theBeijinger’s 8th Annual Reader Restaurant Awards: Hatsune Wins Best Japanese 7 Years Running

On Monday, March 21, Hatsune took home Best Japanese for the 7th year running at theBeijinger’s Reader Restaurant Awards!

Considering this was theBeijinger’s 8th Annual Reader Restaurant Awards, that’s pretty much a perfect record.

Congratulations to Alan Wong, owner of the Hatsune Empire, for holding it strong and staying on top of the game 7 years straight.  That’s gotta be the longest-running record in town!

Get excited because this year Hatsune will be celebrating its 10 year anniversary in August 2011. If you thought Hatsune’s 9 year anniversary party and Chi Fan for Charity After Party was wild last year, you are in store for a treat this coming August.  Stay tuned for details….

Other big winners from the awards ceremony include:

• Maison Boulud – Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese), Best French, Wine List, Most Romantic Meal, Best Service
• Da Dong – Restaurant of the Year (Chinese), Best for Impressing Visitors, Best Beijing Duck, Best for Impressing Visitors
• Capital M – Best high-end brunch, Afternoon Tea, Outdoor Dining,
• Mosto – Best Business Lunch, Best Steak, & MODO got Best New Restaurant

For a complete list of all Beijinger Dining Awards Categories and Winners, click here.

Maison Boulud & Da Dong Collect “Restaurant of the Year”

Dali Courtyard / Capital M

Modo / Agua / Biteapitta

SALT / Gung Ho! Pizza

Michael & Joanna Crain for Culinary Event of the Year: Chi Fan for Charity 2010!

While many of this year’s winners are very deserving of their awards, I was disappointed to see a few of my favorite restaurants without any recognition – Bei (in the Opposite House), Black Sesame Kitchen, Karaiya Spice House, and Madame Zhu’s Kitchen to name a few.  And I am really fed up with repeat winners  - Annie’s winning Best Italian (come on people, it’s not best delivery service), Ganges for Best Indian (really not that great), and Element Fresh for Best American, Best Sandwiches, and Best Affordable Brunch? I only approve of their smoothies and salads and boycott the rest.

theBeijinger’s Restaurant Award Winners vs. LumDimSum’s Votes:

Afternoon Tea

• Beijinger Winner: Capital M

• LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

American

• Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh

• LumDimSum Vote: Chef Too

Beijing Duck

• Beijinger Winner: Da Dong

• LumDimSum Vote: Made in China

Brunch (High-End)

• Beijinger Winner: Capital M

• LumDimSum Vote: Fennel

Brunch (Affordable)

• Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh

• LumDimSum Vote: Vineyard Cafe

Burger

• Beijinger Winner: Let’s Burger

• LumDimSum Vote: Let’s Burger

Business Lunch

• Beijinger Winner: Mosto

• LumDimSum Vote: Alameda

Cantonese (High-End)

• Beijinger Winner: Lei Garden

• LumDimSum Vote:  Zenses, Westin Beijing Chaoyang

Cantonese (Affordable)

• Beijinger Winner: Jin Ding Xuan

• LumDimSum Vote: Heng Shan Hui 衡山汇

Culinary Event of the Year

• Beijinger Winner: Chi Fan for Charity (Nov 6, 2010)

• LumDimSum Vote: Chi Fan for Charity (Nov 6, 2010)

Décor

• Beijinger Winner: LAN

• LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

Dim Sum

• Beijinger Winner: Din Tai Fung

• LumDimSum Vote:  Heng Shan Hui 衡山汇

Family-Friendly Restaurant

• Beijinger Winner: Annie’s

• LumDimSum Vote:  The Orchard

For Impressing Visitors

• Beijinger Winner: Da Dong

• LumDimSum Vote:  Duck de Chine

For a Romantic Meal

• Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud

• LumDimSum Vote:  Capital M

French (High-End)

• Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud

• LumDimSum Vote:  Maison Boulud

French (Affordable)

• Beijinger Winner: Brasserie Flo

• LumDimSum Vote: Crepanini

Hot Pot

• Beijinger Winner: Haidiliao

• LumDimSum Vote:  Haidiliao

Hotel Brunch

• Beijinger Winner: Bubbalicious, Westin Beijing Chaoyang

• LumDimSum Vote:  Bubbly Sundays at Senses, Westin Beijing Financial Street

Indian/Pakistani

• Beijinger Winner: Ganges

• LumDimSum Vote:  Punjabi

Italian (High-End)

• Beijinger Winner: Sureño, The Opposite House

• LumDimSum Vote:  Sadler Ristorante

Italian (Affordable)

• Beijinger Winner: Annie’s

• LumDimSum Vote:  LMPLUS (Central Park)

Japanese

• Beijinger Winner: Hatsune

• LumDimSum Vote:  Hatsune and Kagen Teppanyaki

Korean

• Beijinger Winner: Saveurs de Coree

• LumDimSum Vote:  Ai Jiang Shan

Kung Pao Chicken

• Beijinger Winner: Xiao Wang Fu

• LumDimSum Vote:  Black Sesame Kitchen

Late-Night Dining

• Beijinger Winner: Bellagio

• LumDimSum Vote:  Jin Ding Xuan or my local Ch’uar stand

Mexican/Tex-Mex

• Beijinger Winner: Saddle Cantina

• LumDimSum Vote: Casa Latina

Middle Eastern

• Beijinger Winner: Biteapitta

• LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta

Outdoor Dining

• Beijinger Winner: Capital M

• LumDimSum Vote: Dali Courtyard

Pizza

• Beijinger Winner: The Tree

• LumDimSum Vote: Gung Ho! Pizza

Russian

• Beijinger Winner:  Traktirr Pushkin

• LumDimSum Vote: Traktirr Pushkin

Sandwiches

• Beijinger Winner: Element Fresh

• LumDimSum Vote:  Hercules

Service

• Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud

• LumDimSum Vote:  Fennel

Sichuan

• Beijinger Winner: South Beauty

• LumDimSum Vote: Madame Zhu’s Kitchen

Spanish

• Beijinger Winner: Agua

• LumDimSum Vote: Agua

Steak

• Beijinger Winner: Mosto

• LumDimSum Vote: The Cut Grill (Fairmont Hotel)

Thai

• Beijinger Winner: Purple Haze

• LumDimSum Vote:  Tuk Tuk

Vegetarian

• Beijinger Winner: Pure Lotus

• LumDimSum Vote:  Samadhi Teahouse

Vietnamese

• Beijinger Winner: Muse

• LumDimSum Vote:  Banh Mi Now!

Wine List

• Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud

• LumDimSum Vote: Enoterra

Yunnan

• Beijinger Winner: Middle 8th Restaurant

• LumDimSum Vote: Aimo Town

New Restaurant (Chinese)

• Beijinger Winner: Little Yunnan

• LumDimSum Vote: Xu Xian Lou

New Restaurant (Non-Chinese)

• Beijinger Winner: Modo

• LumDimSum Vote: Modo

Restaurant of the Year (Chinese)

• Beijinger Winner: Da Dong

• LumDimSum Vote: Karaiya Spice House

Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese)

• Beijinger Winner: Maison Boulud

• LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

CW Reader’s Choice Awards vs. LumDimSum

Unlike theBeijinger and Time Out magazines, CityWeekend lumps both the Dining & Nightlife Award Categories into one evening rather than split it up into two events. And for the first time this year, CityWeekend changed it up and actually kept the vote count visible to the public and made sure that every voter had a validated CW User Name Account.

If you are interested in comparing results, check out theBeijinger Restaurant Awards Breakdown posted here.  Time Out’s Restaurant Awards Breakdown is posted here.

I unfortunately was not in Beijing to attend the CityWeekend’s awards ceremony at Brasserie Flo, but word on the street was that it was packed and the turn-out was impressive.

If you haven’t seen the results already, here is a LumDimSummary Breakdown of all the winners in both the Restaurant & Bar Awards Categories:

CityWeekend’s Awards for Best Dining Categories:

• Best New Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Tamarind

  • LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

• Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: SALT

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

• Chinese Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Zen5es

  • LumDimSum Vote: Karaiya Spice House

• Most Romantic:

  • CW Winner: Jaan

  • LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

• Best Value:

  • CW Winner: Kiosk

  • LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta

• Chef of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Mario Cittadini

  • LumDimSum Vote: Max Levy – Bei/Apothecary

• Best Service:
  

  • CW Winner: Maison Boulud

  • LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud

• Best Mexican/Tex-Mex:

  • CW Winner: Casa Latina

  • LumDimSum Vote: Casa Latina

• Best Italian:
  

  • CW Winner: Prego

  • LumDimSum Vote: Metro

• Best Japanese:

  • CW Winner: Nishimura

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

• Best French:

  • CW Winner: Maison Boulud

  • LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud

• Best Thai:

  • CW Winner: Purple Haze

  • LumDimSum Vote: Aroy-D (by Fulicheng)

• Best American:

  • CW Winner: Chef Too

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Indian:

  • CW Winner: Mughal’s

  • LumDimSum Vote: Punjabi

• Best Middle-Eastern:

  • CW Winner: 1001 Nights

  • LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta

• Best Beijing Duck:

  • CW Winner: Fat Duck

  • LumDimSum Vote: Made in China (Grand Hyatt)

• Best Hot Pot:

  • CW Winner: Ding Ding Xiang

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hai Di Lao

• Best Burger:

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Pizza:

  • CW Winner: The Tree

  • LumDimSum Vote: The Tree

• Best Dessert:

  • CW Winner: Din Tai Fung

  • LumDimSum Vote: Comptoirs de France

• Best Steakhouse:

  • CW Winner: Grange (Westin Chaoyang)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Meat & Wine Co. (but it’s closed now)    I will need to find a new favorite steakhouse…
    

• Best Wine Selection:

  • CW Winner: Enoteca

  • LumDimSum Vote: Palette Vino

• Best Buffet:

  • CW Winner: Seasonal Tastes

  • LumDimSum Vote: Westin Chaoyang

• Best Sunday Brunch:

  • CW Winner: Bubbalicious (Westin Chaoyang)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Orchard

• Best for Families:

  • CW Winner: Din Tai Fung, Seasonal Tastes (Tie)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Orchard

CityWeekend’s Awards for Best Bar/Club Categories:

• Club of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Mix

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Bar of the Year:
  

  • CW Winner: Apothecary

  • LumDimSum Vote: Apothecary

• Nightlife Newcomer of the Year:

  • CW Winner: White Rabbit

  • LumDimSum Vote: Fubar

• Best Local Band of the Year:

  • CW Winner: The Redbucks

  • LumDimSum Vote:  The Redbucks

• Beijing-Based DJ of the Year:

  • CW Winner: DJ Blackie

  • LumDimSum Vote:  DJ KEZA

• Best Alfresco Drinking:

  • CW Winner: XIU

  • LumDimSum Vote: Q Bar

• Best Live Music:

  • CW Winner: Mao Live House

  • LumDimSum Vote: Yugong Yishan

• Best Cocktails:

  • CW Winner: Mix-The Westin Beijing Chaoyang

  • LumDimSum Vote: Glen

• Best Place for Singles:

  • CW Winner: Mix

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Best for Dancing:

  • CW Winner: GT Banana

  • LumDimSum Vote: BLING

• Best Sports Bar:
  

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Hardest Bar to Find:

  • CW Winner: Fubar Peking

  • LumDimSum Vote: Club Obiwan

• Best Pub Grub:
  

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Fruit Plate:

  • CW Winner: Destination

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Best Promoter:

  • CW Winner: Street Hustle Promotions

  • LumDimSum Vote: Acupuncture

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!

From GOSSIP to Ghosts: Weekend Breakdown

Here’s the Weekend Breakdown for this week (starts on Wednesday, Oct. 28-Saturday, Oct. 31):

Wednesday, October 28:

GOSSIP @ [Touch] The Westin Beijing Chaoyang:

Every Wednesday GOSSIP continues to make it’s mark in Beijing as the party with beautiful people. (I love that Suzie’s ladies night is finally being replaced!)

Free drinks for ladies between 9pm and midnight, plus special GOSSIP menu and bottle prices for all table bookings.

Gossip’s resident DJs Simon Adams and Azat Sagirov continue to bring a fresh new sound to the capital, dropping a mix of the most up-front soul-drenched house music, with live percussion.

BLING’s Cash Money Dance-Off FINALIST’S Round:

The last Wednesday of every month, BLING brings together the round of the finalists from the previous weeks for a FINALIST dance-off for their chance to win RMB 5,000 cash! A real battle dance-off between the best of the best. Holla.

Scottie Pippen as Bling's Official Dance-Off Judge!

Thursday, October 29, 2009:

Kid Koala @ Yugong Yishan – Since joining UK label Ninja Tune in 1997, Eric San aka KID KOALA has been leading a one-man-and-many-turntables revolution mixing traditional jazz, hip hop, blues, funk and ska with mind-blowing sound collages.  Will be great to check this turntabilist/scratch-artist in action!

Friday, October 30, 2009:

David & Sumeet’s Housewarming Party from 8-11pm @ Peal Harbor Apartments (xinhualianligang)

Chi-jia’s Going Away Party @ d. lounge from 9:30pm-onwards

Saturday, October 31, 2009:

Halloween is just around the corner!  Time to brainstorm and find the perfect costume.  Whether you’re scary or sexy, better be dressed to impress as there are parties galore and hefty entrance fees for those who are not feeling the Halloween spirit.

Clearly my top pick will be BLING’s Cash Money Halloween Bash.  (See details listed here):

Bling’s Second Annual “Cash Money Bash” Halloween Party

Dress to Impress in the most creative, innovative, and exciting Halloween costume for your chance to win 5,000 RMB!

Contestants will be selected to participate in a contest that will be determined by none other than the Halloween revelers who attend the event. So bring out all your friends to increase your chances of winning! Strut your stuff on-stage in front of the crowd and if you can win over the crowd, then you can win the grand prize!

First place will received cold hard cash totaling 5,000 RMB! The runner-up will receive one complimentary bottle of Grey Goose Vodka. So think hard now, get your costume ready, and come out for a night of craziness on Saturday, October 31, 2009, exclusively at Bling.

Time/时间: 9pm-late

NO COVER

Dress: Best Halloween Costume gets 5,000 RMB!!

The Newest GOSSIP in Town – In Case You Haven’t Already Heard

In case you haven’t heard already, the word on the street is…GOSSIP is the new Wednesday hot spot and it’s spreading like wildfire.  

Every Wednesday, GOSSIP Pour Femme is an event hosted at [Touch] bar in the Westin Beijing Chaoyang.

GOSSIP, a new event concept, was created by Alchemy’s founder Sebastien Noat together with his talented DJ crew- DJ Azat, DJ Simon Adams, & DJ Keza have created the event concept that combines soul-drenched house mixes together with a different live instrument every week – this week will be featuring live keyboardist Zheng Zheng.

[Touch] is a beautiful venue that’s easy to fill with tasty drinks easy to match and appease the elegant and eligible ladies who are craving their fill of GOSSIP.

Gentlemen, come accordingly.  :)

Event Details:

The ladies night everyone is talking about in Beijing, is preparing for it’s third session.

Every single Wednesday, GOSSIP and TOUCH Bar (Westin Hotel) offer Beijing’s sexiest ladies free drinks from 9pm til midnight.

Special event and bottle prices for all table bookings.

Gossip’s resident DJs bring a fresh new sound to the capital, dropping a mix of the most up-front soul-drenched house music, recreating the vibe of the Riviera, this week topped off with accompaniment by live keyboardist Zheng Zheng.

You missed out on Mykonos and Ibiza? Join us this and every Wednesday night from 9pm.

For Table bookings contact: Simon: 13816790574 (English) Azat: 13501072027 (English / Chinese)

See you all this Wednesday @ GOSSIP

When: Wednesday, September 23 @ 9pm

Where: [Touch] bar @ the Westin Beijing Chaoyang

25 and None the Wiser

25 is a pretty intimidating number. As a kid, I always associated the number 25 with being an adult – someone with a career, who is financially independent, at a prime age to get married and start a family.  Ok, I’m 2 for 3.  As a kid, I also wanted to be a Disney fairy-tale princess and meet Prince Charming at the age of 16.

I realize age is just a number and age is absolutely relative. But just I don’t feel 25; I feel like I’m still 16.  Maybe that’s because the last time I had a birthday party was when I turned 16.  Due to the awkward timing of having a birthday in early September, my birthday always coincided with the start of a new school year, when everyone is still sorting out their new class schedule and their new circle of friends or in most recent years, my birthdays have coincided with vacation time – which was nice to be celebrating in an entirely new, exotic setting, but also away from my friends, my family, my home.

So for the first time in almost a decade, I have reached the quarter century mark and I was ready to go BIG.

My Birthday Week Break-down:

Monday: Pre-Birthday Home-made Dinner & Movie

Tuesday: Birthday lunch & Birthday dinner at my favorite restaurant Kagen Teppanyaki followed by birthday drinks @ d. lounge

Wednesday: Post Birthday Dinner and Pre-Birthday Party @ GOSSIP Pour Femme at [Touch] The Westin Beijing Chaoyang

Friday: Post-Birthday dinner & drinks @ none other than Hatsune @ the Village

Saturday: Birthday Champagne @ Riviera’s Pool Party

Birthday Make-Over courtesy of the beautiful & talented Meili Autumn (CW’s Fashionista Editor)

Birthday Dinner Party & Drinks @ Karaiya Spice House

‘Bling-isine’ Champagne Limo Ride courtesy of BLING (Can be booked regularly through BLING)

After-Party @ BLING

Sunday: Birthday Recovery @ Capital M’s Opening

By the same people behind M on the Bund in Shanghai and M on the Fringe in HK, Capital M launched its official opening this Sunday, September 13.

Best Part:

• The bright & colorful painted artwork that runs along the walls of the venue
• The pointed roof-top lounge area
• The spectacular view from the spacious rooftop terrace of the Tian An Men Area
• The boxed fireplaces throughout the space really warms and illuminates the venue for a very romantic and intimate lighting in the evening
• Fabian, the restaurant manager, was very welcoming, attentive and a perfect host
• The food was fantastic – I particularly was pleased to be served fresh oysters, and some top picks included the beef bearnaise and smoked salmon with poached egg and spinach. WOW, gave a really great first impression
• Capital M will bring more attention to the Qianmen area
• The location is a great destination for afternoon tea or dinner after a day of sightseeing around heart of Beijing’s history and culture
• They are bringing Danish Smørrebrød to Beijing!!  (world-famous piled-high, open-faced sandwiches from Denmark!)

Comments:

• WARNING for girls with high heels: Taxis can not reach the venue and you must walk quite far to catch one home.
• With a massive space that fills over 400 seats both indoor and the outside terrace, it will be interesting to see who their regular clientele are and their incoming business post-launch period
• It will also be interesting to see how Capital M will compare and compete with the Legation Quarter’s supreme dining outlets.

This past week I have been living in a cloud of BIRTHDAY BLISS – birthday lunches, birthday dinners, birthday e-mails, birthday text messages, birthday FB wall posts…I’ve been down-right spoiled with love, it makes me wish every day was my birthday!  I truly feel blessed to have had such a happy and loving birthday week – Thank you to everyone for making me feel so special, this birthday exceeded all my expectations. It was better than I ever could have imagined or asked for.

Here are some of my favorite birthday shots:

DimSum YumYum

It’s crazy how different Chinese food in China is compared to the Chinese food abroad.  As a Chinese American growing up in California, I only thought of the difference between the greasy Chinese food you get take-out for super cheap compared to the scrumptious, healthy food my mom and grandmom cooked at home for dinner.

I was so ignorant before I moved to China. I had no idea there were so many different provinces, each with their own unique and specialized cuisine.  In essence, I always thought Chinese food was Cantonese food.

I had no idea I’d come to China and find the food here so foreign to my palate and how sorely mistaken my preconceptions of Chinese food were.  My favorite Chinese food from America is pretty much non-existant here in China and the local food here is rare to find in the US.  I may know of some restaurants that serve some Sichuan food, but Hunan?  Yunan? Xinjiang? Ah, the list continues.  I think the closest thing to Gong Bao Ji Ding (宫爆鸡丁) is probably General’s Chicken – and that’s totally different!

My parents find it hilarious that the first thing I want when I get back to the US is dimsum.  Growing up, my family and I always had dimsum brunch at least once a week, so I would definitely consider dimsum a staple food I know by heart and love to eat.

I know there are a ton of places to get dimsum in China, but it’s all either super expensive in a hotel (which I find overrated) or just not up to par with my standards growing up (I hate Jin Ding Xuan).  I have yet to find one place that’s got the right balance of value, quality and service.

This is as close as it gets:

1. Lei Garden 利苑 - Recommended by a friend for their good quality DimSum Brunch

Best Part:

• Very good quality DimSum, definitely up to my standards
  

  3 orders of Dan Tas at Lei Garden

• Favorites: Cha Shao Bao, Luobuo Gao, & Dan Tas for Dessert (see photo here)
• Pretty packed and nice buzzing atmosphere (always a good sign when a place is full)
• Nice, clean environment, good hygiene

Comments:

• I highly recommend booking ahead for a reservation, they said the wait was over an hour for those without a reservation.  Lucky we came prepared.
• I know DimSum is meant to be small, but these portions were extra mini
• About RMB 150 per person (on the pricier side)
• The AC was on full blast – way too cold, but it was nice that they offered a shawl to wear, which nearly everyone in the restaurant was wearing
• The menu was not only written only in Chinese, it was most an odd mix of both traditional and simplified characters
• They won’t give you smaller bills in change to divide among the group (as with most Chinese restaurants – such a pet peeve).

3/F, Jinbao Tower, 89 Jinbao Jie, Wangfujing – beside The Regent Hotel
金宝街89号金宝大厦3层 丽金酒店东侧

8522-1212

2. Zen5es – located in the Westin Chaoyang, I was interested after reading about their Simply Dim Sum Specials and their award-winning chef Joyce Zhu. 

Best Part:

• I’m normally against hotel F&B outlets, but Zen5es in the Westin has a great dimsum deal going on: Simply Dim Sum Lunch – RMB 88 for all-you-can-eat dim sum available for lunch during the week, and Simply Dim Sum Brunch – RMB 168 for two people every weekend for brunch.
• Clean, easy to use bilingual menu with an extensive selection of dimsum available
• Great quality dimsum
• Nice space &  friendly staff

Comments:

• The space was pretty quiet when I went for lunch during the week for a business lunch
• While their dim sum was great, I recommend a pass on the noodle dishes, which were massive and quite bland.
• This photo is obviously an exaggeration of what you receive, in reality, the presentation of all dim sum dishes is quite normal with either the round steam baskets or white porcelain mini dishes.

4F, The Westin Beijing Chaoyang, No. 1 Xinyuan Nan Road,  Sanlitun
Yan Sha Qiao of 3rd Ring Road
金茂北京威斯汀大饭店4层，朝阳区新源南路1号

5922-8880

**I’m always happy to try new places, so I welcome any suggestions and recommendations here!