We were expecting top rate Hunan food from a restaurant owned by the granddaughter of Mao Zedong, but what Jusong offers is a rather timid mishmash of Chinese cuisines in an impeccably designed environment.
The food is nicely presented and inoffensive but lacks a strong concept to hold it together ... Read More
Little Nyonya’s second branch serves mostly authentic and very affordable Malaysian dishes. Service and décor are both pleasant, making it a good choice for those who live in the villas nearby. With light yellow as its main tone, and decorated with banana plants, Little Nyonya looks like a typical ... Read More
After years in downtown Beijing helping local Chinese acquire a taste for classy fast food (with still-popular sandwich and seafood joints in Sanlitun), Let’s Burger has branched out to the city’s fringes with a new location on Shunyi’s Pinnacle Avenue.
The suburban vibe is fairly obvious, with ... Read More
The Vine Leaf is being heralded as Beijing’s first gastropub, but while we get the “gastro” part, we’re not sure this cozy hutong venue qualifies as a “pub.” There were only five bottled beers available the night we visited, and not much of a pub atmosphere. But as ... Read More
“They could serve poop, and we’d still love it,” we declared in the weeks before Hello Kitty Dreams opened. Unfortunately, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. The décor at Beijing’s first Hello Kitty-themed restaurant will send any Sanrio fan into a state of ecstasy, but the atrociously bad food ... Read More
When Le Petit Gourmand stopped making galettes over a year ago, we worried that Beijing had become a city devoid of the savory French crepes. But now, there’s a restaurant entirely dedicated to crepes and galettes, and doing a great job with both. Ouest is located in the former ... Read More
This 24-hour kebab and Chinese staple eatery is completely underwhelming in every way, and the food here is fit only to be consumed in the late hours of the night. The blank gray walls and wooden tables and benches give the space a dark and gloomy feel, and with bamboo ... Read More
This new addition to Beijing’s dessert craze offers loveable Italian pastries, tarts and cakes. The eatery is charming, with a light pink and marble veneer and relaxing Italian tunes in the background. The croissants and pastries range ¥8-12, a meager cost for their large size. We recommend the almond ... Read More
It should come as a shock to no one that Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) is outstanding. Arguably the most anticipated opening of 2011 is helmed by Ignace Lecleir, the man who opened Maison Boulud, and it’s housed in a 600-year-old temple. Unsurprisingly, the environment is ground breaking and the ... Read More
Ours is Japanese barbecue featuring DIY grilling with a rustic touch. The meat is fresh, and there’s a variety of veggies, too. Those used to Korean-style barbecue will miss the fixings which automatically grace the grilling table. If you want kimchi or soup on the side, you’ll have ... Read More
Nowhere in Beijing utilizes the potential of Enomatic machines for serious tasting as well as Pudao Wines does. This try-before-you-buy potential, plus the staggering selection, makes Pudao the most exciting wine shop in town. It’s run by Summergate Wines, and is intended to be a retail venue rather than ... Read More
Finally, a decent neighborhood restaurant has taken over the old Tube Station Sandwich space. Katoya has always been our favorite eatery in Weigongcun, so we’re thrilled they’ve opened a second branch on the east side. The restaurant is quaint and unpretentious, with delicious food at an affordable price ... Read More
Any restaurant which wants to specialize in bagels in Beijing faces a tough audience of American bagel fanatics fiending for the hole-y staple. Sorry, fellow fiends—The Rug won’t fulfill your cravings for authentic bagels. But the food is nonetheless quite good, and the environment here is exceptional.
The ... Read More
Aizai Café isn’t an easy find, but well worth it for the bagels, waffles and coffees. Fresh bagels (¥20) come with a generous spread of cream cheese. They’re whipped up by a former ayi who learned to make bagels from a Western family she used to work for ... Read More
The new Sheraton Dongcheng’s Bene brings upscale Italian dining to a part of the city devoid of competition. The food isn’t the city’s best Italian cuisine, but it’s solid, and the environment is very comfortable. The best thing here is the Bene pizza roll (¥108), a ... Read More
This kooky Cantonese joint feels like a funhouse with its long open tables and gaudy patterned sofas. The décor is kitschy but fun, and we especially enjoyed the cartoon characters on the menus and placemats, and the humongous dim sum soup spoon. Service is quick and friendly, and the food ... Read More
Dining at Starfish is an absolute joy. The thoughtfulness that has gone into the restaurant is truly impressive, and the food is superb.
The restaurant’s owned by the people behind Jetfresh, a premium seafood importing company, so it’s mostly seafood here. There are, however, meat, poultry and vegetarian ... Read More
If you’re searching for a kitsch-tastic dose of Americana, TGI Friday’s fits the bill. The pleasant design even boasts a diner-style corner where you can watch food being prepared. “Friday’s burger” (¥55) is a solid sandwich, and doesn’t crumble in our hands like Blue Frog’s ... Read More
This tiny Japanese pub has only been open for two months, but it already attracts a steady stream of customers who come for the extensive drinks list and grilled skewers. It’s a yakitori-style joint, but with a more refined atmosphere than you’d typically expect out of this genre ... Read More
With its glass polka-dotted walls, Peking Legacy isn’t your typical Guijie establishment, but despite the lack of red lanterns, this place is firmly rooted in the capital’s culinary traditions. Both chefs hail from families that have cooked in Beijing since the Qing dynasty—her family’s food attracted ... Read More
The Lazy Guide to Finding Love
By DRAGONCAKE79
Fabulous article Nikkia! Made me chuckle. The filter option online is definit... >>