Star of Shuangjing

One of this year’s most exciting restaurant openings so far, Iki is a much needed addition to Shuangjing. It joins the trend of contemporary Korean dining pioneered by Saveurs de Coree and Ssam, and—like those two restaurants—succeeds wonderfully in doing so.

Specializing in Korean barbecue, Iki takes a more traditional approach than Ssam, but the food is definitely outside the Hannashan box. For example, the mutton chop ribs marinated in Xinjiang-style cumin (¥58) offer Chinese-style flavors with the perfectly cooked, tender meat characteristic of Korean food. The L.A. style marinated short ribs (¥62) are very juicy and fantastic even without dipping sauce. The pork belly marinated in chili sauce (¥38), while fatty, was grilled to perfection and just the right level of spiciness.

The bibimbap (¥26) is great as it is, spicy with sticky, slightly crunchy rice mixed in. But we strongly advise adding mozzarella for ¥6. We’ve been making kimchee quesadillas for the last year and are thrilled to see a Beijing restaurant embrace the glorious partnership that is Korean food plus cheese. For a cold dish, the tofu kimchee, cucumber and seaweed (¥22) hits the spot. It’s generously portioned, nicely presented and the sesame oil and seeds add a great flavor.

The restaurant is bathed in soft light and decorated in grays and muted gold tones. The music is excellent, and acoustics perfect for dinnertime conversation. Service is skilled, friendly and unobtrusive. The restaurant’s dinner-only, but the kitchen stays open until 12:30am.

The drinks list features over a dozen mojitos (¥40-50) and lots of imported beers. With an expanded cocktail menu in the works, Iki is poised to become Shuangjing’s best new bar, too.

Sienna Parulis-Cook, August, 2011