KUP KUP KUP: An Authentic Taste of SE Asian Street Foods

Have you seen/read Crazy Rich Asians?!

A fantastic trilogy that I highly recommend reading (it’s a page-turner!), the film based on the first book came out last summer and I’m not ashamed to say that I flew down to Hong Kong over October holiday to watch it in the theatre (before I knew it would be playing in mainland)! And one of the best scenes in the film is when the main characters first fly into Singapore and pig out on all the Hawker stands in a gigantic, sprawling food court. With so many of our favorite street snacks slowly disappearing/getting bricked up, you can imagine the food envy I felt as I watched that scene on the big screen.

KUP KUP KUP aims to capture this dining concept reminiscent of all the amazing food halls that you’d find all across Southeast Asia and bring it to Beijing. Serving a variety of Southeast Asian street food specialties found in Northern Thailand, Northern Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the restaurant design is a fun and playful setting with a ceiling full of dangling illumination.

Still in soft opening phase (they’ll be launching their full menu starting January 28th), we had the privilege of playing guinea pigs and taste our way through some of their dishes! Read through to the bottom to learn how to be among the first to taste KUP KUP KUP in the upcoming BJ FOoDiEs Charity Dinner happening this Sunday, January 27th!

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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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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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Raise a Glass to Sulyi’s Gangnam Tapas & Exclusive Soju Selection

The Topwin Center continues its opening spree. Next up on the menu is Sulyi, a Korean tapas restaurant with the former chef for the Korean embassy at the helm. Sulyi means “cheers” in Korean and with what promises to be a very nice balcony area, this restaurant could become a great destination for a fun soju-fuelled night before the cold sets in.

A project that started in 2014, Sulyi sets itself apart from other Korean restaurants in Beijing by focusing on Gangnam, Korean style tapas dishes. You may have heard of Gangnam thanks to PSY’s catchy tune and even catchier dance moves, which refers to a trendy and hip district in Seoul where fashion and style is top notch. According to Sulyi’s owners, they aim to bring “Gangnam” to Beijing’s hip hood Sanlitun through Gangnam tapas and home-made ‘Makguli’ Korean rice wine in fruity flavors at 4% and a special selection of Soju sold exclusively at Sulyi.

Sulyi is located on the 3rd floor of the food-crazed Topwin Center, next to Beyond Yakitori and opposite Cou Cou, the much talked about high end hotpot offering from Xiabu Xiabu.

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Cacha Cacha: Playful “Lanna” Northern Thai Cuisine

 Cacha Cacha’s Authentic Northern Thai is Giving North Sanlitun an Extra Dose of Spice!

Taikoo Li North has started to see a revival in the past 6 months. I can remember the days when Beijingers would flock to the North end of the village and were obsessed with the Colibri cupcakes. In the intervening 5 years alas, I haven’t ventured up there much. With the revitalisation of Colibri and the introduction of Cacha Cacha, alongside the long-term solid performer Transit, things are looking up.

Cacha Cacha is a Northern Thai restaurant (think Chiang Mai) and the food is by a very talented chef Tom Samranjit who boasts both an impressive and extensive culinary track record, mostly working with big name hotels in Hong Kong. Breaking free to do what he knows best, Cacha Cacha’s menu is distinctively different from other Thai restaurants in Beijing using treasured family recipes.

“We specialize in authentic Lanna (Northern Thai) cuisine by our proprietor chef Tom Samranjit. As a second generation Thai chef, Tom brings his exotic recipes inherited from his family legacy of more than 50 years.” – Leo Wu, Partner of Cacha Cacha

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BJ FOoDiEs Takes Over TRB Bites@The Courtyard

BJ FOoDiEs Takes Over TRB Bites for their October Charity Dinner

After LDS broke the shocking news this summer that Ignace Lecleir’s famed Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) team was taking over Brian McKenna’s suddenly closed Courtyard restaurant location on the east gate of the Forbidden City, the entire foodie community was rejoicing by the happy ending for this foodie story.

“Reinventing a venue that has played home to many legendary dining institutions, TRB Bites is a convivial refuge that we refer to as “A Casual and Modern Eatery”: where we envision our guests enjoying themselves in a relaxed and chic setting while we serve up tasty treats that are prepared with passion.” –  TRB Bites@The Courtyard

In soft opening period since early September, TRB Bites@The Courtyard is quickly making a name for itself as Beijing’s best value fine dining restaurant in the capital. After a full-on feast tasting almost ever dish listed on their menu (read all about it here), we couldn’t believe we were eating Temple quality dishes at only RMB 188/248/288 for any 3/4/5 courses (of course we went for the 5 course option).

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BJ FOoDiEs Charity Dinner @Haven in Houhai

I’ll be the first to admit that what kept me from being the first to test of Haven was its location in Houhai. Which is really a shame because Houhai has the potential to be one of Beijing’s best escapes from the hustle and bustle of an urban metropolis. But instead, Houhai is my worst nightmare (yes, it’s worse than Nanluoguxiang) in that it’s horrendously crowded and noisy and while you’re trying to walk past people walking at the rate of a tortoise, you’re dodging e-bikes whizzing past at frightening close calls.

But what I realized when I finally did make it to Haven is that you don’t have to experience any of the chaotic stress that has consumed Houhai. With it’s location just next to East Shore Live Jazz Cafe, you can hop right into Haven, dash up those stairs and bask in the beauty of Houhai, away from the madness just below. The photo above was taken just recently and I’ve left the photo exactly as is because I really wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s stunning and speaks volumes for Haven.

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BJ FOoDiEs Dinner: “Give the Gift of Sight” @Susu

While the monthly BJ FOoDiEs charity group dinners are often hosted in newly-opened restaurants eager to spread the word of their new business to the foodies scene in Beijing, they’ve managed to lock in one of my all-time favorite spots to impress out-of-town guests – the stunning hutong Vietnamese restaurant Susu to host their next event on Sunday, April 26th!

Ready to show off their new Spring-inspired menu, this dinner menu features basically all my favorite Susu dishes from their Shrimp Salad, Salmon Spring Roll, La Vong fish dish and that incredible Lemongrass Tofu that will convert anyone who questions whether or not they like tofu.

With limited seating, I’d recommend booking seats in advance. After the last BJ FOoDiEs dinner at Caravan booked out in just 4 days, this Spring menu by Susu is sure to book out just as quickly!

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