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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La Villa Trattoria: Comfort Italian and Carb Heaven

The little compound next to the US Embassy in Liangmaqiao is gaining momentum. This odd complex is slowly becoming a food destination in Beijing with some seriously fantastic options. Previously I have reviewed Bistro 108 (which stands as my choice French restaurant in Beijing), and now we have yet another killer little restaurant to add to that list. On that note, my next LDS post will introduce an amazing Japanese teppanyaki/yakitori spot that also happens to be in this same complex. #staytuned

La Villa Trattoria Ristorante is a small, focused Italian restaurant. With only a 1-page menu that changes regularly, this is not going to give you the same kind of choice paralysis you may get when you flick through the menus that seem to never end! Pasta and pizza take up the majority of the real estate on this niche menu, but there are also a handful of starters, 2 soups, 2 risottos, 2 mains (lamb rib and codfish) and two desserts. Zero room for fluff here.

I’d also like to draw your attention to the bottom right corner where you’ll find their house red, white and rosé for RMB 25 each. One of the reasons why I love Bistro 108 too! Amazing value on the wines, I don’t think you’ll find a better deal anywhere else in the city than these two restos that are tag teaming on these imported wines.

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Bistro 108: Brilliant French Brasserie

There are certain restaurants that appear that everyone knows about as soon as they open. Then there are others that seem to fly under the radar but that you get told about by the fans. Bistro 108 has been on my radar as a recommended restaurant from a few different foodies but we still weren’t quite sure what to expect.

Tucked away in a strange complex just opposite the US Embassy, Bistro 108 is one of a series of restaurants that have opened with little to no fanfare. The complex itself is called CaoChang and looks like a developer built half, then ran out of money and didn’t build the other 50%. More than half of the area is simply an empty concrete square. Quite strange as a first impression and also very quiet when we went on a Friday evening.

Either way, this is all relatively unimportant because Bistro 108 completely exceeded our expectations and deserves a lot more coverage! We were the only two people in the restaurant at 20:00 on a Friday night but that didn’t matter because the service was hospitable and friendly without being awkward or over-bearing and the French dishes were all spot on and very reasonably priced. Fellow Foodies in Beijing – get excited about this new find!

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Today Art Museum: CYJO | Mixed Blood 混血

“Mixed Blood investigates the shaping of identity and culture through tradition, modernization, citizenship, and ethnicity.”

Sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and organized in conjunction with Today Art Museum, Timothy Archambault and Nik Apostolides, Mixed Blood is a photo exhibition of work by CYJO featuring 19 families with children of mixed ethnicity.

CYJO herself grew up in a multicultural community having been raised with an American upbringing in Washington, DC metropolitan area and spending much time in New York City and Beijing. Surrounded and inspired by diversity, her photo exhibition “Mixed Blood” gives viewers a snapshot into the living quarters of select families, giving insight into their personal narratives.

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Tasty Tavola: Authentic Neapolitain, Italian Restaurant

Situated on the second floor of The Grand Summit above Fat Burger and Starbucks, close to the US Embassy and Diplomatic compounds lies yet another high-end Italian restaurant named Tavola.

With a branch in Beijing and one in Shanghai, Tavola sells itself as “an exclusive Italian restaurant offering authentic and modern Italian cooking” set in a premium location with private VIP rooms, an open kitchen, and a central showcase dining table to emphasize their dining concept of Tavola, which means “table” in Italian.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Tavola Italian Restaurant:

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