Wan菀: Wudaoying’s Secret Garden

Welcome to Wan: Wudaoying’s Secret Garden

Wudaoying Hutong, we are all praying for you. Praying that you do not morph into another monstrosity, the likes of which Nanluoguxiang (NLGX) has become. For now, there is much to recommend this street and Wan is a welcome addition.

Wan is a Vietnamese restaurant located opposite VA bar on the East end of the street, next to the Yonghegong Subway. From the outside, it seems like a tiny space with only 3 tables, but inside is actually deceptively big, much like Mary Poppins’ bag. There is space enough for at least 60 people and it is a very lovely surprise of a space.

With a large open glass ceiling, it is beautifully lit by natural light during the day. There is plenty of foliage – so you can feel like you’re sitting in your very own garden courtyard, and a few private corners for if you want a quieter conversation.

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The Orchid’s Private Residences: Savvy Staycation

Introducing The Orchid’s New Private Residences

My choice recommendation for out of town guests is always The Orchid.

A boutique hotel nestled in the hutongs by Gulou, the Orchid represents everything that I love about Beijing’s hutongs. A peaceful, zen-inducing traditional Chinese courtyard surrounded by green trees and a second floor dining room with a rooftop terrace that’s one of the most gorgeous that this city has to offer.

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To Boldly Go: Beyond Yakitori

Before I begin this review, note that everything that was seen and eaten was a preview version of the restaurant and may not be entirely representative of the final product, but based on the strength of our first tasting, I strongly urge all foodies to make Beyond Yakitori a priority visit once it soft-opens on July 2nd (they plan to officially open mid-July).

Located in the Topwin Centre (same building as the Mercedes Me project), Beyond Yakitori is on the 3rd floor alongside a bunch of other restaurants who also seem to be just opened or in the process of opening very soon. It specialises, as you might have guessed, in Yakitori; aka Japanese chuanr.

LDS Snapshots of Beyond Yakitori:

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Mercedes Me’s Sifang Sanchuan: Taste the Cradle of Chinese Civilization

Back in the day, Sanlitun was an upstart neighbourhood with a grotty street that became known as Bar Street and very little else to recommend it. The area has been transformed since then and the latest development is the Topwin centre, which also houses the new Intercontinental Hotel set to open later this year.

If you’ve walked past it, you can’t help but notice there is a big Mercedes presence and it isn’t to sell cars. Mercedes have decided to try and branch out over recent years and begun opening Mercedes Me around the world. This one in Beijing is currently the biggest, with a shop, cafe, bar and a restaurant. So, recently your intrepid blogger went to find out why on earth a car manufacturer has entered the restaurant business.

“The world’s largest Mercedes me venue at 2,800 m2, the venue is home to the meCafe, a Southeast Asian Café; a juice bar by meCafe; the Lighthouse, a cosmopolitan watering hole; SiFang SanChuan, a modern Chinese restaurant; a gallery space, and retail component. Designed by HG Merz, the venue is a project created by operated by Cakeshop Originals.

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Moon Lamb 蒙三羊: Succulent Roast Lamb Ribs

Succulent Roast Lamb Neighborhood Joint

Once of the biggest perks of the summer – eating al fresco in the evenings! While there are some gorgeous terraces where you can dine surrounded by trees, green shrubbery and views of hutong rooftops, one of my favorite casual nights out is just digging into a ton of chuar on the side of a hutong street (normally just sitting at a small table with plastic stools) outside a local Chinese restaurant. This is one of the “must have” China experiences during these summer months so if you haven’t done it already, add it to the top of your To-Do List. And if you break it down, it’s basically the local version of the summer BBQ experiences we have in summer!

A very popular place I like to frequent for this sort of dining experience is Beixinqiao San Tiao 北新桥三条 (a hutong that runs parallel just north of Ghost Street 簋街) where you can eat your way through an entire leg of lamb. Designed for adventurous eaters with a big appetite when it comes to consuming a whole lot of protein in one sitting, this lamb leg experience might not be for everyone especially since this requires quite a lot of hands-on work where eaters to do a lot of the slicing themselves.

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The Bookworm Steps Up their Food Game

The Bookworm is one of the stalwarts of Beijing because of it’s ability to consistently provide a great space to work during the day and host a wide range of popular public events from storytelling, live music, comedy shows and of course their annual literary festival. So much more than just a bookshop or a library, the Bookworm serves as a welcome community space that lends itself as a creative platform and after over 10 years, it still stands strong as one of Beijing’s most beloved places to hang out, read a book and believe it or not, this is also a hot spot for people to meet and mingle. What’s more romantic than being surrounded by thousands of books and that soft red hue from their signature hanging lanterns?

While their menu was already pretty standard with a range of straight-forward basic salads, soups, pasta and sandwiches designed to satisfy your cravings while you’re working away. I was pretty stoked when the Hatchery team hosted a winter pop-up at The Bookworm serving their newly launched Soul Bowls menu and now The Bookworm has taken their own initiative to step up their own food game.  There are new kids on the block popping up to challenge it as a cafe everyday, but the Bookworm has undergone a food renaissance and is pushing back.

“The Bookworm continues to attract gastronomes and casual diners alike. Our no-nonsense menu is tasty and wholesome, freshly prepared to your liking by our team of expert chefs. Reading is thirsty work and we don’t want you getting parched among the parchments. The Bookworm bar staff are on hand to proffer your desired elixir as you continue turning the pages.” - The Bookworm

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The Hutong’s Summer Fayre: Fruit Punch & Rooftop Fun

The Hutong’s Gorgeous Rooftop will host their annual Summer Fayre this Saturday, June 11!

The hutongs in Beijing are best viewed in summer when the trees are lush and green and everyone is out and about proudly sporting their Beijing “bikini” (and by everyone, I mean men with their white tanks knotted up and their beer bellies out for all to admire). Oh, the summer months in Beijing are a glorious time of year and somehow always feel far too short so you’ve got to savor them while you can!

The Hutong has got the right idea with their awesome annual Summer Fayre. While everyone knows that The Hutong’s Christmas fayre is the jolliest of them all with their abundant pots of spiced mulled wine and effervescent holiday cheer all around, their gorgeous rooftop has never looked better than at their summer fayre packed with plenty of artisan food items and plenty of sunshine.

“Here comes the sun! Drop by our Hutong to get together, meet old friends and make new ones, and munch and sip in our cozy courtyard. To celebrate all things summer, we will be serving attendees a free glass of our secret-recipe Hutong Summer Fruit Punch. Make a toast with your ice-cold glass, taste gourmet goodies from Beijing culinary artisans and restaurateurs, savor some of the capital’s best local brews, and try out some summertime jewelry and apparel.” - The Hutong

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RAW by Mosto: A Peruvian Pop-Up Dream

RAW by Mosto: A Peruvian Pop-Up!

Ever since the dream pop-up dinner once upon a time called Nikkei (a collab dinner between Mosto & Hatsune), I’ve never let go of that vibrant and colorful tiradito bursting with flavors, a dish that’s a mix between Japanese sashimi and Peruvian ceviche which has come to define a signature style of Peruvian cuisine combining raw produce with fresh Peruvian produce.

Hatsune’s Alan Wong working side-by-side on this incredible Tiradito dish with Chef Daniel Urdaneta of Mosto/Modo/Moka Bros Fame

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