Two Thumbs Up: Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB)

Temple Restaurant Beijing has been all the rave since it finally opened it’s doors to public a few weeks back.

With an ancient history of 600 years, this venue has served many purposes from an ancient hall of worship to a factory space with slogans still left over from the Cultural Revolution. With much of the original structure still in tact, the wear and tear of this venue is real and raw.

“Zhizhusi is the centerpiece of The Temple Hotel. Today, it is part of a spacious cultural venue covering almost 3,500 square meters. Careful restoration of the Temple uncovered a treasure trove of woodwork and ceiling frescos, all hidden under decades of dust. Some of the original Sanskrit paintings on the wooden panels survived. Unfortunately, only 30% out of a total 180 panels could be restored.” 

In the couple times I’ve visited and dined at TRB, I was fortunate enough to have Ignace Lecleir, the man behind this project himself lead an introductory tour of the beautiful parts within this compound.  One of my favorite parts of this venue is the decaying rooftop of one of the private dining spaces (photo below).

More than just a restaurant, lounge and private event space, soon TRB will also have hotel rooms available in early 2012.

LumDimSum Snapshots Exploring Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB):

Temple Restaurant Beijing may be housed in a venue deep rooted in China’s history and culture, but it serves contemporary European cuisine and the design of the main dining hall is designed by Australian architectural and design firm Hassell.

The modern, contemporary design of the space is definitely a strong contrast to its exterior, but it’s a beautiful space and I have no doubt, TRB will quickly become one of Beijing’s top picks to both impress visitors and book out for special occasions.

LumDimSum Snapshots of TRB’s Indoor Dining Space:

Long Bar Stocked Heavily with Whiskey Bottles

Waiting Lounge with Floor to Ceiling Windows to Highlight the Strong Contrast of Contemporary Design within a Traditional Setting

It would be a shame for such a special dining establishment to serve anything but first rate food with five star service. Lucky for TRB, they’ve nailed both.

With Ignace behind this project, I wouldn’t expect anything less considering he really is the most poised and professional figure in F&B I have ever come across.  The perfect host, Ignace ensures flawless service from start to finish.

I was most impressed when each course was served simultaneously (we were a table of 8 pax) and to see personalized menus printed for each seat at our table.

LumDimSum Snapshots of My Private Lunch at TRB:

Amuse Bouche x2:

TRB’s Warm and Lavish Bread Basket:

Cauliflower Soup & Service:

Foie Gras with Sea Lettuce and Lobster:

Olive Oil Poached Black Cod with Spinach Veloute, Ham Saffron and Broad Beans:

Mid-Meal Refreshment with Iced Sorbet:

Carmelized Apple Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream:

Chocolates and Madeleines:

Mini Macaroons:

Each course seemed better than the last and the dessert spread was ridiculous. Not only were we each served a mouth-watering apple tarte tatin, we were also given plates of chocolates, marvelous madeleines, and mini macaroons. It was impossible to decline such delicate desserts even after we were entirely stuffed to the brim.

If I was forced to pick a favorite part of our 4-course lunch meal, I would have to say that the highlight of our meal was the 2nd course- the foie gras with lobster. The combination of these flavors and texture was crazy good.

And going back over the photos, I’ve got to even give a shout out to their bread basket which was a combination of freshly baked breads that were savory and a nice complement to each course.  I found myself dipping bread into the cauliflower soup, pairing with the foie gras and even soaking up the sauce of my black codfish. Since each course’s portions were rather small, it was probably a good thing that the bread basket continued to make its way around the table throughout the meal.

If you are interested in seeing their full spread of dishes, you can check out their complete menu here. Still in their soft opening period, TRB is only open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 6PM – 10PM and bookings for private events.

Something to look forward to if you plan to stay in Beijing over the holidays – TRB has just announced today their “10 Days of Christmas Menu” featuring 12 dishes to choose from, available December 16-25.  Reservations can be made by emailing meet@temple-restaurant.com

Review of Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB): #23, Shatan Beijie, off WuSi DaJie, Dongcheng District. Beijing. 100009 東城區五四大街以北，沙滩北街23号; Tel: 8400 2232

Best Part:

• It’s hard to pick out the best part about a venue that just seems so entirely perfect.  The venue itself is remarkable and something out of a movie. It’s old, rustic and raw with a dining space that’s contemporary in both design and furniture. Very cool contrast. 
• The service was among the best I’ve experienced in Beijing.  It was so impressive to see each course served simultaneously with our party of 8. I would even dare say the service is better than Maison Boulud.  But I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ignace Lecleire as he is the man when it comes to flawless service and professional hospitality. It’s refreshing to be served like royalty as I’ve become so jaded to horrendous service experiences living in Beijing.
• The food was perfectly prepared and the presentation was first class. 
• I highly recommend the foie gras with lobster. 
• A top pick for private events and dinners with special guests. It’s sure to impress all who enter through their gate. 

Comments:

• With this level of fine-dining, you can expect high prices.  But TRB is not unreasonable and it’s very much worth every pretty penny. For example, their most expensive main course is Pot-Roasted Lobster with Smoked Aubergine Caviar, Artichoke Barigoule, and Sauce Vièrge for RMB 290. How good does that sound?!
• I think some of the portions could be a little bigger, but maybe that’s just because I’m American and used to bigger portions.  I guess contemporary Euro cuisine is meant to be bite-sized. Granted, this is bigger than a bite or two, but pretty much just a hand-full of bites.
• I can imagine the private space in the temple would not have sufficient heating in the winters and I wonder if heavy rain would come through the roof there? There are always pros and cons to being housed in such an ancient cultural relic. Repairs must be a pain in the neck.
• It’s hard to find, so make sure you take note of the map below before blindly trying to make it to this venue on your own.  

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

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 10
• Service: 10
• Overall Experience: 9

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!

SakeMANZO: New Restaurant Grand Opening Party

Already in soft-opening stages, the NEW SakeManzo (moved from its original location north or Solana Shopping Mall) has moved to the Tuanjiehu Neighborhood and they are hosting a grand opening party with (surprise surprise)…a massive Sake Party!

For this celebration, they will be featuring a sake competition where they will be showcasing over 40 different types of fine sake for all to taste and give points to.  After each sake has been voted on, they will determine the best sake of the year.  A sake brewer who they call “Toji” will also be attending the evenings festivities and will be available to discuss sake with all who are interested!

Sake aside, Manzo will also have a “tuna cutting show” and a buffet of Manzo’s dishes together with free flow beer and soft drinks.

Pre-sale tickets are only RMB 150 per person so don’t miss this chance and RSVP your spot now! Event Details and map below.

SakeMANZO Launch Party Event Details:

• Date: Friday, September 23
• Time: Doors open at 6PM, party starts 19:00-23:00
• Location: NEW sakeMANZO
• Address: Tuanjiehu Beisitiao, Chaoyang district. (  same place as ”味之厨“ at the google map)
• Ticket Price: Pre-sale ticket  RMB150, (RMB100 for VIP card holders); At door: RMB200 (RMB150 for VIP card holders)
• RSVP: 13522633130 (Okuyama)

Healthy Japanese Obentos is NOW Open in Central Park!

Beijing’s dining scene is getting bigger and better by the day.  Most recently, I had the best pulled pork sandwich of my life at Home Plate BBQ and now that Nathan’s Famous just opened their newest branch at Dongzhimen Raffles City, I’m eating their chili cheese dogs, Phillycheese steak sandwiches and onion rings on a daily basis.  Don’t get me wrong, this food is all fantastic, but eating this every day can take it’s toll.

In an effort to be healthier, I’ve recently been trying to eat more salads and lighter meals. On the prowl for a greater variety of high-quality, healthy cuisine, I’ve been eagerly waiting in anticipation for OBENTOS 本之味to finally open it’s doors in Central Park.

Located on the left side of The Place Cafe in Central Park, Obentos is a new, healthy and simple Japanese food concept centered on fresh salads, quality bento boxes and simple maki rolls. They officially opened their doors to public yesterday, September 15 and the place looks fantastic!  Simple, clean and pretty, I love their look and I love their Bento Box and take-away packaging!

Some dishes I’m extremely excited to try:

• Obentos Salad (RMB 28/48 for small/large size): Mixed greens, cucumber, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, julianne carrot, apple, Asian pear, daikon shoots, avocado, white and black sesame seeds and oven roasted pumpkin seeds with citrus ginger dressing.
• Fresh Tofu Salad (RMB 25/48 for small/large size): Mixed greens, cucumber, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, Ohitashi, julianne carrot, sushi ginger, sunflower seeds, bonito flakes, white and black sesame seeds with sesame dressing
• Beef Sukiyaki Classic Bento Box (RMB 56): Comes with choice of rice/salad, Sesame Ohitashi & egg, wasabi potato mash and mixed vegetables.
• Seared Sashimi Tuna Gourmet Bento Box (RMB 78): comes with choice of rice/salad, Kinpira lotus root & egg, miso ginger shiitake mushroom and braised root vegetables.
• Obentos Special Onigiri Rice Balls (RMB 15)
• Chocolate Tofu  and Green Tea Panna Cotta Desserts (RMB 20 each)

*Lunch bonus: All bento boxes and large salads include a complimentary miso soup and soft drink.

For all those close to the Central Park CBD area, Obentos starts delivery on Monday, September 19.

LumDimSum Snapshots of OBENTOS:

Stay tuned for a full restaurant review of OBENTOS coming soon!

Flamme will Spread like Wildfire

If you have not already heard about Flamme, the new steakhouse in Sanlitun Village, then I have no doubt you will soon.  Especially in Beijing, I find that good (and bad) word travels like wildfire. In this particular case, it’s been all good feedback and I must say, it’s lived up to its positive reputation.

Having just opened this week, Flamme has replaced the old Pepe’s Pizza location on the third floor of Sanlitun Village with the same chef who opened Element Fresh.  As a meat lover, I have been eager to find a new steakhouse and with luck in my favor, I happened to stop in on a Tuesday night, the only night of the week they offer 2-for-1 steaks! Already a reasonable price – RMB 98 for a 150g steak, 2 steaks at this price was a steal.

Greeted by a friendly hostess, we found seating outside and were then given a tour of the interior restaurant space.  Displaying a show kitchen by the entrance, customers can actually witness their steaks being grilled over an impressive giant flame (photo above).  Unfortunately the upstairs space was occupied, so I was unable to take a look (or any photos for that matter).

Interior space:

Outdoor Seating:

Once we all had a look through the menu, our adorable waiter came over and offered his well-versed menu recommendations, explaining each of his favorite dishes, their ingredients and service presentation.  Very impressive for a newly opened restaurant!

Here were the List of Menu Recommendations:

• Appetizers: Seared-Crusted Ahi Tuna (RMB 48) & Steak Sliders (RMB 48)
• Soup: Summer Vegetable Minestrone (RMB 28)
• Salads: Steak Salad (RMB 55) & other salads are served tableside
• Flamme House Steak 150g or 260g (RMB 98/138)
• T-bone steak for 2 – 540g (RMB 398)
• Rosemary Lemon Chicken (RMB 68)
• Sides (all RMB 18): Cloud Potatoes with Crème Fraîche, Grilled Asparagus, Baby carrots, North African style cucumber, Barley Pilaf, Sticky Rice Cake

Upon ordering, we were served Yorkshire Pudding as their house complimentary bread which I found quite unusual for a steak house’s choice bread.  Tasty as it was, it was quite sweet and more of a dessert than a appetizer.

For starters, we shared an order of Steak Sliders (RMB 48): ground steak, grilled onions, tomato relish which were tasty, but very crumbly. We then ordered the 2-for-1 house steaks special which came with a side salad and a choice of the following sauces: Habanero Hollandaise, Korean BBQ sauce, Wild Mushroom Sauce, Red Eye Gravy and Demi Glace (I recommend the thick, creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce).  To compliment our steaks, we also inclined to order the Cloud Potatoes with Crème Fraîche (RMB 18). Thick and creamy, the mashed potatoes were delicious and not too heavy. And for dessert, we ordered two orders of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cake (RMB 32): Manjari Chocolate (Valrhona) & Madagascar beans with white chocolate and peanut butter molten center with vanilla ice cream on the side – how amazing does that sound??  While it was gooey and rich, the dark chocolate cake was a bit bitter for my taste and I wished the teeny, tiny scoop of ice cream was a bit more.  Overall, I highly recommend the salads, steaks and the wine list is also very reasonably priced.

Review of Flamme: S4-33, Sanlitun Village, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village3楼S4室, Tel: 6417-8608

Best Part:

• Every Tuesday, House Steak is 2-for-1!
• Menu & Drink Prices are all incredibly good value
• Staff are not only exceptionally friendly, they are also very knowledgeable of the restaurant menu and trained to recite well-versed recommendations along with dish ingredients and means of preparation.
• By the same chef who opened Element Fresh, you can count on quality ingredients and taste.
• They have Philippe Starck lights.

Comments:

• I definitely had luck on my side to pop in on a Tuesday for their 2-for-1 steak special, and even though this is by far their best weekday special, Flamme offers different drink/food specials every night of the week (Mon-Friday).
• The weather was perfect to dine outside, but the interior was also quite nice and the show kitchen is a nice touch.
• We ordered a carafe of their house wine, but I hear their cocktails are also worth trying.

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

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

25 and None the Wiser

25 is a pretty intimidating number. As a kid, I always associated the number 25 with being an adult – someone with a career, who is financially independent, at a prime age to get married and start a family.  Ok, I’m 2 for 3.  As a kid, I also wanted to be a Disney fairy-tale princess and meet Prince Charming at the age of 16.

I realize age is just a number and age is absolutely relative. But just I don’t feel 25; I feel like I’m still 16.  Maybe that’s because the last time I had a birthday party was when I turned 16.  Due to the awkward timing of having a birthday in early September, my birthday always coincided with the start of a new school year, when everyone is still sorting out their new class schedule and their new circle of friends or in most recent years, my birthdays have coincided with vacation time – which was nice to be celebrating in an entirely new, exotic setting, but also away from my friends, my family, my home.

So for the first time in almost a decade, I have reached the quarter century mark and I was ready to go BIG.

My Birthday Week Break-down:

Monday: Pre-Birthday Home-made Dinner & Movie

Tuesday: Birthday lunch & Birthday dinner at my favorite restaurant Kagen Teppanyaki followed by birthday drinks @ d. lounge

Wednesday: Post Birthday Dinner and Pre-Birthday Party @ GOSSIP Pour Femme at [Touch] The Westin Beijing Chaoyang

Friday: Post-Birthday dinner & drinks @ none other than Hatsune @ the Village

Saturday: Birthday Champagne @ Riviera’s Pool Party

Birthday Make-Over courtesy of the beautiful & talented Meili Autumn (CW’s Fashionista Editor)

Birthday Dinner Party & Drinks @ Karaiya Spice House

‘Bling-isine’ Champagne Limo Ride courtesy of BLING (Can be booked regularly through BLING)

After-Party @ BLING

Sunday: Birthday Recovery @ Capital M’s Opening

By the same people behind M on the Bund in Shanghai and M on the Fringe in HK, Capital M launched its official opening this Sunday, September 13.

Best Part:

• The bright & colorful painted artwork that runs along the walls of the venue
• The pointed roof-top lounge area
• The spectacular view from the spacious rooftop terrace of the Tian An Men Area
• The boxed fireplaces throughout the space really warms and illuminates the venue for a very romantic and intimate lighting in the evening
• Fabian, the restaurant manager, was very welcoming, attentive and a perfect host
• The food was fantastic – I particularly was pleased to be served fresh oysters, and some top picks included the beef bearnaise and smoked salmon with poached egg and spinach. WOW, gave a really great first impression
• Capital M will bring more attention to the Qianmen area
• The location is a great destination for afternoon tea or dinner after a day of sightseeing around heart of Beijing’s history and culture
• They are bringing Danish Smørrebrød to Beijing!!  (world-famous piled-high, open-faced sandwiches from Denmark!)

Comments:

• WARNING for girls with high heels: Taxis can not reach the venue and you must walk quite far to catch one home.
• With a massive space that fills over 400 seats both indoor and the outside terrace, it will be interesting to see who their regular clientele are and their incoming business post-launch period
• It will also be interesting to see how Capital M will compare and compete with the Legation Quarter’s supreme dining outlets.

This past week I have been living in a cloud of BIRTHDAY BLISS – birthday lunches, birthday dinners, birthday e-mails, birthday text messages, birthday FB wall posts…I’ve been down-right spoiled with love, it makes me wish every day was my birthday!  I truly feel blessed to have had such a happy and loving birthday week – Thank you to everyone for making me feel so special, this birthday exceeded all my expectations. It was better than I ever could have imagined or asked for.

Here are some of my favorite birthday shots: