrup that was flat and did not leave much of an impression. The other was a Barolo red wine braised short rib with garlic cream and truffle polenta that was very good. Lastly, we order the saffron tagliatelle (type of pasta) with wagyu beef bolognese that was spicy to give the dish a new dimension but not overpowering. 

There isn’t a special kids menu but families can choose the less fancy dishes on the menu for their children like the carbonara and soups. 

As for the other dessert we ordered, the panna cotta  and marsala creme brulee were good but still did not measure up to the tiramisu. 

Photo: Nimo Wanjau

The Taikoo Li-based PizzaExpress Beijing store is the 500th branch worldwide, offering an Italian-inspired menu of antipasti, salads, pastas, and handmade pizzas. Located on the  third floor, the restaurant has an outdoor terrace for low PM 2.5 days. The dining room is spacious and cheerful, with views of their pizza chefs (or pizzaiolos) throwing pizza dough in the open kitchen.

PizzaExpress is ideal for families, Italian food being one of the most accessible for most children’s palates. Our Peruvian mini-gastronome, Juan-Pablo Miranda (age 8), is no exception. He is served an incredible 12 dishes from the restaurant’s children’s menu and attacks them with gusto. “I love tomatoes,” he says passionately, simultaneously tackling a penne al pomodoro, Margherita pizza, and a side salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers. The children’s menu costs RMB 78 for pizza or pasta, a drink, a dessert, and a “bambinoccino” (hot chocolate with foam). For an extra RMB 10, customers can also get a side salad or dough balls.

Juan-Pablo is thoroughly delighted to be missing a morning’s lessons at Le Lycee Francais International de Pekin. Although his mother tongue is Spanish, he studies Chinese and speaks fluent English and French. With such a gift for languages, it is easy to imagine he will follow his papa Juan-Miguel Miranda, minister counselor at the Embassy of Peru in China, into the foreign service.

Juan-Pablo ends up trying all four of the thin and crispy pies on the children’s menu: Margherita, American (pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomato), La Reine (ham, olives, mushrooms, mozzarella, and tomato), and Pollo (chicken, mozzarella, and tomato). “All the pizzas are good,” he says diplomatically, simultaneously sipping on cranberry juice and a Raspberry Cooler.

Mom Maria-Monica Miranda agrees, particularly praising the pepperoni pizza and the balance between crust and toppings. She is also complimentary about the chicken and orange salad from the a la carte menu. Both Mirandas rave about the restaurant’s signature dough balls. The family often goes out to eat pizza and will be adding PizzaExpress to their repertoire.

When Juan-Pablo’s warm chocolate fudge cake and bambinoccino arrive, his tact and finesse are forgotten. “In your face, mom! I’m drinking coffee!” he cries gleefully. (Although served in a cappuccino cup, his frothy beverage made with chocolate is in fact entirely caffeine-free.)

Service at PizzaExpress is friendly and efficient throughout, with an in-restaurant bathroom and plenty of high chairs. Famous in the UK for its family-friendliness, PizzaExpress is bringing that focus to Beijing. From this month, the restaurant is offering kids’ pizza making parties during off-peak hours. Lasting between 90 minutes and two hours, kids can toss dough, choose their own toppings, and eat their creations, with drinks, dough balls, and side salads included. A host will lead kids through games and activities, and each child will receive a balloon and certificate to take home.

PizzaExpress
Daily 11am-11.30pm. S4-30 Taikoo Li South, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6417 6698, sanlitun@pizzaexpress.cn) 朝阳区三里屯路太古里南区S4-30

This article originally appeared on p26-27 in the November 2014 issue of beijingkids. To view it online for free, click here. To find out how you can obtain your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.

Photos: Ken

A number of new restaurants and cafes have popped up at Pinnacle Plaza, including the very good Loft Eatalicious, Palatable bakery, and Blue Elephant Thai restaurant. A new tapas restaurant is set to open at the end of the month, which I hope to try before the summer break. In the last few weeks, two businesses owned by the same company have also opened: Galati Luxury Italian Food and Galati Italian Restaurant.

Galati Luxury Italian Food
This store does indeed specialize in in luxury foods, including a range of artisan pastas, sauces, oils, and wines. Tartufissima pastas, flavored with squid ink or sundried tomato, can be yours for RMB 158, or perhaps the Le Gemme del Vesuvio range of pastas priced at RMB 29-32 per 500g box. A delightful selection of breadsticks and Italian snacks sit alongside boxes of risotto rice (RMB 68) and amaretto biscuits (RMB 23-72). If you’re an Italian coffee lover, the shop stocks a range of coffees for cafetieres, filters, and machines.

As well as parma ham joints and Italian sausage, there’s a lovely selection of beautifully-packaged foods that would make for wonderful gifts: flavored sea salts, olive oil, truffle sauces and balsamic vinegars. Staff will happily put together a gift basket with products of your choice in a wicker basket or a leather hamper. The shop has a good range of Italian wines, with reds ranging from RMB 238-988 and Prosecco ranging from RMB 128-225. They are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am-1pm.

Galati Italian Restaurant
If all that browsing leaves you salivating, take a stroll across the plaza to Galati Italian Restaurant. The eatery is done out very nicely with comfy bucket chairs in warm hues, beautiful orchids, and walls filled with pictures and mirrors. The six staff members on hand during lunch were attentive, friendly, and well-versed in the menu. Several of the restaurants at Pinnacle Plaza do not have their own toilets, and the public bathroom has disappeared since the Beijing United Clinic expansion. Luckily, Galati has its own bathroom – and a very good one too. If you’re dining with little ones, there are a number of highchairs available.

Whilst you wait, you are presented with a basket of crispy breads and wonderfully salty pesto, with a real tang of parmesan. The starter of mushroom soup was thick, complex, perfectly seasoned, and topped with a swirl of cream and croutons. My lunch date chose the minestrone soup, which was al dente and full of flavor.

For my main, I ordered the grilled chicken breast and rucola salad. The meat was succulent, topped with shaved parmesan, and served alongside grilled peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and braised red cabbage with pine nuts. My date ordered the prosciutto e funghi pizza, an authentic Italian thin crust pizza topped with tomato, mozzarella, sliced ham, and mushroom.

Meat and fish dishes include beef tenderloin, osso bucco, salmon steak, and fresh tuna (RMB 98-178). Pastas (RMB 58-88) include lasagna, bolognese, taglioni with truffles, arrabiatta, and beef ravioli. There are a number of pizzas with flavors like margherita, prosciutto crudo, diavola, vegetarian, and tuna (RMB 58-78). Galati also serves bianca pizzas, which have a focaccia bread base.

We were too full for dessert, but you can choose from a light chocolate mousse, mascarpone cream, tiramisu, or asemifreddo al panettone (semi-frozen cake) for RMB 40-45.

To drink, there’s a selection of aperitifs, liqueurs, wines, beers, and juices. A number of their wines are available by the glass, but if you fancy a bottle you can get a decent Pinot Grigio for RMB 188, Prosecco for RMB 250, or just go crazy and order a Barolo for RMB 968.

For a while, my family and I have been heading away from Shunyi towards Indigo Mall and Wangjing for decent kid-friendly restaurants. It’s great to now have a very good restaurant right on our doorstep.

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos by Sally Wilson