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)

A Plethora of Personality: Madame Zhu’s Kitchen

Located in the basement of Vantone Center, I was not quite sure what to expect.

As I entered the double door entrance, I took myself on a tour of the space before heading to my table. The immediate things that caught my eye as I walked around the space was the strong sense of personality and style.

The walls are covered with playful portraits of people goofing around with food. There is art everywhere, quirky statues randomly dispersed around the venue, tall shelves stacked with magazines fashion and art magazines, and I am a sucker for the painted white brick walls, accentuated by black frame doors.

The center of the space is a typical restaurant seating style, but there are also beautifully adorned private dining rooms all around the exterior of the space, each one unique and original. 

Visuals aside, there is also a live vocal pianist singing both English and Chinese songs, which is a nice touch to the dining experience.

Above all else, the most important and the biggest draw of Madame Zhu is her exceptional cuisine.  Every single dish that we ordered was mouth-watering goodness. A+ for food quality, taste, portion, presentation and value.

The only drawback is their very extensive menu, which is not normally a bad thing, but in this case, there are so many options and only a few photos of highlighted dishes, which left me a little overwhelmed and confused.

But as I said, every dish that came out was made to perfection and I can’t wait to go back and sample more of what they offer.

Message within Menu @ Madame Zhu's Kitchen

Review of Madame Zhu: Daily 11am-9.30pm. B1/F, Bldg D, Vantone Center, 6A Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (5907 1625) 汉舍中国菜馆, 朝阳区朝阳门外大街甲6号万通中心D座地下1层;  Tel: 5907-1625/1626

Best Part:

• Serving fine Sichuan cuisine, Madame Zhu gets an A+ for food quality, taste, portion, presentation and value
• Original and creative decor of space
• Fine choices of private room seating
• The space exudes creative style and a quirky personality

Comments:

• Menu is overwhelming and confusing to navigate, but I was pleased to find that the staff was very knowledgeable and able to recommend their most popular dishes. I was even more pleased to find that every order was made to perfection
• A shame that this gem is located in the basement of an office building, but I have no doubt that it’s only a matter of time before word about Madame Zhu’s Kitchen will spread like wildfire.

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

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