Transit: Classy Sichuan in Sanlitun

Transit Re-Opens with a Gorgeous New Design

At the top of my list of go-to places for upscale Chinese dining, Transit 渡金湖 has made a name for itself over the years for its quality Sichuan fare in a contemporary space and luxurious decor. While the decor is polished and pretty (a far cry from your hole-in-the-wall Sichuan digs), the fiery Sichuan fare here is legit.

First started in 2002, the original location at Gongti is no more and while it is still in the same space at Taikoo Li North Village, Transit has undergone another renovation over the past half year.  And if you thought the space was gorgeous before, the new design has taken Transit up another notch.

Taking inspiration from the old mansions along the ancient tea and salt routes of Southwestern China, there is a profound elegance in the combination of traditional Chinese patterns, marble table tops, sleek and dark fittings with shiny gold trims.

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Mercedes Me’s Sifang Sanchuan: Taste the Cradle of Chinese Civilization

Back in the day, Sanlitun was an upstart neighbourhood with a grotty street that became known as Bar Street and very little else to recommend it. The area has been transformed since then and the latest development is the Topwin centre, which also houses the new Intercontinental Hotel set to open later this year.

If you’ve walked past it, you can’t help but notice there is a big Mercedes presence and it isn’t to sell cars. Mercedes have decided to try and branch out over recent years and begun opening Mercedes Me around the world. This one in Beijing is currently the biggest, with a shop, cafe, bar and a restaurant. So, recently your intrepid blogger went to find out why on earth a car manufacturer has entered the restaurant business.

“The world’s largest Mercedes me venue at 2,800 m2, the venue is home to the meCafe, a Southeast Asian Café; a juice bar by meCafe; the Lighthouse, a cosmopolitan watering hole; SiFang SanChuan, a modern Chinese restaurant; a gallery space, and retail component. Designed by HG Merz, the venue is a project created by operated by Cakeshop Originals.

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Zhang Mama: Sichuan that is Worth the Wait

Zhang Mama: a better, spicier version of home-cooking

I’ll admit I can be skeptical when it comes to Chinese restaurants. All too often I hear people get excited about a restaurant that is simply not bad. And when I say not bad I mean not actively bad. I find that that there are only a handful of trusted restaurants that I would ever consider taking out of town guests to, because most places are just not up to scratch.

With that in mind, I approached Zhang Mama 张妈妈特色川味馆 hesitantly both because I thought it might be over-hyped and also the idea of waiting outside in the cold for an indefinite amount of time sounded unbearably frustrating. But I’m a sucker for peer pressure and there were more than several trusted foodies raving about the place. With a newly updated Restaurant Hit List for 2016 and Zhang Mama right at the top, it was time. …and the promise of a pre-dinner wine guzzle to warm us up for the cold wait, I was inevitably coaxed into going. It was worth it. And now I’m kicking myself for not getting myself here sooner.

So a few things about the place: first up, there are 2 locations. The original on Fensiting Hutong (across from Rager Pie), where you are almost guaranteed not to get a table, and the new location on Jiaodaokou (across from Katchup), where you might be able to. They don’t take reservations so plan accordingly.

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Transit 渡金湖: Creative Contemporary Sichuan

A Creative Take on Fiery Sichuan in North Sanlitun

Transit 渡金湖 is a long time (for Beijing) favorite and a revisit was long overdue. First started in 2002, the original location in Gongti is no more, but the spacious new digs in Sanlitun North Village may look cold as ice, but the fiery Sichuan fare keeps this respected establishment a destination for spice lovers.

Transit’s Sleek Entrance on the 3rd floor of Sanlitun North Village

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Spice Up Your Day: Karaiya’s Fiery Set Lunches

Add Some Spicy Flair to Your Weekday with Karaiya’s New Set Lunch Menu

While there are plenty of superb lunch deals in the Sanlitun area, it’s not very often that you come across a thoughtful set lunch menu at a Chinese restaurant.

From my experience, most Chinese restaurants either offer some sort of buffet spread or it’s ordered a la carte as you would at dinner. And I’m talking about the restaurants with a whole range of dishes on offer, not your neighborhood hole-in-the-wall 拉面 noodle or 盖饭 shop. And with so many of the Western restaurants all around town offering great value 2 to 3 course set lunch menus, Indian restaurants offering massive lunch buffet spreads, it makes me wonder why more Chinese restaurants don’t offer the same bang for your buck at lunch to keep up with their neighboring competitors.

Always one step ahead of the rest, Karaiya Spice House has launched a set of 9 different weekday set lunches designed for those of us who don’t want to waste too much brain power thinking about what you want to order for lunch (you’re only half-way done with your work day!) and if you prefer your lunches to be speedier than you average dinner experience.

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Karaiya Spice House: Glorious New Seafood Hot Pot

Karaiya’s New Seafood Hot Pot Platter

Another genius creation by Alan Wong, founder of the Hatsune Restaurant Group is Karaiya Spice House’s new Seafood Hot Pot.

Designed to be shared between 2-4 people, this hot pot feast comes with a giant clay pot of free-range chicken soup, a  generous serving of 7 different types of seafood, a bouquet of fresh vegetables and a specialty dipping sauce for all the seafood and vegetables post-dunking and cooking in chicken soup.

LDS Tip:  I recommend first serving up bowls of this tasty soup prior to dunking anything in.

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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!

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