LumDimSum Discovery: Punjabi’s Mango Lassi

Punjabi is by far my favorite Indian restaurant in Beijing, (followed by Tamarind in Marriott Northeast, and then Mughal’s in Nali Patio). And while I highly recommend ordering everything both on and especially OFF their menu (Punjabi’s chefs are excellent and creating tailor-made dishes), one of my favorite things to order from Punjabi is their Mango Lassi.

Let me tell you about Punjabi’s Mango Lassi. It is sweet, smooth, rich in flavor…and best of all, it’s healthy! You finish feeling satisfied guilt-free!

An interesting fact you should know is Punjabi makes their own mango lassi from scratch.

I was so fascinated when I made this discovery, I requested to sit down with Punjabi’s owner, Gireesh Chowdhury, who was kind enough to share with my dear LumDimSum readers his special mango lassi recipe.

Ingredients:

• 220 ml Fresh, Daily Made Yogurt
• 3-4 table spoons of Alphonso Mango Pulp by Mother’s Recipe (imported from India) – no added preservatives
• 1/2 Mango Fruit
• 1 Drop of Concentrated Rose Water (Imported from India)

Directions:

1. The key to Punjabi’s lassi is their fresh yogurt made daily from scratch. Just to make their yogurt, it takes about 12 hours and since they use yogurt in a lot of their dishes and curries, they will make about 20 liters of yogurt every night. To make their yogurt, they mildly heat Mengniu milk and combine the lukewarm milk together with previously made yogurt, and place in an aluminum container and let it set over night.  “Consistency is key,” says Gireesh. “So make sure the yogurt sets in room temperature to ensure that the taste is not too sour and does not spoil.”
2. The following day, you can begin to make lassi drinks with the freshly made yogurt. Once you have the yogurt, their second key ingredient is adding 3-4 tablespoons of Indian Alphonso Mango Pulp – imported from India, this is the best brand to make Mango Lassi). I recommend only adding 3 tablespoons so the lassi is not too sweet.
3. Add a piece of fresh mango and put all the ingredients in a blender.
4. Last but not least, add drop of Concentrated Rose Water (imported from India). “This final step completely changes the taste of the lassi and no one else does it in Beijing.”

*LumDimSum Discovery Explanation: Whenever I find a dish (or in this case, a drink) worth sharing, I will post this find as a LumDimSum Discovery.  Stay tuned for more to come!

A Celebration of Champagne, Cupcakes, candy&caviar!

Congratulations to candy&caviar on a beautiful fashion show!

Showcasing candy&caviar’s entire Fall 2010 Collection with a proper debut on the runway, this event featured candy&caviar’s signature hooded blazers, stunning silk dresses and trend-setting new dress shirts paired with bow ties, the perfect touch of candy&caviar.

For looks that combine class, confidence and sophistication, the candy&caviar show was hosted at the beautiful d.lounge, marking the official launch of candy&caviar in Asia.

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of the candy&caviar FW 2010 fashion show @ d.lounge:

www.candyandcaviar.com

A special THANK YOU to candy&caviar’s generous sponsors:

• d.lounge

• C. de France

• BonBon Bins

• Lollipop Bakery

candy&caviar Showroom Address:

China Central Place, Building 16, Room 921

LumDimSum and candy&caviar's very own, Candy Lin

Sundays at Sureño

If I’m not recovering from a rough weekend in bed, chances are you’ll find me at Vineyard Cafe, The Orchard, Chef Too or SALT.

For the first time this past weekend, we switched it up for Sunday brunch at Sureño (The Opposite House).

On Sundays, Sureño offers a Mediterranean 4-course set menu (RMB 188 or RMB 298 with free flow bubbly):

Veal Tenderloin

1. Antipasti Selection (fried mussels, swordfish sashimi, egg omelet, fried rice ball, diced oxtail and white beans) – 1 of each appetizer per person, and still quite filling. While the mussels were dry, the swordfish sashimi was the highlight
2. Minestrone Soup – standard minestrone soup
3. Choice of 6 different main entrees (seabass, risotto, veal tenderloin, cheese & spinach capelle, suckling pig, etc.) – Veal Tenderloin was served with cheese sandwiched in between two slabs of meat with mashed potatoes and veggies beneath.
4. Choice of Cheese Selection or Dessert Selection (Apple tart, lemon tart & tiramisu) – I recommend cheese selection over desserts (soft brie and blue cheese were delicious)

Review of Sunday Brunch at Sureño: Located next to Punk & Bei, B1 floor of The Opposite House, Sanlitun. 三里屯路11号三里屯Village1号楼; Tel: 6410-5240

Best Part:

Risotto

• Venue design – Sureño is stunning with its wood-fired oven and open kitchen.  The space is absolutely beautiful.
• Veal Tenderloin was excellent – well-cooked, nice presentation, and great quality & taste
• Cheese platter was a nice ending to the 4 course meal
• A great brunch for those who want to escape a big hotel all-you-can-eat brunch

Comments:

• Sureño is always full, if not packed.  But this Sunday was relatively quiet, which was a bit unexpected and the empty atmosphere took a bit away from the experience that I know Sureño normally has to offer.
• Cheese portions were a bit skimpy and call me crazy, but I do not like Sureño’s desserts (in my defense, I just don’t like tiramisu dessert, but people do rave that Sureño’s is the best in town).
• Quality and quantity of the Sureño Sunday brunch menu was satisfactory, and I love the restaurant (pizza is great), but Sureño will remain at the bottom of my list of Sunday brunch destinations because there was nothing in particular about this Sunday brunch experience that was worth returning for in comparison to other Sunday brunch venues around town.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 8
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 7
  

Cheese Platter

Dessert Platter

Let’s Get It Foodies

Ok Foodies, it’s that time of year again – CityWeekend’s Gourmet Month!

Get your gym memberships ready because for the entire month of April, you can pretty much eat out every single day of the month with 26 different venues to choose from.  With some gourmet month favorites returning from previous rounds along with a few newbies in the Beijing dining scene, this month’s line up provides quite a diverse range of restaurants to please all your foodie preferences.

For those of you who don’t know, CW holds two annual Gourmet Months (April & November) where some of Beijing’s top restaurants are selected and placed into 3 categories (RMB 99, 150, and 250) and each restaurant provides a set menu available for the entire month that is worth more than double the set menu price they offer.

It’s brilliant marketing for restaurants and for foodies, it’s amazing value and an opportunity to try many restaurants you normally would not think to try out.

With 13 of the participating 26 restaurants located in hotels, I figured a good way to divide the selection would be to separate hotel venues from stand-alone restaurants.  While there are a few hotel restaurants that are the exception, I tend to avoid most hotel venues due to lack of atmosphere (most tend to be pretty empty) or lack of value (most are overpriced and some even tack on additional service charges *ahem* Caffe Marco and Prego).

See below for a complete list of participating restaurants, broken down into two categories: Restaurants & Hotel Restaurants.

**I have highlighted my recommendations in red text with italicized comments.

For a list of all restaurant’s gourmet month menus, prices, and reservation details, click here.

List of participating Non-Hotel Restaurants (13 total):

• Casa Latina (RMB 99 for 4 course menu) – Newly Opened Authentic Mexican Restaurant in Solana
  
• Enoteca (RMB 150) for choice of wine carafe with Chef’s Tapas Platter (Cheese, Delicatessen, and Antipasti)
• Brasserie Flo (RMB 150 for 4 course menu)
• Ganges (RMB 99 for 10 dishes)
• Invito (RMB 150 for 3 course menu)
• Kagen (RMB 150 for 6 course menu) – One of my all-time favorite gourmet month restaurants: BEST VALUE (click to read last gourmet month review of Kagen)
  
• Karaiya (RMB 150 for 7 dishes)
  
• Lantung (RMB 99 for 4 course menu)
• Mosto (RMB 250 for 3 course menu) – A bit pricier, but you can always count on Mosto to deliver a beautiful meal
  
• Mughal’s (RMB 99 for 8 dishes)
• Purple Haze Bistro (RMB 99 for 4 dishes plus glass of wine) - I hear the new location is a must-see
  
• SALT (RMB 99 for 4course lunch menu or RMB 250 for 5 course dinner menu) - Also a favorite from last run’s gourmet month. I recommend going for the RMB 99 lunch menu
  
• Taj Pavilion (RMB 99 for 11 dishes)

Participating Hotel restaurants (13 total):

• Lunar 8 (Fairmont Hotel) – RMB 99 for 3 dishes (salmon, squid sashimi, unagi)
• Dragon Palace (Kempinski Hotel)  – RMB 150 for 8 dishes
• Caffe Marco (Marco Polo Parkside Hotel) RMB 99 + service charge for 4 courses and 1 drink
• Choy’s Seafood (Marriott Northeast Hotel) – RMB 150 for 10 dishes
• Tamarind (Marriott Northeast Hotel) – RMB 150 for 12 dishes – Excellent Indian cuisine
  
• Jaan (Raffles Hotel) – RMB 250 for 4 course menu plus wine pairing
• Daccapo (Regent Hotel) – RMB 250 for 4 course menu
• Crystal (Emperor Hotel) – RMB 150 for 4 course menu
• Village Cafe (Opposite House) – RMB 99 for 3 course menu- I was thrilled to find Village Cafe as a participating restaurant. Menu looks fantastic and only for RMB 99 is great value!
  
• Grange (Westin Chaoyang Hotel) – 2 menus set at RMB 250 for 3 course menu - Without Meat & Wine Co. as a participating restaurant, Grange looks like a top pick for a quality carnivorous meal
  
• Prego (Westin Financial Hotel)  – RMB 250 + 15% service charge for 4 course menu
• The Astral (Tangla Hotel) – RMB 150 for 4 course Australian menu - Menu features all Australian menu – I’m interested to try Kangaroo Loin or Crocodile Fillet (main dishes)
  
• Momo Cafe (Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Lido) – RMB 150 for 3 course menu

Bon Appetit LumDimSum Foodies!

Got BLING? Get it at Keza’s Birthday Bash Tonight!

Celebrate DJ KEZA’s ‘BLING’ Birthday Bash Tonight!

You have danced to his profound taste in music. You have partied hard wherever he plays. You have seen the French Sensation that is DJ KEZA. Now we invite you to celebrate his birthday with the superstar himself!

For this special event, Nightlabs™ & BLING welcome France’s finest duo : DJ KAYZ, hosted by the heavyweight champion MC KRYMO, coming straight from PARIS to fire up BLING’s dancefloor.
Featuring the hottest DJ’s in town for an unbeatable hip-hop and house set – including DJ NoName, Djack, Maxwell and the Twins, come and celebrate DJ Keza’s “BLING” Birthday Bash!
Don’t miss out on what will be one of the most talked about parties of the year!

Date: Saturday, March 27th

Time/时间: 10pm-late

Reservations for table bookings highly recommended. Contact LumDimSum directly.

Palette Vino

Off the beaten track, Palette Vino is hidden down the alley of a narrow hutong street. Despite its inaccessible location, Palette Vino offers a notable and extensive wine list, weekly wine events and great set menus (RMB 145 for 3 courses or 165 for four courses), which are sure to impress wine lovers and foodies alike.

I would recommend visiting Palette Vino on a Friday night to enjoy a tasting of 5 different wines + tapas for only RMB 100 from 6-8PM, followed by a 3 course set menu (starter, pasta dish, & main).  A great find for a nice bottle of wine was the Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany at only RMB 280. Desserts seem to be the only weakness of this hidden gem.

Recommendations from Palette Vino’s 4-course Set Menu:

Starter:

• Sauteed Prawns*
• Tuna Carpaccio*
  

  Swordfish Main Course

• Pan Seared Scallops

Freshly Made Pasta:

• Spinach Linguini
• Wild Mushroom Ravioli*

Main Course:

• Char-Grilled Beef Tenderloin*
• Pan-fried Salmon*
• Red Wine Braised Lamb Shank*
• Char-Grilled Lamb Chop (the meat is a bit fatty)
• Char-Grilled Tuna
• Char-Grilled Lamb Kebabs
  

  Char-Grilled Lamb Chop

• Swordfish

Dessert Selection:

• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Tiramisu
• Cheese Cake
• Baked Pear Dessert

A la Carte Steak Selection: from local beef tenderloin (RMB 120) to Japanese Teruka Beef Rib-Eye* (RMB 198) includes side dish (sauteed mushrooms, arugula salad, or grilled veggies) and sauce.

Review of Palette Vino: 5 Dongsi Shiyitiao (on the right side of the alley street), 东四十一条5号;  Tel: 6405-4855

Best Part:

• Cozy, intimate atmosphere within the Hutong courtyard space
• Fine Wines & Wine Events
• Quality set menu and variety of selection (RMB 145 for 3-course or RMB 165 for four course)
• Very friendly, knowledgable and accommodating staff & service

Comments:

• Dessert selection could be improved
• Location is not the easiest to find, so I recommend checking a map before heading there.
• If you come in a big group, Palette Vino can arrange for a special limited set menu (RMB 100 for a 3-course menu)

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 8
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 8
  

Hatsune Wins Reader’s Choice @ Time Out’s 2010 Restaurant Awards

Unlike theBeijinger & CityWeekend‘s Restaurant Awards, Time Out’s Restaurant Award Winners are decided based on 6 different panelists, with the exception of one category: The Time Out Readers’ Choice Award.

The people have spoken and Hatsune takes home Readers’ Choice Award 2010!

Congratulations to Hatsune and a big thank you to all you Sushi Samurais who love Hatsune enough to take the time to vote!  You made your voices heard!

Other Time Out Restaurant Award Categories & the Winners:

• Best new restaurant 2010: Samadhi Teahouse
• Restaurant of the Year 2010: Maison Boulud à Pékin
• Best lunch deal 2010: Mosto
• Best wine experience 2010: Maison Boulud à Pékin
• Best international 2010: Maison Boulud à Pékin
• Best Asian 2010: Bei
• Best Chinese fine dining 2010: Tiandi
• Best regional Chinese 2010: Qin Tang Fu
• Chef of the year 2010: Max Levy
• Best interior design 2010: Duck de Chine
• Best service 2010: Maison Boulud à Pékin

LumDimSum: CityWeekend’s Gourmet Guru

Interview: Kristen Lum Tells Us Why She LOVES Gourmet Month

candy&caviar Launch Premiere Party Count Down: 3 DAYS!!

candy&caviar 2010 Launch Premiere Party

Featuring FW 2010 Collection

Thursday, March 25

Showcasing candy&caviar’s Fall 2010 Collection, this event will be featuring an entirely new collection with a look into the life of candy&caviar. We will be spotlighting our signature hooded blazers, as well as presenting new undeniably bold pieces that continue to touch on looks that are confident, polished, and quintessentially candy&caviar.

Hosted by candy&caviar & d.lounge, the candy&caviar 2010 Launch Premiere Party starts at 9PM.

This premiere will also be marking the official launch of candy&caviar in Asia.

With a new showroom conveniently located in China Central Place, you can grab all the must-have picks.

Location: d.lounge
Date: Thursday, March 25
Launch Premiere Party: 9PM – late
Attire: Cocktail

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

For the month of March, it’s been non-stop birthday madness!

I swear, it seems like every day is someone’s birthday. If it’s not a birthday dinner at Hatsune, it’s birthday drinks at Apothecary/d.lounge or a proper birthday party at Bling/Xiu/Suzies….you get the idea. If anything, this month has just been more excuses to celebrate!

So naturally, for any given birthday party, you can appropriately expect to find a pretty fabulous birthday cake whether it’s homemade or courtesy of 21cake.com or Comptoires de France (I’m a big fan of their rich, chocolate fudge cake).

And a recent discovery I’ve made – Lollipop Bakery, the most delightful cupcakes in Beijing!!  After cupcakes have taken the US by storm, someone FINALLY brings proper cupcakes to China’s capital.  Having sponsored International Women’s Day, Lollipop Bakery made a big impression on everyone, especially me. Finding these beautiful, precious little desserts have been such a breath of fresh air.  I’m telling you, cupcakes are now the way to go.

Every cupcake made fresh to order, with quality, imported ingredients, they come in basic flavors – Classic Vanilla, Classic Chocolate, Red Velvet and Earl Grey. RMB 200-220 per dozen cupcakes. They can cater to your needs whether it be a giant cupcake, mini cupcakes, special flavors or specially designed frosting.

For orders,  just email Lexie, aka the “Cupcake Girl” : Cupcakes@LollipopBakery.cn or phone: 13552772683

*Note: Order 24 hours in advance, minimum order is 2 dozen cupcakes (Free delivery within 3rd Ring Road)

But out of all the birthday celebrations this month, I’ve got to give it to Cody’s birthday cake – the most glorious homemade birthday cake I’ve ever seen.  Completely original with bright colors bursting out and cookie crumbs on top, never have I seen such a unique cake, something that was created after hours of labored love.

The picture speaks for itself.

Cody's Glorious Birthday Cake

March Birthday Shout-Outs:

• Mike Chen aka Big Mike
• Cody Leung
• Matthew Van der Zwan
• Jennifer Mao-Jones
• Blake Stone-Banks
• Lee Mack
• Jamie Kung
• Omar
• Christian Liu
• Rebecca Karlstrom
• DJ Keza

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIENDS!!!! Nothing but Love, xoxo

Luga’s Pho-Shizzle

Luga’s is all over the place – he’s gone from Mexican to Thai and Vietnamese.

I was not impressed with Luga’s Villa Mexican restaurant the few times I’ve been there, but I tried Luga’s Pho-Pho for the first time this weekend and had a great experience!

After disappointing experiences at Va Va Voom on multiple occassions, I ventured out to find good pho. Who would have known Luga’s Pho-Pho had the magic recipe to fantastic pho this whole time? 

Recently moved to the main Luga’s location down the way from Tongli Studio above the main Luga’s Villa, the venue is all tiki’d out with a straw hut section in the middle of the room.  Decor was a bit lame, but this aside and more importantly, their fresh spring rolls were fantastic and so was their pho.

This is my new Pho destination in Beijing.

Review of Luga’s Pho-Pho: 3F of Luga’s Villa, Sanlitun North Street, 三里屯北里7号楼, 3层;  Tel: 6413-2786

Best Part:

• Great Pho and other Vietnamese dishes at a decent price
• Jun Trinh is Luga Pho Pho’s F&B consultant, so you can trust he’ll produce quality Vietnamese food
• Quick, friendly service

Comments:

• Place was empty when we were there, which is strange because I heard that it’s normally pretty busy
• Decor could use an upgrade to match the quality of the food

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 8
• Atmosphere: 5
• Service: 6
• Overall Experience: 7

Not Your Typical St. Patrick’s Day: Backstreet & Bling

Instead of getting smashed off Guinness beer at some Irish pub like Paddy O’Shea’s (as I assume is how most of Beijing celebrated St. Paddy’s Day), I opted to celebrate this wonderful Irish holiday with box seat tickets at the Backstreet Boys Concert and Bling’s “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” party.  

All you haters can judge me all you want, I am proud to say that I spent the majority of my pre-teen years dancing and belting along to the Backstreet Boys. So to claim that I adore them is an understatement.

Back in the day, I bought tickets to go to their concert twice when their tour came to Sacramento and it was an hour and a half of pure entertainment delight.  I think that was…9 years ago, when they were still a 5 member band (Kevin left the group in 2006), when they were still making top Billboard hits, when they came out with their Black & Blue CD…back when people still bought CDs.

When I heard that the Backstreet Boys were coming to Beijing this time around for their This is Us Concert Tour, and that I was getting hooked up with box seat tickets, I just about lost it.

It’s been 17 years since the Backstreet Boys were first formed in 1993. They made it to the top as the top selling boy band having sold 130 million records worldwide with their first seven albums reaching the top 10 Billboard chart. And still, after 17 years, after losing one of their members, after a couple of them went to rehab and with the peak years of boy bands long passed, they’re still going at it and going to their concert was me reverting back to a Nick Carter-obsessed 12 year old girl again. 

Upon reflection, I must admit that the concert itself was half-assed – there were no special effects, only one centered screen, no costume change and the boys themselves could have cared less.  I still can’t make up my mind to determine whether they were all high on drugs or if they just didn’t care. Someone accidentally said “Oh, I almost f***ed up!” during the concert and at one point during the song “Incomplete,” Brian actually got on the floor and started swimming. Freakin hilarious.

It was overall, a very unprofessional concert…but at the end of the day, who cares?  It’s the Backstreet Boys!  I didn’t go to watch a “professionally, well-executed concert.”

I went to see the Backstreet Boys live, to hear them sing all my favorite songs from I Want It That Way, All I Have to Give, Show Me The Meaning, Quit Playing Games with My Heart, More Than That, Incomplete, Shape of My Heart, As Long As You Love Me…oh, the list goes on and on!

At the end of the day, I got to see them again, squeal like a little girl, and sing along to all their songs (yes, I still know ALL their lyrics by heart).  It was nostalgic and I absolutely loved it…maybe a little too much.

*Confession: After the concert, I was on a mission to find them and figure out how I could meet them so that we could be friends. And naturally, this would finally give Nick Carter the chance to fall in love with me at first sight and return my undying love.

Not Noah’s, but We’re Getting There…

Noah's Bagels

I heard bagels, and I came a-running.

In high school, the cool thing to do was to get a bagel sandwich from Noah’s Bagels & a smoothie from Jamba Juice everyday when school got out. So more than just the taste factor, bagels hold a soft spot in my heart.

It’s strange that it’s taken bagels so long to take off in Beijing, but Moss Coffee and Bagels is definitely a start.

Moss' Bagels

They have a great weekday set lunch – only RMB 38  for a bagel sandwich (10 choices) + Soup + Latte/Cappuccino/Americano Coffee.  But I recommend trading the coffee for a Moss Shake (Banana, Soy Milk, Kinako, Honey) for an additional 2 RMB. Well worth it.

Their All-Day Breakfast Set is also a great deal:

Bacon Egg or Smoked Salmon Omelette + Bagel with Cream Cheese + Salad + Coffee or Juice = RMB 42.

For plain bagels, they have plain, whole wheat, grains & fig, cinnamon raisin, and blueberry for RMB 8-11.

Bagel Sandwich Selection:

Moss' Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwich

• Feta Cheese Sandwich (feta cheese, cream cheese, cucumber, pine nuts)  RMB 28
• Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Sandwich (smoked salmon, cream cheese, lettuce, cucumber, onion, capers) RMB 26
• Smoked Salmon Omelette Sandwich (smoked salmon, omelette, cream cheese, cucumber) RMB 26
• Shrimp Salad Sandwich (shrimp, capers, celery, lettuce, wasabi mayonnaise) RMB 28
• Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich (teriyaki chicken, lettuce, mayonnaise, Japanese shichimi chili powder) RMB 26
• Gobo Sandwich (gobo root vegetable, carrot, edamame, lettuce, sesame dressing)  RMB 20
• Tuna Salad Sandwich (tuna salad with carrot, celery and onion, lettuce) RMB 22
• Tuna Melt Sandwich (tuna salad with carrot, celery and onion and melted cheese) RMB 24
• BLT Sandwich (bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise) RMB 28
• Teriyaki Ginger Beef Sandwich (sliced teriyaki beef, onion, ginger, lettuce spring onion) RMB 28

Review of Moss Coffee & Bagels: Chaowai Soho, Building C, 0171, 朝外SOHO C 座0171; Tel: 5900 3348; Mon-Fri 7am-7.30pm, Sat-Sun 9am-7.30pm

Best Part:

• Great Value Weekday Sandwich Set (RMB 38) & All-Day Breakfast Set (RMB 42)
• They have bagel sandwiches!!
• I highly recommend the Moss Shake (banana, soy milk, kinako, honey)
• Nice, simple decor with Wifi, hot drinks and plenty of reading material

Comments:

• The bagels themselves are not spectacular, but I like their bagel sandwiches and Moss Shake.
• Despite their delivery service menu, they refused to deliver their goods 2 feet down the road. (not even to World City Apartment)

• Chaowai SOHO is confusing to navigate…or maybe I just have a exceptionally bad sense of direction.  Probably a combination of the two, but it took me a few circles around the building before I figured out where Moss is located.
• Bagels are a bit smaller than standard size, but they are still filling nevertheless and the set special is a great deal.
• Bagel sandwich did not come out very hot
• They are only open until about 7:30PM, so I recommend satisfying your bagel cravings during your lunch break.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 7

Beijinger Restaurant Awards: Hatsune Wins Best Japanese 6 Years in a Row!

At theBeijinger’s Restaurant Awards on Tuesday, March 16, Hatsune took home Best Japanese for the 6th year in a row, along with Outstanding for Best Decor.

Congratulations to Alan Wong, owner of the Hatsune Empire, for holding it strong and staying at the top of the game 6 years running.

That’s gotta be a record!!

Owner of the Hatsune Empire, Alan Wong goes up on stage with baby Mason Wong to pick up his award for Best Japanese! 6 years in a row baby!

Other big winners from the awards ceremony include:

• SALT – Winner for Best Chef & Runner up for Best Business Lunch, Best Steak, Best Service, Restaurant of the Year
• Mosto – Runner Up for Best Chef, Best Business Lunch, Best Wine List, Best for a Romantic Meal, Restaurant of the Year
• Haidilao – Winner for Best HotPot, and Runner up for Best Service, Chinese Restaurant of the Year
• Da Dong – Winner for Best Contemporary Chinese, Best Duck, Best for Impressing Visitors, Best Chinese Restaurant of the Year
• Maison Boulud - Winner for Best French, Best for a Romantic Meal, Best Wine List, Best Service,  Best Western Restaurant of the Year

Complete list of all Beijinger Dining Awards Categories and Winners, click here.

Collecting Hatsune's Award for Best Japanese

LumDimSummary of Beijinger Restaurant Awards:

Best Part:

• iF Juice was a sponsor!  The most thirst-quenching, delicious fresh juice available in Beijing! I’m kind of obsessed.
• Alan Wong brought up baby Mason to collect his award for Best Japanese (6 years in a row!)
• Cheese by Yellow Valley Cheese is delicious
• Cherry flavored Beer
• Foodie Crowd Galore…or just PR people representing restaurants

Comments:

• Hosts were painfully bad.  Dominic Johnson-Hill of Plastered 8 T-shirts could not pronounce any names if his life depended on it and Ai Wan actually said, and I quote, “Wow! This is extraordinary a woman won Best Chef! Normally chefs are men.  Now, tell me Ana, how old are you?” Someone should censor that woman.
• Joy Luck provided no food for the event and it was just a very random location for a restaurant awards ceremony.

While many of the winners are very deserving of their awards, I was a disappointed to see Annie’s won Best Italian (come on people, it’s not best delivery service), Ganges for Best Indian (they just happen to have the best locations and marketing), and Element Fresh for Best American, Best Sandwiches, and Best Non-Hotel Brunch? I only approve of their smoothies and boycott the rest.

Beijinger’s Restaurant Award Winners vs. LumDimSum’s Votes:

• Best Contemporary Chinese – Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Bei (Opposite House)
• Best Duck -Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Made in China
• Best Sichuan – Beijinger Winner: South Beauty, LumDimSum Vote: Chuan Ban
• Best Dim Sum – Beijinger Winner: Jin Ding Xuan, LumDimSum Vote: Jin Ding Xuan (Tuanjiehu)
  
• Best Hot Pot – Beijinger Winner: Haidilao, LumDimSum Vote: Haidilao
• Best Kung Pao Chicken – Beijinger Winner: South Beauty, LumDimSum Vote: Black Sesame Kitchen
• Best Xinjiang – Beijinger Winner: Red Rose, LumDimSum Vote: Crescent Moon
• Best Yunan – Beijinger Winner: Middle 8th Restaurant, LumDimSum Vote: Middle 8th Restaurant
• Best French- Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud
• Best Indian / Pakistani – Beijinger Winner: Ganges, LumDimSum Vote: Punjabi
• Best Italian -Beijinger Winner: Annie’s, LumDimSum Vote: Sadler Ristorante & Metro
  
• Best Japanese – Beijinger Winner: Hatsune, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune & Kagen Teppanyaki
• Best Mediterranean – Beijinger Winner: Sureno, LumDimSum Vote: Sureno
• Best Mexican – Beijinger Winner: Saddle Cantina, LumDimSum Vote: Pete’s Tex Mex
• Best Middle Eastern – Beijinger Winner: 1001 Nights, LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta
• Best Thai – Beijinger Winner: Purple Haze, LumDimSum Vote: Aroy-D (by Fulicheng)
• Best Vietnamese – Beijinger Winner: Muse, LumDimSum Vote: Luga’s Pho-Pho
• Best American – Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh, LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill
• Best Business Lunch – Beijinger Winner: Alameda, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune
• Family-Friendly Restaurant – Beijinger Winner: Annie’s, LumDimSum Vote: Orchard
• Impressing Visitors – Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Duck de Chine
• Best Brunch (Non-Hotel) – Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh, LumDimSum Vote: Orchard
• Best Hotel Brunch – Beijinger Winner: Westin Financial Street & Westin Chaoyang, LumDimSum Vote: Westin Chaoyang
• Best Pizza – Beijinger Winner: The Tree, LumDimSum Vote: The Tree
• Best Sandwiches – Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh, LumDimSum Vote: Sequoia Cafe
  
• Best Steak – Beijinger Winner: Meat & Wine Co., LumDimSum Vote: Meat & Wine Co.
• Best Tapas – Beijinger Winner: Olas Tapas Cafe, LumDimSum Vote: Mosaico
• Wine List – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Enoteca
• Best Burger – Beijinger Winner: Let’s Burger, LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill
• Best For a Romantic Meal – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Capital M
• Best Chef – Beijinger Winner: Ana Esteves – SALT, LumDimSum Vote: Max Levy – Bei/Apothecary
• Best Décor – Beijinger Winner: LAN, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune & Capital M
• Best Service – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud
• Restaurant of the Year (Chinese) – Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Made in China
• Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese) – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

A Plethora of Personality: Madame Zhu’s Kitchen

Located in the basement of Vantone Center, I was not quite sure what to expect.

As I entered the double door entrance, I took myself on a tour of the space before heading to my table. The immediate things that caught my eye as I walked around the space was the strong sense of personality and style.

The walls are covered with playful portraits of people goofing around with food. There is art everywhere, quirky statues randomly dispersed around the venue, tall shelves stacked with magazines fashion and art magazines, and I am a sucker for the painted white brick walls, accentuated by black frame doors.

The center of the space is a typical restaurant seating style, but there are also beautifully adorned private dining rooms all around the exterior of the space, each one unique and original. 

Visuals aside, there is also a live vocal pianist singing both English and Chinese songs, which is a nice touch to the dining experience.

Above all else, the most important and the biggest draw of Madame Zhu is her exceptional cuisine.  Every single dish that we ordered was mouth-watering goodness. A+ for food quality, taste, portion, presentation and value.

The only drawback is their very extensive menu, which is not normally a bad thing, but in this case, there are so many options and only a few photos of highlighted dishes, which left me a little overwhelmed and confused.

But as I said, every dish that came out was made to perfection and I can’t wait to go back and sample more of what they offer.

Message within Menu @ Madame Zhu's Kitchen

Review of Madame Zhu: Daily 11am-9.30pm. B1/F, Bldg D, Vantone Center, 6A Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (5907 1625) 汉舍中国菜馆, 朝阳区朝阳门外大街甲6号万通中心D座地下1层;  Tel: 5907-1625/1626

Best Part:

• Serving fine Sichuan cuisine, Madame Zhu gets an A+ for food quality, taste, portion, presentation and value
• Original and creative decor of space
• Fine choices of private room seating
• The space exudes creative style and a quirky personality

Comments:

• Menu is overwhelming and confusing to navigate, but I was pleased to find that the staff was very knowledgeable and able to recommend their most popular dishes. I was even more pleased to find that every order was made to perfection
• A shame that this gem is located in the basement of an office building, but I have no doubt that it’s only a matter of time before word about Madame Zhu’s Kitchen will spread like wildfire.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 9