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Nouvelle Beijing Cuisine


Le Zouave

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I am planning an upcoming trip to Beijing, and I am looking for restaurants where I could have contemporary Chinese cuisine. I heard about the Whampoa, Green T. House, Lan and some others already, but I wanted to know if you had heard of new addresses of this kind, opened recently. Thank you very much for your help!

"Mais moi non plus, j'ai pas faim! En v'là, une excuse!..."

(Jean-Pierre Marielle)

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Warning: LAN is essentially South Beauty cooking dressed up in Phillipe Starck clothing. I really don't think it's worth the price tag but if you're into "dining spaces" it would be an interesting restaurant to 'collect'.

For innovative hotpot: Pink Loft or Dingding Xiang (Hotpot paradise). The foie gras and wagyu hot pot is to die for at the latter!

Actually, recently I've had some very nouvelle-style dishes at Da Dong. There was a particularly good one which was a take on Lion's head casserole 狮子头 except the meatball was made with white fish and the sauce was a clean crisp tasting pea puree. Very yummy!

Another place worth considering is Jasmine - by the Worker's stadium East Gate. I went to a dinner there that was rather innovative and enjoyable. I was a guest, so didn't see the menu, but again the style was veyr much nouvelle-Chinese.

If you want a nice private dining experience, I would recommend Il et Elle - it's a private kitchen which cooks Huaiyang food with a modern (and French) twist. You can't decide the exact menu as things are chosen by that day's market, but the owner, Sandy, will help you with any dietary requirements. They're on Jiangguomen Avenue. (10) 85324140. I help out with wine dinners there and since the courses are served european-style, it is much easier to do food and wine matching!

I've never been to Tiandiyijia 天地一家 - but it's supposed to be something pretty special! At least the prices are!

Also, depending on when you come, I would keep an eye out for Handel Lee's new project in the Legation Quarter which is due to open soon.

<a href='http://www.longfengwines.com' target='_blank'>Wine Tasting in the Big Beige of Beijing</a>

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Fengyi, thank you very, very much. I'll probably be in Beijing in April, and will check out "dining spaces" as well as yummy places. But the modern twist on Chinese food is part of what I'm looking for. What do you think of restaurants like the Green T. House or the Whampoa Club?

"Mais moi non plus, j'ai pas faim! En v'là, une excuse!..."

(Jean-Pierre Marielle)

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I must admit, I do like the Whampoa Club - although it is very expensive!!!

The food is actually better than décor :wink: but Green T House is another place for me which is a 'dining space' experience rather than an eating one!

Incidentally, I was at a Food and Wine Magazine tasting panel yesterday and brough up your question. Most people there said 'Tiandiyijia' was the place to go for neat food. But everyone agreed - don't order the set menus! They started at about 1000RMB (gulp!).

Actually, I think the same holds for the Whampoa Club as well.

WARNING: unless you're quite familiar with northern Chinese food, some of the amusing and impressive things about Whampoa's cooking may be a bit 'lost in translation'. :unsure:

EDITED TO ADD: Thank GOODNESS it is Lantern Day today and the fireworks will be over. It is 4pm in the afternoon and they are going off outside my building! Argh!

oh well, at least I got my tangyuan in at lunch! :biggrin:

Edited by Fengyi (log)

<a href='http://www.longfengwines.com' target='_blank'>Wine Tasting in the Big Beige of Beijing</a>

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Fengyi, thanks again so much for all the info. And as usual, more answers mean more questions! :wink:

What about Le Quai and Garden of Delights? I read some interesting reviews in the Wallpaper Beijing City Guide (aven though they don't mention food very much). I'll try to find more on Jasmine. Do they have an Internet site? I tried to find something, bit didn't succeed...

"Mais moi non plus, j'ai pas faim! En v'là, une excuse!..."

(Jean-Pierre Marielle)

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