SALT Celebrates 4 Years with UNICEF

Beijing’s beloved SALT Restaurant is about to celebrate their 4 year anniversary this Thursday, December 1. Crazy how fast time flies, I remember attending their pre-opening party way back when!  Guaranteed to have plenty of their legendary cheese balls and other signature savory snacks, guests are sure to be spoiled for choice!

Featuring free-flow drinks and pass-around snacks, the event’s proceeds will go to UNICEF.  Tickets are RMB 250 (pre-event) or RMB 300 (at door).

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, December 1, 2011
• Time: 7PM
• Tickets: RMB 250 (pre-event), RMB 300 (at the door) 
• Location: SALT
• Address: West of Rosedale Hotel in Lido across from Japanese school, 9 Jiangtai Xilu, 将台西路
• Contact: 6437 8457
• RSVP: info@saltrestaurantbeijing.com

Beijing’s First Greenland Bazaar in Greenland Garden

Introducing Beijing’s first Greenland Bazaar! Might be something worth checking out next Wednesday, November 30 from 10AM-3:30PM.

And while you’re in the Lido ‘hood, you can stop by the new GungHo! Pizza HQ for some scrumptious salads and organic wholewheat crust pizza!  If you haven’t already, try all-time favorite: their Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Pizza.  See their website here.  To vote for GungHo! in theBeijinger’s Pizza Cup, vote here.

Greenland Bazaar Event Details: 

• Date: Wednesday, November 30
• Time: 10AM-3:30PM
• Location: House 57 Greenland Garden
• Address: Jiangtai Xilu

GungHo! 2.0 Launches New Lido Branch TODAY

Last night, I was invited to a sneak peek of the NEW! GungHo! 2.0 branch in Lido and I before I knew it, 3 hours had gone by!  With a combination of media and business associates, all had come to see the new GungHo! Headquarters!

Located in the space of the old Pete’s Tex Mex, just west of Jenny Lou’s, GungHo! occupies a freakin’ monstrous space. They have taken over all four floors (basement for their Central Kitchen, 1st floor store, 2nd floor office space and 3rd floor GungHo! Culture Training Center), it’s a huge leap from their original mini-pizza joint in Gongti.

In their new space, everything is brand-spanking new.  The Central Kitchen space will soon be in full operation, able to accommodate up to 8 GungHo! restaurants (yes, they plan to expand ALL over Beijing).  They have tons of storage space, a designated hygiene area (we were all given hair caps to wear before we could step inside) and massive cooking area.  The 1st floor (for customers) is spacious, they also have giant kitchen, a long menu board and plenty of seating with tall benches and comfy stools. But my favorite bit has to be their top floor where GungHo!’s brilliant company culture is groomed and improved every day.

Click this article here for a taste of GungHo’s company culture training video.

LDS Tour of the New GungHo! 2.0 Lido Store:

B1 Central Kitchen & Storage

Designated Hygiene Area / 2nd Floor Office Space

1st Floor Kitchen and Customer Seating

3rd Floor GungHo! Company Culture Training Center

The GungHo! Dream Team

Back on the 1st floor, the menu remains the same (although there was recently a hike-up in GungHo!’s prices – click here for article), prices are still great value and their salads and pizzas have maintained their consistent taste of goodness.  Their salads are massive, I love their whole wheat crust pizzas and best of all, I love all the GungHo! smiling faces.

LumDimSum Snapshots of GungHo!’s Menu Items:

Best part of the evening was when Marketing Ninja, Rich Akers invited me inside for a try making my very own pizza creation!  I got to choose from all of their ingredients (from Black ham to Camembert cheese and Sweet Potato chunks) and their chefs gave me moral support every step of the way (I admit I can be quite indecisive when I’m overwhelmed for choice).

D-I-Y GungHo! Pizza ie, The Creation of the LumDimSum GungHo! Pizza:

In the end, I went for the following ingredients: Black Ham, Camembert Cheese (I just had to), mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, grilled chicken, sweet potato chunks.

Combining black ham with Camembert cheese and sweet potato chunks was a gamble, but the end-product was remarkable (Rich and Jade can testify, my pizza was DA BOMB) and I very well plan to submit my LumDimSum GungHo! Pizza Creation to the GungHo! Headquarters for menu approval ASAP!  :)

Me & My “LumDimSum GungHo! Pizza” Baby

LumDimSum Snapshots of the NEW! GungHo! Headquarters:

Congratulations to John, Jade & Rich on the New GungHo! 2.0!

LumDimSum Discovery: Maan’s Bulgogi Burger

I probably would not have come to this cafe on my own, so I am very grateful to my fellow foodie Saul Diaz for the introduction.  Located in Lido, just to the right side of Ai Jiang Shan Korean BBQ restaurant, MAAN Coffee is a Korean cafe that’s relatively new and specializes in coffee and waffle desserts.

From the outside, it’s a massive two-story building with tinted glass windows and as soon as you walk inside, you are basically standing in line to place your order.

MAAN Coffee Ordering & Pick-Up Stations

Glass Counter Displays of Plastic Food & Desserts

Looking at two glass counter displays of plastic food and desserts, I would normally have been turned off by this point, but my foodie accomplice swears by their Bulgogi Burgers.  We each ordered our own (each order comes with two burgers) and priced at RMB 48.

I don’t drink coffee, so I opted instead for a fresh kiwi juice, but I hear their coffee is half decent.  Walking through the seating space, the place is packed with loungers, computer users (they provide a few impressive Mac computers for customers to browse the web) and mostly couples indulging in their waffle desserts.

A nice bonus is that the cafe features several counters stocked with napkins, hot and cold water, milk and sugar for coffee and bowls of cinnamon toast sticks!  A nice complimentary treat and definitely popular with the coffee drinkers.  I would have wanted to try some of their desserts, but I was way too stuffed after gorging two bulgogi burgers and too many cinnamon sticks.

Overall, the cafe has an incredibly quirky design, it’s a massive space that’s always busy and best of all, they have the best Bulgogi Burger ever.  I’ve never heard, seen or tried a bulgoki burger anywhere else, but I’m sure this one beats out all other because it really is fantabulous.

*LumDimSum Discovery Explanation: Whenever I try a dish worth sharing, I will post this find as a LumDimSum Discovery.  Just click tagged LumDimSum Discovery articles for more recommendations.

Review of Maan Coffee Waffle & Toast: Just right of Ai Jiang Shan Korean BBQ restaurant in Lido, Unit 106-107, Bldg 9, Central Park, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District, 朝阳区朝阳门外大街新城国际9号楼106-107室; Tel: 6597 0085, 6597 0223

Best Part:

• MAAN Coffee’s Bulgogi Burgers are BOMB
• Cool cafe to hang out in the Lido area
• Tasty waffle & fruit ice desserts
• Free Wifi & plenty of couch seating
• Nice computers for customers to browse the web
• Newly opened, MAAN is already bustling with coffee and dessert lovers

Comments:

• Background music is awful – everything from hip hop to pop and just everything you don’t want to listen to when lounging at a cafe
• Service is also awful, cashiers often get orders wrong and don’t take responsibility and waitstaff is unhelpful and unfriendly
• Decor is kind of quirky and cool in some respects, but also ostentatious 
• One time, cashier refused to accept cash and only wanted customer to pay with card
• It’s quick, casual so customers order at the counter and are given a teddy bear with a number to receive their meal
• Customers can help themselves to complimentary hot and ice water…and cinnamon sticks! 
• I don’t think there is a non-smoking area, there were people smoking cigarettes throughout the upstairs section

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

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 6
• Service: 5
• Overall Experience: 7

Putting A ‘Spin’ On It

It’s happening…I’ve reached that point in my life when everyone I know is starting to get married…lucky for me, Spin Ceramics has been my savior for every wedding I’ve been invited to thus far.  Spin Ceramics has really been a gem of a find and I want to share this incredible store with my LumDimSum friends.

With beautiful ceramic art design with traditional Chinese touch, these pieces are all as beautiful as they are exquisite and unique. Featuring designs by a group of talented Shanghainese artists, you can see the different faces who are behind each of these masterpieces. With a trend towards innovative Japanese style, they offer everything from beautiful tea sets to Japanese sake sets, bowls, giant coffee mugs, vases and original serving platters.  And an added bonus – everything is reasonably priced and with every purchase, they provide simple, yet elegant gift wrapping with all purchases, Spin Ceramics is your answer if you are in the search for gifts that are not only practical, but original and exquisitely beautiful.

Spin Ceramics Contact Details:

• Address: Across from Element Fresh in Lido, 6 Fangyuan Xi Lu Chaoyang  朝阳区芳园西路6号
• Tel: 6437 8649
• Email: spinceramics@126.com

LumDimSum Snapshots of Spin Ceramics:

Killer Korean BBQ: Ai Jiang Shan

One of the best Korean restaurants in town, I’ve got to give some love to Ai Jiang Shan. Located in Lido, this Korean restaurant is known for its quality meat, delicious side dishes and impressive decor.

Highly recommended by my friend who is an exceptionally tough food critic, especially when it comes to Korean cuisine, she was eager to introduce me to her top pick Korean restaurant in town.  And I must admit, they’ve got it down from the beautiful interior space, the string quartet as background music, to the table service and super massive menu selection.

Some say Ai Jiang Shan is on the expensive side, but I’d say that outside of WuDaoKou and WangJing aka Korea-Town, this restaurant is one of the best and is guaranteed to impress.

The check came to be about RMB 300 for two (no alcohol included), but we ordered a ton and it was all delicious.  I’d say that the most challenging part of our dining experience was picking what to order out of so many mouth-watering choices.

Highlights were the Bulgogi (stir-fry marinated beef with mushrooms), Chapche (glass noodles) and all the free side dishes.

LumDimSum Foodie Snapshots:

Awesome Free Side Dishes

Set of Four Sauces for the meat

Grilled Mushroom Bulgogi (stir-fry marinated beef) RMB 128/Pork Belly RMB 78

Chapche (clear glass noodles in Korean sauce) RMB 45/Kimchi Pajun (Korean pancake) RMB 58

Review of Ai Jiang Shan: North Gate of Side Gongyuan, Jiangtai Xilu, 将台西路四德公园北门 , Tel: 8456-9511

Best Part:

• Best tasty (free) side dishes I’ve tried at a Korean restaurant
• Quality meat and nice sauces to pair
• Massive menu offering all types of meat, seafood, veggies and Korean staples
• Very professional and skilled service staff to do all preparing and cooking for you
• Peaceful ambiance with string quartet as a nice touch
• Impressive restaurant space and beautiful VIP rooms surrounded in glass.

Comments:

• It’s such a nice upgrade from dining experiences at cheaper spots like Han Na Shan, but sometimes it’s also fun to eat a ton of food for super cheap (RMB 50 per head) and grill your meats yourself.  But if you’re looking for a more relaxed and enjoyable dining experience, I’d recommend Ai Jiang Shan.
• It’s worth noting that this restaurant came highly recommended by Korean foodie experts.
• Ai Jiang Shan is a restaurant chain with another location in Haidian district.

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

• Food: 8
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 8
  

Park Side Bar & Grill Launches their Brunch

While I’m always multi-tasking different projects simultaneously and stuck permanently with an irregular schedule, Sunday brunch is one of the few consistent things in my life that I look forward to on a weekly basis.  It’s no secret I’m always on the prawl for new brunch spots and Park Side Bar & Grill is one of the best brunches I’ve had in quite some time.

Only about seven weeks old (opened on May 28, 2010), Park Side is already a popular sports bar and hang out (packed throughout the World Cup) in the Lido neighborhood and word on the street is that they’ve got the best lasagna in town. Lasagna aside, Park Side serves a solid a la carte menu with a wide selection of cocktails, smoothies, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts, Park Side has most recently launched a new brunch menu and will soon start offering a set lunch menu (RMB 78/98 for 2/3 courses + drink).

Their brunch menu is served on weekends from 11:00-16:00 and offers a Build-Your-Own 3-egg omelet option (RMB 48 for 3 sides) and an assortment of eggs benedict varieties (RMB 68) and other classic breakfast staples (English breakfast, Yankee Breakfast, pancakes, crepes, etc. for RMB 48-68).

To start, I ordered the Yogi Brrr smoothie - tropical combination of mango, pineapple, banana, kiwi and yoghurt (RMB 38/48 for 245ml/400ml).

We then ordered a few salads – the Chili Mango Shrimp Salad (large size) with pan-seared shrimp & chili mango salsa and the Summer Strawberry (small size) with fresh strawberries and chunks of blue cheese topped with crisp leaves and balsamic dressing. Both salads were great starters and perfect for a hot summer day. All salads are RMB 48/68 depending if you prefer your salad portion as a starter or a main course. See here the portions for a large salad vs. a small salad.

For mains, we ordered the Build-Your-Own Omelet and chose smoked salmon, shredded Swiss cheese and spinach. Other omelet add-in options include diced ham, diced sausage, diced bacon, tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, mushrooms and onions. Portions were generous and for RMB 48, this is a great deal, but the omelet was a little dry.

On the other hand, my friend Andreas ordered the Mediterranean Benedict (RMB 68) which was the BEST eggs benedict in Beijing. Instead of an English muffin, they use homemade foccacia bread which is topped with rich tomato ratatouille, thinly sliced Parma ham, 2 poached eggs topped with white wine tomato butter sauce.  To me, this was the holy grail of eggs benedicts – it was that good.

Review of Park Side Bar & Grill: 6-9 Jiangtai Xilu (facing Rosedale Hotel), 将台西路9-6号, Tel: 6444-6555

Best Part:

• Casual, comfortable Western-style restaurant in the Lido area
• Versatile environment that is suitable for anything from a casual lunch to late night drinks.
• Mediterranean Benedict is the best benedict I’ve tried in Beijing – you gotta try it to believe it.
• Long smoothie selection with variety of fresh fruit juice available
• Refreshing summer salads (Chili Mango Shrimp & Strawberry Blue Cheese were great combos)
• Super friendly service, manager Robbie was a great host
• Prices are absolutely reasonable considering the portions are generous and the chef’s creations are innovative and definitely worth coming back for.

Comments:

• I hear from several sources that the lasagna is the best in town, but I yet to try it for myself.
• Park Side serves great food, but it still feels more like a bar than a restaurant even during the day.  When we went for brunch, there were a few other tables of people, but it was pretty quiet for a Sunday afternoon. While I prefer the environment/decor of Element Fresh, Park Side’s food, service and value is MUCH better. Considering they are newly opened, I think they have a ton of potential.
• Something to look forward to – they will soon be serving set lunch menus – RMB 78/98 for 2/3 courses + drink

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

• Food: 8
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 8