Beyond Yakitori Launches Satisfying Lunch Sets

Beyond Yakitori Launches New Lunch Sets

Last year when the Topwin Center was just opening, Beyond Yakitori was one of my highlights. Catching up with the owner, Chris Niu, he said that he feels like the restaurant is finally hitting its stride and will be introducing some new dishes and offers over the coming months. Chief among them is expanding their opening hours to also include a weekday lunch service, which officially launches this Monday, April 10th (available Mondays through Fridays).

There are 6 lunch sets to choose from including two salads, two rice based dishes and two noodle dishes (one ramen soup and one stir-fried udon) that come as a bento style set. All 6 sets come paired with either a savoury and comforting side seasonal soup and/or a refreshing side salad. The soup we tasted was a miso cooked cauliflower puree, which Chris says will rotate between different seasonal vegetables. The side salad was exceptional – a delightful combination of charcoal-grilled cucumber and pineapple with chopped chili and coriander that supplied a pleasant pop of flavours.

Almost all the lunch sets are RMB 48 with the exception of the Beyond Salmon Salad, which is RMB 68.

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To Boldly Go: Beyond Yakitori

Before I begin this review, note that everything that was seen and eaten was a preview version of the restaurant and may not be entirely representative of the final product, but based on the strength of our first tasting, I strongly urge all foodies to make Beyond Yakitori a priority visit once it soft-opens on July 2nd (they plan to officially open mid-July).

Located in the Topwin Centre (same building as the Mercedes Me project), Beyond Yakitori is on the 3rd floor alongside a bunch of other restaurants who also seem to be just opened or in the process of opening very soon. It specialises, as you might have guessed, in Yakitori; aka Japanese chuanr.

LDS Snapshots of Beyond Yakitori:

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Happi Sake: Yakitori & Premium Sake Izakaya

**UPDATE: THIS VENUE IS NOW CLOSED!**

Head to Happi Sake for Yummy Yakitori + Premium Sake

Happi Sake is second restaurant venture after the slightly larger original Sake Manzo. Created by sake master Taka Yamamoto, he is the man who is responsible for the majority of sake imports into China with the biggest stock of premium sake bottles available in the city.

While Sake Manzo emphasizes food quality and their promise to follow the Slow Food movement by supporting local farmers in serving food that is seasonal, local, fresh and wholesome, Happi Sake is Yamamoto’s way to introduce sake culture to Beijing’s F&B scene. Replicating the many casual, hidden sake bars popular in Japan for post-work drinks and small bites, Happi Sake is a small and cozy space that transports you from a city where everything is too flashy and clumsy to a culture where efficiency is key and everything was decided after a meticulous thought-process.

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Zui Yakitori Bar on Xingfucun Zhonglu

Introducing the Newest Kid on the Xingfucun Zhonglu Block – Zui Yakitori Bar

Located on the quickly developing Xingfucun Zhonglu across from April Gourmet and just next to Hercules, Zui Yakitori Bar is the new kid on the block and with an enticing entrance, I was quickly lured in just after they opened their door to the general public.  Potentially related to Hercules as the staff of Zui were all wearing Hercules-branded aprons, but this is a 2-story Japanese Yakitori Bar that has two massive bars set up on both the first and second floor and more seating upstairs for dining.

Currently half open with only its second floor in operation as the ground floor is still a work-in-progress (probably 85% there). At first we found a cozy table for 4 in the back corner of the second floor dining area ready to chow down big time on a big order of yakitori, but we were very quickly put off by 3 chain smokers sitting close-by. What was even more disheartening was hearing their attitude about it – a very curt reply, “We are a bar also, so smoking is allowed.”  Shame when you’re stuck in a tight space with no air ventilation and have come to have a proper dinner, and not sit in a room clouded with cigarette smoke.

Not a great start but read on as it gets better. Kind of.

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Vin Vie: An Incredible Inconspicuous Fusion Izakaya

You Know You’ve Found Something Special When You Step Inside Vin Vie

I was just recently introduced to Vin Vie 萬火and it blew me away. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a new find. And it isn’t even new. It’s been around for at least a couple of years, but its inconspicuous location tucked behind a narrow, dark alley in Maizidian (not far from Baoyuan Dumplings) near Chaoyang Park West Gate ensures that only the most adamant and determined foodies will be rewarded with the knowledge that such a special gem exists in Beijing.

I’ve heard Vin Vie’s name thrown about here and there, I’ve heard people sing its praises, but with such a long list of restaurants on my “To Taste List”, it just unfortunately got pulled down the pecking order until it was almost forgotten about. That was, until fellow foodie Tim Hill, of Middle Kingdom Fitness put Vin Vie back on my radar by including it as one of his top three favorite restaurants in Beijing.  With someone who’s been there before, I was on a mission to see what the fuss was all about.

…and it was a mission to find! When I say that it’s tucked away and hidden, I’m really not exaggerating.  I definitely recommend memorizing the map below to make sure you don’t waste hours wandering around lost in Maizidian. When you’re looking down the little hutong it’s on, all that indicates its existence is a little red light box at its entrance door.

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Become a Sake Samurai: Sake Tasting Dinner at Kagen

Kagen Gives You Insight into the World of Sake

When you go to your favorite Japanese restaurant (ahem, Hatsune/Kagen/Kagen Teppanyaki), can you work your way through the list of sake bottles as you might a wine list?

Do you prefer hot or cold sake? Do you know which is better and why? 

Let’s be perfectly honest – beyond the experience of getting trashed on sake bombs in college (a shot of sake dunked in a tall glass of beer = a dangerous combination), how much do you really know about Japanese sake?  

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Tori Tei 鸟亭 Japanese: Home of Yummy Yakitori

Tori Tei’s Busy Yakitori Station

Every time I’ve gone to Tori Tei 鸟亭 Japanese Yakitori restaurant, I’ve just gone to their branch across Gongti East. But their original branch is tucked inside Xinyuanli that’s so hidden, I’m not sure I would ever have found it without someone guiding the way. And considering how difficult to find its location is, I’m surprised that Tori Tei is no secret among the foodies of Beijing. Pretty much everyone I know has been to either one or both of their locations and now that I know how to get to the original branch, I gotta say that I much prefer it just because it’s that much more off-the-beaten-path. The extra effort makes your arrival feel that much more rewarding.

While I’ve heard foodies vehemently argue which Tori Tei branch is better than the other, you will find that both serve up authentic yakitori BBQ in a traditional Japanese environment for very reasonable prices.  In short, both get the job done when it comes to yummy yakitori.

Coming in from the freezing cold weather outside, it’s very inviting to walk in to a cozy, lively and petite dining space where the air infused with grilled meat fumes (in a mouth-watering as opposed to a “too smokey my eyes hurt” way).

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Timezone 8 Sushi Bar: For Sushi & Art Lovers Alike

Time to Zone in On Some Sushi in 798

“A sushi bar that brings together 798′s distinctive factory style and art hour Japanese cuisine, Timezone 8 Sushi Bar features 25 different rolls designed by renowned chef and restauranteur Alan Wong. This new sushi bar is rapidly becoming a destination for sushi lovers and art lovers alike.”

One of the big perks about spending time with Hatsune Restaurant Group owner Alan Wong is the frequent food tastings.

While most of these tastings generally take place in one of his venues (5 in Beijing – Hatsune Guanghua Lu, Hatsune Sanlitun, Kagen, Kagen Teppanyaki and Karaiya Spice House + the multiple Shanghai venues: Haiku by Hatsune, Kagen Teppanyaki and Pulau Ketam Modern Crab House), we’ve been spending more time in 798 Art District the past few months with our sushi loving friend Robert Bernell at his new Timezone 8 Sushi Bar (a menu done in collaboration with Alan).

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