Celebrate Fiesta Española with Spanish Wines

Together, MPC Wines from Spain and Mosaico will be hosting a Fiesta Española with free flow Spanish red & white wines, Mahou beer, Flamenco music and a buffet of Spanish tapas for only RMB 50.

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, November 11
• Time: 7:30-10:00PM
• Price:  RMB 50 for free flow wines, beer and tapas buffet
• Location: Mosaico Spanish Restaurant
• Address: No. 10 Dongdaqiao Road, CBD/Guomao. Right to the north of The Place
• RSVP: Call 6773-4688 or e-mail: v.muedra@mpc2008.com

Beijinger Restaurant Awards: Hatsune Wins Best Japanese 6 Years in a Row!

At theBeijinger’s Restaurant Awards on Tuesday, March 16, Hatsune took home Best Japanese for the 6th year in a row, along with Outstanding for Best Decor.

Congratulations to Alan Wong, owner of the Hatsune Empire, for holding it strong and staying at the top of the game 6 years running.

That’s gotta be a record!!

Owner of the Hatsune Empire, Alan Wong goes up on stage with baby Mason Wong to pick up his award for Best Japanese! 6 years in a row baby!

Other big winners from the awards ceremony include:

• SALT – Winner for Best Chef & Runner up for Best Business Lunch, Best Steak, Best Service, Restaurant of the Year
• Mosto – Runner Up for Best Chef, Best Business Lunch, Best Wine List, Best for a Romantic Meal, Restaurant of the Year
• Haidilao – Winner for Best HotPot, and Runner up for Best Service, Chinese Restaurant of the Year
• Da Dong – Winner for Best Contemporary Chinese, Best Duck, Best for Impressing Visitors, Best Chinese Restaurant of the Year
• Maison Boulud - Winner for Best French, Best for a Romantic Meal, Best Wine List, Best Service,  Best Western Restaurant of the Year

Complete list of all Beijinger Dining Awards Categories and Winners, click here.

Collecting Hatsune's Award for Best Japanese

LumDimSummary of Beijinger Restaurant Awards:

Best Part:

• iF Juice was a sponsor!  The most thirst-quenching, delicious fresh juice available in Beijing! I’m kind of obsessed.
• Alan Wong brought up baby Mason to collect his award for Best Japanese (6 years in a row!)
• Cheese by Yellow Valley Cheese is delicious
• Cherry flavored Beer
• Foodie Crowd Galore…or just PR people representing restaurants

Comments:

• Hosts were painfully bad.  Dominic Johnson-Hill of Plastered 8 T-shirts could not pronounce any names if his life depended on it and Ai Wan actually said, and I quote, “Wow! This is extraordinary a woman won Best Chef! Normally chefs are men.  Now, tell me Ana, how old are you?” Someone should censor that woman.
• Joy Luck provided no food for the event and it was just a very random location for a restaurant awards ceremony.

While many of the winners are very deserving of their awards, I was a disappointed to see Annie’s won Best Italian (come on people, it’s not best delivery service), Ganges for Best Indian (they just happen to have the best locations and marketing), and Element Fresh for Best American, Best Sandwiches, and Best Non-Hotel Brunch? I only approve of their smoothies and boycott the rest.

Beijinger’s Restaurant Award Winners vs. LumDimSum’s Votes:

• Best Contemporary Chinese – Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Bei (Opposite House)
• Best Duck -Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Made in China
• Best Sichuan – Beijinger Winner: South Beauty, LumDimSum Vote: Chuan Ban
• Best Dim Sum – Beijinger Winner: Jin Ding Xuan, LumDimSum Vote: Jin Ding Xuan (Tuanjiehu)
  
• Best Hot Pot – Beijinger Winner: Haidilao, LumDimSum Vote: Haidilao
• Best Kung Pao Chicken – Beijinger Winner: South Beauty, LumDimSum Vote: Black Sesame Kitchen
• Best Xinjiang – Beijinger Winner: Red Rose, LumDimSum Vote: Crescent Moon
• Best Yunan – Beijinger Winner: Middle 8th Restaurant, LumDimSum Vote: Middle 8th Restaurant
• Best French- Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud
• Best Indian / Pakistani – Beijinger Winner: Ganges, LumDimSum Vote: Punjabi
• Best Italian -Beijinger Winner: Annie’s, LumDimSum Vote: Sadler Ristorante & Metro
  
• Best Japanese – Beijinger Winner: Hatsune, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune & Kagen Teppanyaki
• Best Mediterranean – Beijinger Winner: Sureno, LumDimSum Vote: Sureno
• Best Mexican – Beijinger Winner: Saddle Cantina, LumDimSum Vote: Pete’s Tex Mex
• Best Middle Eastern – Beijinger Winner: 1001 Nights, LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta
• Best Thai – Beijinger Winner: Purple Haze, LumDimSum Vote: Aroy-D (by Fulicheng)
• Best Vietnamese – Beijinger Winner: Muse, LumDimSum Vote: Luga’s Pho-Pho
• Best American – Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh, LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill
• Best Business Lunch – Beijinger Winner: Alameda, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune
• Family-Friendly Restaurant – Beijinger Winner: Annie’s, LumDimSum Vote: Orchard
• Impressing Visitors – Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Duck de Chine
• Best Brunch (Non-Hotel) – Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh, LumDimSum Vote: Orchard
• Best Hotel Brunch – Beijinger Winner: Westin Financial Street & Westin Chaoyang, LumDimSum Vote: Westin Chaoyang
• Best Pizza – Beijinger Winner: The Tree, LumDimSum Vote: The Tree
• Best Sandwiches – Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh, LumDimSum Vote: Sequoia Cafe
  
• Best Steak – Beijinger Winner: Meat & Wine Co., LumDimSum Vote: Meat & Wine Co.
• Best Tapas – Beijinger Winner: Olas Tapas Cafe, LumDimSum Vote: Mosaico
• Wine List – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Enoteca
• Best Burger – Beijinger Winner: Let’s Burger, LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill
• Best For a Romantic Meal – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Capital M
• Best Chef – Beijinger Winner: Ana Esteves – SALT, LumDimSum Vote: Max Levy – Bei/Apothecary
• Best Décor – Beijinger Winner: LAN, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune & Capital M
• Best Service – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud
• Restaurant of the Year (Chinese) – Beijinger Winner: Da Dong, LumDimSum Vote: Made in China
• Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese) – Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud, LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

A Whole New World of Dining @ World City

Just north of The Place, the new complex World City is quickly filling up with delightful, new restaurants and cafes – marking it’s place in Beijing’s ever-evolving and growing dining scene.

It’s relatively a new apartment complex equipped with its own gym, cinema, and business center, but they’ve also got a few shops – The Source (shop selling T-shirts to sneakers) along with new additions to the dining scene.

So far, their restaurant record is strong, going 2 for 2! Both places I’ve been introduced to – San Francisco eatz! & Mosaico have been most impressive and have left me craving for more.

Owned by Professor Bruce Quan, a professor at Peking University Law School, San Francisco eatz! was originally started to assist Chinese university students with financial assistance, real world and western cross cultural skills training in addition to their normal studies while at the university. That little bit of background aside, this is a great spot for a quick bite.  Located on the main floor of SOHO Shangdu, SF eatz! is mainly a catering company serving embassies, businesses, etc. but they also have a few places to sit with a counter top and 2 small tables.  I recommend their sandwiches (Napa Valley Style Smoked Turkey Breast, California Style Roast Beef, etc.), Chicken Quesadilla, Soups in Sourdough Bread Bowls, and pasta salad.  They also serve Asian Fusion Dishes, pasta, burgers and hot dogs (but these I do not recommend).

Review of San Francisco eatz!:   1/F, SOHO Shangdu West Bldg., Dong Daqiao Lu, CBD/Guomao, SOHO尚都西座一层;   Tel: 136-0111-8803

Best Part:

• Simple, California-style dishes with fresh ingredients and fair prices.
• Great option for catering (from small dinner parties to 1,000 pax events)
• They have sourdough bread bowls!  (but clam chowder was not as thick has I had hoped and it was a bit small)
• Very friendly service – both the owner and his wife are super nice and a portion of the restaurants profits go to worthy community based projects chosen by the university students themselves.

Comments:

• They are only open for lunch (not after 4 or 5PM)
• As they are mainly a catering business, they do not have much seating available and are often out of certain menu items.
• Burgers are not that good and food quality/taste is not that consistent.
• Nothing is particularly extraordinary, but I love the concept and if I’m in the area, I love to stop by to grab food on the go.
• Relatively new start-up, I hope that they begin expanding soon!

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

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 3
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 6

Mosaico is a new Spanish restaurant serving delicious tapas and a nice wine list.  I checked out their 4-course set lunch menu, which included a soup, salad, main course and dessert.  The atmosphere is lovely, service was very professional (Spanish manager), and quality was great.

Review of Mosaico: World City, No. 10 Dongdaqiao Road, CBD/Guomao  东大桥路10号 世贸天阶北边; Tel: 8590-7855, 139-1150-7006, 138-1172-3840

Best Part:

• Authentic Spanish restaurant that serves Jamon Iberico from Spain and a great tapas selection
• Quality, fresh ingredients, extensive food and wine menu
• Beautiful decor and professional service

Comments:

• I had a nice experience, but I would still prefer Niajo Spanish Restaurant in Nali Patio (best Paella EVER)
• A bit pricey (so I recommend set lunch special)
• Still relatively new and beautifully designed, but atmosphere is lacking as it’s been pretty empty every time I’ve been there or passed by

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

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

In the World City area, I poked my head around and I also found YueHe Vietnamese Restaurant, a small Korean restaurant speacializing in Korean stone rice bowls, a Costa Coffee Cafe with a Polar Party Ice Cream section serving ice cream combos, milk shakes, hot dogs and popcorn…there’s something for everyone!  *Ahem*

Seriously though, I’d stick with Mosaico, SF eatz!, or pop next door to The Place and feel good at CJW, Trends’ Lounge or Enoteca for quality food for great value.