The Orchard is easily one of my favorite places in Beijing.  If it weren’t so far, I swear I’d spend every Sunday there. The food is awesome (click here for previous restaurant review), I love their fresh organic salads, the home-baked bread, their banana bread is AMAZING, and the food selection is always changing with what’s fresh and what’s in season.

The trip to the Orchard is a bit tricky if you’ve never been, but trust me, it is well worth your while. A canopy of apple trees will greet you at the entrance, and once you step into the charming courtyard oasis, you will feel right at home.

And once you finish your meal, take a stroll and lounge about in their beautiful garden oasis.  Exploring the area, I felt like I was discovering the real “Secret Garden”.

The lush, green trees, the lotus filled pond, the drooping willows, the moss covered bridge, the cobbled walkways, the shaded swings, the brick walls covered in vines, orchards lined with apple and pear trees…I could go on and on.

It’s so pretty, it doesn’t even feel real.  Struggling to battle my food coma, I didn’t want to even blink because I didn’t want to take my eyes off the dreamlike scenery before me.

If you’ve never been before, I highly recommend going there for brunch and then spending the rest of your afternoon walking around or just sitting and soaking in the picturesque scenery.

The Orchard: Hegezhuang Village, Cuigezhuang Township, Shunyi – Located right behind the Beijing Riviera and Quanfa Gardens  崔各庄乡何各庄村  Tel: 139-1121-1965, 6433-6270

LumDimSum Snapshots of The Orchard’s Garden:

You not only get to try some delicious raw food recipes, you also get to learn how to make simple recipes that actually taste so good and best of all, they can easily be reproduced in the comfort of your own home!

In previous classes, Raw Food Chef Jennifer McClelland has made summer bisque, cherry tomato and basil pizza, and a chocolate mousse made out of avocados and raw cacao. This last Saturday, Jennifer treated us to Green Smoothies and Chocolate Truffles in the Raw.

A twist on the standard fruit smoothie, Jennifer introduces fresh organic leafy greens to widen your range of nutrients. The smoothie we tasted in class was a combination of bananas, mango, lemon, kale with a combination of both Chlorella and Spirulina powder.

Green snoothies will give you a cleaner intestinal tract, more mental clarity, increased energy, healthier hair, suppler skin and stronger nails!”

-Jennifer McClelland on Green Smoothies

Before & After Shot (A Whole Lot of Goodness Packed into One Bowl)

See the Master Herself at Work:

Jennifer’s Secret to Healthy Chocolate Truffles –

Raw Cacao Powder, Walnuts, Cashews, Raisins, Coconut Oil & a Blender

Note: Next Raw Food Cooking Class is Saturday, October 23: Learn to make Raw Vegan Sushi Rolls & Orange Chocolate Macaroons

To Sign Up:

• Contact: 5900-2209, www.worldhealthstore.com.cn

Outdustry & Bespoke Beijing’s monthly office parties are easily one of the major highlights of my month (each and every month).

These office parties are really one-of-a-kind. Generous and gracious hosts aside, there’s always free beer, local chuar, an eclectic mix of music, art, film industry cats and unlike your typical office, Outdustry/Bespoke’s office is set in a beautiful hutong courtyard just south of Guijie.

On top of the usual good people, good beer and good music, we couldn’t resist the urge to indulge in some sumo fun. Inspired by the Hatsune 9 Year Anniversary Party, it was only natural that we get the sumo suits too, the perfect addition to our monthly office party.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Outdustry & Bespoke Gone Sumo:

My Favorite Photo of the Night.

Scratch that.

Favorite Photo EVER

To make way for another KTV chain, the hottest underground after-hours club, Lantern closed with a bang this weekend.

Packed both nights with massive crowds of people lining out the doors, Beijing joined together in their love for underground electro to say their last goodbye.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Lantern’s Closing Weekend:

Developed to promote awareness towards breast cancer, motherhood, education and culture, this pageant will be hosted at The 21st Century Hotel (next to Lucky Street) at 7PM.

Proceeds will be donated to the breast cancer patients of Tiangtai hospital.

“This beauty pageant is an artistic celebration of natural beauty, and a showcase of culture and heritage which seeks to promote and combine physical and inner beauty together with culture pride. Miss Laowai China aims at creating role models and champions in beauty, purity and culture for many outstanding young foreign women who seek personal development through small help groups and outreach programs.”

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, September 11
• Time: 7PM + After Party at Nashville Bar
• Location: 21st Century Hotel
• Address: 40 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. Tel: 64683311
• Ticket: RMB 150 per person or RMB 300 for VIP ticket (includes entrance to after party at Nashville for free flow beer)
• ***RSVP to Moya by Sept. 9: RMB 100 per person or RMB 200 for VIP ticket (e-mail the following info: name, company, tel, e-mail)
• RSVP Contact: Moya Li 13810965294 and e-mail: moya.lizeng@gmail.com

All 35 participants will be judged in the following categories:

1. Chinese Talent – Participant will perform by herself and can sing, dance, play instrument, etc (for maximum of 4 minutes

2. Personality & National Outfit – Personality-participants introduces herself and includes all information from “Education and Accomplishments” (within 2 minutes)

3. Country of Origin Talent – Participants will showcase their own country’s culture in dance, sing, poem etc

4. Evening Gown- Participants walks in style long gown (Dress)

5. Question & Answer – Participants answer randomly selected question within 2 minute

6. Posture, Composure, Presentation (eye contact, smile etc)

Background of MISS LAOWAI CHINA

Miss Laowai China Pageant is a cultural exchange platform organized at this magnitude to encompass the interest of both Chinese and Foreigners in China. While it calls for participation of female foreigners in China, its main aim is to promote friendship and understanding of the way of life in China through the eyes of foreign beauty and revealed in talent about Things Chinese. This platform allows the women to show how savoir-faire they are in China life. In their daily life they are goal-oriented and aware of the importance of Chinese culture on the global scale. Therefore, delegates who become part of the Miss Laowai China Organization will display the characteristics and aspirations from their everyday lives. Miss Laowai China is therefore a conduit through which they will compete with hope of advancing their careers, personal and humanitarian goals, and also release their kindred spirit to improve the lives of others.

The crowned Miss Laowai China is an ambassador of diversity and a positive role model. She helps extend peoples knowledge of her country, and she bridges China and Foreign culture. Miss Laowai is the dual intent single foreign voice representing foreign cultural interest in China and local culture to the foreigners. The winner of Miss Laowai China Pageant will dedicate a full year as an International Spokesperson, Advocacy for Inspiring a Renewed Interest her country, and creating awareness on Social, Cultural, Health and Wealth.

Featuring a live jazz band, Children’s Choir and auction, all proceeds from the evening will benefit IFC – “helping us to spread the magic of music in China through our outreach and education programs as well as through our performances.”

Tickets have almost sold out for this exclusive event, and a few places are now left with individual tickets available at RMB888 each. Tickets are also available in tables of 12 for RMB10 000 per table. Ticket includes cocktails and canapes, three course dinner and matching wines, and fabulous entertainment from IFC performers.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, September 11

Time: 16:00-20:00

Location: Capital M

Tickets: RMB 888 or table of 12 for RMB 10,000


Contact: All ticket enquiries may be directed to tickets@beijingifc.org or call 1521 039 3940.

Meet and greet the renowned Jane Goodall as she hosts an evening celebrating environmental conservation and wildlife protection.

Hosted in 1725 Courtyard, enjoy a meal prepared from fresh produce grown in their organic farm, this special event in a gorgeous historical setting marks the 50 anniversary of Dr. Goodall’s groundbreaking research on chimpanzees at Gombe National Park in Tanzania.

Event Details:

• Date: Friday, September 17th
• Time: 5:30-9:30PM
• Location: 1725 Courtyard
• Address: No.6 The West of Shuangqiao Street
• Transport: JGI just will be providing a FREE shuttle bus service on September 17th for attendees, departing from Kempinski Hotel and Kerry Centre at 5:00 PM with return to these locations at 9:30 PM. You may sign up for the free shuttle bus service at the time of purchase of your tickets.
• Ticket Prices: Adults RMB 700; Children 12 and under RMB 350
• Website: http://www.jgichina.org/en/info_detail.asp?id=2384
• Tel: 010-8536-1188

Jane Goodall will also be speaking at Beijing Foreign Studies University on Saturday, September 18.

In her lecture, Gombe and Beyond: The Next 50 Years, Dr. Goodall will reflect—both personally and professionally—on the meaning of the past five decades, the extraordinary changes the world has seen since 1960, and the impact these changes have had on people, animals and the environment we all share. In addition, she will discuss the role we must all play over the next 50 years to ensure a better future for generations to come.

2010 Dr. Jane Goodall’s “Hope for Animals and Their World” Public Lecture and Gombe 50 Celebration

• Date: Saturday, September 18th, 2010
• Time: 14:00-16:30
• Location: Beijing Foreign Studies University
• Ticket Price: 30RMB
• Website: http://www.greeningthebeige.org/gtb/node/637

Background:

The year 2010 marks a monumental milestone for the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and its founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE. Fifty years ago, Goodall, who is today a world-renowned primatologist, conservationist and UN Messenger of Peace, first set foot on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in what is now Tanzania’s Gombe National Park. The chimpanzee behavioral research she pioneered there has produced a wealth of scientific discovery, and her vision has expanded into a global mission to empower people to make a difference for all living things.

If you’re a regular follower of LumDimSum, then you probably know that I’m normally ALL about the food. Restaurant reviews are usually dominated by food shots, but upon visiting Red Capital Club for the first time, the beautiful, traditional courtyard space and the authentic, historical furniture and decor can not be ignored.

“It’s easy to feel nostalgic at Beijing’s Red Capital Club. Communist manifestos cram shelves, photos of the Chairman and Politburo pals packs walls, and the seating is in stuffed chairs from Marshal Lin Biao’s office.” – FORTUNE

LumDimSum Snapshots of Red Capital Club’s Design & Decor:

After enjoying a pre-dinner drink in the bar & lounge area of the restaurant, we were ready for our 2-person set dinner menu.

For starters we were served a cold tofu appetizer dish presented in the shape of a heart followed by a bowl of Hot & Sour soup. Next came the “Behind the Silken Fan” Asparagus dish, “Gong Bao” Shrimp, and “The Great Khan’s Choice” Mongolian Lamb Spiced with Sesame dish. As you can see with the photos below, each dish was served with meticulously well-thought-out presentation.  Highlights of the meal was the Gong Bao shrimp and Hot & Sour soup. Overall though, each of the dishes’ main draw was still the aesthetic over taste.

Review of Red Capital Club: 66 Dongsijiutiao, 东四九条66号 , Tel: 6402-7150

Best Part:

• The traditional Chinese courtyard ambiance and historical artifacts decorating the restaurant lounge and bar space.
• Each dish is uniquely and beautifully presented.
• The Gong Bao Shrimp was the highlighted dish of the meal.
• A perfect venue to bring out-of-town guests.

Comments:

• The two of us ordered the set dinner menu for two so we did not try much of a variety or order off the regular menu, but my overall impression of the food is that it is very mediocre and temperature is not as hot as it should be (my guess is that they take so long to work on presentation of the dish, that takes priority over its temperature).
• Overall, the main draw and attraction to Red Capital Club is definitely its decor.
• Advanced reservations are generally required.
• Expect to see a lot of out of town guests and tourists.

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

• Food: 6
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 7
  

As awesome as the Tuanjiehu Pool is with its fake beach and giant wave machine, it really does not offer me much other than visual amusement and a very mesmerizing picture of local Chinese culture (a very, very different scene than I would see at an outdoor pool party filled with Westerners ie the Riviera Pool Party).

In seeking out a nice outdoor pool, I much prefer to avoid the crowds and proper lanes so that I can actually swim laps. As you can see from the photo attached, Chaoyang Park now offers multiple pools including a massive Olympic sized pool with swimming lanes!

Although the open space pool is pretty packed in with people flapping around, the Olympic sized pool just behind was surprisingly relatively empty. Even more surprising, not only were the swimmers in this pool relatively serious, the poolside tanners were hardcore about their sun exposure. Men in tiny speedos were spread out like I’ve never seen.

Only RMB 18 to enter with lounge chairs available to rent (an additional RMB 15), the pools at Chaoyang Park gives Beijingers a much needed, easily accessible outdoor pool for some fun in the sun.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Chaoyang Park’s Pools:

Note: Most of these photos were taken at sunset (close to closing time), hence the lack of flappers in the water.

Witness the Official Opening of DreamWorlds, an exhibition of Australian moving image in public space on Saturday, September 4th at 6:30PM in Sanlitun Village. RSVP required (details below).

“Dream Worlds” is a public exhibition of eight leading Australian video artists. The exhibition celebrates the diversity of Australian art. “Dream Worlds” is part of the 2010
 Australia China Cultural Year

 exhibition curated
 by
 former director of the Australian Network for Art and Technology Melinda Rackham.

Event Details: DreamWorlds: Australian Moving Image 2010

• Date: 4 September 2010
• Time: 6.30-9.00pm
• Location: Sanlitun Village, Floor 4, Building 8, Courtyard 19, Sanlitun Road. (Access next to Element Fresh. Call 1581 1173 284 for directions.)
• RSVP: rsvp@dreamworlds.com.au
• Info: www.dreamworlds.com.au
• Curator: Melinda Rackham

Hosted by 组织者 The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu & Slow Food Beijing, visitors can take this opportunity to get outside of Beijing and enjoy walking, biking and hiking around the Schoolhouse’s four villages – Mutianyu, Beigou, Xinying and Tianxianyu. It’s also a great chance to check out local restaurants’ special dishes, local villagers’ locally grown foods, along with culinary demonstrations.

For more information, please visit: http://www.slowfoodsaturday.org

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, September 4
• Time: 10:30am-onwards
• Location: Mutianyu, Beigou, Xinying and Tianxianyu Villages
• Transport: We encourage guests to come up by bus. Our leaving point will be the Trek Store just south of Chaoyang Park. Buses will be leaving at 09:00 sharp! Click here for map location and directions. Round-Trip bus tickets to and from Mutianyu cost RMB 80. To reserve your seat please email: bus@slowfoodsaturday.org When you reserve please leave your name, phone number and number of people.
• Contact Tel: 13810521254

*Thank you to Greening the Beige for sharing this event with LumDimSum.

If you have not already heard about Flamme, the new steakhouse in Sanlitun Village, then I have no doubt you will soon.  Especially in Beijing, I find that good (and bad) word travels like wildfire. In this particular case, it’s been all good feedback and I must say, it’s lived up to its positive reputation.

Having just opened this week, Flamme has replaced the old Pepe’s Pizza location on the third floor of Sanlitun Village with the same chef who opened Element Fresh.  As a meat lover, I have been eager to find a new steakhouse and with luck in my favor, I happened to stop in on a Tuesday night, the only night of the week they offer 2-for-1 steaks! Already a reasonable price – RMB 98 for a 150g steak, 2 steaks at this price was a steal.

Greeted by a friendly hostess, we found seating outside and were then given a tour of the interior restaurant space.  Displaying a show kitchen by the entrance, customers can actually witness their steaks being grilled over an impressive giant flame (photo above).  Unfortunately the upstairs space was occupied, so I was unable to take a look (or any photos for that matter).

Interior space:

Outdoor Seating:

Once we all had a look through the menu, our adorable waiter came over and offered his well-versed menu recommendations, explaining each of his favorite dishes, their ingredients and service presentation.  Very impressive for a newly opened restaurant!

Here were the List of Menu Recommendations:

• Appetizers: Seared-Crusted Ahi Tuna (RMB 48) & Steak Sliders (RMB 48)
• Soup: Summer Vegetable Minestrone (RMB 28)
• Salads: Steak Salad (RMB 55) & other salads are served tableside
• Flamme House Steak 150g or 260g (RMB 98/138)
• T-bone steak for 2 – 540g (RMB 398)
• Rosemary Lemon Chicken (RMB 68)
• Sides (all RMB 18): Cloud Potatoes with Crème Fraîche, Grilled Asparagus, Baby carrots, North African style cucumber, Barley Pilaf, Sticky Rice Cake

Upon ordering, we were served Yorkshire Pudding as their house complimentary bread which I found quite unusual for a steak house’s choice bread.  Tasty as it was, it was quite sweet and more of a dessert than a appetizer.

For starters, we shared an order of Steak Sliders (RMB 48): ground steak, grilled onions, tomato relish which were tasty, but very crumbly. We then ordered the 2-for-1 house steaks special which came with a side salad and a choice of the following sauces: Habanero Hollandaise, Korean BBQ sauce, Wild Mushroom Sauce, Red Eye Gravy and Demi Glace (I recommend the thick, creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce).  To compliment our steaks, we also inclined to order the Cloud Potatoes with Crème Fraîche (RMB 18). Thick and creamy, the mashed potatoes were delicious and not too heavy. And for dessert, we ordered two orders of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake (RMB 32): Manjari Chocolate (Valrhona) & Madagascar beans with white chocolate and peanut butter molten center with vanilla ice cream on the side – how amazing does that sound??  While it was gooey and rich, the dark chocolate cake was a bit bitter for my taste and I wished the teeny, tiny scoop of ice cream was a bit more.  Overall, I highly recommend the salads, steaks and the wine list is also very reasonably priced.

Review of Flamme: S4-33, Sanlitun Village, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village3楼S4室, Tel: 6417-8608

Best Part:

• Every Tuesday, House Steak is 2-for-1!
• Menu & Drink Prices are all incredibly good value
• Staff are not only exceptionally friendly, they are also very knowledgeable of the restaurant menu and trained to recite well-versed recommendations along with dish ingredients and means of preparation.
• By the same chef who opened Element Fresh, you can count on quality ingredients and taste.
• They have Philippe Starck lights.

Comments:

• I definitely had luck on my side to pop in on a Tuesday for their 2-for-1 steak special, and even though this is by far their best weekday special, Flamme offers different drink/food specials every night of the week (Mon-Friday).
• The weather was perfect to dine outside, but the interior was also quite nice and the show kitchen is a nice touch.
• We ordered a carafe of their house wine, but I hear their cocktails are also worth trying.

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

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

A raw foods chef and expert, Jennifer will be sharing her secret to making Chocolate Truffles in the Raw – meaning they will be vegetarian friendly, lactose and gluten free.

The secret ingredient to healthy chocolate is to just consume it in its purest form: raw cacao aka raw chocolate. (available for purchase at the World Health Store)

Did you know raw cacao is one of the highest sources of Vitamin C (and antioxidants, iron and magnesium)?  But that the heating process destroys much of the nutrients and all of the Vitamin C and enzymes in chocolate?  This class we will learn how to have our cake and eat it too!

- Jennifer McClelland on raw cacao.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, September 4
• Time: 2:00PM-3:30PM
• Location: World Health Store in CBD (Shangdu Soho)
• Price: Regular RMB 150; Walk-in RMB 180
• Contact: 5900-2209, www.worldhealthstore.com.cn

See the menu selection here:

For a full review of TERRA, click here.

A featured guest of Kocoon Spa Lounge, Holistic Practitionner and Founder of Shanghai-based holistic center In-Touch,

RSVP: kocooninfo@kocoonspalounge.com

From September 1st-19th, 2010, you can also sign up for private sessions and the following workshops:

• Private Session: Energy therapy, Tarot cards reading, pendulum consultation
• Tarot Cards Workshop
• Pendulum Workshop
• Spiritual Development Workshop
• Meditation Class to train your 6th Sense