I penned an article a couple months ago about cooking classes in Beijing. The impetus for the article was that I really couldn’t find enough information, especially comparative information, on culinary lessons. Since spending time at The Hutong, Black Sesame Kitchen and The Kempinski, I’ve taken a couple other classes which have exposed me to different teaching styles and have broadened my perspective on what I schools I would recommend to serious cooks or visiting tourists. In this two part blog, I’ll add two more places to the list of excellent schools to broaden your culinary perspective.
The Fig Tree, tucked away in Chaowai SOHO, offers French pasty and baking classes (RMB350pp or RMB450 for two people with shared equipment) most days of the week as well as a personalized Sunday brunch by appointment (10:00-14:00, RMB350pp or RMB450 for two). The kitchen is constructed in a classic style, replete with black and white checkered marble floors, stainless steel counters and two separate islands with plenty of elbow room to flour a substantial space. The proprietor, Lin Zhong, is a classically trained pastry chef who aims to simplify the intimidating world of French baking, “The art of pastry making, practiced by the top pastry chefs around the world, requires superhuman physical stamina, a will of steel, an engineer's precision, and the touch of an artist. It is at once daunting and exhilarating, nerve-wrecking and therapeutic.” On a recent visit, we prepared Pâte à choux, a light pastry typically used for éclairs or profiteroles. We spent the afternoon stirring, mixing, measuring and reeking general havoc on the sparkly white kitchen. Lin hovered over us like a mother hen. Her teaching style is probably more French than she realized, barking meticulous orders and offering quick assessments on our attempts at eclairs. Our hard earned creations were admirable little parcels of chocolate drizzled pasty filled with Grand Marnier-tinged creamy goodness. The Fig Tree, with its ample space and exacting standards is definitely the ideal choice for an experienced home cook.
From pizza to potstickers, Beijing offers plenty of opportunities to learn a variety of cuisines taught by experts across the globe.
