Til March 13: Dish Out Votes On Restaurant Favorites

theBeijinger.com has just launched their 9th Reader Restaurant Awards and you can cast your vote now until March 13, 2012, so get it all out on the table and start giving props to all the restaurants in Beijing you love and frequent most. 

There’s over 250 worthy Beijing restaurants nominated in 50 categories on this year’s ballot, so let the voting begin!

theBeijinger’s Reader Restaurant Categories include:

• Best Burger

• Best Indian/Pakistani

• Best Mexican/Tex Mex

• Best Italian (Affordable & High-End)

• Best Russian

• Best American

• Best Spanish

• Best Thai

• Best Japanese

• Best Vietnamese

• Best Korean

• Best Dumplings

• Best Yunnan

• Best Xinjiang

• Best Provincial Government Restaurant

• Best Beijing Duck

• Best Dim Sum

• Restaurant Personality of the Year

• Best Decor (Chinese & Non-Chinese)

• Best Pizza

• Best Sandwiches

• Best Steak (Hotel & Standalone)

• Best for Impressing Visitors (Non-Chinese & Chinese)

• Best Place for a Celebration

• Best Late Night Dining

• Best Business Lunch

• Best Hotel Brunch

• Best Brunch (standalone)

• Best Family Friendly Restaurant

• Best Value for Money

• Best Cafe

• Best Bread

• Best Salads

• Best Vegetarian

• Best Wine List

• Best French

• Best Middle Eastern

• Best Dinner Entertainment

• Best for a Romantic Meal

• Best Outdoor Dining

• Best Service (Non-Chinese and Chinese)

• Best New Restaurant (Chinese and Non-Chinese)

• Restaurant of the Year (Chinese and Non-Chinese)

I was quite surprised to see the wide range of list of “Best New Non-Chinese Restaurants” (list of 12 restaurants!).  From a cute, delivery Japanese restaurant like Obentos to specialized restaurants like Home Plate Bar-b-que and The Vine Leaf, all the way to high-end hotel restaurants like S.TA.Y or Temple Restaurant Beijing, doesn’t really seem fair to put these restaurants together in one category.

List of ‘Best New Non-Chinese Restaurants’ to Choose From:

*Hatsune Restaurant Group was Nominated for:

• Restaurant Personality of the Year (Alan Wong of the Hatsune Restaurant Group)

• Best Decor (Hatsune Sanlitun)

• Best for Impressing Visitors (Kagen) 

• Best Japanese (Hatsune)

• Best Business Lunch (Hatsune) 

• Best Non-Chinese Restaurant of the Year (Hatsune) 

Click here to vote!

The Vine Leaf: Traditional British Fare at its Best in Beijing

A very unassuming little house on a little hutong alley, The Vine Leaf is the saving grace of traditional British fare in Beijing. No longer can people poke fun at the British for having bad food because The Vine Leaf will prove you wrong.

As an American, I guess my opinion doesn’t count for much when it comes to really knowing British comfort food or “Pub Grub” like fish & chips, steak and ale pies, Sunday roast, pasties, etc. Although I may not have grown up on it, I’ve had my fair share of Sunday roasts and meat pies in my day and in any case, it’s not only me who loves The Vine Leaf!

Every British person I know in Beijing is testifying to (and raving about) both the authenticity and excellency of The Vine Leaf’s recipes in executing these traditional British staples to perfection.

A one page menu, the offerings are straightforward and concise. A few apps, a few soups, a few pies and puddings, here is a select range of British classics that are simple, hearty and wholesome for a down-to-earth meal that will leave you satisfied and stuffed.

Keep an eye out for their chalkboard menu of daily offerings that are “off-the-menu specials” like their cheese fondue when we were there and also some daily ales and brews available by the bar or while you’re dining for a true “a pie and a pint” experience. For anyone who may prefer the Vineyard’s standard European fare, the Vine Leaf also offers The Vineyard’s entire menu spread of salads, burgers, pizzas, etc. as well.

So here you have it – from Fish & Chips, Scotch Egg, Cottage Pie, Steak & Ale Pot Pie and Apple Crumble, The Vine Leaf is serving British food at its very best:

LumDimSum Snapshots of The Vine Leaf’s Traditional British Classics:

Scotch Egg (RMB 46) served with a side salad and homemade Piccalilli Pickle

Off-the-Menu Special: Cheese Fondue Sharing Pot with platters of bread chunks, cured meat & steamed vegetables

Fish & Chips (RMB 72) / Cottage Pie (RMB 70)

Chicken & Mushroom Pie Pie (RMB 74) / Steak and Ale Pot Pie (RMB 74)

The Vine Leaf’s Apple Crumble Dessert with Custard (RMB 36)

Their Scotch Egg (RMB 46) appetizer was the one dish everyone wanted to order and the perfected cooked egg inside the layer of sausage meat and bread crumbs is something worth noting as not an easy task to master (as I was repeated told by my fellow British foodies). That being said, it was delicious and a great start to our meal.

The giant sharing pot of cheese fondue was big enough for us to share in a group of 10, passing from one end of the table to the other. We all should agree in unison that melted cheese makes everything better especially no-brainer dips like bread and cured ham, but who knew steamed veggies like broccoli, carrots and asparagus would be so good dipped in melted cheese?

Almost everyone at the table went for one of the meat pies for their main course.  I ordered the Cottage Pie (RMB 70)- the original Shepherd’s Pie with handcut beef slow cooked in beef stock and topped with mashed potatoes and a side of peas, baby carrots and bread.  I was happy with my cottage pie but after tasting a bit of everyone else’s, I’ve got to say my favorite was the Steak and Ale Pot Pie (RMB 74) with thick beef chunks, bacon and vegetables slow cooked in ale in a proper pie crust. I think the thing I was missing was a proper pie crust on my cottage pie and even the Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie (RMB 74), which only had the pie crust on the top layer of a ceramic pot.

The Fish & Chips (RMB 72) is a generous portion and while the fish was tender and the batter was crispy, the only criticism was that the mushy peas was more like puréed peas instead of mashed peas.

In addition to the birthday cake we brought to share, we also ordered three Apple Crumble desserts (RMB 36) to be shared around the table.  Served with a side of custard, the apple crumble came fresh out of the over and it is phenomenal. Definitely another highlight to our delicious meal.

Generally, it’s a rare occasion for British people to “rave” about much, and let’s be honest, if they are excited about something, you’d hardly be able to tell most of the time! So that says a lot about The Vine Leaf already, they’ve really done something right (if not everything right) to have such a perfect score among all my British foodies in Beijing who are praising The Vine Leaf in unison, saying “finally someone’s done it right”.

LumDimSum Snapshots of The Vine Leaf:

Review of The Vine Leaf: 9 Jianchang Hutong, 箭厂胡同9号; Tel: 6407-6308

Best Part:

• The first to serve authentic, proper traditional British Classics from Fish & Chips, Scotch Egg, Steak and Ale Pie, etc.
• Owner Will Yorke has done his research and really done an excellent job with executing these British classics properly.  Instead of serving Shepherd’s Pie, he’s opted for the original Cottage Pie, with handcut beef instead of mutton. 
• Everything is simple, hearty and wholesome. 
• I highly recommend the Steak and Ale Pie (RMB 74). 
• The restaurant atmosphere is cozy and cute, you’re made to feel like you’re eating a home-cooked meal in a cottage home. Really unique and very down-to-earth.  
• This normally doesn’t make it into the “best” category, but I’ve got to say – I was dreading their bathroom knowing how most hutong bathrooms can be, but even in the dead cold of winter, their bathroom was spacious, warm and clean. By far the best hutong bathroom I’ve come across! 

Comments:

• The Vine Leaf menu is only one page, but they also offer the entire Vineyard menu for anyone looking for more selection. 
• Owner Will was kind enough to take our order and make sure everything came out promptly, but the staff was also attentive and friendly. 
• Prices are not cheap, but I think very reasonable considering the amount of attention and detail that has gone into each dish. 
• It’s down and in some little hutong alley, so be sure to check a map for it’s location if you are not familiar venturing into the hutongs.

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

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 8

LumDimSum Snapshots of Dining at The Vine Leaf:

Lady Sarah Ready to Blow Out her Birthday Candles.  

Now, excuse me, while I go and finish watching the 2-hour Christmas Special of Downton Abbey!

The Vineyard’s Weekend Lunch Deal & The Vine Leaf

Vineyard’s Roasted Peppers and Hummus with Side Salad & Drink (RMB 55)

The Vineyard is famous for their great value weekend brunches (Try their “Full English Breakfast”), but they also serve up a great weekday lunch deal. For prices ranging from RMB 45-65, you can enjoy some great mains + side salad or side of fries + drink. Highlights include giant pizzas deals (RMB 60-65), sandwich combos (RMB 55), and even Baked Potato (RMB 65), Quiche Lorraine (RMB 58), Omelette (RMB 55) and Muesli (RMB 45).

The Vineyard’s Weekday Lunch Deals: 

LumDimSum Snapshots of Vineyard’s Weekday Lunch Deals:

Premium Pizza (Roasted Chicken & Bacon) + Side Salad + Drink = RMB 65

French Ham & Gruyere Sandwich + Side Fries + Drink = RMB 55

Roasted Peppers and Hummus Sandwich + Side Salad + OJ = RMB 55

The Vineyard Cafe Contact Details:

• Address: In the Hutong Street just west of YongheGong temple, 31 Wudaoying Hutong, 五道营胡同31号
• Tel: 6402-7961
• Website: www.vineyardcafe.cn
• *Note: The Vineyard is not open on Mondays! 

…Stay Tuned for The Vine Leaf!

Great news for all Vineyard fans, owner Will Yorke will be opening up his new venture called The Vine Leaf on Jianchang Hutong, just around the corner from The Vineyard Cafe.

Featuring home-brewed beers and British favorites like “steak and ale pie, Cornish pasties, scotch eggs, watercress and stilton soup, fish and chips, a smoked-haddock fish pie and English breakfasts.” I’m not even sure what scotch eggs are and I’ve never had a smoked-haddock fish pie, but I can’t wait to try it. I’m most excited for Will personally cooking a giant leg of lamb for Sunday Roast.  

Click here for more info: theBeijinger’s First Look at The Vine Leaf.