LDS Hook-Up: FREE Tix to Time Out’s Xmas Bash!

Celebrate the upcoming holidays with the Time Out Beijing team as they throw one hell of a holiday party!

Free flow booze from 8PM-11:30PM will guarantee a good start to your Friday night, but I’m most excited to try the macaroons and cakes from Amandine Bakery, Christmas fruit mince pies and gingerbread men from Red Kitchen Cabinet, savoury crêpes from Moment Gastronomy Café, lots of colourful candies from Papabubble, and signature dark chocolate and brownies from De Chocolate Coffee. Yes, I plan to try them all.

Everyone who makes it also will be automatically entered into their lucky draw featuring over 40 awesome prizes including:

• Little Gold Books

• Handbags from D-SATA

• Designer jumpers from AnyShopStyle.cn

• Cooking Classes from The Hutong

• Three-month supply of Beijing’s best freshly ground coffee from Rickshaw Roasters

• Dinner vouchers for Niajo, Vasco’s, Senses, etc.

• Five highly coveted, autographed books from Penguin: Midnight in Pekingby Paul French, When China Rules the World by Martin Jacques, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok.

Hosted at the newly opened Twilo Club (close to Haze and Spark at Guanghua Lu SOHO), they’ve got loads of Christmas treats, drinks and music for all. DJ Junjaman (NYC), Dongjun and Juliana Lima will be spinning Christmas tunes, ’80s classics and house beats.

Get the LumDimSum Hook-Up for free tickets to Time Out’s Christmas Par-tay!

This offer comes on a first come, first dibs basis so if you want to get hooked up, just email – kristen@lumdimsum.com before 12PM Noon on Thursday, December 8.

Tickets are RMB 100 person, but lucky for my LDS friends, I’ve got the hook-up for you! Be quick as these tickets are limited!

Event Details:

• Date: Friday, December 9, 2011

• Time: 7:30PM-late

• Location: Twilo

• Address: 103 A/B, Guanghua Lu SOHO, Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang district 朝阳区光华路光华路SOHO 103A/B

• Tel: 6561 9360

• Tickets: RMB 100

• Website: Click here.

  

Agua Makes a Big Comeback in Nali

With the opening of a fine dining establishment such as Agua, I think the entire reputation of Nali Patio just stepped up a notch.

The original home of Let’s Burger, Mosto, Niajo and Mughal’s, Nali Patio has improved ten-fold with new happening spaces such as Apothecary, Migas, Enoterra and now the high-end Spanish restaurant Agua with Chef Jordi and his highly sought-after suckling pig.

Having just recently opened its doors for the first time since its move from Ch’ien Men 23 aka Legation Quarter, Agua re-opens with a Private Kitchen Menu by Chef Jordi inclusive of a sampling of 3 delicious Tapitas followed by a four-course meal for only RMB 308 per person.

Having dined several times at its original location in Ch’ien Men, I was surprised to see how much the decor and style of the venue has changed.  From it’s bright red walls and grandeur columns all around, Agua now features a high ceiling and a big, open space surrounded by all-white brick walls and minimalistic decor.  There is a bar at the entrance, two beautiful private dining rooms and Agua will open a rooftop terrace during the warmer summer months.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Agua’s Interior:

Main Entrance and Bar

Kitchen Window & Semi-Circle Dining Booths

Entrance to Private Dining Rooms & One of two Private Dining Rooms

As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the restaurant manager Richard Pirsch, who led us to our table and then Chef Jordi also came over to introduce the menu while Richard recommended some nice wines to pair with our meal.

Our meal began with the best tasting ham and mushroom croquette I have seriously ever tasted together with 3 Tapitas: Homemade Chorizo, Shrimps with garlic and herbs and Picadillo (marinated pork chunks in Spanish paprika). While I was a big fan of the shrimp, my fellow foodie favored the chorizo.

We were then served a Smoked Japanese mackerel with herbs  salad and diced tomato.  I thought the mackerel was an interesting choice for Agua to serve, but the fishy flavor was not as pungent or as tough as I had expected and it paired well with the tomatoes and herbs salad.

The pumpkin soup was probably the highlight of my meal. Never have I seen pumpkin soup served with a poached egg and I must say, it worked beautifully.  And it was a nice touch to have the waitstaff pour the pumpkin soup over the dish in front of you.

The main dish was a slow-cooked Wagyu veal cheek with marinated plums and beets.  Once again, the waitress came around and poured gravy over the meat, and as I sliced into the veal, the meat just fell apart. It was perfectly cooked and the flavors were a perfect balance of sweet (marinated plums) and savory (gravy and veal cheek).

To top it all off, we had Galician-style crepes with lemon custard, Greek yogurt and “Moscatel Oro” ice cream. I’m glad the portion was small because by this point, I was already a stuffed Humpty Dumpty and to be perfectly honest, this was the low-point of the meal.  I normally love natural Greek yogurt but the sour flavor was a bit overwhelming in this dessert and with a sweet tooth like mine, I guess I prefer rich chocolate or something sweeter rather than sour at the end of a big meal.

Overall, it was a wonderful meal and a very satisfying experience (round of applause for Chef Jordi, Richard and their team) and it should be noted that this meal is great value for only RMB 308 per person.  I will definitely be back to check out the entire menu and in their future tasting menu, they promise to feature their famous suckling pig as the main entree, served table-side!

A few other things to look forward to – Next week, Agua begins serving its full a la carte menu with a new tasting menu and in two weeks, Agua will launch its lunch menu – 2 courses for RMB 88 and 3 courses for RMB 98.

Review of Agua: Above Apothecary, next to Enoterra, 4th Floor of Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, 三里屯北路81号那里花园3层, Tel: 6559-6266

Best Part:

• Best suckling pig in town
• Chef Jordi is one of the most talented chefs in Beijing
• Expect very professional service and special treatment from both the restaurant manager and Chef Jordi himself
• A very high-end New York restaurant decor with white brick walls, low lighting and minimalistic decor
• Cozy ambiance with nice booth or table seating to choose from.
• Beautiful VIP rooms in the back surrounded in glass.
• Will launch a set lunch menu: RMB 68 for 2-courses or RMB 98 for 3-courses.

Comments:

• Considering they’ve just opened, the standard of service was very impressive and every step of the meal was transitioned and executed smoothly and professionally.
• While each dish of Jordi’s Private Kitchen Tasting Menu was all very good, little croquette aside, there was not really one course that made my jaw drop…and perhaps that’s because Jordi’s suckling pig was not one of the dishes served tonight.
• It’s wonderful to see Nali develop over the past few years and I am certain that Agua alone will raise the reputation of Nali Patio as one of Beijing’s top dining destinations.
• Nali Patio is now Spanish Restaurant Central: Carmen, Migas, Niajo and now Agua!

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

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

Vote for Beijing’s Top Tapas: Spanish Wine & Tapas Tour

Presented by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce & CityWeekend, a Spanish Tapas & Wine Tour will be taking place across nine different restaurants in Beijing from June 1st-15th.

This wine & tapas tour is a great way for you to sample fine Spanish wines in a variety of Beijing’s best tapas restaurants:

• 1949′s Taverna
• Carmen
• Niajo
• Saffron
• Provincia (Marriott Hotel)
• Cafe Europa
• Olas Tapas
• Palette Vino
• Mare

Each restaurant will offer a 2-for-1 Drink Happy Hour from 6-7PM.

For every glass of wine you order, you will receive one “Tapa of the Contest” for free (if you order a bottle of wine, then you will receive five complimentary tapas).  In addition to loading up on free tapas, for every wine glass or bottle ordered, you will also receive a voucher for a 10% discount in the next a la carte meal in all participating restaurants (excluding wines, spirits, and soft drinks). Discount is valid until June 15th.

After you’ve journeyed through your Wine & Tapas Tour, you can vote for your Top Tapas on CityWeekend’s site, here.

Award Ceremony for Beijing’s Top Tapas:

Spanish Tapas & Wine Tour will end up with an awards ceremony at The Emperor Hotel’s terrace.

During the awards party, four different Spanish wine distributors will also be serving eight glasses of Spanish wine and cava, all of them different brands and appellations of origin, altogether with a two-hour buffet.

Featuring a live Spanish guitar concert, this event will give you a real taste of Spain.

Additional information or questions: info@spanishchamber-ch.com

Location: The Emperor Hotel
Date: Thursday, 17th June 2010
Time: 19:30 – 22:30 h
Price: 150 RMB

Apologizes for the late notice, but better late than never right?