Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar: Expect Straight-Up Seafood

I’ve had my eyes set on Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar ever since I saw the perfect 5 star review it got by Cityweekend’s Dining editor Sienna Parulis-Cook when it opened late 2o11. Described with words and phrases like “absolute joy”, “superb”, “exceptional”, “unmissable” used throughout the review, I went in with pretty high expectations for greatness.

So perhaps I set the bar too high, walking in expecting too much. Well, what I did not expect when I walked in on a Thursday night at 7PM was for me to walk in to an entirely empty restaurant.  I was the first and only customer for a good 30 minutes until my tardy foodie friend finally joined me.

I was always taught to be skeptical of empty seafood restaurants as everyone knows seafood is best when it’s fresh and you gotta start questioning the freshness of a seafood restaurant’s products if the restaurant is empty. To prove this theory correct to some degree: I thought about ordering some oysters to start with until the Chinese guy sitting at the table next to me asked when the last shipment of oysters came in and the waiter honestly answered “the previous Monday”, meaning it had been over a week since they had a new delivery of fresh oysters.  Hmmm. The guy still went ahead and ordered a dozen oysters, but that’s when I opted out.

I should insert now that in spite of the slow start, by the time we left (around 9PM), the restaurant had filled out with most diners coming in around 8PM. Considering most of the clientele were foreigners, I guess it makes sense that majority of diners would come in later in the evening.

Back to my dinner – although oysters were out of the question, I was still eager to try a restaurant recommended specialty item and noticed the blackboard posted on their wall with an intriguing special scribbled out in chalk.

“Jet Fresh Manila Clams from WA, USA – sauteed with shallots, white wine and butter sauce. Perfect for sharing as a starter or a light main for one person. RMB 150″

I asked the waiter about it and he said it was a popular dish, especially among women (?) and then the foreign manager/owner stepped in and explained in English that it comes with a side of bread that’s perfect to dip in the clam’s tasty, buttery wine sauce. SOLD.

We decided that we’d share this clam dish as a starter (as the chalkboard recommended) and then share the Shrimp and Polenta dish (RMB 108) for our main, which was described as “exceptional” in the CW review.

Two problems: 1. Instead of bringing out the clams first for us to share as a starter as requested and as recommended by themselves, they brought out the clams and the shrimp and polenta main dish out at the same time so we had to eat our starter and main dishes side by side.  2. While the clams were a heaping portion of delicious, fresh clams in a even more delicious sauce (perfect for dipping with bread), I did not see any special about the Shrimp and Polenta dish.  It was decent, there was nothing wrong with it, but it certainly was not “exceptional” in our opinion. According to my foodie friend, the polenta was very authentic among Beijing standards, but the shrimp sauce was bland and the best thing about this dish was that it was filling enough to supplement the bowl of many baby clams.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Dishes at Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar: 

Complimentary Basket of Assorted Breads / Seafood Special: Manila Clams from WA, USA

Shrimp and Polenta (RMB 108) and Chocolate Mousse (RMB 45)

For dessert, we again went along with the CW recommendation of the “unmissable chocolate mousse…with perfect texture and flavor”.  Our chocolate mousse was accompanied by a portion of super tangy, sharp passionfruit sauce. We were a bit baffled as to how it was served – were we meant to pour the sauce over the chocolate? Eat them separately?  We asked the waitress who served us our dessert and she said she did not know.  She brought the foreign manager/owner over and she explained that it’s meant to be eaten separately…so a spoonful of chocolate followed by a dip of passionfruit. Both were tasty, but I don’t think the flavors complimented each other and again, I would have to say that although the dessert itself was decent overall, I’ve had better chocolate mousse in Beijing – Modo, Scarlett in Hotel G and also ROOMbeijing’s chocolate mousse bars with pop rocks (awesome).

I don’t mean to sound harsh, but as I previously explained, perhaps I just felt a bit let down after the spectacular, perfect review Starfish received from CW. In my honest opinion, it did not live up to our expectations.

I wouldn’t be opposed to going back to Starfish by any means because I did enjoy my dinner, but I can’t say that I would recommend Starfish over other seafood restaurants in Beijing and I can’t say I’d go out of my way for a return visit anytime soon.

Review of Starfish Wine & Seafood Bar: Just west of southwest corner of Xindong Lu and Dongzhimenwai, 22-1 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, 东直门外大街22-1号; Tel: 6416-5499

Best Part:

• Known for their fresh seafood, I recommend trying their specials.  I was very happy with their current special of Manila Clams (RMB 150). 
• They have a decent selection of imported fresh oysters, but I would first ask when the current stock of oysters were delivered to the restaurant. 
• From their name, you can expect an extensive wine list. 
• Very stylish design. Simple and elegant, I love all the archways and curves along the walls and ceiling.
• From the restaurant design to the details of silverware and complimentary bottle of water displayed at each table, I was impressed by the little details of this restaurant. 
• Complimentary basket of assorted breads were served warm and toasty and they were delicious. 
• It’s a brand new restaurant, so everything is very clean, new and in tip-top shape. 

Comments:

• Although there were two English speaking foreigners (who I’m guessing are the restaurant’s owners) on standby support, the general waitstaff was pretty lost with basic questions regarding the restaurant’s menu, getting our order right and also the dishes that came out. 
• I would have liked to try more of a selection off their menu (it’s pretty extensive), but with a party of two, there was only so much we could order.  
• The food was decent, but with most dishes ranging between RMB 100-200 per dish, you can expect to pay over RMB 300 for a dinner for two (not including drinks). 
• Starfish is definitely a step up from a place like Let’s Seafood, but I would prefer a restaurant like Modo, Mosto, SALT, or Terra if I were craving a massive seafood splurge (Western style as opposed to Japanese or Chinese seafood options).
• Menu is pretty much all seafood, so definitely check out Starfish if you can’t get enough of crab cakes, shrimp, fish, clams, lobster, etc., and go with a bigger group of friends so you can taste more of their menu’s extensive list of seafood dishes.

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

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

*To Follow Starfish’s updates and promotions, click here for their Official Facebook Page.

CW 2011 Awards: Hatsune Wins Pretty New Plaques

At Cityweekend’s 2011 Restaurant & Bar Awards, I got up on stage twice to accept awards on behalf of Hatsune for “Best Japanese Restaurant” and Honorable Mention for “Restaurant of the Year”!!

I was shining with pride as people congratulated me left and right, but I’ve got to admit…as much as I would really love to accept these flattering compliments and praise, I really can’t take credit!!

About to celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary this August (stay tuned for details!), Hatsune has been around long before my time and has made a lasting reputation as Beijing’s top California-style Japanese restaurant because of one person only – my homie and brother from another mother and father- Alan Wong.

So why wasn’t he there to accept the awards himself last night?  Because he was doing exactly what he loves most – He was in the Hatsune Sanlitun branch running around taking orders, making recommendations, serving his customers and giving them the “Hatsune experience” we all keep coming back for!

So here’s to Alan Wong and to all of his staff who work their bums off every day to stay on top of their game!!  They are the ones who really deserve all the recognition and glory for winning these amazing awards!!

Congratulations to Hatsune!!

…And a side note:

CONGRATS to DJ Saul who won CityWeekend’s 2011 Editor’s Pick for “Beijing-Based DJ of the Year”!

Monkey faces!!!

DJ Saul in action at INTRO Music Festival 2011:

Click here for direct link to Youku.

LumDimSummary: All-Star’s Burger King/Queen Contest

On Sunday, June 6th, All-Star Sports Bar & Grill hosted its Burger King/Queen Contest.

With four judges and 8 contestants with 8 original, mouth-watering burger creations, we began the race to discover Beijing’s Best Burger.

LumDimSummary:

The 4-Judge Panel of Burger Experts (represented by CityWeekend Magazine, All-Star Sports Bar & Grill and Burger Enthusiasts):

From L to R: Misha, Walker, Richard & Chef Jack

8 Competitive Chefs Fighting of the Title of Best Burger aka Sabotage in the Kitchen:

The 8 Contestants & Their Burgers:

#1: Ted’s All-American Burger

#2. Pepe’s Italy Burger (Red, White & Green)

#3. Amy’s West Coast Burger:

#4. Jethrow’s Smokin’ Burger:

#5. Candy’s Haute Burger:

#6: Saul’s Saul-D Burger:

#7. Sophia’s Bifteki (Greek-Style) Burger:

#8. Sig’s Mr. Cheesy Burger:

The Judges Carefully Deliberate & Critique:

The FINAL Results:

3rd Place: Jethrow’s Smokin’ Burger

Runner Up: Sig’s Mr. Cheesy Burger

(Drum Roll….)

The Burger Queen: Sophia’s Bifteki Burger

Drenched in a Secret Tziziki Recipe Made from Scratch (a combination of yogurt, olive oil, white vinegar, minced garlic, salt, dill & cucumbers), Sophia’s Bifteki Beef Patty is filled with spices (oregano, egg, salt & pepper, olive oil, diced onions & garlic) and layered with thick, fresh slices of tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

Congratulations to All-Star’s Burger Queen!

*If you would like to try Sophia’s Greek Burger, it will be available at All-Star Sports Bar & Grill during the month of the World Cup!!

All-Star Fun & Good Times:

CW Reader’s Choice Awards vs. LumDimSum

Unlike theBeijinger and Time Out magazines, CityWeekend lumps both the Dining & Nightlife Award Categories into one evening rather than split it up into two events. And for the first time this year, CityWeekend changed it up and actually kept the vote count visible to the public and made sure that every voter had a validated CW User Name Account.

If you are interested in comparing results, check out theBeijinger Restaurant Awards Breakdown posted here.  Time Out’s Restaurant Awards Breakdown is posted here.

I unfortunately was not in Beijing to attend the CityWeekend’s awards ceremony at Brasserie Flo, but word on the street was that it was packed and the turn-out was impressive.

If you haven’t seen the results already, here is a LumDimSummary Breakdown of all the winners in both the Restaurant & Bar Awards Categories:

CityWeekend’s Awards for Best Dining Categories:

• Best New Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Tamarind

  • LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

• Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: SALT

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

• Chinese Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Zen5es

  • LumDimSum Vote: Karaiya Spice House

• Most Romantic:

  • CW Winner: Jaan

  • LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

• Best Value:

  • CW Winner: Kiosk

  • LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta

• Chef of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Mario Cittadini

  • LumDimSum Vote: Max Levy – Bei/Apothecary

• Best Service:
  

  • CW Winner: Maison Boulud

  • LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud

• Best Mexican/Tex-Mex:

  • CW Winner: Casa Latina

  • LumDimSum Vote: Casa Latina

• Best Italian:
  

  • CW Winner: Prego

  • LumDimSum Vote: Metro

• Best Japanese:

  • CW Winner: Nishimura

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

• Best French:

  • CW Winner: Maison Boulud

  • LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud

• Best Thai:

  • CW Winner: Purple Haze

  • LumDimSum Vote: Aroy-D (by Fulicheng)

• Best American:

  • CW Winner: Chef Too

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Indian:

  • CW Winner: Mughal’s

  • LumDimSum Vote: Punjabi

• Best Middle-Eastern:

  • CW Winner: 1001 Nights

  • LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta

• Best Beijing Duck:

  • CW Winner: Fat Duck

  • LumDimSum Vote: Made in China (Grand Hyatt)

• Best Hot Pot:

  • CW Winner: Ding Ding Xiang

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hai Di Lao

• Best Burger:

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Pizza:

  • CW Winner: The Tree

  • LumDimSum Vote: The Tree

• Best Dessert:

  • CW Winner: Din Tai Fung

  • LumDimSum Vote: Comptoirs de France

• Best Steakhouse:

  • CW Winner: Grange (Westin Chaoyang)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Meat & Wine Co. (but it’s closed now)    I will need to find a new favorite steakhouse…
    

• Best Wine Selection:

  • CW Winner: Enoteca

  • LumDimSum Vote: Palette Vino

• Best Buffet:

  • CW Winner: Seasonal Tastes

  • LumDimSum Vote: Westin Chaoyang

• Best Sunday Brunch:

  • CW Winner: Bubbalicious (Westin Chaoyang)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Orchard

• Best for Families:

  • CW Winner: Din Tai Fung, Seasonal Tastes (Tie)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Orchard

CityWeekend’s Awards for Best Bar/Club Categories:

• Club of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Mix

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Bar of the Year:
  

  • CW Winner: Apothecary

  • LumDimSum Vote: Apothecary

• Nightlife Newcomer of the Year:

  • CW Winner: White Rabbit

  • LumDimSum Vote: Fubar

• Best Local Band of the Year:

  • CW Winner: The Redbucks

  • LumDimSum Vote:  The Redbucks

• Beijing-Based DJ of the Year:

  • CW Winner: DJ Blackie

  • LumDimSum Vote:  DJ KEZA

• Best Alfresco Drinking:

  • CW Winner: XIU

  • LumDimSum Vote: Q Bar

• Best Live Music:

  • CW Winner: Mao Live House

  • LumDimSum Vote: Yugong Yishan

• Best Cocktails:

  • CW Winner: Mix-The Westin Beijing Chaoyang

  • LumDimSum Vote: Glen

• Best Place for Singles:

  • CW Winner: Mix

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Best for Dancing:

  • CW Winner: GT Banana

  • LumDimSum Vote: BLING

• Best Sports Bar:
  

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Hardest Bar to Find:

  • CW Winner: Fubar Peking

  • LumDimSum Vote: Club Obiwan

• Best Pub Grub:
  

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Fruit Plate:

  • CW Winner: Destination

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Best Promoter:

  • CW Winner: Street Hustle Promotions

  • LumDimSum Vote: Acupuncture

CityWeekend’s Cover Girl

Summer’s Finally Here!

LumDimSaying:

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”

- Sam Keen

Check Out LumDimSum on the cover of this month’s CW:

LumDimSum’s Choice Chinese on CW

LumDimSum Reviews Madame Zhu’s Kitchen as the Choice Chinese of CityWeekend’s April Issue:

Update:

Having just re-visited Madame Zhu’s Kitchen the other night, I would like to spotlight a few new items that I was delighted to discover:

• Pineapple Salad - RMB 32
• Egg with Shrimp and Crab – RMB 18 for a single serving. (photo below)
• Fried Spinach with Beancurd and Mushrooms – RMB 38 (photo below)
• Tofu Ice Cream -RMB 18 for single serving. (photo below)

CW Gourmet Month Review: Village Cafe

The Opposite House’s Village Cafe is a participating CW Gourmet Month restaurant and their  Gourmet Month Menu (RMB 99) offers a three course menu with three choices for each course (choice of soup, main, & dessert).

By coincidence, I came to try the menu in a party of three, so each of us chose a different dish for each course and were able to share and sample it all. And of course, all in the name of in-depth LumDimSum reporting.

The beginning of our meal had great potential. The first course was a selection of three soups (Minestrone, Pumpkin and Mushroom) and while all three were delicious, the Minestrone came out on top. I am normally not a big Minestrone fan, but this one was exceptionally good with big chunks of various veggies for a very fresh taste. But all three were very well-made and were complemented nicely with a big bread basket.

The main course selections were a Grilled Rib-Eye Steak in Red Wine Jus, Baked Vegetarian Moussaka with potatoes, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes, or Grilled and Baked Chicken Breast with curry sauce, pickled vegetables and rice. The chicken was dry, the rib-eye was mediocre and the vegetarian moussaka came out on top with its rich, cheesy flavor.  But alas, the main course was the weakest link of the set menu.

Dessert picked back up again with a choice of Pavlova with fresh strawberries, passion fruit & house made vanilla bean ice cream, baked white chocolate cheese cake with caramelized banana, or a Fruit Platter. The pavlova’s meringue was a bit too thick and to be honest, it pales in comparison to Capital M’s pavlova. However, the white chocolate cheese cake with carmelized bananas was the winner of the meal. This alone made the meal worth the trip.

Review of Village Cafe’s GM Menu:

Best Part:

• Out of the three choices, I would recommend ordering the Minestrone Soup, Baked Vegetarian Moussaka & White Chocolate Cheese Cake with Carmelized Bananas
• A nice, 3-course set menu for RMB 99 is Great Value.

Comments:

• Gourmet Month Set Menu is only available for dinner and they tack on a 15% service charge. Normally I would happily pay the additional service fee, but this was bull considering there was literally 1 staff in the entire restaurant and she was never to be found.
• By 9PM, the entire restaurant seemed to have disappeared with no customers, no waitstaff and no chefs in the kitchen. Very odd.
• Service was a major issue during this meal and the place was just empty.
• The decor of Village Cafe is quite night, but the fact that it was so empty was a buzz kill. Throughout the night, there were only 2 others tables in the entire restaurant (9 people total including our table).
• I am glad I tried this set menu at RMB 99, but I honestly would not return for it again.

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

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 3
• Service: 3
• Overall Experience: 5

For a list of all participating restaurants in CityWeekend’s Gourmet Month, click here.

LumDimSum: CityWeekend’s Gourmet Guru

Interview: Kristen Lum Tells Us Why She LOVES Gourmet Month

CW Spotlights HAITI RISE

HAITI RISE Campaign Finale Party @ Hatsune Sanlitun Village Spotlighted on the Home Page of CityWeekend:

Date: Thursday, February 4

Location: Hatsune Sanlitun Village

Photos courtesy of EventPod.

RMB 72,200 was raised within three hours of the Haiti Rise Campaign Finale Party.

GRAND TOTAL RAISED FROM THE HAITI RISE CAMPAIGN: RMB 430,935

For a full gallery of photos from HAITI RISE Finale Campaign: http://eventpod.smugmug.com/Charity/HAITI-RISE-Campaign-Finale/11168584_ytPp7#782898775_8nTA9

Creole Comfort: Nola

Recently opened beside Pauls’ Steak & Eggs is Nola, a New Orleans cajun restaurant with a menu full of gumbo, jambalaya, grits, beignets and po’boys. After reading Erica Chen’s (CW) raving review of the their fresh baked cookies kicking Betty Crocker‘s ass, I made sure to mark Nola as my next spot to review.

I was pleasantly surprised to walk into a cozy restaurant full of tables with big groups of people dining with bottles of wine and enjoying plenty of good Southern food. I went up to check out the seats on the second floor, but as it was completely empty, I grabbed the last remaining table for two on the first floor.  The atmosphere on the first floor was warm and wonderful with a nice bar behind us and a welcoming energy all around. Nola’s menu is one of those that sounds so good you want to order and sample everything, it was impossible to decide what to order.  As my friend Cody and I were trying to figure out what to share, our eyes widened (and there may have possibly been drool) when we saw our neighboring table’s orders of Parmesan fries (RMB 23), Cornbread muffins (RMB 15), Mushroom and White Bean Salad (RMB 27), 225 g. Australian Strip-loin steak (RMB 130) and Pork tenderloin bordered with layers of bacon (RMB 115). 

We ended up ordering the Salad with a bacon and poached egg (RMB 35) and Seafood -Shrimp, Seabass and sausage Jambalaya (RMB 95), topped off with their batch of fresh baked cookies (RMB 20) and thick, rich apple cider (RMB 30). For all the orders of food we saw come out of the kitchen, everything looked mouth-watering and massive, which is why we didn’t want to over-order. But the one main entree we did order, the seafood jambalaya was pretty skimpy with two small shrimps, two small pieces of sea bass and a side of jambalaya rice.  I hate it when you are drooling over everyone else’s dishes and see that the one you chose to order was a bad decision. Don’t get me wrong, the dish was alright, but it pales in comparison to the other entrees I saw come out of the kitchen.

With a continuously updated seasonal menus, I will definitely be returning to try new creations, if not just for their cornbread muffins and ooey-gooey cookies.

Review of Nola: A-11 Xiushui Street South, Ritan 建国门外秀水南街11号  Tel: 8563-6215

Best Part:

• Serving hearty, satisfying New Orleans-style cuisine – lots of bacon, gumbo, jambalaya, grits, beignets and po’boys
• Complimentary hot, freshly baked bread is always a nice bonus
• A cup of steaming Apple Cider is perfect to wash away your winter blues
• Seasonally updated menu
• Nola’s chef: Brandon Trowbridge is a Louisiana native and former chef of Hilton Beijing
• Over 1/2 the menu has bacon, which is an ingredient I swear makes everything yummier
• Balanced range of wines, beer and cocktails on their drink list
• Atmosphere suitable for a cozy evening with friends and wine

Comments:

• Word is to avoid their po’boy sandwiches and burgers, but they excel in their appetizers, entrees and desserts.
• Creole Comfort food is satisfying, hearty but a bit heavy
• Good thing they had one table left on the first floor b/c the second floor was completely empty and that would have been awkward.

Hotel Outlets: Another Beijing Paradox

Tamarind Indian Restaurant, Marriott Northeast

I had made an exception for Tamarind.

In my list of top destinations for CW Gourmet Month (the two best months of the year for dining in Beijing), I made Tamarind a priority even though it is a hotel restaurant.

I have nothing against hotels restaurants, I just think that for the most part, they don’t work in Beijing.

I’ll break it down for you:

With the exception of very few, hotels have one sole purpose – to provide a nice bed for incoming travelers. Now that the Beijing Olympics is history, we are left with how many ridiculously massive, not mention EMPTY hotels scattered throughout Beijing?  Regardless of the number, it’s too many.  And too many have tried to make up for their lack of occupancy with restaurants and bars targeting the masses…and still remain empty.

I know this concept works in places like Dubai, where the best venues are often in hotels, but Beijing is another animal.  With the exception of Weekend Champagne Brunches, Centro in the Kerry Center, Touch at the Westin Chaoyang and of course boutique hotels like The Opposite House & Hotel G, hotel F&B venues in Beijing are pretty weak.

Just Imagine an Irish Pub in this Hotel

Perfect example: Molly Malones in the Legendale Hotel.  It’s a newly opened, gigantic space with beautiful interior design in a ’5-star hotel’ and it just won’t work. Why? Because it’s an Irish Pub opening in a 19th Century Parisan Hotel serving Japanese sushi.  Confused much?

And from my experiences last Gourmet Month in April, I found that each and every time I dined in a hotel restaurant, it was very, very empty.  It’s just creepy to be the only customers in a restaurant.

And I feel bad because all hotels try really hard – lots of marketing, lots of advertisements, lots of promotions, and often times, they have an amazing product, and yet they still seem to fall short.  Something is missing.  That something is more of than not: People.

Having read so many good reviews about Tamarind (Marriott Northeast), I made it a point to go during Gourmet Month. I read that Tamarind’s Chef Kurly is from Mumbai (interview here), that he is Bollywood’s finest, and that this is Beijing’s best Indian restaurant.

For Gourmet Month, it was a fantastic deal: for only RMB 150 per person, you were served 9 dishes plus nan bread plus rice PLUS dessert. The food quality and quantity was great value, the open kitchen was impressive and service was attentive. But at the end of the day, it was very much a ‘hotel restaurant’ with hotel service and a hotel vibe for a typical, overall unsatisfying hotel experience.

Review of Tamarind: 2nd floor of Marriott Northeast, 26A Xiaoyun Lu,Sanyuanqiao 海航大厦万豪酒店, 霄云路甲26号, Tel: 5927-8888

Best Part:

Tamarind's Open Kitchen

• Fresh Quality & Generous Quantity of the dishes: I recommend their Mushroom Kurkure (Spring roll stuffed with finely chopped and sautéed mushroom, served with spicy tomato chutney) and Butter Chicken (Juliennes of Tandoori chicken, finished in creamy tomato gravy, flavored with dried fenugreek leaves)
• Massive Open Kitchen (pretty unique to an Indian restaurant)
• They have hired a chef from Mumbai and this is the first Marriott Indian restaurant outside of India
• They cater to vegetarians with half of their menu meat-free
• Prices are reasonable with a kebab bar special (all-you-can-eat kebabs for RMB 140, RMB 100 for vegetarian kebabs)

Comments:

• Even if the food was excellent, it was pretty empty on a Sunday night, which I guess is expected considering the Marriott Northeast is out in the boonies (North of Nuren Jie)
• I really think that if Tamarind was in Sanlitun and not in a hotel, it would do really well.

The service was attentive, but similar to most hotel service, its quite overdone and forced rather than comforting. Also, at the end of the meal, the restaurant manager Sudeep Menon was about to only give my friend his business card until I shot him a glare and even after that, he proceeded to only ask for my friend’s business card upon leaving. Not Cool.

Worst Pick-Up Line EVER

Working in such popular venues like Hatsune, Karaiya and Bling, I meet a lot of people ALL the time.

And I don’t mean for this to sound pretentious at all, but it’s quite common for people to come up to me and remember me either from frequenting the venues I represent or maybe having seen my Fashionista feature in CW a year back or who knows where.

But yesterday was the first time someone shocked me speechless.

I got a random message from a stranger on weliveinbeijing.com who sent me a message that read:

“you didn’t by chance used to sing at Banana Leaf because you look like a girl there”.

WOW. Obviously this girl made such an impression on the guy that he thought to ask a stranger on the internet if she was that same girl in Banana Leaf. My immediate reaction was speechlessness followed by fury followed by irritation that someone would be so bold and mindless to even make such an assumption.

He obviously has not read LumDimSum’s review of Banana Leaf.

I probably would have taken it as a compliment if it were ANY restaurant other than the cheesy, wanna-be-Thai-food Banana Leaf who’s musicians and entertainment are the only thing worse than the food.

LumDimSum’s Words of Wisdom:

Good Sense: “You look familiar, have we met before?”

Bad Sense: Assuming someone is a singer at Banana Leaf, which is never a good thing…or in this case, flat out offensive.

First of all, if you do want to make contact with someone you find on an online networking site, then at least take ONE minute to look at their profile for background info, work info, whatever.  99% of the time, this one minute will save you a lot of time and embarrassment.

All About Rah Zel

Bling’s brought some pretty sick DJ’s over the past year from DJ Spider, DJ Dopey, DJ Shortkut to DJ Mixwell, but this Friday, Bling’s about to bring its most highly-anticipated guest yet: RAH ZEL, known as the “Godfather of Noyze” aka The Human Beatbox.

With such a superstar coming to the Jing, Rah Zel’s been bringing the heat to Bling with publicity and extra coverage left and right:

Xiao Bizzle gave Rah Zel multiple shout outs on his new blog, YouCallThatHipHop.com

You can check out Xiao Bizzle’s Interview with Rah Zel here:  http://www.youcallthathiphop.com/2009/11/18/interview-rahzel-da-godfather-of-noyze/

Plus another shout out: http://www.youcallthathiphop.com/2009/11/18/rahzel-bling-friday-nov-20th/

CityWeekend‘s interview with Rah Zel: Beatbox Mastermind Rahzel Tells Us How to Master Our Anatomy http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/articles/blogs-beijing/the-beat/interview-beatbox-mastermind-rahzel-tells-us-how-to-master-our-anatomy/

Time Out’s Interview with Rah Zel: http://www.timeout.com/cn/en/beijing/aroundtown/feature/9058/boxing-clever-rahzel-at-bling-nov-20.html

WeliveinBeijing’s Interview with Rah Zel: http://www.weliveinbeijing.com/groupnews/news2.rails?Nid=1000001107

Rah Zel on CityWeekend: http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/events/53704/

Event Breakdown:

As this event is bound to be a quickly booked out show, I HIGHLY recommend to all Rah Zel fanatics to haul ass to Bling before 11pm.

Get on it.

Black Sesame Kitchen: The Not-So-Secret Hidden Gem

A lot of people have heard of Black Sesame Kitchen’s fun and interactive cooking classes or wine ‘n dine dinner parties, but not so many people know that once a month, Black Sesame Kitchen will host a special 10-course traditional Chinese meal + all-you-can-drink quality wine for RMB 150 per person. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Black Sesame Kitchen may not be listed among CityWeekend’s Gourmet Month Restaurants, but it may as well be, considering how incredibly awesome this steal of a bargain is!

Hosted by my very favorite event manager, Candice Lee aka C-dice, she really does wonders for this little hutong kitchen. Considering she knows EVERYONE in Beijing, there is always a fully-booked table with all the cool kids in town (foodies who know where it’s at).

This special deal only occurs once a month (typically the first Wednesday of every month), but the cooking classes are a ton of fun and Black Sesame Kitchen is the perfect destination to impress out-of-towners and host private dinner parties whether its a birthday, corporate event or wine tasting.

Black Sesame Kitchen Review: Off of Nanluoguxiang (turn when you see Log-in Bar), 黑芝麻胡同3号  Tel: 136-9147-4408

Best Part:

• You can indulge in an amazing 10-course meal PLUS all-you-can-drink QUALITY wine for only RMB 150 (special price available once a month)
• Best dessert EVER: Candied Apples Chilled in Vanilla Ice Cream
• Everything is cooked right in front of you, making for a really interactive dining experience – Chairman Wang is a culinary genius
• The wine selection is always superb in taste and quality
• The service is the best (C-dice is the perfect host, always on top of her game)
• A great option to host private dinner parties for a group of friends and the cooking classes are really great (*think birthday present for someone who loves cooking and good food).
• It’s a great place to bring friends or to meet new friends (always a great dining crowd of foodies who share the love for good food and wine)

Comments:

• Incredibly tricky to find if it’s your first time (but I promise you it’s worth the extra effort – just carefully follow the directions they send to you)
• You need to learn to pace yourself and prepare for heaps of food that seems to never stop coming (my first time, I made the terrible mistake of overloading on the first dishes and was stuffed by the 5th course – reminder: there are 10! And trust me, you’ll want to save room for their dessert)

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

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 8
• Service: 9
• Overall Experience: 9
  

Fashionista: Project Runway

What’s on the catwalk?  CityWeekend’s very own Fashionistas taking their turn to strut their stuff on the runway.

Hosted by the beautiful and talented Meili Autumn @ Scarlett Wine Bar + Restaurant in Hotel G, this was such a fun event! For the first time, all the fashionistas got the opportunity to get together, get dressed to the nines, and have a ball.

As one of the previously featured Fashionistas, it was such a privilege to be among Beijing’s Fashion Superstars and see first-hand each Fashionista’s unique style and ingenious creativity in putting together every last detail and touch of fashion flair and finesse. From Allie Weisberg‘s high-waisted skirt, mini crop top and layers of jewelry to Candy Lin wearing her very own Candy&Caviar Fall Fashion Line’s Madison Hooded Tuxedo Vest and LinLin‘s denim work-of-art gown, it’s not hard to see how each fashionista earned their title to be on that runway.

Congratulations to Mo & Linlin!  (Mr. & Ms. Beijing Fashionista!)

Some Hot Shots of Beijing’s Fashionistas:

**Thank you to Meili, everyone at CW, & Hotel G for putting together such a fun and successful event!  And Happy Early Birthday to Meili!!