New restaurant embodies Chinese fairy tale

 

Baby abalone and chicken egg, 56 yuan/Photos by Felix Gan

 

By Felix Gan

Every Chinese is familiar with the story of Madam White Snake. A thousand years ago, a young man saved a white snake, which turned into a beautiful lady and married the man’s great grandson to express her thanks. The lucky man she married was called Xu Xian.

And now we have Xu Xian Restaurant. As the legend was set in Hangzhou, the restaurant focuses on the flavors of Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

Opened at the end of July, this restaurant quickly attracted celebrities. It has since been nicknamed the “star restaurant,” as on any given night a diva like Zhou Xun or Faye Wong just might drop by.

Flavors of Hangzhou

Stewed pigtail, 58 yuan/Photos by Zhang Huan

By He Jianwei

Marco Polo called Hangzhou, “The city of heaven, the most magnificent in all the world.” But in addition to the beautiful scenery around West Lake, Hangzhou also enjoys the reputation of having fine food that’s crisp, tender, light and sweet.

Tongle Jiangnan Restaurant, which opened on August 16 at Shuangjing on East Third Ring Road, is bringing a new style of Hangzhou food to Beijing, something “not as sweet as the traditional because northerners aren’t accustomed to sweet dishes,” said restaurant manager Wen Juhua.

A couple of traditional dishes that are not on the menu are Dongpo’s pork and West Lake vinegar fish. Both dishes have long histories; for instance, Dongpo’s pork comes from Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet Su Dongpo, who made an improvement in the cooking process.

But other popular dishes, like stewed pigtail in an earthen pot (58 yuan), are readily available. Although not as famous as Dongpo’s pork, this dish has an interesting history as well.

Big appetites, bigger views

By Chu Meng

Two buildings in the city rightfully deserve the title grand. One is the Bird’s Nest, officially named the National Stadium. The other is the Egg, also known as the National Center for the Performing Arts. When visiting these two masterful structures, people probably overlook their restaurants while eyeing the beauty of the architecture.

The taste of Olympics

On the eastern part of the Bird’s Nest’s third floor are the VIP grandstands, which were used for world leaders during the Olympics. Since last weekend, the 4,000-square-meter area, which has the best view of the stadium, has served as an Olympic-themed organic food restaurant.

Standing in front of the 700-meter long, 3-meter high French window wall, which divides the grandstands from the dining area, diners are treated to the sight of the fantastic bow-shaped interior of the National Stadium. Looking above at the rim of the bow, one can’t help but think back to August 8, 2008, when Li Ning ran along the top and lit the torch.

Beijing Yuandingyuan organic farm, built three years ago and located 90 minutes away by car in Changping District, is the restaurant’s vegetable and meat supplier.

Three Chinese Side Acts

Wow, that’s quite a puddle of ketchup you’ve got with your French fries there. And what’s that – mayonnaise? Very continental. Ooh, and you put some A1 sauce on your burger, sophisticated.

*CRASH*

No no, leave it on the floor, where it belongs. There are more heavenly flavors on earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your western philosophy.  Condiments are the best place to start, by switching the sweet and salty act with some Chinese talent, three dressings that will do for your palate what the Starship Enterprise did for mankind. That’s right, explore strange but tasty new worlds.

 

Doufu Ru 豆腐乳

What’s in a name? A whole lot of turn-off, if the name is “fermented soy paste”. But what if we called hot-dogs by their rightful name, “diced lips and bungs in cellulose casing”? Leave the linguistics to Noam Chomsky, and get with a product powerful enough to turn the blandest foods into complex culinary marvels. Yessir, a chopstick’s-end-worth of doufu ru makes plain-Jane rice porridge over into the sexiest breakfast since your honeymoon buffet-in-bed. 

It’s sweet; it’s salty, but that’s just for starters. Pungent, acrid, umami – how to explain color to a blind man, or fermented tofu to a tongue crippled by high-fructose corn syrup? Words do not suffice, but it helps to know that the virginal tofu in doufu ru turns shameless seductress with the help of a little salt, sesame oil, vinegar, and generous lashings of rice wine. Oh, and the texture; you’re not gonna call this tofu mushy. A long brine soak leaves doufu ru creamy as blue cheese, not quite as stinky, and every bit as spreadable.  If it’s red, you’re in for an extra treat; that doufu ru has been primped up special with some red yeast rice, rose essence, and caramel. 

And health nuts, you want your soy fermented, dontcha know. Going halfway rotten brings out the best in the bean, making its minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, all that) more soluble, and spawning armies of probiotic bacteria to aid your gut in its never-ending battle against the evil forces you otherwise send against it: cola, for starters. Good tasting and good for you? The jingle writes itself! Someone call the good people at Heinz.

Majiang 麻酱

Back in the good ol’ days, before eyewitness news teams and nosy boards of health, Chinese hot pot restaurateurs would spike the broth with opium to ensure patrons were hooked. Once the jig was up, they turned to the second most addictive substance known to man – sesame paste. Get out of here with your tahini – wait; you’ve got shawarma too?  Come back, and compare your paste of raw, hulled sesames, to our Chinese blend, fully toasted. 

True, a tad more bitter, but then the ma jiang experience is as rich and full as life itself, with hints of both bitter and sweet, earthy and airy, tangy and mellow.  No wonder a hot pot restaurant is still a cash cow, de-narcotized and all, what with ma jiang as the de rigueur dipping sauce for all those parboiled fish balls and lotus slices. By god you could eat an old shoe dipped in ma jiang, given a strong set of molars and a growling belly. 

And what do you know, another virtuous yet utterly gratifying Chinese condiment. Trans-Asian traders of yore thrived on silk but survived on sesame, mini storehouses of essential minerals, replete with protein. Slather it on your noodles, drench your salads with it, anemic vegans. It can bring the sparkle back to your eyes faster than a pipe-load of opium.

Duo Jiao 剁椒 

Contemplate, for a moment, the picture above. To your eyes, that chili pepper promises only a coughing fit, watery eyes, and a fiery sit-down the next morning. But to eyes with epicanthic folds, that chili pepper offers excitement, solace, a reason to keep putting one foot in front of the other when we all end up in the grave any old how.

See, the same compounds that give you a burning mouth and chili sweats (capsaicinoids, the white-coats call ‘em) also signal the brain to release a healthy squirt of endorphins. Maybe not healthy enough to rival the buzz of your morning Zanax and Friday-night snootful of toot, but hey, most of us Chinese must make do without better living through chemistry, and rely on what nature provides.

Now here’s the revelation: five-inch red chilies like the one pictured really aren’t that spicy. They have bite, to be sure, but nowhere near the fire power of the pinky-sized, attenuated devils best left to Sichuan ren and other masochists. So take two bristling fistfuls of five-inchers, and dice them down to scrap-size. If you live in China, chop them after eleven o’clock, in retaliation for all that 5 am jiaozi preparation that keeps you chronically fatigued (revenge is almost as savory as duo jiao).

Put the scraps in a jar. Add two teaspoons of salt, and two of peppercorns (substitute black pepper, those of you in the Land of the Free). Finally, drizzle in two or three tablespoons of alcohol. Those of you who want to get in touch with your inner fire-eater can dice in one or two pinky-peppers.

 

Simple, much? Ah, but not the flavor – light years beyond Tabasco in both freshness and complexity. As with doufu ru, a little dab’ll do ya – with veggies, in your scrambled eggs, sprinkled on fish – heck, soon you’ll be wondering what it doesn’t improve. Ice cream? Depends what flavor.

And goodness gracious, if you thought the first two condiments were salubrious. Tons of vitamin C and carotene, oodles of those hard-to-find B vitamins, the ones that keep you from going postal when the receptionist leaves the cap off the toner, again. Gorge on your duo jiao without fear; most chili peppers are still off Monsanto’s diabolical agenda.

A word of caution, though: southwestern Chinese from teething to toothless cram down all those chilies because they balance a constitution compromised by too much humidity. If you live in Tallahassee, you can spoon down a jar a day. If you live in Taos, not so much.

http://chinaexpat.com/

Fish Heads & Tails On Friday

My mother always use to tell me we were having fish on Fridays. I am not sure why, but I think it comes from the Catholic religion. However, I was brought up Methodist so that doesn’t quite make sense. Well anyway Canthy eats fish every day as our Yue Sao says it contains a lot of protein and minerals, which are good for making baby milk. The fish are always bought fresh from the market so the quality and taste is really good. Whereas when I was growing up fish on Friday often meant fish fingers, or frozen fish rather than the fresh kind. Canthy never never eats frozen food as she doesn’t think it is healthy. However, I told her that in the UK many people live on frozen food, whether it’s fish, meat vegetables or even ready-made meals. When I told our Yue Sao about this she wrinkled up her face and said “bu hao chi” (not tasty). Then proceeded to cut up the fish into heads and tails cooked and cook it fresh for breakfast.

http://www.rayallychina.com/

Asia Bistro Barbeque Brunch Bliss

Event information

Event name:ASIA BISTRO BARBEQUE BRUNCH BLISS

Host:Asia Bistro

Event type: Party – Barbeque

Location: 83 Jian Guo Road, China Central Place, Chaoyang District

Time & Place

Date:August 22, 2010

Time:11:30 – 15:30

Neighbourhood:朝阳区(Chaoyang) District

Phone:(86 10) 5908 8995

E-mail:mon.li@marriotthotels.com

Event Description

Every Sunday 11:30a.m.-3:30p.m.

Relax in the sunshine on the outdoor patio of Asia Bistro, and let the heady aromas of the real fire barbeque whet your appetite for a gastronomic feast featuring the finest cuts of meat and seafood alongside fresh salads and traditional brunch favorites, and delicacies from around Asia, wash it down with beer, wine, and Champagne, of course!

Adults: RMB268* including unlimited international draught beer

RMB388* including free flow of Moet Chandon and red and white wines

Children aged between 6 and 12 years old receive a 50% discount, and children under 6 eat for free

Atmosphere in Beijing: Ten thoughts, six more photos, on 80F

Yesterday, I posted photos here and here from Atmosphere and Lounge, which both opened on the eightieth floor of China World Summit Wing. Here are six more photos, including a couple from Grill 79 one floor below, as well as ten thoughts about the opening of the year in Beijing.

1. View: A 360-degree view of the city that takes in everything from The Forbidden City to The Bird’s Nest, the CCTV Tower to the shell of the Mandarin Oriental, and will inspire a billion “yeah, but you can only see them three days a year” jokes  that will quickly become as tiresome as the ones about the waitresses at Hooters. Anyway, the place stands to be a must stop for first-time visitors to Beijing–on those three clear days, of course.

2. Drinks: The 50 ml pour in the Old-Fashioned is a good sign and patrons can expect to find plenty of classic cocktails from barman Charly Kusagsizoglu. There were a few glitches–for example, CF’s Old-Fashioned came with a cherry, while one I had earlier did not–but things went well for a first night, at least up to when we left at ~8 PM. CF, SM, and I considered our drinks “good” and hope for even more on return visits. The prices are also good, with most cocktails at RMB65. And Atmosphere will be open until 4 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, giving us a decent (literally) high-end place for late-night drinks.

3. Wine: There are abbreviated menus for the bar and lounge as well as a main menu put together by Koen Masschelein that includes hundreds of wines, from the familiar to the unique, from about RMB200 to more than RMB40000 per bottle. Those who want to try Chinese wines will find about 20 reds and whites from Grace Vineyard, Silver Heights, and Helan Mountain. The prices are excellent: a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is RMB375; the by-the-glass list starts at RMB42 for a 150 ml pour of Grace.

4. Spirits: This place has sourced spirits you are unlikely to find elsewhere in the city. As for single malts, it has a wide selection, including several 30-year-old whiskeys. Though it does not carry the older vintages found at the Ritz-Carlton and at Aria or the niche whiskeys found in the city’s Japanese-styled bars, there is enough choice to keep the vast majority of patrons satisfied.

5. Beer: Not considered a priority, as the menu only includes five bottles–Tsingtao is RMB35, Guinness is RMB45–and no draft.

6. Food: I had the New York burger for lunch with ksquare in the Lounge. The quality of the ingredients, notably the beef, was high, though we found the patty slightly overcooked and the bun crumbly.  I would also have preferred fries, or ksquare’s suggestion of sweet potato fries, to the accompanying batter sticks. The RMB89 price tag is more than fair for a place such as this given that is about what you would pay at numerous places in Sanlitun. So is RMB35 for a coffee. As for steakhouse Grill 79, it seats ~100, and has three private rooms, one semi-private area, and a bar near the entrance. I’ll have more on this place soon.

7. Decor: Plenty of eye candy due to the wide range of colors, with a nice mix of cool and warm ones, and lots of wood, leather, and shiny stuff to provide balance. The seating, lighting, and candles mean there are places for intimacy, while the bar will likely appeal to the more gregarious. (Speaking of patrons, most showed up at night wearing at least “smart casual“.) The things that struck me as off were the red glow from the band area and the rectangular glass plates hanging above and that someone 

compared to (ghostly) graham crackers. But overall, I think most people will be impressed.

8. Service: Given it was opening day, the staff showed a high degree of competence and professionalism, with the only issues being a few language ones. The staff did well on the “my laptop is out of battery and I can’t find a plug” test: An employee offered to find an extension cord and when unable to used a plug near the coffee station. (The wireless is free.) They also did a good job of checking on us, deftly walking that fine line between being over-attentive and ignoring the customer.

9. Service charge: There isn’t one.

10: Overall: The biggest problems for this place would seem to be ones over which it has little control, from air quality affecting the view to a lack of taxis in this area at night. But when it comes to overall value–the range of beverages, the size of the drinks, the quality of the decor and the view, the vibe and the prices–this place came out a winner on day one.

(http://www.beijingboyce.com/2010/08/17/atmosphere-in-beijing-ten-thoughts-six-more-photos-on-80f/)

Restaurants newly opened in party zones

By Annie Wei

The rent for residential and commercial spaces near Sanlitun and Workers Stadium has increased dramatically in the past six months due to good business and high foot traffic. New restaurants, cafes and bars open almost every week. Beijing Today checked out three of the new kids on the block.

Oyo House: all-day breakfast

In the bustling alley between Tongli, 3.3 and the DVD stores, Oyo House has opened at the location formerly occupied by Pink.

Oyo has a fashion boutique window that commands attention. Those wanting to check out the clothes will have to walk through the restaurant, which has modern decorations – a cozy sofa, orchids, lilies and candles.

Apart from coffee and free Wi-Fi, a major selling point is Oyo’s all-day breakfast. The menu has quite a few options, ranging from American-style breakfasts to cereal and fruit.

The Taste of Autumn at JW Marriott Hotel Beijing

Event information

Event name:The Taste of Autumn at JW Marriott Hotel Beijing

Host:Asia Bistro

Event type:Other – Festival

Location:83 Jian Guo Road, China Central Place, Chaoyang District

Time & Place

Date:August 16, 2010

Time:0:00 – 0:00

Neighbourhood:Chaoyang District

Phone:5908 8510

Event Description

DIVERSITY
Price: RMB 288

Eight mini moon cakes (60 grams each)
White lotus paste with low sugar
Pomelo and cheese paste
Date paste
Jessamine tea paste
Two red bean paste
Two pineapple paste

HARMONY
Price: RMB 588

Six superb moon cakes (125 grams each)
White lotus paste with egg yolk
White lotus seed paste blended with spirulina juice
Brown rice and green tea paste
Mocca coffee paste
Two red bean paste
Including limited selected Chinese tea

Early Bird discount will apply when firm order with full payment is received by JW Marriott Hotel Beijing
(non refundable. Orders maybe collected starting August 23rd, 2010)

To place your order before August 15th, 2010, you will receive a 20% discount

To place your order between August 16th and September 5th, 2010, you will receive a 10% discount

For delivery request, please allow us 2 days to process your order.
Free delivery of moon cakes within the 5th ring road (Minimum 30 boxes)

Purchase Hotline: 5908 8510

South American restaurant opens door at Sanlitun South

By Annie Wei 

When talking about South American restaurants, most locals think of Mexican establishments or Brazilian steakhouses. But for South American fine dining, Beijing Today recommends the newly opened Terra along with some Chilean food recipes courtesy of Chile’s embassy.

Terra’s recent grand opening

With its opening party two weeks ago, Terra is officially open for business in Sanlitun. It occupies the two-story building formerly held by Rickshaw Bar, which closed over the winter.

Distinguished food items include ceviches – citrus-marinated seafood like prawns, octopus and halibut – tiraditos, cold dish similar to the ceviche and causas, a different kind of South American salad. There are also eight kinds of ceviches with clams, tuna, mushroom and salmon (58 to 78 yuan for small and 98 to 128 yuan for large). We ordered a classic ceviche (128 yuan), which was prepared with tender halibut, red onion, lemon juice, cilantro, chilis, corn and a sweet potato chip.