Second Bite review, December, 2010

Staying Power

Back in 2008, when Beijing was in the throes of the Olympics, Block 8 was the place to see and be seen. Since then, many of its restaurants and bars have closed, and buzz has pretty much stopped buzzing. But throughout this, Haiku has not only survived but actually ended up taking over all of Block 8’s third floor, including the spaces that used to house i-Ultra and Med. The décor in the original Haiku location is still the same, with sunken tables and a brightly colored, post-modern mural, although parts have been converted into private rooms. Haiku’s new section, which focuses on teppanyaki, is all private rooms, with a Zen-garden aesthetic.

The menu features some of the same rolls as Hatsune—the two used to be sister restaurants. But the new look and focus on teppanyaki makes the now-independent Haiku more reminiscent of Haru’s Sanlitun Village North branch. The large tiger prawns (¥80) are basically identical to the ones at Haru, although slightly more expensive. Like Haru, Haiku also serves delicious, delicate salads. We loved the subtly spicy mustard and sesame dressing of the chicken teriyaki salad (¥45). The menu also offers a selection of yakitori. The quail eggs (¥12) with their slightly runny yolks are great, although the chicken skin with shrimp skewers (¥32) taste greasy. With staff who have worked at Haiku since it opened, the creative rolls are still up to Hatsune standards—we tried the popular “moto-roll-ah” (¥75), with deep-fried spicy tuna and snow crab, covered with tuna sashimi and avocado.

Open for business, bigger than ever and maintaining similar food quality, Haiku continues to offer an alternative to Sanlitun’s most popular upscale Japanese dining destinations.

Sienna Parulis-Cook