SNACKS & SWEETS: Egg Tart @ Herbal Cafe

Posted: 27th April 2011 by chengxixi in Snacks & Sweets
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Cuisine: Chinese – Yunan
Yum Factor: 3/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 3/5
FengShui: 2.5/5
Moolah: S– Bargain Basement
Repeat-Worthy : Yes

Egg tarts have become a staple for the cantonese people & recurring dim sum staple. There are many types of egg tarts around the world but the portuguese style that is said to evolve from ‘pastel de nata’ – a traditional custard pastry made of custard in a creme brulee style inside a puff pastry case.

Feeling something a little sweet after a weekday brunch, we happen to walk by Herbal Cafe when fellow foodie Alice jumped with glee, pointed & yelled ‘egg tarts!’ We couldn’t think of a better way of finishing off lunch than having a glass of hong kong milk style tea with a beautifully served-warm eggtart. What a great bite of slightly burnt sweet taste of caramel & creamy custard filling, the crispiness of the pastry added a lovely texture that would make most people close their eyes & smile

Next time you’re in the Sanlitun area & wanting something sweetish – do drop by Herbal Cafe to pick up one of these delightful goodies

Instead of the deep aroma of egg yolk and milk you would expect from typical egg tarts, for good Portuguese egg tarts, you should taste the slightly burnt sweet taste of caramel and custard – a very hard to put in words taste experience – you just have to try it to know it and 2 of the best places to try it would have to be at Macau’s Lord Stow’s and Margaret’s.

The Village, Sanlitun
3rd floor, across from Union Bar & Grill
朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village3层s6-33
6416-0618

CHINESE: Yunan @ Middle 8

Posted: 16th March 2011 by chengxixi in Chinese
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Cuisine: Chinese – Yunan
Yum Factor: 4.5/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 2.5/5
FengShui: 3.5/5
Moolah: $– Economy Class
Repeat-Worthy : Yes

After having eaten at middle 8 numerous times, we have still yet to try everything on the expansive, wonderfully varied, food porn menu. Reading like a small book, the yunan restaurants have so many delicious goodness that’s it’s hard to not have at least ten favorite dishes. There’s enough options for every foodie to be happy-from total vegetarian veggie lovers to the carnivorous meat eater. It’s a far cry from the over-oily Chinese food we’re all to use to


For cold apps, we recommend trying the green papaya salad with chili sweet sauce. It’s a great bite of cooling sliced papaya with hot chili all in one mouthful. Another favorite is the bamboo shoots topped with shredded celtuce. The minimal dressing really allows for natural flavors to shine through & will leave u super healthy after

For those that can look past the aesthetics, the soy roasted pork feet with black bean & wild mushroom is sooo good. The meat is so tender, juicy, succulent….u get the idea & literally melts in your mouth. And ladies should know that the fatty pork skin is said to be amazing for keeping away skin looking young & wrinkle free

Vegetarians will love the simple but unique scrambled eggs with lily bulbs. The added lilies gives what would otherwise be a simple dish an extra yummy flavor complement that makes us reorder the dish everytime we come here


The roasted sea bass with furu sauce is either one u will love or hate. Furu is a traditional fermented tofu paste that is mostly used in Chinese cooking. The finished fish has an extremely crispy skin with tender white meat onthe inside. Be careful when swallowing though, as we found the dish to be quite boney

Desserts at middle 8 can be another whole review on it’s own but we wanted to take the time to highlight some of our favorites. Do order the organic honey yogurt served with mini waffles. The rich but light creaminess of the yogurt is a delicious bite when paired with the warm soft crispy waffle. We also liked the mango pomelo  concoction (yan ze gan lu), a wonderfully cooling dessert that is light & not overpoweringly sweet

As mentioned, it will take you at least a couple visits to try everything one would want from the wonderfully diverse menu. If not our favorite, this is definitely one of the best Yunan eateries in the capital

Bldg 8, Dong Sanlitun,
In alley running east from 3.3 Mall
东三里屯中8号楼, 3.3服装市场东小巷内
6413-0629

KOREAN: Molecular Korean @ SSAM

Posted: 14th March 2011 by chengxixi in Asian Fusion, Contemporary, Korean
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Cuisine: Korean – Molecular
Yum Factor: 5/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 4/5
FengShui: 3.5/5
Moolah: $$$– Costly Business Class
Repeat-Worthy : Yes YES YES

Beijing has an abundant number of Korean restaurants. Famous chains such as Ai Jiang Shan & Nolboo are our usual staple for getting that good ol’ Korean fix. Before SSAM, we wouldn’t never even considered using the adjective ‘molecular’ to describe Korean food. We didn’t even know the two could exist in the same sentence! But that’d exactly what Chef & owner Andrew Ahn has done-Adding innovative twists on all your favorite traditional Korean dishes

Any true foodie would be able to appreciate all the thought & creativity that goes unto SSAM


We started with the beef carpaccio, a stunningly presented dish with memorable flavors to match. Delicately sliced beef is topped with perfectly a poached quail egg, toasted pine nuts for crunchiness, Drizzled truffle oil, mandolined pear & a genuine slice of truffle. Fold over the beef to over all those ingredients & you have a heavenly gastronomic bite. A mouthful of beautiful textures & flavors

Abalone Liver seafood salad could be a bit too exotic for some, but those that love seafood should definitely try this unusual ingredient

The simply pan-fried goose liver is also a must-try when paired with the homemade plum yozu sauce & molecular paper thin sweetened translucent rice paper. Another unique bite that we’re sure FoODies will remember

The disassembled bimbimbap was also delicious & creativly presented. Skipping the standard stone bowl, Chef Andrew takes all the ingredients & stacks them into a perfect retangle. (don’t forget to tell the waitress to mix everything for you). Paired with dots of Korean sweet chili sauce, this is one of those carby dishes that will fill u up but still leave u wanting more. Also a great sharing dish for foodies eating in bigger groups

The elegantly executed pork is served atop a bed of spring beans & served with seaweed soy foam with half sheared asparagus. We have to warn that main course portions are very large so don’t be turned off by the seemingly higher prices-
Although foodies will probably be stuffed, we do suggest leving any marginal room u can fir dessert. We loved the tiramisu, which had all the usual flavors but somehow managed to taste light & skip the sometimes overbearing creamy heaviness that stops us from eating more than 3 bites

On a final note, we have to say that the unique presentation of all the dishes did not in any way, sacrifice flavor and deliciousness. If anything, the different take on Chef Andrew’s dishes made FoODies taste & enjoy traditional Korean food in a whole new way. A guarantees cherry popping culinary experience for many:) although the location could be a litle hard to fins for first timers, it definitly won’t be the next time u come back..and time after that…and that

B1-238 Tower 2, Sanlitun SOHO,
三里屯SOHO 2号楼 B1-238
5935-9475


CHINESE: Modern Fusion @ LE QUAI

Posted: 27th January 2011 by chengxixi in Chinese, Contemporary
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Cuisine: Chinese – Modern
Yum Factor: 5/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 4/5
FengShui: 5/5
Moolah: $$$$– Pimping Luxury First Class
Repeat-Worthy : Yes

One of the first to lead the trend in Chinese fusion cuisine, we recently revisited the restaurant & was reminded why it’s lasted this long & still extremely successful

We were lucky enough to have a sit down chat with chef Kenny, who is the brainchild behind Le Quai’s continued success. He blew us away with how much research, detail & thought goes into each dish on the menu. From ingredient sourcing – trial – cooking – plating. Every step is meticulously executed to ensure consistency & nothing less of perfection. Ordering from the iPad menus, its hard not to want & order everything you see…so we opted for a chefs tasting menu & waited like giddy kids excited with anticipation

Our first course was a native pumpkin leaf salad – The pumpkin leaves were unlike anything we’ve tried before. Slightly thicker than your regular salad greens & extremely juicy. Chef Kenny explained that these seasonal leaves carry alot of water &  great for cooling down extra ‘heat’ in the body.  Drizzled in a light ponzu vinaigrette base & garnished with fresh stawberry wedges, the unique texture of the salad was a great start to our meal

Our next course: ‘ChaShao’ Foie Gras | 叉烧恶感. Many foodies will probably know the famous Cantonese ‘ChaShaoRou’ 叉烧肉 – a marinated, slightly sweet slow roasted pork with a deep crimson color finish. So imagine the crispy texture & slight sweetness of ChaShao mixed with the rich creaminess of high quality goose liver. Trust us when we say it tastes even BETTER than it sounds. We also loved the complements too, a chardonnay jelly to cleanse the palette

The honey glazed sichuan spiced shrimp is a great order for seafood lovers – The crispy shell had an invigorating spice to it & the meat inside was bouncy & scrumptious – A beautiful bite of sweet & spicy flavors that should be chewed slowly to release all the flavors of the well executed dish. We never thought shrimp could be a very complex dish, but this one did surprise us with the depth of flavor combinations

One of Chef Kenny’s signature dishes is his Lamb Chops, a very western dish that has a twist from the chinese wine based marinade. Succulent & cooked perfectly, the imported lamb was beautifully presented and effortless to cut through. This is ‘new school’ chinese cuisine at its best, and we do highly recommend meat lovers to order this creative amalgamation of west & east flavors on one plate

The restaurant itself is housed in a beautiful wooden building and is an often overlooked option for amazing alfresco dining in the warmer months. Even with all the new restaurants that has popped up around Beijing, Le Quai still remains one of our favorites – Newer isn’t always better…and Le Quai is a perfect example of why this is

On the south side and inside the Worker’s Stadium
工人体育场内, 体育场南边
6551-1636
LeQuai@163.com

AMERICAN: Contemporary Canadian @ SWITCH!

Posted: 26th January 2011 by chengxixi in American, Contemporary
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Cuisine: Canadian – Contemporary
Yum Factor: 3.5/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 3.5/5
FengShui: 4/5
Moolah: $$ – Not Cheap, Not Expensive
Repeat-Worthy : Yes

Taking over the old UCCA space, we were excited to visit 798 to visit the new eatery. Backed by Culinary Capers, Switch is the first restaurant project by the Canadian culinary group known best for their Great Wall dinners & innovative catering services. The restaurant was bustling when we arrived & almost ever

The Eggs Benedict were nicely presented but was too overdone as the yolk was already solidified & cooked through. We also noticed that the eggs were cooked in a mold…which some foodies mightnot like as it’s a cooking equipment used for cooking many eggs at the same time. The potato biscuit was a little on the oiler side but was a good compliment to the eggs Benedict

Our favorite of the meal was the banana ricotta pancakes-Drizzled with Canadian maple syrup & sprinkled with blueberries. You would have expected that the use of ricotta would have made the pancake taste heavy, instead we were surprised at how the warm fluffy-ness of the pancake was light & airy! We’re sure even Aunt Jemima would be proud of this dishSo delicious we were considering a 2nd order – .

For meat lovers, we would recommend the (beef brisket with egg). We loved the presentation of the dish & the large portions of protein presented should satisfy most meat cravings. The potato rosti served with the dish was also a good crunchy compliment that worked well with the poached egg in garlic bread

Switch’s cocktail list is also notable & we highly recommend the strawberry chili martini for anyone fancying a mid-day drink. A perfect balance of sweet & spicy is a difficult combination in a cocktail…but this one manages to pull it off daringly well. The eatery is a great if not the best option in the area to  start a day of exploring 798 & all the surrounding art galleries

UCCA 798 Art District – 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu,| 酒仙桥路2号798艺术区
Beijing, China
(010) 5978-4916

AMERICAN: New Orleans @ NOLA

Posted: 25th January 2011 by chengxixi in American
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Cuisine: New Orleans – Creole
Yum Factor: 3.5/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 3/5
FengShui: 3.5/5
Moolah: $$ – Not Cheap, Not Expensive
Repeat-Worthy : Yes

Nola is a super cute eatery that that is sure to please many FoODies – having stumbled upon it by chance, the eatery feels like a homey holiday cabin u could relax for hours in. New Orleans style cuisine is the theme Here & dishes like po’ boy sandwiches is is sure to make some reminiscent of home.

Brunch options are also available & we couldn’t get over the avocado beetroot Benedict! The poached egg was cooked to perfection & drizzles delicious yolk goodness at the first cut. Topped off shaved smoked salmon paired with hot hollandaise sauce. Take all the ingredients with a bite of avocado & you have a delicious creamy texture perfectly finished off with the slight crunch of beetroot.  This dish alone would definitely make a trip to Nola repeat worthy. Another highlighted brunch dish would be the standard eggs benedict (pictured below). Poached eggs were also cooked to perfection & served atop toasted english muffins

For dessert, y’all really have to try the apple cobbler. Picture steaming hit apple goodness matched with a fresh organic scoop of vanilla ice cream plated in a large square ceramic Its a massive portion & great for couples to share. The crust is tenderly crispy & breaks into the cinnamon roasted apples below. Wonderful mix of cold & hot flavors all in one bite. One word: yummerssss


Whether warming up with a glass of mulled wine during the winter or having a lazy afternoon on their terrace in the summer. Nola gives FoODies a good reason to go check out the Ritan area

11 Xiushui Street South | 建国门外秀水南街11号
Beijing, China
(010) 8563-6215

www.nolacafe.com.cn

CHINESE: Hunan @ KARAIYA SPICE HOUSE

Posted: 19th November 2010 by chengxixi in Chinese
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Cuisine: Hunan – Spicy Flavors
Yum Factor: 4/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 4/5
FengShui: 4/5
Moolah: $$ – Not Cheap, Not Expensive
Repeat-Worthy : Yes

There are generally two types of foodies in this world. 1. Ones that love & can handle hot spicey flavors  2. Others that just cant handle it no matter how hard they try. For the first type of BJ foodie, Karaiya Spice House will become one of your staple restaurants for getting that hot kick when you want it. Opened by restauranteur Alan Wong, Karaiya operates under the umbrella of the well-known Hatsune chain and presents Hunan cuisine in a refined sophisticated atmosphere

We started with probably the only non-spicy dish on the Karaiya menu – A palette cleanser before the fire storm of celtuce & bamboo salad. We loved the simplicity and plating of the dish. The vegetables kept at cold temperature on top a bed of crushed ice

The shreaded ginger chicken with home-made chili sauce on the side presented sweet spicy flavors and was more mild than expected as the ginger helped offset the spiciness with a warm mildness….yes, that’s really what we felt. There were no glasses of water needed with this dish which was a nice surprise as the 2nd type of foodies with us already had their H20 ready in hand to handle the hotness

The Wok-fried bamboo clams were equally delicious but a little to hot for the novice spice eater (although everyone agreed afterwards it was worth the sweat-inducing experience). The bamboo clams worked perfectly with the more ‘mala’ spiciness of the dish as they totally absorbed all the heat and you could really taste the flavors in the actual meat of the clams themselves

Other highlights of the night & one of our favorites was the spicy marinated pork ribs – with a toasted exterior and melt-off-the-bone interior meat. Many of us in the group decided to scrap the chopsticks, knife, fork & just dig in with our hands instead. Presentation of all the dishes also impressed us because although delicious, chinese food is usually just served on big sharing plates with no thought placed on plating

Located in the ultra-convenient Village in Sanlitun, we highly recommend Karaiya as an option for both spice and non-spice loving foodies. We all love a good jacuzzi or sauna sessions sometimes, so think of Karaiya as a healthy sweat-session that everyone can do from time to time :)

3/F Bldg 8 – The Village at Sanlitun
19 Sanlitun Road 三里屯路19号The Village南区8号楼
(416) 586-7928

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