Xiao Jiao Private Kitchen No. 10: Don’t Believe the Hype

The talk of the town seems to be all about this new, hidden hutong gem named Xiao Jiao Private Kitchen No. 10. I’ve been told by multiple sources that this is the new “it” place. A nightmare to find, but worth the effort (or so I have been led to believe).

In a time of Beijing’s “great brickening”, perhaps this is a glimmer of hope that the soul of Beijing’s beloved hutongs is not dead and gone. This new restaurant opening shows that there are still creative entrepreneurs who are trying to keep the hipster hutong vibes alive. We don’t buy the gentrified baloney we see on Nanluoguxiang, we miss the good old days where authenticity and passion were the foundations behind each little cafe, restaurant, or bar. Our hutong neighborhoods that we hold dear to our hearts are being gutted and we are helpless to stop it.

So that brings us to Xiao Jiao Private Kitchen No. 10 (XJPK). To say that I was ecstatic when told about a new opening in the hutongs is an understatement. I literally dropped all my plans to book 2 seats on Wednesday evening and gave myself plenty of time to get lost (because I knew that I would and I recommend that you do the same). Xiao Jiao is a tiny, narrow little hutong that you could very easily miss if you aren’t paying attention. It’s not far from Meishuguan 美术馆 Art Museum and in a similar neighborhood to Little Yunnan and Susu. The trickiest thing about finding the right door to knock on is that there is literally no signage, so I accidentally knocked on the wrong door and met a grumbling neighbor who knew what door I was trying to find (I guess I’m not the first to make this mistake) and pointed me to the correct door.

I wasn’t sure about what to expect, but I knew that there is very limited seating each night (only a grand total of 6 seats), there is no menu, and that there is one lady running the show (the owner, chef and also the server).

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Enter Cookie Heaven: 5th Annual Cookie Monster Bake-Off

There’s No Such Thing as Too Many Cookies

You no longer need to dream about Cookie Heaven because this is it. This is the real deal. Our Cookie Monster Bake-Off will be featuring cookies galore and we couldn’t be more excited!

An annual event co-hosted by The Hutong and yours truly, this is the event that gets me as giddy as Christmas does each and every year. Hands down the most delicious event of the year, this one was designed for insatiable cookie addicts who have a bottomless pit for homemade, stuff-your-face-silly cookies, we’re about to make your cookie dreams come true this Sunday, March 25th from 2PM-5PM.

Our Cookie Monster Bake-Off will feature 16 different types of creative cookies, each one made from scratch by 15 brilliant bakers based in Beijing. There will be more than your fair share of cookies to munch your way through, it really doesn’t get much better than this!

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Sake & Skewers: The Evolution of Beyond Yakitori

One of the frequent misconceptions people have about restaurants is that their identity and offerings rarely change – like your reliable neighborhood spot that’s been serving the exact same dishes for as long as you’ve been going there. But times are changing and if you look at restaurants (especially in Beijing), this couldn’t be farther from reality. From my experience in Beijing over the past decade, restaurants are constantly adapting to the market, trying to keep up with this crazy fast-paced F&B scene and the even faster changing technological developments (win for WeChat!). In order for restaurants to stay “fresh” and stay on people’s radar restaurants are hustling. Whether restaurants are updating their menus regularly or renovating their interior, these efforts are no small feat.

Beyond Yakitori is a classic example of a restaurant that has continued to change and evolve since it first opened 2016. I was first introduced to Beyond Yakitori shortly before they officially opened to the public, and even in the very beginning, it showed a lot of promise. A few of their stand-out dishes, notably their signature Beyond Scotch Egg alongside their range of succulent chicken skewers from the thigh, wing, neck, and Tsukune Meatball were exceptional and left a lasting impression. But that first impression is not the whole story.

“For us, yakitori perfection isn’t about flying in a pair of 200kg grills on first-class tickets from Tokyo, nor is it about sourcing the most expensive Binchotan charcoal to grill with. It’s about putting all our effort and dedication into every single mouthful we make. One perfect skewer at a time. From our coals to you, with love.” – Beyond Yakitori 

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2018 Cookie Monster Bake-Off: Seeking Beijing Bakers!

Have a Talent for Baking? We Want YOU!

Fuzzy and blue, our official spokesmonster for Beijing’s most delicious charity event of the year is the one and only Cookie Monster!  With a voracious appetite and a serious addiction to cookies, Cookie Monster is on the prowl to find Beijing’s best bakers.

Whether you love watching The Great British Bake-Off or have dreamed of opening your very own bakery or have a knack for baking, you just might have what it takes to win Cookie Monster’s heart (through his stomach) along with the rest of Beijing’s real Cookie Monsters.

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Delight in Daylesford: Organic Farmshop & Cafés in London

Back to London for our final UK installment introducing Daylesford Organic Cafe.

Before diving straight into our experience in their Farm Store and Café in London, I’d like to begin with a bit of background story for how I came to know Daylesford first.

Daylesford is a farm in the Cotswolds that has pushed organic farming and very cleverly expanded into several lateral industries. I was initially recommended Daylesford for their cozy cottages as “a proper taste of pretty English villages in the Cotswolds”. I was told, “Everything is so well done there from food to rooms and they have a gorgeous spa too!” I had tried booking a few nights in one of their 5 cottages as a post-wedding retreat – a “mini-moon” if you will, but it turns out Daylesford is already a popular winter get-away as all their cottages were fully booked more than 3 months in advance!

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Peel’s Restaurant: Majestic Manor with a Michelin Star

In the Forests of Arden, lies the magnificent Hampton Manor

Next up in the UK Foodie’s Restaurant Tour is the Michelin-starred Peel’s Restaurant. Located in Hampton Manor, in Hampton-in-Arden, this restaurant is probably one of the most beautiful settings you can imagine. (Full Disclosure: Hampton Manor was my wedding venue!)

About a 5-10 minute drive from Birmingham international airport, this is a beautifully restored manor house. The gardens, the house itself, everything feels like Downton Abbey (which also happens to be my favorite show)! The current owners took over operations a few years ago and have worked wonders with their renovations. A family story that began in a 400 year old pub, three generations of the Hill family have been shaping this estate’s future since 1986.

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Dinner by Heston Blumenthal: Brilliant Historic British Gastronomy

Next up on my UK Restaurant Hit List is Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

Heston is the legend behind The Fat Duck, which was crowned the #1 restaurant in the world in 2005. Dinner by Heston is part of his growing empire and is based in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge, just down the road from the famous Harrods luxury department store.

The concept behind Dinner is one that Heston came up with because of the notorious reputation of English cuisine. He decided that it was an undue reputation and went back into old English recipe books set to prove that British gastronomy could compete with the best of them.

Opened in 2011, Dinner gained its first Michelin star within a year, with the second star in 2014. The restaurant is now headed by the former head chef of The Fat Duck, Ashley Palmer-Watts. Heston was the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

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St. John Restaurant (London, UK): Nose to Tail Eating

Specializing in Nose to Tail Eating with a Devotion to Offal

Over the holidays, I made my way to the UK and while I know LDS is mainly focused on Beijing, I wanted to highlight a couple of restaurants I went to that I think are worth going to if you find yourself in London.

Number 1 on my list for London is St. John Restaurant & Bar. 

Opened in 1994 on St John Street in Smithfield, London by Fergus Henderson, this down-to-earth English restaurant gets credit for bringing back the popularity of offal dishes, making this gem one of the most important British restaurants of its generation. This is one to remember if you ever hear a Chinese colleague tell you that Westerners don’t eat organ meat/other weird bits of animals because the whole ethic behind St. John is nose to tail dining!

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