BJ FOoDiEs: Indulge in La Villa’s 10-Dish Italian Dinner Party

Having generated a lot of interest, my previous review of La Villa Trattoria features a new restaurant gem. Having sung their praises as the new Italian kid on the block that brought me to a wonderful place called carb heaven, this little spot just happens to have some of the best pasta and pizza this city has to offer.

La Villa Trattoria Ristorante is a small, focused Italian restaurant. With only a 1-page menu that changes regularly, Italian Chef Alessio wants to keep things simple and stick to classic Italian dishes that make use of seasonal ingredients.

Located in the little compound next to the US Embassy in Liangmaqiao, it is just a few doors down from the cozy little French restaurant Bistro 108. Like Bistro 108, La Villa offers the same hospitable and personable service. And with some of the same management, they also have some of the best value wines in the city.

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Ringing in 2018: BJ FOoDiEs Charity Dinner @ARCADE

2018 GOALS: Treat Yourself to THIS!

Welcome 2018!  New Year, New YOU!

It’s time to make our New Year’s Resolutions. While some people may start their year off my hitting the gym hard, I always think it’s better to think long term and find ways that we can incorporate sustainable practices into our lives to promote health and happiness. And beyond thinking about our own personal goals, we can also take active steps to do our part to make the world a better place.

And that’s where BJ FOoDiEs comes in – an organization that promotes a strong community of people in Beijing bonded by their shared love for food and philanthropy.

For their first charity dinner of 2018, the BJ FOoDiEs crew is hosting at new ARCADE by Hatchery in Guomao to guarantee a fantastic menu to fill our bellies and a bunch of crazy fun games to keep us entertained for hours on end.

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Jing-A Brewpub XFC: Time to Meat n’ Greet!

Jing-A Brewpub’s Killer Carnivore Platter

In case you hadn’t noticed, Big Smoke closed down and Jing-A Brewpub have moved in to fill the void. Technically, 京A had their own space within Big Smoke, but now the whole space is re-branded as Jing-A Brewpub XingFuCun (XFC) and this space and menu is entirely 京A through and through.

This is a big step up for the 京A guys who are excited that they now have a truckload more space to play around with. As such, this new location has an expanded menu and functions as a central kitchen to prepare smoked and cured meats for the original 京A Taproom in 1949 – The Hidden City in south Sanlitun. They’ve custom-built a new smoker, making BBQ a big focus here. We went over to check it out and see the results!

In addition to Jing-A beers on tap including both their collection of year-round beers alongside seasonal and experimental brews, they also feature guest beers and ciders. One thing worth noting (if you didn’t already know) is that they offer “BEER TO GO” – all their draft beers are available for take-away in 1L and 2L growlers, or you can get their Worker’s Pale Ale and Flying Fist IPA in 330ml bottles – RMB 100/115 for 4-pack or RMB 408/528 for a case of 24 bottles.

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From Foie Gras to Fondant: BJ FOoDiEs Charity Dinner at Bistro 108

Having generated a lot of interest, my previous review of Bistro 108 features a new restaurant gem. While there are certain restaurants that appear that everyone knows about as soon as they open, there are others that seem to fly under the radar but that you get told about by the fans. This is a prime example of a recommended restaurant by fellow FOoDiEs who really know their food.

Tucked away in a strange complex just opposite the US Embassy, Bistro 108 is hospitable and cozy and the French dishes were all spot on and very reasonably priced.

Bringing together foodies from across the city, this Sunday, June 11th, the BJ FOoDiEs team is hosting their monthly charity dinner at Bistro 108 with a fantastic 3-course menu featuring their signature menu dishes.

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小SUSU Hosts BJ FOoDiEs Charity Feast

One of my all-time favorite spots to impress out-of-town guests – the stunning hutong courtyard restaurant serving vibrant and flavorful Vietnamese cuisine Susu has just opened a second branch in the new China World Mall (north zone) called 小SUSU.

Working with the same team who created the original Susu, a dreamy courtyard tucked in an old Beijing hutong south of 美术馆, designers Rania Ho and Wang Wei of Kupa Studios have once again done their magic with 小SUSU. Incorporating Susu’s signature cement blocks into the new venue’s design retains a level of familiarity with the original space while adapting to its new modern surroundings alongside Beijing’s growing skyline of iconic architecture.

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Indulge for a Cause: BJ FOoDiEs at Haiku by Hatsune

While often used as the guinea pigs during the soft opening of new restaurants, the BJ FOoDiEs group is very much in the loop when it comes to new restaurant openings and all too familiar with the pros and cons of hitting up these new restaurants in big numbers. While they tend to have forgiving expectations when it comes to service speed and efficiency, they still expect to be fed well and leaving every event feeling like they got a great meal in taste, portions and value. It is a charity event after all!

Well, this month the BJ FOoDiEs team is giving their entourage an invite to a meal at a restaurant that’s been around for over 10 years and part of a very well-known restaurant group – the playful and popular Californian-Japanese Hatsune brand that was the first to make creative, non-traditional sushi rolls in China. While many foodies may frequent Hatsune, they may never have been to Haiku before.

With a handful of branches in Shanghai and a couple in Beijing, the Haiku brand was previously a sister restaurant of the original Hatsune group. But after a few facelifts and a change in the management team, Haiku is back under the Hatsune umbrella and has combined two wonderful worlds of sushi and teppanyaki under one glorious roof.

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BJ FOoDiEs is Back with 京A’s Brewer’s Brunch

Try Out the New Brewer’s Brunch at Jing-A Taproom with the BJ FOoDiEs Clan!

As we welcome back warmer weather this Spring (it’s rainy and dreary now, but meant to warm straight back up in time for the weekend), it’s high time that we start getting out more during the day to soak up some much needed Vitamin D! Whether you’re nursing a hangover or not quite ready to wrap up the weekend, Sundays are always 100x more spectacular when you have a boozy brunch scheduled!

Who needs coffee when you’ve got Beergarita and Beer Belly-ni on the menu?!

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TRB Bites Revisited: New Chef, New Menu

1 Year Later: TRB Bites Revisted

New chef, new menu, same great fundamentals.

TRB Bites@The Courtyard has brought on a new international executive chef Sebastian Schafer last fall (August 2016) and we have heard excellent reviews. A restaurant known to provide excellent value, this one caught everyone by surprise when it opened at the end of 2015 and after a handful of visits with different foodie friends (including a BJ FOoDiEs Charity Dinner that hosted 110 guests), I was long due for a return visit.

A Grand Entrance for a Gorgeous Restaurant

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