LDS Discovery: Karaiya’s Hunan Spicy Broiled Fish

Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼

On average, I eat at Karaiya Spice House once a week.  It’s a choice pick for my Beijing crew’s “family dinners” and most definitely a top destination for anyone who is coming or leaving Beijing and needs a “Karaiya fix”. I say “fix” as if Karaiya was an addiction and for our group of friends, it really is because as much as we all enjoy hole-in-the-wall, super local, cheap Chinese food once in awhile, it’s really not something I like to do regularly knowing how horrendous the hygiene is and the obscene amount of oil they drench their dishes with really does take a toll. On the other hand, knowing that Karaiya is a part of the Hatsune Restaurant Group, it is guaranteed to use only quality ingredients and high hygiene standards.

Considering I’m such a regular, for me to know the restaurant menu inside-out is expected.  And I thought I was pretty much a savvy Karaiya expert until I recently discovered Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼 (RMB 108).

At first, I thought it was an “off-the-menu” dish since I had never even noticed it on the menu before!  They need to seriously reconsider the real estate this dish occupies on the menu because it’s definitely worth it!

Unfortunately for this fish dish, Karaiya’s Signature Fish Dish (RMB 158 for Perch Fish or RMB 258 for Mandarin Fish) is undoubtedly one of the most popular dishes on the menu and for good reason – it’s amazing!  With yellow Hunan peppers on one side and red on the other, this steamed fish is both spicy and the sauce is super addictive.  I like to dip scoop out spoonfuls of this sauce and pour it over rice and everything else for that matter.

“Traditionally in Hunan this dish is served using a steamed fish headcovered in spicy peppers and simmering in special Camellia oil collected from trees.We prepare this Hunan specialty using the whole fish, and our tree oil is shipped weekly from rural villages in Hunan.”  - Alan Wong, owner of Karaiya Spice House and the Hatsune Restaurant Group

Karaiya’s Signature Mandarin Fish with Two Types of Hunan Peppers

But the downside of this Signature fish’s popularity is that all other fish dishes are then overshadowed and very often entirely overlooked.  That is the case with Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼.

Not only had I never ordered it before, I didn’t even notice it on the menu!  How that happened is beyond me, but I blame the Signature Fish Dish for being so ridiculously good, we never had the desire to try anything else.  But now that I have recently been introduced to their Spicy Broiled Fish, and I may have discovered a new favorite! It’s a giant bowl filled with tender fish pieces drenched in spicy yumminess.

If you are a general fan of 水煮鱼, then you will get hooked on Karaiya’s take on this popular Sichuan dish, but obviously it’s Hunan style.

Karaiya Spice House won Time Out’s 2011 Award for Best Regional Chinese.

Click here for LDS article.

Karaiya Spice House Details:

• Address: 3F, Building 8, The Village at Sanlitun, No. 19 Sanlitun Road, Sanlitun

  (3rd floor of the Nike Building across from Hatsune) 朝阳区三里屯路19号The Village南区8号楼

• Tel: 6415 3535

• Website: www.hatsunesushi.com (Karaiya Spice House is part of the Hatsune Restaurant Empire)

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

Modo’s One Year Anniversary Small Plate Feast

“The miracle is this: The more we share the more we have Leonard Nimoy!” – MODO

Last Thursday, September 29, Modo celebrated their one year anniversary with a “Small Plate Feast” featuring Chef Daniel Urdaneta’s signature dishes and a few menu additions (Japanese Mackerel, Seared Prawns and the Slow Braised Oxtail)!

With 12 different small plate main dishes and 4 desserts, our group of eight foodies managed to power through their entire menu in one go!  But with such delicious dishes, I don’t know how anyone could resist the temptation to taste everything they possibly could!

Modo One Year Anniversary Menu

While we were impressed with their new dishes (especially their oxtail and Japanese mackerel), the winner of the night definitely went to the Dill-crusted Codfish with Wild Rice, Mushroom Pilaf, Confit Fennel & Lemongrass Veloute. The codfish was incredibly tender and the mushroom pilaf was a brilliant number to pair with the codfish. We also were excited about their Goats Cheese & Feta Tortelli and their Wagyu Beef Meatball is always a crowd favorite.  The only dishes that weren’t devoured instantaneously were probably the two Smorrebrod dishes and their Goat Cheese Panna Cotta (which was barely touched).  As a chocolate lover, I couldn’t stop eating the Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Profiteroles, but their White Chocolate Mousse with Sorbet was the overall dessert favorite.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Modo’s Anniversary Menu (from start to finish!):

Summer Peach Salad with Smoked Bacon, Watercress and Mint / Foie Gras Terrine with Plum Chutney, Toasted Brioche & Rhubarb Compote

Smorrebrod: Smoked Salmon, Shaved Mushrooms, Caper Tartar, Fish Roe / Seared Prawns with Avocado, Red Pepper Coulis, Sweet Potato Chips, Citrus Caviar

Herbs Herring Smorrebrod with Creme Cheese Truffles & Radish on Rye Toast / Waguy Beef Meatball with Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Goats Cheese & Feta Tortelli, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Organic Butternut Squash Foam & Thyme oil / Spinach & Ricotta Malfati with Roasted Pears, Mushrooms & Shaved Pecorcino Cheese

Japanese Mackerel, Warm Potato, Confit Tomato and Lemon Air / Slow Braised Oxtail with Truffles Potatoes, Green Peas & Carrots

Dill-crusted Codfish with Truffles potatoes, Green Peas and Carrots / Beef Tenderloin Touredos, Roasted Pumpkin, Roquefort Butter & Wine Reduction

Surprise Gift of our favorite Cold Cuts!

Nutella Creme Brulee with Roasted Hazelnuts & Green Cardamom Cream / White Chocolate Mousse with Black Currant Sorbet & Tuile

Profiteroles Filled with Chocolate, Dulce de Leche & Candied Peanuts / Goats Cheese Panna Cotta with Pear Confit & Basil Foam

 Congratulations to Alex, Daniel, Christina and the entire Modo team on a beautiful birthday celebration feast and party! 

After such an incredible first year, Modo is well on its way to Beijing dining stardom!  By continuously maintaining a high standard of quality cuisine, service, wine and great value, it’s easy to see how Modo is winning the hearts of all Beijinger foodies alike. 

LDS Links to Previous Articles on MODO:

*Modo Monsters Devour New Menu

*LumDimSummary: Modo’s Charity Dinner for Japan

*More Reasons to Love Modo (Modo’s crazy cool wine dispensers have got wine geeks hooked)

*Do It the “Modo Way”

Modo’s Contact Details:

• Located between Karaiya Spice House and Tony Studio on 3rd Floor of Sanlitun Village: S10-31, 3/F, Bldg 8, Sanlitun Village South, 19 Sanlitun Rd
• 三里屯路19号三里屯Village南区8号楼S10-31
• Tel: 6415-7207

LumDimSummary: SOS Charity Dinner at Karaiya

Within just about a week’s time, Time Out Magazine got just over 20 Beijing restaurants on board in a quick fundraising effort to support relief efforts in Japan with proceeds being donated to the Japanese Red Cross.

This past Sunday, both Hatsune and Karaiya Spice House in Sanlitun Village hosted tables with special set menus at RMB 300 per person with all proceeds donated directly to the cause.

Here’s a Taste of Karaiya’s SOS Charity Dinner Menu:

Trio of Chinese appetizers: Sliced Beef, Spicy Soybeans & Tofu Topped with Chili Peppers / Hand-Shredded Chicken and Onions with Crushed Ginger atop Flaming Mini Wok

Mandarin Fish with 2 Hunan Peppers / Hunan Spicy Pork Stir-fry with Pressed Tofu

Hot & Sour Soup / Spicy Pepper Diced Rib-Eye

Duo of Lightly fried Chinese Greens (Pea Sprouts and Towel Gourd)

Pork Fried Rice with Foie Gras (photo missing) / Mini Fruit Plate

Together, Hatsune & Karaiya Spice House alone raised a total of RMB 9,300.  The grand total from all restaurants will be confirmed shortly.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Karaiya’s SOS Charity Dinner:

Pop On Over to Check Out Sanlitun’s New Pop-Up Store

Nouveau Riche*, a pop-up store selling a limited quantity of select goods between a Chinese Finnish designer Shumeng Ye and her friends both locally and abroad (only available until February 5, 2011) will be hosting an opening party tonight, Thursday, January 13 from 6:30-8:30PM in Sanlitun Village.

“Nouveau Riche will feature an exclusive, affordable mini-collection of unique items designed for the pop-up and inspired by local Chinese elements. The store also hosts a selection of Slow and Steady Win the Race, the NYC-based conceptual clothing and accessory line; and the Native Fitzsimmons boots from Native brand.”

This new store concept refers to a “new, emerging class of people, practices and ideas” to compliment the growing energy of Chinese youth. “Nouveau Riche aims to bring a new experience to the market, one that is about being open to new ideas and challenging the status quo,” says Founder Shumeng Ye.

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, January 13, 2010
• Time: 6:30-8:30PM
• Location: TheThing (SLG15)
• Address: Sanlitun Village South

Designer Background:

Shumeng Ye, 28, is a Chinese-born Finnish designer based in Helsinki. Originally studying graphic design, Ye developed an interest in exploring themes of consumerism and manufacturing related to China. In 2008, she released a photography book called Book of Warriors that documented the story of the iconic Chinese sneaker brand Warrior (回力). Following the book’s release, Ye joined USA-based Warrior Footwear, LLC—a team of individuals representing the Warrior brand in Western markets.

LumDimSummary: Oakley Artist Series Launch Party

Party started at 7 and within the hour, the Oakley Party in Sanlitun Village was so packed the staircase was just a blur of people.

While DJ Chozie was spinning up the dance floor, graffiti master Dai was surrounded by a line of women waiting for a custom Oakley t-shirt design and people lost it when actor/musician Vanness Wu joined DJ Chozie behind the decks.  Appearances were also made by China’s superstar snowboarders Wang Lei and Liu Jia Yu and the one and only Steve Zdarsky (Founder of Mellowparks.cn).

Observing the general crowd, there was one style that stood out most -  sporting baggy pants, flannel shirts and beanies/sports caps, I have never seen so many skaters and snowboard-types congested in one small party space …and let’s not forget the sunglasses at night.

But I guess if I owned a pair of shades from Oakley’s new artist series sunglasses collection, I’d wear them at night too.

Check out some of Oakley’s Artist Series:

“Inspired 
by 
music, 
art, 
fashion 
and 
sports, 
these
 Oakley 
originals 
are 
made
 available
 to 
collectors 
who 
want 
to 
own 
a 
piece 
of 
history.” – Oakley

Sunglasses at Night: Oakley Party

Fashion is not practical.

Be cool and sport your sunglasses …at night.

Launch for Oakley Sunglasses in Sanlitun Village showcasing the “Artist Sunglasses Series” with custom, one-off art pieces created exclusively for Oakley.

The event will be featuring DJ Chozie spinning tunes, Actor/musician Vanness Wu, and graffiti master Dai working his magic making custom Oakley t-shirt designs on the spot.

Expect a party full of trendsetters, music, art, skateboarders, snowboarders…obviously where all the cool kids on the block will be.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, September 27
• Time: 7:00-10:00PM
• Location: Patio above Oakley Store, Sanlitun Village
• RSVP: RSVP@OAKLEY.COM (Deadline is Sept. 25)

DreamWorlds: Australian Art Exhibition

Witness the Official Opening of DreamWorlds, an exhibition of Australian moving image in public space on Saturday, September 4th at 6:30PM in Sanlitun Village. RSVP required (details below).

“Dream Worlds” is a public exhibition of eight leading Australian video artists. The exhibition celebrates the diversity of Australian art. “Dream Worlds” is part of the 2010
 Australia China Cultural Year

 exhibition curated
 by
 former director of the Australian Network for Art and Technology Melinda Rackham.

Event Details: DreamWorlds: Australian Moving Image 2010

• Date: 4 September 2010
• Time: 6.30-9.00pm
• Location: Sanlitun Village, Floor 4, Building 8, Courtyard 19, Sanlitun Road. (Access next to Element Fresh. Call 1581 1173 284 for directions.)
• RSVP: rsvp@dreamworlds.com.au
• Info: www.dreamworlds.com.au
• Curator: Melinda Rackham

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

Stumble Back into the Stumble Inn

After closing down on Lucky Street last year, Stumble Inn makes a comeback this weekend in Sanlitun Village, on the third floor across from Club Le Zazou and next to Blue Frog.

I didn’t make it to the opening on Friday night, but spent Sunday afternoon checking out the space, their food & super extensive drink menus and some of their dishes.

Here is Stumble Inn’s “The Original Stumbles Burger: 200g of homemade ground beef burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle & French fries” (RMB 45)

While their original burger is great, I hear The Messy Burger (RMB 70) is the way to go.

Having just opened, they are still finalizing their menus, but here’s what you can expect:

Highlights:

• Over 100 beers from over 25 countries (RMB 20 – 70)
  
• 4 Draught Beers
• Selection of Long Islands (RMB 60)
• Alcoholic Shakes (RMB 50)
  
• Burgers (RMB 45-70)
• Sandwiches (RMB 30-40)
  
• Pool Table
• Dart Board
• 5 Plasma Screens

The Stumble Inn is a two-story venue, so naturally there is a bar on each level:

First Floor Bar/Second Floor Bar

LumDimSum Snapshots of the Stumble Inn:

And You Thought 80′s at Alfa Was Good…

Alfa is one of Beijing’s old-timers.

When I first came to Beijing, nightlife was pretty predictable considering it was once so much more limited. I can still remember the weekly breakdown – Wednesday’s Ladies Night at Suzies, Thursday’s Ladies Night at Bar Blu, Friday’s 80′s Night at Alfa followed by late night dancing at Vics or heaven-forbid Babyface or Cargo.  Yeah…I know. Times have changed.

It’s incredible how far Beijing has come since then with Sanlitun Village dominating the CBD, the Park Hyatt, Solana, etc. etc. Beijing has utterly transformed itself in only a few years.

And this weekend, Alfa re-launched itself with a soft-opening party showcasing a new look along with music stars - DJ Chozie & DJ Azat rocking the house and bringing a new vibe, a new scene, and above all, a new Alfa.

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of Alfa’s Re-Launch Party:

My Party Peeps @ Alfa:

…But just as things couldn’t get better, someone had to ruin all the fun and set off a smoke bomb, only to find out it was the fumes of a fire extinguisher! Party Foul.

Stock Up on Affordable Art

The major annual art event, Affordable Art Beijing 2010 will be showcased in The Orange in the Sanlitun Village.

For one weekend only, art lovers have an opportunity to stock up on an extensive range of paintings, sculpture, prints and photographs from just a few hundred RMB up to a max of RMB 10,000.

Art pieces will be rotated with new pieces showcased as soon as one sells, so the stock of artwork will be continuously replenished throughout the weekend.

Note: Purchases will be cash only with a 20% deposit to secure a work and the full payment must be received before 6pm on Sunday 25th April 2010.

Macau Taste: One of the Village’s many HK dining spots

With Herbal Cafe, Orient Kitchen, Chao Dian, Mango Box, and Macau Taste…I think The Village is slowly becoming over-dominated by Hong Kong restaurants!

I lunched at Macau Taste for the first time this week. It’s pretty much the only restaurant in the Village that I have not yet tried. It’s located on the ground floor, so a bit out of the way of the other dining spots, which are mostly on the third floor. 

The place was packed during lunch hour and the menu serves up standard Hong Kong treats from a basic selection of dimsum, congee, noodle soup, oven baked rice dishes topped with cheese, along with a few Portuguese inserts (Portuguese egg tarts, Portuguese curry wings and fried shrimp, Portuguese asparagus soup, etc.).

Review of Macau Taste: Sanlitun Village 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village L-15A   Tel: 6415-1399

Best Part:

• A good lunch spot for quick, casual Cantonese food
• Portions are generous
• DimSum was quite good (better than Chao Dian and equal to Herbal Cafe)
• Prices are reasonable (Avg. RMB 50 per person)
• Service was quick and food served in a timely fashion

Comments:

• When asked to not use MSG, the staff said that everything already has MSG
• Decor was unappealing, but the food was good value and I’ll most likely return
• Definitely more catered to Chinese customers (no spoken English) and no Western customers
• Menu consists of a lot of very “local” dishes – “Macau’s top beef cattle intestinal”  and bad Chinglish - “Shannon Lisboa fried dumplings Fengcheng” and “Wynn rotten fish”.  At least their menu has pictures, which helps a lot.

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

• Food: 6
• Atmosphere: 3
• Service: 4
• Overall Experience: 5
  

Orient Kitchen: An Asian Element Fresh

My experience dining at Orient Kitchen last night was comparable to my previous experiences at Element Fresh when it first opened in the sense that it was an overall satisfying and enjoyable and yet I find it rather taxing to pick out something particularly unique or distinctive about my experience.  On the plus side, Orient Kitchen features an irresistibly tempting menu and a buzzing atmosphere, for a quick, satisfying meal.

I was impressed to walk in and find the newly opened Sanlitun Village restaurant fully booked, so Candy and I waited about ten minutes before a table opened up. The menu was well designed with pictures to accompany every dish, which comprised of an extensive selection of Chinese and South-Asian fusion cuisine. The interior is cozy and welcoming with both casual booth seating and high-stool seating and the entire place was full of energy.

Come time to order, we went a little overboard.  Everything on the menu looked incredibly appetizing and I think we ordered enough for four. Every dish we ordered was satisfying and well priced from the Hot and Sour Noodle Soup with Dumplings (RMB 25), Pan-fried Froglegs with Chili Peppers (RMB 32), Spinach with Sesame Sauce (RMB 14), stir-fry tofu and eggplant (RMB 35), mushroom stuffed vegetable rolls (RMB 35), pork pancake (RMB 40), and our Chinese dried date tea (RMB 16). For six dishes and two drinks, our total bill was very reasonable at RMB 206.

Review of Orient Kitchen: The 3rd floor of Sanlitun Village, across from Union Bar & Grill.  朝阳区三里屯北路19号三里屯Village南区4号楼3-4层 Tel: 6417 4070

Best Part:

• If you like Chinese food and you enjoy dining at Element Fresh, you’re in for a treat
• Dishes are all delicious, generous in portions and well-priced
• 2 floors packed with buzzing energy
• Perfect for a quick, casual meal

Comments:

• Within the menu’s Chinese and South Asian dishes, nothing in particular stood out, there is no signature dish or a particular item on the menu that sticks out in my mind (like the way you crave Hatsune’s sushi rolls or Element Fresh’s smoothies)
• I advise for you to go in a group so that you can order a larger selection of dishes
• Service was unfriendly and rushed. I’m not exaggerating when I say that they resulted to staring us down when it was past 10:00pm and they wanted us to leave.

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

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

Who Will Survive 2012?

Everyone’s talking about 2012 – whether they’re hating or raving, this movie’s got a lot of buzz.

And now that I’ve seen it, I can’t stop thinking about it.

I remember vividly the anticipation of reaching the year 2000 and now the world is believed to end on 2012. Heavy stuff.

Before I dive into this subject, I’ll give you a basic introduction:

Basic Synopsis:

Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring John Cusack as a published author trying to save his family, Danny Glover as the US President and Woody Harrelson as a crazy radio talk show host, 2012 is the end of the world as we know it, a date marked in history significant across so many cultures, religions, scientists and governments. An epic story of the survivors and their struggle to stay alive and save/say goodbye to loved ones.

2012 Phenomenon:

“The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs and proposals, which posit that cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on or around December 21 in the year 2012,^[1][2] which is said to be the end-date of a 5,125-year-long Mayan Long Count calendar. These beliefs may derive in part from archaeoastronomical speculation,^[3] alternative interpretations of mythology,^[4] numerological constructions, or alleged prophecies from extraterrestrial beings.” – Wikipedia

Review of 2012: A 2 1/2 hour movie with overly dramatic and sitting-at-the-edge-of-your-seat action scenes where the main characters continue to narrowly escape death countless times. Mediocre acting, but the movie itself is a great concept and overall great special effects and ‘epic storyline.’

Best Part:

• Powerful message and epic storyline
• Great special effects makes for a trip to the movie theater worth it (MegaBox at Sanlitun is half-price on Tuesdays! Only RMB 40 per ticket)
• Pretty up-to-date references with fake Arnold as Californian governor, Queen of England, but Danny Glover as Obama?  I don’t know about that.
• Exaggerated action scenes keep you clenched with anticipation and at the edge of your seat

Comments:

• I wish the main character was someone other than John Cusack – not a fan
• Acting overall was pretty mediocre (the actress who plays the daughter of president is painfully bad)
• English with Chinese subtitles (which is bad if you can’t read Chinese b/c there are quite a few times when people are speaking in French, Russian or other languages and there are no English subtitles available)

Food For Thought:

To even begin to consider the possibility of the end of the world seems unfathomable.

The chances of a global cataclysm bringing the end of the world seems much more far-fetched than say, a nuclear war where we self-destruct and destroy ourselves.

But hypothetically speaking, the end of the world is approaching in two years. What do you do? What can you do? How would you prepare yourself? Do you try to buy a billion Euro ticket to be one of the selected elite population rescued from global destruction? Do you even try to survive? Or do you just accept doomsday?

I know I for one would not be a selected survivor out of the entire world population and I am not sure if I would even try to survive.  I think I would find comfort in knowing that I was not alone and I would accept that this was out of my hands. Bad things happen all the time. Freak accidents happen all the time. And when they do, it is unusual, unlucky, unexpected, leaving you in a state of shock, fear and devastation.

But in the unlikely scenario that the world will come to an end, I would at least find comfort in knowing.  I would know it was the end and I would be able to say goodbye. But more than that, I find comfort in knowing I am not alone. I’ve always believed that no matter the situation, people is better than no people. True happiness is greatest when shared, grief is soothed by the comfort of another.  Whether that shared consolation is found in God or in your best friend, it is human nature to find solace and peace in knowing you are not alone.

Quote of the Day: “Life is so much better when you’re not walking it alone”

I think ultimately your answers to the questions I’ve raised will reflect your personal beliefs and your faith.

I am curious to know the correlation and see the consistencies/contrasts between someone’s religion/faith/beliefs and their actions, thoughts, and means of dealing with imminent global obliteration.

If you knew, what would you do?

Where oh Where is there Good DimSum?

In case you didn’t notice, I’m all about DimSum.  I love it and not just because it rhymes with my last name.

And yet, I have not been fully satisfied with any DimSum restaurant in Beijing.  Either too pricey, too small in portions, insufficient quality, or all of the above.

So I was pretty stoked to hear that the new addition to Sanlitun Village, Chao Dian, serves up Hong Kong style dim sum, located just behind Hatsune and Herbal Cafe, across from Union Bar & Grill.

Menu at Chao Dian

It’s newly opened, so be warned: they do not take cards and they do not issue fa piaos at this stage.

Presented with a super long, two-sided fold out paper menu with mouth-watering photos and English/Chinese descriptions, I was ready to check all the little boxes.

Everything on the menu looked great – especially the Cha Show Bao (Steamed BBQ Pork Buns), Shao Mai, and shrimp dumplings, so I was happy to see that you could order a combo House Dim Sum Platter inclusive of 4 various pairs of dumplings in one set (RMB 48) -shao mai, ha gao (shrimp dumplings), xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings), and vegetable dumpling. Each item was over-cooked, hard (all dumplings were tough on the outside and the xiao long bao had NO soup, which defeats the entire purple of a xiao long bao).

Eager to try a nice variety, we also ordered a ton of other dishes.

Here’s a breakdown:

• Steamed Veggies – standard
• Pan-Fried Rice Roll with XO Sauce – better than expected
• Steamed Cow Stomach – bright orange in color (NOT normal) and just awful
• Fried White Turnip Cake – pretty good
• Steamed Rice Roll with Shrimp – bland and dry
• Steamed BBQ Pork Buns – standard
• Da Tas (Egg Custard Tarts) for dessert – Best part, served in heart shape and big portioned

Total Bill for Two People: RMB 174

Overall Verdict: Mama-huhu.

Some items were satisfactory/decent, but overall disappointing.  All of the dumplings (which are the essential staples of dim sum) were dry, bland, and tough to chew.  The products did not seem very fresh or high in quality.  But in their defense, I went in with high expectations.

I think the two top dim sum restaurants in Beijing are still Lei Garden & Zen5es (RMB 88 all-you-can-eat-dim-sum lunch special during the week). See here for previous dim sum review.

Review of Chao Dian: 3rd floor of Sanlitun Village (behind Hatsune & Herbal Cafe, across from Union Bar & Grill), No. 19 Sanlitun Road, S6-32, Tower S6  Tel: 010-6413 2998 (M-F 10am-3am, Weekends 9am-3am)

Best Part:

• They offer a pretty extensive menu of dim sum staples (RMB 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18 each), congee (RMB 19-22), noodles/rice dishes (RMB 18-38 each), Hong Kong style dishes (RMB 28-48 each), and desserts (RMB 10-12 each)
• I like their menu’s little check boxes to mark your order
• They serve organic soybean milk
• Conveniently located in Sanlitun Village & easy to find.
• Good BBQ Pork Steamed Buns & Dan Tas (Baked Egg Custard Tarts)

Comments:

• All dumplings were bland, dry, over-cooked and just not up to par with what HK dim sum should be. Their Xiao Long Bao had NO soup inside, none, nada, zip.
• Staff did not speak English and quite slow
• Not cheap.  I’d rather hit up Zen5es’ all-you-can-eat dimsum lunch special for RMB 88 per person.
• Be warned: they do not yet take credit cards and they do not issue fa piaos at this stage
• I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt as they are newly opened, but I won’t be going back until someone tells me they’ve experienced better there.

*Note: I have just been notified that there is an awesome 24-hour DimSum spot in Tuanjiehu.  I’m hitting it up this Sunday and will keep you LumDimSum readers posted.  Fingers crossed it’ll be half-way decent dimsum!