One of Beijing’s Old-Timers: Morel’s Restaurant

Morel’s is one of Beijing’s oldest Western restaurants, established in 2000, long before Beijing’s dining scene blew up with the high standards of the Legation Quarter and the populated, trendy Sanlitun restaurant selection.

And you’ve got to give credit to the old-timers still standing.  I’ve driven by both Morel’s outlets thousands of times, seeing the bright green “Morel’s” sign bordered with white Christmas lights, I’ve always been curious to try out the goods, considering they have a reputation for good steaks and Belgium beer.

With the great value of CW Gourmet Month menus, I took this opportunity to hit up Morel’s for the first time. Morel’s Gourmet Month menu looked pretty enticing with 4 courses (soup, appetizer, entree and dessert) for a reasonable RMB 150 per person.

I’ve never been to Belgium before, so I’m not sure the standards for a typical Belgium-style restaurant, but the inside interior of Morel’s is pretty old-fashioned and honestly, quite lame with the green and white checkered table cloths and all their staff wearing bright orange uniforms.

We were greeted and served by one of the most impressive waiters I have ever encountered in a Beijing restaurant.  He spoke fantastic English, he was incredibly polite and extremely knowledgeable and informative of the menu and answered all of our questions (such a rare find).

The quantity of the food was plenty, quality mediocre. The bisque of crayfish soup was too salty, but it was served piping hot and was good to dip the toasty, warm bread. The foie gras was good, but served on standard salad greens (they were out of endives) and the two grilled beef medallions were ok, served with Belgium Frites (typical fries). For dessert, the chocolate fondant was firm throughout (no oozing chocolate coming out of the center) with vanilla ice cream on top.

Overall, it was good value for RMB 150, but considering the tacky atmosphere and average food taste, I most likely will not be returning. For a quaint restaurant serving European cuisine and good steaks, I’d recommend Chef Too, Alameda or SALT.

Review of Morel’s Restaurant: Gongti Bei Lu, opposite Workers’ Gymnasium North Gate, northwest corner of Chunxiu Lu 工体北路 朝阳区工体北路春秀路西北角工人体育馆北门对面 Tel: 6416-8802

Best Part:

• Our waiter spoke amazing English, was incredibly polite and extremely knowledgeable and informative of the menu
• Easy to find location, across from Gongti North Gate
• One of Beijing’s oldest standing Western restaurants (respect for old-timers)
• Good Belgium beer & Belgium waffles
• Decent food for a reasonable price

Comments:

• Tacky interior design and mediocre food quality (reminded me of Brasserie Flo in terms of overall dining experience)
• The place would be a million times better if they redesigned their outside sign, updated their menu, fixed up their interior design and had more promotions of their Belgium beer.
• It’s a decent place, but just nothing to write home about. I probably won’t return considering the vast selection of amazing restaurants available in Beijing, but I would not be against giving them another try.

Best for Last

Since the opening of Capital M mid-September, I’ve been dying to go back and I just found the perfect opportunity – Sophia’s last night in Beijing, I saved the best for last: dinner at Capital M (which was such a girl-date) followed by a tour of the Legation Quarter inclusive of a drink at Fez, Saul’s birthday bash at Punk (dance madness), topping the night off with my love, BLING.

Sophia's Last Night in Beijing

When I was planning this dinner at Capital M, everyone and their mother said they were down to come along with all the good word-of-mouth praising the food and drinks, but with the changing weather and everyone feeling ill and bailing out, the dinner party went from a party of 8 to me and Sophia’s ‘girl date’ (and Candy joining us for dessert).

At last month’s opening, everyone had good things to say about Capital M.  It was warm enough still to hang out on the beautiful terrace with a spectacular view, and there was a LOT of free food and drinks.  The freebies aside, what really sold me before was actually the venue design.  I love Capital M’s colorful, hand-painted artwork along the walls and the cozy boxed fireplaces throughout the venue.  What a perfect place for a date…even though in this case, it was just a girl-date. haha.

And this time around, I really got to the true Capital M dining experience, which was such a treat. The service was fantastic, the wines were lovely, and the food was beyond remarkable.

Sophia and I shared a starter – the Audacious Aubergines, a refreshing, cold appetizer with 3 different types of aubergines. For mains, Sophia ordered their Fesengjan – Iranian duck leg with spiced duck breast, walnuts & pomegranates, which was such a flavorful combination and we loved the cucumber & dill salad on the side.  Also a meat lover, I ordered the Leg of Lamb, which came with smashed yams, sauteed spinach and glazed shallots. The lamb was so tender, it melted in my mouth.

The portions were generous and we were stuffed, but with Candy coming to join us, we decided to indulge in gluttony and go for their Grand Dessert Platter  that included a tasting of their entire dessert menu – 3 various sorbets/ice cream, raspberry souffle, creme brulee, orange and cardamom canaloni and our favorites: the baked bananas and M’s famous Pavlova (meringue with passionfruit ice cream and topped with fruit).  Best dessert platter ever – it was so good it practically put us in a coma. Their pavlova alone is reason enough to go back.

After dinner, we were given a grand tour of the venue – it’s a shame the weather is getting cold so fast, but I was happy to see that they have transformed the lounge area with the cool rooftop is now being used as a dining section as well.

Once again, two thumbs up!

Thanks again to our perfect host, restaurant manager Fabian Ernst for making the evening such a delightful experience and for introducing me to Michelle, the owner and creator of all three M restaurants: M on the Bund, M on the Fringe, and now in Beijing – Capital M.  *Interesting fact: Michelle has no investors, business partners, nada.  Australian bred, Michelle is a one woman show in all three of her restaurants.  What an accomplished, talented woman – very, very  impressive.

A Tour of ‘The New Beijing’

It seems like a lifetime ago, but when I first moved to Beijing in 2006, I came as a student to study Mandarin at World Link Education.  Back in those days, everything was all play and stress-free – ah, the life as a student.  My crew’s regular hangout spot was Together Bar (which was recently demolished this summer and replaced with a park) and our regular party spots included none other than Babyface, Cargo, Bar Blu, Kai Bar, Suzie Wong’s and Vics (before the re-model).

Since then, so much has changed in Beijing pre and post the 2008 Olympics.

This October holiday, my best friend from World Link, Sophia Gericke came back to visit for 10 days – a visit that has been both refreshing and eye-opening.  It’s so easy to get caught up in all the small things and forget to see the big picture.  It’s hard to imagine that only a year ago, there was no Sanlitun Village, there was no Opposite House, no Bling, no Solana, no Legation Quarter, etc. etc.

With Sophia back in Beijing after a 3 years, I wanted her to experience the best of what I like to call, ‘The New Beijing’.

Having already lived in Beijing, Sophia had no interest in seeing any tourist attractions, so I was able to really give her a taste of Beijing’s new and improved dining and nightlife scene.

Here’s what the 10 day tour consisted of:

1. Sanlitun Village (Hatsune, Karaiya, Blue Frog for drinks, Panino Teca)
2. Opposite House (Alan’s Hotel Party in one of the suites, Mesh & Punk)
3. Solana (All-Star & Bling)
4. Legation Quarter Tour & dinner @ Capital M (Qianmen Pedestrian Street)
5. Park Hyatt’s Xiu
6. Olympic Green (complete with attending the Turandot Opera in Bird’s Nest)
7. 1949-The Hidden City: Club Décolleté, Club Glen, Sugar Cafe, Well Bar
8. Scarlett (Hotel G)
9. Glen Boutique Bar & Oden
10. d lounge
    

    Keep it Gangsta Party @ BLING

11. Vics (renovated)
12. Block 8‘s Ruby Khi (renovated)
13. Suzie Wong’s (unchanged)
14. Chocolate Club
15. Vineyard Cafe (best Sunday brunch)
16. Chef Too (Sunday brunch)
17. Regency Taipan (massage)
18. PurpleJade Country Club (spa)

What Sundays Mean to Me: Brunchathon Breakdown

When I was a kid, Sundays meant ‘the day before Monday’, which was almost as dreaded at Mondays themselves.  Sundays meant that the weekend was almost over and I had to prepare for the long stretch of the school week ahead – 5 long days of waking up early, homework, piano lessons, more homework and tests.

Now that my weekends are the most hectic and busy days of the week for me, with my Fridays & Saturdays running straight from morning to late night – 4 or 5am – Sundays are now the days I look forward to most, they are my days of bliss and leisure.

And my favorite part about Sundays?  BRUNCH!!

Here are my top picks for Sunday Brunch (See Below for Details):

1. The Vineyard Cafe

2. Solaire Bistro

3. Village Cafe

4. Chef Too

5. Element Fresh

6. Cafe Zarah

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1. The Vineyard Café: A hidden gem, down an alley across from Yonghegong (Lama Temple). I say ‘hidden’ in the sense that it’s a bit difficult to find, but it’s incredibly popular. I went there today without a reservation (who knew?) and now I know, especially if you want to sit in their outdoor courtyard seating.

For those looking for a hearty meal after a rough weekend, I highly recommend the “Full English Breakfast” for RMB 65, which gets you generous portions of the following:

• 2 Pork Sausages
• Sautéed Potatoes
• 2 Rashers of Bacon
• Grilled Tomato
• Button Mushrooms
• Baked Beans
• Toast & Butter
• Egg (however you like it)

On top of all that, you also get a choice of coffee or tea AND a glass of fresh apple juice (which is just the icing on a cake)

My personal favorites:

• Ben-e’fish’-ial RMB 35

Like Eggs Benedict, but with imported Norwegian smoked salmon on a bed of arugula instead of ham.  Only downside is that it’s quite small.  Instead of two halves of an English muffin with 2 poached eggs, etc., it’s just one half, so I recommend to also get a side dish.

• Natural Yogurt RMB 11 with a side of honey

The Yogurt with Musseli and Fresh Fruit looked really tempting as well.

*Best to check map to make sure you don’t get lost:

31 Wudaoying Hutong,Yonghegong - west of Yonghegong 
五道营胡同31号  雍和宫桥南

6402-7961

2.  Solaire Bistro: An all-you-can-eat Organic Sunday Brunch for only RMB 88!! (from 11am-3pm)

All-You-Can-Eat & Drink includes:

• Unlimited Fresh Fruit
• Organic Homemade Yogurt
• Fresh Mango Lassi
• Tea & Coffee
• Organic Salad
• Fresh Bread
• Cheese Platter
• Pumpkin Soup
• Baked Scallops**soooo good
• Samosas (a bit of Indian influence from Solaire’s manager)
• Potato Croquets
• Organic Bacon and Sausages
• Organic Omelets

In addition to the unlimited salad and appetizers available, you also get a choice of One Main Entrée:

• Grilled Lamb Chops** I recommend this, it was perfectly cooked and so so delicious)
• Home-style Beef (like a meatloaf)
• Potato Gratin
• Grilled Sea Bass Fillet
• Pork Ribs

Solaire’s brunch is a great option for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone looking for a healthier brunch option.  Make sure you check out a map on your way there so that you don’t get lost.

Beside Wanda (Sofitel) on Zhenzhi Lu at Cable 8 Block B ground floor,
CBD/Guomao
Beside Wanda (Sofitel) Facing Guomao
北京朝阳区建国路郎家园8号尚8创意产业园区B座东侧108

5208-3689

3.   Village Café (Located on the First Floor of Opposite House in Sanlitun):  Wonderful selection of brunch items and came highly recommended to me.

Best Part: Every dish I’ve seen and sampled– from their Eggs Benedict to their Banana Pancakes and Sandwiches are top-notch.  Food is delicious. Period.

Comments:

• Chairs could be more comfortable
• The food and selection is great, but too pricey considering all the other great brunch options in Beijing.

4.  Chef Too – Known for their steaks, I’ve just been for their brunch.

Best Part:

• Great Brunch Selection
• Delicious Eggs Benedict

Comments:

• Super Pricey – I think it’s close to RMB 100 just for eggs benedict

5.  Element Fresh – People love to hate Element Fresh. Why?  It’s overpriced, it’s overrated, it’s not as healthy as it seems, the service is terrible, they always run out of everything…and yet we keep coming back.

Best Part:

• Element’s got the best smoothies in town, and it’s exactly what your body craves and needs after a long weekend.
• Salad Combinations are Awesome
• Huge outdoor terrace, perfect for a nice summer day

Comments: See above.

6. Café Zarah (located on Gulou): A sweet little Cafe on Gulou

Best Part:

• Cozy, relaxed little coffee shop with great wifi
• Good people-watching perch
• Breakfast Combo selections includes a great selection of breads, ham/salami, cheese, boiled egg, tomatoes, cucumbers, jelly, and some include nutella.
• Also offer a lot of sandwiches, pastas, etc.
• They sell ice cream provided by Gustomenta

Comments:

• Limited staff and quite busy, so everytime I needed anything, I needed to walk up to the counter to ask for drink refill, napkins, maidan, etc.

42 Gulou Dongdajie , near Jiaodaokou
鼓楼东大街42号

8403-9807

In a league of it’s own:  Top Hotel Champagne Brunches

1.   Senses (The Westin Financial Street) – Expect to drop a pretty penny, but it’s worth it.  This is by far the most elaborate, extensive, high-quality hotel brunch in Beijing. Champagne included is close to RMB 400 including the 15% service charge, it’s about 50 RMB less without the bubbly.

2.  Monsoon (InterContinental) – Pricier than Senses as its RMB 398 + 15% service charge for free-flow champagne, but they also have infinite Haagen Daaz Ice Cream.

3.  VIC short for Voyage of International Cuisines (Sofitel Hotel by Wanda Plaza) RMB 358 inclusive of champagne

Not the best brunch, a lot of variety, they have a great cheese selection and their dessert section has beautiful chocolate eclairs and I always have so much fun here.

Recent Brunch Experience:

Agua Aperitivo Brunch:

I had the pleasure of joining my friend for a complimentary meal at Agua when they first launched their new Aperitivo Brunch – all-you-can-eat tapas for RMB 198 per person.

Best Part:

• Enjoying the sunshine on Agua’s lovely outdoor terrace with its beautiful view overlooking the Legation Quarter (I don’t like to call it Ch’ien Men 23)
• The fact that you can order as many tapas as you’d like (20 choices)
• Salad with Avocado, strawberries, asparagus and hazelnut is outstanding
• Great Diced fresh fruit dessert with ice cream on top
• Service was very friendly and attentive

Comments:

• Too much mousse/foam…in everything
• Spanish Omelets were just scrambled eggs combined with other ingredients
• Not a good drink selection – only one fresh fruit drink
• Only 2 other tables in the restaurant

Ch’ienmen 23, 23 Qianmen Dongdajie,
Tian’anmen
前门东大街23号

6559-6266