Savor Every Second of Summer with Capital M

Hallelujah for M’s Sensational Summer Menu!

It’s green, it’s light and best of all, even its ingredients are seasonal.

Enjoy a refreshing, new menu from the Marvelous, Magnificent Capital M. (click link here for previous dining experience/review of Capital M).

From their entirely renovated menu, I recommend the fresh Green Risotto with lots of summer greens (RMB 98), Gazpacho in two styles (RMB 78), Truffle-Scented White Asparagus (RMB 112) or the Light Scallop Broth flavored with ginger, lime and chilli (RMB 92).

The delightful menu even showcases some hard to find ingredients like white asparagus, a rare delicacy.

For your summer indulgence, I recommend the delectable and flavorful Vegetarian Platter of Lebanese Meze (RMB 112) & the colorful Walnut and Gorgonzola Crostini topped with warm figs and a salad of summer leaves (RMB 88) – pictured above.  The Meze pictured here includes a colorful assortment of fresh hummus, tzatziki, sun-dried tomato spread, soft pita, falafel, dolmathakia (rice-stuffed grape leaves), and fresh veggies.

Next, we couldn’t decide amongst the mains and ended up with three to share between two.

My first pick: Zarzuela – a Rich Catalan Seafood Stew of fishes, mussels, clams, scallops, prawns, and squid (RMB 268). And the dish did not skimp.  The portions were more than generous, the seafood was incredibly fresh, and the spices and flavor of the stew was on-point.

Sophia’s pick: Char-grilled Fillet of Beef with Roasted Bone Marrow, Yunan’s best Chanterelles & char-grilled artichokes (RMB 268).  The fillet’s thick juicy-goodness was perfectly grilled, the sides were a great complement to the fillet and the bone-marrow was a unique touch.

And to share, we ordered – M’s La Salade de Tante Annabelle – a warm salad of sauteed chicken livers, confit’d duck gizzards, soft quail eggs, salade frisee, lardons & crunchy croutons (RMB 188).  This is a great option for those who want a lighter, healthy dish, but who still appreciate savory meat and bacon flavor.

At first you may have guessed that it was just greedy for us to order so much, but then we realized the mistake was not in over-ordering, but in over-eating.

And as stuffed as we were, we could not deny M’s Truly Grand Dessert Platter (RMB 108 per person) – a 2-tier tower of sweets including a freshly-baked mini apricot souffle, a Mango pastry, tangy lemon tart, assortment of ice creams, Mille Feville, Croccanta Cioccolata, Summer Trifle, and topped with M’s legendary Pavlova.  While the assortment of mini tarts and crepes and cakes were delicious, the pavlova really takes the cake – it’s incredible how the combination of meringue, cream, passionfruit puree and fresh fruit just melts in your mouth and truly is the best pavlova I’ve ever tried.

And when I thought that the dessert platter couldn’t impress me more, I tried it paired with a glass of 2008 Coteaux de Layon dessert wine (RMB 75/glass, 195/carafe, 435/bottle).  Perfect to drink either alone after your meal or paired with dessert. It is not too sweet or too strong, just right.  It was the perfect ending to the perfect meal.

Once again, two thumbs up!

Review of Capital M: 3/F, No.2 Qianmen Pedestrian Street (just south of Tian’anmen Square)  前门步行街2号3层 邮编 100051, Tel: 6702-2727

Best Part:

• Expect Excellence – this restaurant continues to raise the standards of dining in Beijing and exceeds my expectations every time.
• It’s rare to find a restaurant whose service and customer satisfaction meet the restaurant’s impeccable design and location.
• It’s the perfect restaurant for a special occassion – whether you want to impress a date or celebrate a birthday or anniversary, Capital M is easily a top pick for a swanky celebration.
• A great restaurant to impress groups of out-of-town visitors, or tourists checking out the Tian An Men Area.
• M’s famous Pavlova really earns its reputation as the best Pavlova to ever come out of Australia and possibly in Australia as well.
• The dishes are innovative and it’s wonderful to see them switch it up between seasons.
• Restaurant manager, Fabian Ernst is not only professional, but also a gracious host.
• They have a great brunch deal/afternoon tea available on weekends/Sundays.

Comments:

• While you can get away with casual in most Beijing establishments (except for those who impose dress codes *ahem* Suzie Wongs), you will not want to be caught in Capital M with flip flops or shorts.
• This may not be an “every day” kind of restaurant (mostly because of the high price range), but it continues to be fully booked, which is impressive considering the large dining space – which includes multiple rooms, plus a massive outdoor terrace.
• While everything from the decor to service to location screams high-end, be warnedthe portions are still massive (not teeny-tiny like most fancy shmancy restaurants).
• While the service is exceptional, I still gotta give the best service to Maison Boulud. But Capital M is not far behind.

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

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 10
• Service: 9
• Overall Experience: 9