Dig Into Beijing's Best New Restaurant Openings, Mar-Jul 2019
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Summer is here, which means it's about time you head out and dig into the best restaurant openings that Beijing has seen over the past few months.
Paca Li's new project, Zha Zha Bistro near Qianmen, puts a creative spin on Guizhou cuisine. Although the venue's floral painted walls and gleaming marble balcony and tables are gorgeous, Zha Zha's food is an even greater thing of beauty. The dishes are a mashup of the traditional dim sum of Li's childhood in southern China and made-for-sharing tapas-like plates with inventive sauces and stuffings, and truly striking presentation.
Read the full review here.
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The team behind hutong-favorite restaurant Nina have expanded their game from Beiluogu Xiang into neighboring Jiaodaokou with a spacious new wine bar, Pinó. The new, larger venue is spread over three rooms, with one dedicated to wine and Italian-style small plates, one dedicated to artisanal European hotdogs from 18cm Champion Mountain and Jing-A brews, and a third space, nestled in the very back, that is ideal for intimate dates and a few cocktails.
Read the full review here.
(also pictured at top)
Opened by the same management behind already successful ventures Bottega and El Barrio, and neighboring both in Nali Patio, Daruma now sees the team look east, serving yakitori in an informal and no-fuss setting. The menu features small plates, mains such as ramen and soba noodles, and a selection of juicy Japanese skewers (veggie and meat), of which the easy standout is the soy-glazed chicken meatball with egg yolk and mascarpone (pictured above).
Read the full review here.
Peach with saffron spice, chunks of black and white Kinder chocolate, kiwi jam, and coffee sauce are but a few of the many toppings you'll find at the newly opened JW Froyo shop in Dongzhimen's Raffles City. This is the first Beijing branch of the German frozen yogurt brand, following locations in Chengdu and Shanghai, and is an undeniable haven for dessert fans.
Read the full review here.
Will Beer Boom be a boon for Sanlitun? Or will it go bust? Such questions are sure to reverberate in your mind as you stop by the recently opened Gongti burger and craft beer joint. The owners have strived for a '50s diner vibe with puffy peppermint striped booths and stools, checkered tile floors, LPs, vintage Coca Cola signs, and balloons aplenty. While the decor is a bit tacky, their classic burger exceeds expectations thanks to a tender, juicy, and smoky Australian beef patty, gooey mozzarella, and fluffy buns.
Read the full review here.
The original Sanlitun Courtyard 4 teahouse and cocktail bar Long Jing was an instant hit among Chinese patrons upon opening in 2016. The softly-lit, woodgrain decor at this new Long Jing in Qianmen takes its cues from that original location, but while that one focussed on tea-infused cocktails, this rendition is all about sushi, ramen, grilled eel, and other Japanese favorites that despite the classy feel will only set you back RMB 150 per person.
Read the full review here.
Beijingers living around Chaoyang Joy City mall have a new reason to be thankful these days: Merci, the latest venture by TRB. The brand famous for its fine dining establishments has chosen one of Beijing's busiest shopping hubs for their newest restaurant, an upper-midrange bistro falling somewhere between the fancy TRB Hutong and their more casual Hulu in Sanlitun. Classic French dishes like Nicoise salad and roast lamb leg offer the best bang for your buck.
Read the full review here.
Located on the ground floor of new co-living space Stey just northwest of Dengshikou station, Tease by CreatureS is an offshoot of popular Singapore restaurant CreatureS. This Beijing venture stays true to the original's Straits Chinese roots (a style of cuisine also known as Nyonya or Peranakan) but also incorporates nods to our local cuisine. Overall, the concept has a clear focus on comforting, traditional dishes with a modern, Instagrammable twist to the presentation, whether that is rice dyed blue with butterfly pea flowers or a scattering of petals on the plate.
Read the full review here.
With 50 seats and 20 taps, the new Dengshikou branch of beloved Beijing craft beer brand Slow Boat is as intimate and chic as its three-floor Sanlitun counterpart is sprawling and rugged. What really makes this latest Slow Boat location worth a visit, however, is the scrumptious new grub on offer. The Hooper's Revenge burger (pictured above), for example, comes stacked with lusciously salty hunks of corned beef along with a juicy beef patty drenched in a tangy sauce and is one of the best additions to Slow Boat's already excellent burger canon.
Read the full review here.
Moka Bros Sanlitun
After five years in their previous location, Moka Bros Sanlitun has packed up and moved all of 20 meters across the courtyard of Nali Patio to a new, superior space (formerly occupied by Spanish restaurant Velvet). Fans of Moka Bros' The Place and Space 3 Shuangjing locations will feel right at home here, thanks to a bigger, more open dining area. Pet owners will also be happy to hear that these new digs are dog-friendly (be sure to enter from the north entrance opposite 3.3 if you are planning on bringing your pup).
Photos courtesy of Daruma, Zha Zha Bistro, Pinó, Kyle Mullin, Long Jing, Merci, Tease by CreatureS, Slow Boat, Moka Bros
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