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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Sake & Skewers: The Evolution of Beyond Yakitori

One of the frequent misconceptions people have about restaurants is that their identity and offerings rarely change – like your reliable neighborhood spot that’s been serving the exact same dishes for as long as you’ve been going there. But times are changing and if you look at restaurants (especially in Beijing), this couldn’t be farther from reality. From my experience in Beijing over the past decade, restaurants are constantly adapting to the market, trying to keep up with this crazy fast-paced F&B scene and the even faster changing technological developments (win for WeChat!). In order for restaurants to stay “fresh” and stay on people’s radar restaurants are hustling. Whether restaurants are updating their menus regularly or renovating their interior, these efforts are no small feat.

Beyond Yakitori is a classic example of a restaurant that has continued to change and evolve since it first opened 2016. I was first introduced to Beyond Yakitori shortly before they officially opened to the public, and even in the very beginning, it showed a lot of promise. A few of their stand-out dishes, notably their signature Beyond Scotch Egg alongside their range of succulent chicken skewers from the thigh, wing, neck, and Tsukune Meatball were exceptional and left a lasting impression. But that first impression is not the whole story.

“For us, yakitori perfection isn’t about flying in a pair of 200kg grills on first-class tickets from Tokyo, nor is it about sourcing the most expensive Binchotan charcoal to grill with. It’s about putting all our effort and dedication into every single mouthful we make. One perfect skewer at a time. From our coals to you, with love.” – Beyond Yakitori 

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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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