Become a Sake Samurai: Session 2

Back by popular demand, Alan and I have decided to host a second sake tasting dinner in Haiku by Hatsune on Wednesday, November 25.

Best for First

I’ve always been the type of person who likes to save the best for last.

Maybe it’s just me, but I always like knowing that the best is yet to come and when that moment arrives, I like to savor it and make it last as long as possible.

Back in April, I managed to gorge myself with about 20 gourmet month meals in 30 days.  And out of those 20 meals, the general consensus agreed the best value and our overall favorite meal was at Kagen.

Some of the other restaurants may have been newer, trendier, fancier, better customer service, etc., but when it came down to the food quality, quantity and overall dining experience, Kagen blew our expectations.

With the start of November, I was pumped for Gourmet Month all over again.

Initially, I wanted to try out a new restaurant: perhaps Olas Tapas Cafe as it is conveniently located in Sanlitun (my home away from home) but my foodies crew was all about Kagen again.  Normally I would want to save Kagen for last, but with 30 days and about 15 restaurants I’m set to dine at this time around, I’ve got room for Kagen at least twice this month (one BBQ set & one hot pot set).

For only 150RMB, the deal is ridiculous! (I honestly recommend that two girls can share one meal, it’s that much food!)  But if you are someone like me, with a healthy appetite, then you will leave stuffed…and your stomach expanded to its brink.

Here’s the breakdown:

Assorted Appetizer Platter – Seared Beef Carpaccio, Roasted Bacon and Asparagus Roll, Stir-fry gobo, Tobiko Salad, Calamari

Assorted BBQ Combo Course – Short Ribs, Rib Eye, Yakitori, Jumbo Butter Prawns

Or

Assorted Hot Pot Combo Course – Sliced Rib-eye, Fish & Shrimp Balls, Sliced Salmon, Sea Conch, and Assorted Mushrooms

Stone Rice Bowl with Vegetables

Miso Soup

Mousse and Ice Cream Dessert

**I recommend the BBQ combo if you had to choose one, but both are bomb. And most likely you will go with more than one person, so have someone else get the hot pot and share. 

And Oh my goodness, the ice cream dessert is heaven.  I would advise to go for the chocolate as it’s creamy and rich (the strawberry was more like a sorbet than ice cream).

With all of us foodies just sticking to the BBQ this time, we’ll be back at least once more for the Hot Pot and then again to keep our taste buds happy.

Next Stop:

Tuesday, Nov. 3rd: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill (to introduce a few foodies to the best burger in town)

Wednesday, Nov. 4th:  Gourmet Month Break – Black Sesame Kitchen’s Wine ‘n Dine Special (10 course meal & all-you-can-drink wine for only RMB 150)

Thursday, Nov. 5th: Olas Tapas Cafe - new restaurant I have yet to try.

For the rest of the month, here are my top 10 picks:

• Bei – Most amazing looking menu
• Mare’s - I want to check out the new location
• Hatsune – The Q Roll alone is worth going for
• SALT – I want to try both their lunch & dinner menu
• Oden – Perfect remedy to the bitter cold winter weather
• Enoteca – Great meal WITH a glass of wine
• Meat & Wine Co. – One of my favorites from last April’s Gourmet Month
• Za’atar – Very unique menu in comparison to the rest (but in Shunyi)
• Morel’s - One of Beijing’s oldest restaurants that I have yet to try
• Haiku – Menu is totally different from Hatsune and it’s just next door to my home

Comments:

• From my experiences last April, I try to avoid most hotel restaurants, which have all been very, very empty.  It’s creepy to be the only people dining in a restaurant.  Exception may be to try Tamarind, who’s menu is pretty impressive (not to mention extensive) and reviews have been well received.  Plus, I love good Indian food.
• Brasserie Flo offers a generous menu (I tried last April), but the decor was pretty tacky and the food wasn’t enough to bring me back a second time around.
• I automatically boycott any restaurant that charges RMB 250 for chicken as the main entree.  *Ahem* Astor Grill.  Weak Sauce.
• I’m disappointed Mosto upped their price from 150 to 250 and the selection is quite minimal compared to last time around. Isn’t the point of Gourmet Month to provide good value and impress first-timers to return? Bummer.

*Originally I had planned to create a calendar with designated Gourmet Month Menu days, but I can’t seem to plan more than 4 days ahead.  From reading this entry, you know my top targets, so just shoot me an e-mail if you want me to include you/notify you when I decide to go to the restaurant you want to try too.  As always, the more the merrier.   kristen@lumdimsum.com

A Tour of the Hatsune Empire

For the past two summers, Alan will take on 3 interns from UNC (University of North Carolina), who will spend two months in an entrepreneurship program to learn about start-up companies and the F&B industry in China.  Through this program, the interns get an inside scoop “behind the scenes” of Alan’s restaurants, from spending time in the kitchen, behind the bar, greeting customers at the reception, and eventually serving tables.  And once a week, we all get together to attend Alan’s lectures to raise discussions pertaining to the F&B industry, doing business in China, and also to learn from him and his successful business models and effective management style.

Each of the three interns were posted in different venues, and with each venue, the interns made a strong effort to invest themselves and make the most of this unique opportunity- proactive, motivated, and helpful.

As this was their last week in China, we inadvertently found ourselves on a tour of the Hatsune Empire.

Monday: We started off the week with dinner at Hatsune (Sanlitun Village) and ordered all of our favorites: the G-Roll (a pimped out Moto-roll-ah available on Alan’s secret menu), Steak Rossini, Sake Gohan (Salmon Fried Rice), Dynamite Roll, Hatsune Salad, Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls, and the Rina Roll.

Hatsune's Famous Sushi Rolls

Tuesday: Karaiya Spice House. Conveniently located across from Hatsune in the Village, the interns wanted to try everything else on the menu they didn’t get to try the first time around.  I highly recommend the Signature Fish, Signature Ribs, Bullfrog in a flaming mini wok, Spicy Pepper Diced Rib-eye, and Foie Gras Fried Rice.

Karaiya's Signature Ribs

Spicy Pepper Diced Rib-eye

Wednesday: Haiku by Hatsune‘s “Become a Sake Samurai” Sake Tasting Dinner Party. Their last day working, Alan invited them to join his sake tasting dinner party of 45 people including a 7 course Haiku tasting menu and an introduction to 4 different sake from Alan’s personal collection.

The Dinner Menu:

1. Assorted Japanese Tapas

Haiku Sushi Bar

2. Tuna Tataki Salad

3. Yakitori Moriawase: roasted chicken wing, yakitori skewer, beef & zucchini, miso pork

4. Tempura with Prawn and Vegetables with Nori sea salt dip

5. Mini Oden: fish cakes, daikon radish and quail egg broiled in a traditional dashi soup

6. Assorted Haiku Sushi Rolls: a sample of 3 of Haiku’s best selling rolls

7. Ice Cream & Fruit Dessert

Sake Tasting List:

1. Shiro Yuki- This was the “normal” sake that we had.  We sell it as a hot sake in Haiku.  Of all the normal, or futsuu, sakes, this one proved to be very smooth and light.

2. Komeshizuku Junmai- This sake has a strong flavor on the palate, and is considered by me a banana and pear fruit bomb.  Each rice grain is polished down to 60% of the original size, which almost qualifies it as a Junmai Ginjo.

3. Kakurei Junmai Ginjo- This sake is from Niigata, a region well known for sake production because of the superior water quality.  It is milled down to 55% of the original rice grain, and has strong fruit and a hint of mint character on the palate.

4. Shotoku Junmai Daiginjo- This sake is milled to 45%, yields strong pear and yogurt flavors, and is the smoothest and thickest in viscosity.

“Keep in mind that some of these sakes are not available in the restaurants, but the main idea is to grasp the difference between the various qualities of taste and production.  Hatsune and Haiku have an extensive sake list so I encourage you to try some out and compare, looking for the taste qualities that you have experienced at the sake course.” – Alan Wong

Thursday: The Interns’ last night on the job, I organized a dinner for them at my personal favorite: Kagen Teppanyaki. A place they had only observed and always wanted to sample, this was the perfect place for their last night. My personal favorite: The Surf N Turf & The UpperEast Side Set Dinner (includes appetizer sampler, sashimi sampler, salad or soup, hibachi shrimp, teppanyaki fried rice, vegetables and fresh fruit with carmelized bananas.)   In the biggest private room, Alan and Hannah brought baby Mason to join the party!

Kagen Teppanyaki

Still to come for me:

Friday: 2nd Round of Haiku’s “Become a Sake Samurai” Sake Tasting with 2nd group of 50 pax.

Saturday: Hatsune’s 8 Year Anniversary Party with private dinner party in the Original Hatsune (Guanghua Lu) and Official 8 Year Party at the new Hatsune (Sanlitun Village) for an all-you-can-drink plus sushi samplers and appetizers for 100rmb. Party kicks off at 10pm.

Recap:

The Moto-Roll-ah at Hatsune = 75rmb. Karaiya’s Signature Ribs = 95rmb. Haiku’s 7-course Sake Tasting Dinner Party = 200rmb. Kagen Teppanyaki’s UpperEast Side = 230rmb. Hatsune’s 8-Year Anniversary Party all-you-can-drink deal = 100rmb.

A Week Tour of the Hatsune Empire: Priceless

Giving Beijing An Excuse to Party

I’ve heard a lot of people make comments about this summer in Beijing. For the few of us remaining who weren’t lucky enough to get away and travel abroad, we’ve been stuck to deal with an absurd amount of rain (I swear it only rained a total of 2 times my first year in Beijing from 2006-2007) and an overall unusually quiet summer. I guess it’s only natural that the year after the epic 2008 Olympics, Beijing’s summer 2009 is bound to seem quiet in comparison without the additional hordes of tourists, athletes, events, games, hype, and Olympic parties.

While it’s no surprise when it’s empty out during Beijing’s bitter cold winter nights, I’d expect a lot more people to spend their summer evenings out dining, drinking, enjoying the summer heat. But people seem just as content going home early to watch a DVD in the summer as they do in winter.

But is it quiet because people compare this summer to last year’s Olympic madness? Or is it quiet because many people have left Beijing for summer vacation? Or is it quiet because people are just waiting for a reason to come out?

The answer is probably a combination of all three, but from what I’ve seen in the past two weeks, there are plenty of people here in Beijing who are just waiting for something worth their time to bring them out of their monotonous daily routine and give them an excuse to party.

Last week was All-Star & Bling’s 1-Year Anniversary which drew not only big crowds, but one of the best crowds I’ve seen anywhere together in one place in a long time. Of course our flashy Bling invitations helped to build up the hype. With too many VIPs to cram in one night, we split our VIPs between Friday & Saturday to be able to properly thank our loyal guests with their preferred table and drink of choice. And as it turned out, I saw almost all the same faces on Saturday from the previous night.

And now this week I have organized quite a few events. Just this evening, I coordinated and hosted AmCham’s Young Professionals Happy Hour at Lantung Thai Bar + Bistro. In previous experiences with networking events, I go with the intention to meet a lot of potential new clients, business partners, and friends, but instead, I leave with just a handful of name cards after some awkward and forced conversations. But tonight was different.

It was a warm summer night and Lantung’s rooftop terrace, the Moon Deck, was hot. It was so lively. Everyone was mingling and obviously eager to really talk to anyone and everyone and really make the effort to make the most of this event. I was quite thrilled to see such a nice turn-out during a time when other networking groups are canceling their events all around town.

Just down the street at Block 8, Haiku by Hatsune hosted its first Sake Tasting Dinner Party. After sending out a Facebook message to the Official Hatsune FB Group Members two weeks ago, I got such an overwhelming response of confirmations that Alan decided to host the event twice (again on Friday, August 14).

Both Alan & I were sorely mistaken in thinking the event would only interest about 20-30 attendees for a more intimate and personable dining and tasting experience, as I ended up with a list of 45 confirmed attendees for each Sake Tasting Dinner Party.

But then again, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to enjoy a 7-course menu highlighting Haiku’s specialty dishes together with sampling 4 different sake from Alan’s personal collection?  That is a killer deal!

But product aside (since everyone knows how good Hatsune & Haiku food is), I credit the high turn-out to the fact that we are selling more than a great-valued sake dinner, we are selling a fun and unique experience. You will find the event details below, which isn’t your typical event listing.

Details:

Become a Sake Samurai: Exclusively at Haiku by Hatsune 

Hosted by Alan Wong, the master Sushi Sake Samurai himself, Haiku by Hatsune presents its first Sake Tasting Dinner Party. Learn the culture, origins and significance behind sake and the traditional Japanese art of brewing sake from rice and water. Together with a special set menu highlighting Haiku’s signature dishes, Alan will be introducing premium bottles of sake from his own personal collection. Join us as we show you the path to become a Sake Samurai.

RMB 200 per person includes a special 7-course Haiku tasting menu along with four unique types of sake.

And on top of hosting two Sake Tasting Dinner Parties this week, this Saturday, August 15th is Hatsune’s 8 Year Anniversary Party which will include a private sit-down dinner party at the Original Hatsune on Guanghua Lu and after 10pm, Hatsune in the Village will be hosting the official party for everyone to join with all-you-can-drink and sushi appetizers for 100RMB first-come-first-serve till we pack the house.

Believe it or not, within 3 hours of sending out the e-mail for Hatsune’s 8 Year Celebration, the dinner party was booked up with over 100 confirmations and since then, I have had another 100 people asking to get a spot in the off-chance of last-minute cancellations. You snooze, you lose.  For everyone who wasn’t an early bird, the party at Hatsune Sanlitun Village will be epic.  We aim to top the opening party for a night to remember…or can’t remember. 

This goes to show that not only are there still people in Beijing this summer, they can’t seem to get enough of Hatsune.

I guess I gave Beijingers something they wanted.

If you would like to be included in future event notifications, feel free to contact me directly and I’ll hook you up.

Wednesday Night Drinking

1st Stop:  Sake Tasting at Morio

Perks from my job: Alan inviting me to tag along with him to a sweet Sake Tasting at Morio (Hotel G).  It’s quite perfect timing that the great Taka Yamamoto chose this particular time to host a Sake Tasting at Morio – while Alan and I are in the midst or sorting out all the details for Haiku’s Sake Tasting on August 12!

Alan and I are both a little puzzled upon arrival as we are seated at a 2-person table, expecting that we’d be sitting together with a group in an isolated section for the sake tasting. I guess it was not meant to be a group thing.

Taka was great to introduce some very fine and exclusive sakes for the tasting – we tried 5 different sakes, which were paired with the first 5 courses (7 in total).

Just to give you a taste of what we were served:

1^st course: 3 Appetizer Sampler included beef tenderloin in fresh spring roll, two kinds of beans puree, paired with sake marinated Hirame

2^nd course: Cyu-toro Maguro carpaccio + Oyster with sea urchin, caviar and quail egg – big WOW

3^rd course: Grilled Agu fish (kind of creepy to eat)

4^th course: Braised Veggie Dish

5^th course: Scallop & Sea Urchin Tempura

6^th: Rice in Soup

7^th: Watermelon Jelly with Vanilla Ice Cream ** ridiculous, perfect ending to the meal

As great as the meal was, it was good for us to attend another sake tasting to learn from them and tailor our’s to fit Haiku and our specific clientele.

If you are interested in attending, you can sign up by sending me an e-mail, see details below. Please keep in mind that seating is limited.

Become a Sake Samurai:

Exclusively at Haiku by Hatsune

Hosted by Alan Wong, the master Sushi Sake Samurai himself, Haiku by Hatsune presents its first Sake Tasting Dinner Party.  Learn the culture, origins and significance behind sake and the traditional Japanese art of brewing sake from rice and water.  Together with a special set menu highlighting Haiku’s signature dishes, Alan will be introducing premium bottles of sake from his own personal collection.  Join us as we show you the path to become a Sake Samurai.

RMB 200 per person includes a special Haiku tasting menu along with four unique types of sake.

Limited Seating, RSVP Required: Contact Kristen Lum, 13240114868 or e-mail:  lum.kristen@gmail.com. Date: Wednesday, August 12
Time: 7:00pm

2nd Stop: Purple Haze Bistro

After a 7 course meal at Morio and more food at Dan’s local Hunan Spot by 7-11 at Shuangjing Qiao, we head to meet friend at Purple Haze (by Hooters on Gongti Bei Lu) and was reminded that this is a great spot!

Dan Rockin' his New Shades at Purple Haze

Every Wednesday, they have a live jazz band and their drinks are so cheap!

RMB 15 for a big mug of Beijing Draft Beer (my sources compare it to taste similar to Yanjing Beer)

RMB 35 per glass of house red or white wine

RMB 40 for their Shakes (Mango, Berries, Banana flavors)

Rm. 201, Building 3 China View, C2 Gongti Donglu, Gongti (South of The Den)
工体东路丙2号中国红街3号楼201室  The Den的南边

6501-9345

3rd Stop: Vics 威克斯

I don’t get Vics. Maybe it’s just me, but I doubt it.  I always come randomly (through invitation or spontaneously), but whenever I do, I’m dumbfounded.  And since I’ve been to Beijing, it has changed again and again.  But not just through renovations, it changes all the time, as does its clientele.  You definitely see some of the same faces who call Vics their home and are there on a daily basis, but I love to just walk around in Vics and soak in the scene.  As great as it is to come to Vics at 5am after Bling closes, it’s almost more entertaining to go to Vics sober on a Wednesday night.

While it was cool to make rounds and greet the usual suspects, it was quite sad that someone from Vics actually came up to me and said, “Hey! You work at Bling?  You can’t be here!”

“Why?”

“Because you work at Bling.”

‘So?”

“I’m going to tell on you.”

Seriously?  Seriously. Nice one Vics.

Best Part about Vics: It’s consistently full Wednesday–Saturday nights.

Comments:

Wait staff pours out your bottle as quickly as possible and if you leave the table for a split second, your glasses (and the rest of your bottle) will be gone.

They are Haters of Bling, which is sad, we should be friends.

Vics:Inside Workers’ Stadium north gate, Gongti (next to Mix)

工体北门内东侧

5293-0333