One Man Band: Marco’s Teppan & Charcoal

The little compound next to the US Embassy in Liangmaqiao just keeps on delivering. Previously I have reviewed Bistro 108 and La Villa Trattoria, and now we have yet another niche restaurant to add to that list. I’ve recently heard friends raving about a new teppanyaki spot that opened up there.  As with any new place that multiple people start talking about, it got bumped quickly to the top of my to eat list!

Located on the 2nd floor of the CaoChang Plaza complex, Marco‘s Teppan & Charcoal (宏烧) is a small, but very well put together restaurant. Owner and Head Chef Marco is from Hong Kong and wanted to bring his expertise to Beijing.

He doesn’t do traditional Japanese Teppanyaki as you might think of it, this is more of a fusion between cuisines that just happens to make heavy use of Japanese cooking techniques – teppanyaki, yakitori and sushi. Our friends have been on multiple occasions (they’re big fans) and they are amazed to see Chef Marco there running the show from lunch to dinner, every day of the week. This guy is a machine and everyone who dines here and witnesses the man in action can see the intensity of his concentration and passion for what he does and the food he serves.

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Haiku by Hatsune: Raising the Bar for Teppanyaki

This ain’t Tairyo (thank goodness).

Haiku by Hatsune is a teppanyaki + sushi restaurant that’s been off the radar for the past few years. It was buzz-worthy and super trendy back in 2008 when it was part of the Block 8 entertainment complex that also featured the gorgeous, sand-filled bar called “The Beach” on its rooftop. But after Block 8 closed (along with that awesome rooftop bar) in 2011, Haiku also went under major renovations to specialize in teppanyaki.  Fast forward several years later, Haiku is back under Hatsune management and has combined two wonderful worlds of sushi and teppanyaki under one glorious roof. Unlike other teppanyaki joints, Haiku is not about quantity – no  all you can drink/eat here – it is about quality.

If you are unfamiliar with the Block 8 complex 8号公馆, this is just on the west gate of Chaoyang park, a little to the north of Jenny Lou’s. As you enter the main entrance off the main Chaoyang Park West Gate road 朝阳公园西路, follow the road to the right and walk around the big block of buildings until you see the building with Haiku’s logo on the 3rd floor. Once you get to the lobby, staff will usher you into the elevator where you go up to the third floor.

Walking in, you’ll notice that the place is like a rabbit warren. Lots and lots of private rooms. Whilst they do have open tables, more intimacy is definitely the focus.

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