Cuisine: Japanese - Skewers

Yum Factor: 3/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 3.5/5
FengShui: 2.5/5
Moolah: $ - Economy Class

Repeat-Worthy: Yes

Liu Wen Qian is easily missed, as the hidden restaurant sits inside a hidden corner just around from Moro's. The eatery itself is a tiny space that resembles more a tiny private izakaya room & is perfect for a group of 20 odd friends to have a night of casual eating & tipples of sake.

The menu has most of the Japanese staples one would find - though we do recommend steering away from the shashimi or cold staples & suggest foodies to opt for their numerous skewer selections instead. Eggplant lovers should order the baked eggplant (10rmb) which & comes topped with dry squid shavings & special house sauce. Healthy options such as skewered onions, peppers, pumpkin are all reasonably priced between 2-8rmb per stick & is suprisingly filling when ordered by the half-dozen

Our favorites however, are still any orders of the whole dry-roasted fishes. Roasted Mackerel & 'Big-eye' fish are grilled in front of diners & comes perfectly toasted with crispy skin & juicy meaty insides.
Overall, Liu Wen Qian isn't your high end jap eatery - but ideal for a cozy night of dining @ extremely reasonable prices....do bring your friends though, as this place can double as a mini mid-week dinner party with their well priced 1.8L sake bottles...you have been warned

Reviewed By: Xi2

No.8 Xinyuan Nanlu, West of Kunlun hotel, Capital Mansion West Gate
San Yuan Qiao
朝阳区新源南路8号

Cuisine: Japanese - Fusion
Yum Factor: 3/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 2.5/5
FengShui: 4/5
Moolah: $$$ - Costly Business Class

Repeat-Worthy: Yes

Loyal to its Shanghai roots, Jade Garden's lighter flavors are a consistent option to the usual over-oily cuisine of Beijing. From Xiao Long Baos to spongy breads, our Dim Sum feast was surprisingly tasty & a good substitute for the weekly Cantonese style 'Yum cha" dim sum session. We recommend coming in a larger group, as there is a huge selection of steamed morsels & a la carte choices here that would be fun to try with a bunch of friends

Service was a bit too slow at times as response times of simple things took longer than expected, but overall - the ambience & decor of the restaurant does make up for the lack as one can enjoy the views while waiting on the FuWus. The honey red sauce coated ribs were a hit with everyone as was the slightly sweet sponge cake. A good restaurant to check out at least once if you want a change from the usual over eaten Cantonese style dimsum

Reviewed By: Xi2

Building 6 Jiqingli, Chaowai DaJie
朝外大街吉庆里6号楼

6552-8688

hahah...WoOt WOOT.....the goal is to make everyone call in sick on Monday :)

Cuisine: Japanese - Fusion
Yum Factor: 4/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 3.5/5
FengShui: 3/5
Moolah: $$$ - Costly Business Class

Repeat-Worthy: Yes

Opened by award-winning culinary champ Makoto, you can't help bt have high expectations before even trying the food

Although the location is one of CBD's finest (HuaMao), the restaurant is actually quite hidden amongst all the glitz & glam of neighboring high-end stores & the JW Marriot. Located inside the Deutsche Bank building, the expensive rent has the extremely upscale decor to match...although we found the 300 diner capacity to be more of a con than a pro as an intimate dining experience is always the opportunity cost for having alot of space

We visited during lunch & were pleased to find very reasonably priced & large selection of lunch sets that included options from sashimi platters to donburis & hotpots. All the sets comes fully loaded with miso soup, apple salad, pickels & a simple dessert. Not bad for a 'Nobu' quality Japanese restaurant :)

The sashimi donburi (￥65RMB) came adorned with 2 thick scallops & 4 large cuts of lightly seared sashimi pieces. Although some may find Makotos overall prices are a bit high, we have to say that his innovative food & high quality is worth it. The big thick scallops literally melted in our mouths & the light searing gave the shashimi pieces are nouveau but delicious taste. Although portions were of a good size, eating such good quality fish just left us wanting to order another lunch set for the sake of eatin

Dessert was less spectacular as it ended up being a standard fruit plate (just say fruit plate next time damn't, as guests are probably expecting a proper fancy dessert) But was a nice finish to one of the healthier & lighter lunch options around the city. Worth a try & a repeat for us - if only we were in the area more often

Foodie Addict: Xi2

China Central Place, 4th Floor - Deutschbank Building
81 Jian Guo Road , CBD
朝阳区建国路81华贸中心1楼层
5255-0668

[CITY WEEKEND: RESTAURANT REVIEW]

European North 66

- Seafood Overdose (the unedited version)

When a restaurant goes to the trouble of importing all their seafood from far-away-Norway, you would have hoped they could have put in the extra effort to import a chef that could cook all that expensive shipment as well.

The interior design of the restaurant resembles that of a winter cabin you would find at a 5-class ski resort - with the temperature to match. The reindeer antlers chandaliers are interesting but I cant help wondering many reindeers died in the making, checkered table cloths are cute, but easily overlooked as it seems that North 66 also wanted to replicate the freezing temperatures of back home...(umm, unpaid heater bill maybe?)

The sinfully thick Roman sweet potato soup (￥28) was superb & the perfect tummy warmer on a cold beijing day. (unchanged)

The Artic seafood appetizer platter (￥88) came after the entrees were served - matched with the same sauces that was on my entrees which i noticed only because I had the main course before eating the appetizer

We recommend NEITHER the grilled norwegian salmon OR the boston lobster in cream sauce as they both came cold & it always upsets a foodie to see such high quality ingredients be wasted on a inept chef & wait staff that cant even bring out the food properly....or in the right order it seems. Both dishes would be worth trying once....and only once at that.

Service would be better if I had the option to serve myself - the manager is on a power-trip or seems to be on a permanent PMS....but that wouldn't make sense seeing he is a dude & not a girl... But then again, you come to the restaurant when its on the house right?

XiXi Cheng

With all the Burger joints poppin' up around town I decided to dig up a pic of one of the best burger experiences I've ever eaten.......I present "GBK: Gourmet Burger Kithchen"
Sorry to say though, they're located in the UK

Make sure to check it out if you cross the waters to the land of tea & crumpets....

Cuisine: American Asian
Yum Factor: 5/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 4.5/5
FengShui: 5/5
Moolah: $$ - Not Cheap, not Expensive
Repeat-Worthy: YES

Element Fresh's concept of healthy but extremely tasty food fare has offically landed at the Jing'. Hailing from Shanghai, the long anticipated restaurant has already established a huge following of food lovers of their modern bistro concept

Located in the new Sanlitun 'The Village', this eatery is already regularly packed with repeat & new foodies alike wanting a taste of their mouth-watering sandwiches & unique salad combinations. The menu selection is abundant, from all-day breakies to proper full course appetiser & dinner entrees. The modern hip decor & outdoor patio presents a perfect spot for catching the last of the alfresco eating weather - whether a coffee or sitdown meal, this place is sure to please

As our orders arrive, cameras are automatically pulled out as our colorful, fresh, well designed salads & dish presentations are a food porn photo heaven. Le bleu apple is a must-try; fresh baby lettuce greens with walnuts, crisp bacon bits, & bite sized apple pieces paired with the miso-yogurt dressing is already a favorite order for the group. Salad portions are big enough to be a light meal on its own. Cobb salad comes decked out in mozzo cheese, avocados, & neatly cut white chicken breast with fresh boiled eggs. The hummus was also a hit, served with pita bread & a vegetable medly to satisfy all your dipping desires.

The only fault in an otherwise near-flawless meal, the 'skin' on our beef vietnamnese roll was too thick & chewy for liking. Food was consistent & delicious,

Also famous for its numerous selection of fresh squeezed shaes, the mango madness was absolutely divine & came with large chunks of fresh mango to chew on. The drinks here alone are worth coming for, perfect for a detox day after a long weekend out. We can't even remember how BJ was before Element Fresh!

Foodie Addict: Xi2

3rd floor The Village @ Sanlitun 三里屯19号
19 South Sanlitun Road 三里屯Village南区8号楼8-3-3单
6417-1318

FoOdage Reviews

Yum Factor: 1 – Did you forget to hire a chef? 2 – Looks & tastes nothing like the menu description 3 – Standard as expected dishes 4 – Tasty & Delicious 5 – Do you deliver? Fu to the Wu (service): 1 – Where the Fuwuyuan at? 2 – Too much Fuwu, overservicing 3 – Acceptable standard Fuwu 4 – Mostly consistent Fuwu 5 – Flawless Fuwu throughout

Feng-Shui: 1 – Do you not own a mop? 2 – Clean street food & Dwindling ambience 3 – Nothing special & Moderate ambience 4 – Noteworthy décor & Superb ambience 5 – Enlightenment & Zen ambience Moolah: (per/mouth) S - Bargain Basement Price (¥ 5- 50) $ - Economy Class (¥50 - ¥100) $$ - Not Cheap, Not Expensive (¥100 - ¥200) $$$ - Costly Business Class (¥200 - ¥400) $$$$ - Pimping Luxury First Class (¥400+)

Cuisine: Japanese - Teppanyaki
Yum Factor: 3/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 2.5/5
FengShui: 3/5
Moolah: $ - Economy Class
Repeat-Worthy: Yes

Another anonymous find in Wudaokou that isn’t found amongst the legions of Japanese restaurants listed in that’s or the weekend. Stumbling upon this restaurant by chance, Qian He’s underground location provides a hush-hush haven away from the craziness of the upstairs bars & regular drunk student crowd (accompanied by fake bums trying to take advantage of the same drunk student crowd)

Along with the same menu that every Wudaokou Japanese restaurants seems to use, the highlights of this restaurant are their Teppanyaki sets. From the four sets on offer, the ¥158/two mouths set is the best deal that includes: a nice array of starter salads and sashimi, Tempura, Miso soup to Teppanyaki: Shrimp, Bacon asparagus roll, Beef steak, Scallop, Mixed vegetables, accompanied with fried rice, huge bowl of noodles and to finish off, an inventive fried Teppanyaki banana dessert topped off with a scoop of strawberry ice cream….and of course the finale fruit salad. (whew!...and if that isn’t enough to satiate your hunger then I suggest you book a doctor’s appointment to check for a food-eating stomach worm)

Service is slightly understaffed but the gentle chef makes up for the lack of fuwu; accommodating our requests to “xiao fang you” (less oil) on everything. Overall, Teppanyaki specialists will find this restaurant of ordinary quality, but considering the student market it serves and the Wudaokou area it’s located in – finding a decent Teppanyaki restaurant like Qian He amongst the student-infested vicinity was a surprisingly nice surprise

Foodie Addict: Xi2

Cuisine: Isreali - Kosher
Yum Factor: 3.5/5
Feng Shui: 3/5
Fu to the Wu (service) : 3.5/5
Moolah: $$- Not Cheap, Not Expensive
Repeat-Worthy: Yes

Upon entry, Beijing’s first all-kosher restaurant emits a pleasant aura of gastronomical delight. The meal that follows certainly does not disappoint. This classy little joint, located just off of Lady Street, is an ideal venue for a tranquil Sunday brunch, presenting warm greetings and delightful service.

The menu offers four types of cuisine: Japanese, Western, Chinese and Isreali fare. The ingredients used here are all fresh and home-made, the recipes fitting and agreeable. Dini’s is a suitable place to enjoy a crisp salad, indulge in a chicken schnitzel (whatever the hell that is), or just cram a 12-inch hot dog down your throat. Above average fair, this is a restaurant worth the visit

Foodie Addict: Mr.Crabclaws

Super Bar Street 32 Tianze Lu 32号女人街星吧路酒吧街内 Jiangtai Xiang (20m east of Grape restaurant) 将台乡天泽路 http://www.kosherbeijing.com/ 6461 - 6220

Cuisine: Pakistani / Xinjiang
Yum Factor: 2.5/5
Fu to the Wu (service): 2.5/5
FengShui: 3/5
Moolah: $$ - Not Cheap, Not Expensive
Repeat-Worthy: No

Located on the 5th floor of 3.3, Mughal’s menu is not only expansive but has on offer a hefty assortment of Xinjiang, Pakistani & Chinese-based chows. The potential of the restaurant is at the same time ironically its downfall. Dishes are very authentically prepared by a real Indian chef; the restaurant also had numerous Middle Eastern and Indian customers when we sat down – usually an encouraging sign of the food when natives of the cuisine show support. All these seemingly positive factors combined, perhaps unfairly, left us eagerly anticipating for the meal to arrive with high expectations
Unfortunately, the fault of the restaurant is neither the quality of the excellent ingredients nor the authenticity of the dishes, but sadly, the blatant use of the microwave to heat the food prior to it being served. Additionally, it was painstakingly obvious that dishes were not freshly made to order - but instead, most likely made by the batch, refrigerated & divded accordingly when an order was placed

In fairness however, we could tell that had the food been served at the time that it was freshly prepared, the dishes would have tasted ten folds more amazing and lived up to the effort, time & skill taken in preparing the them The tabooli was not bad/not great as we had to squeeze some lemon on top to balance out the slightly over-salted salad.

The portion of mutton handi was generous & should satiate any meat fix one is craving. The Kashmiri Saag, a pureed spinach dish mixed delicately with a very herby/spices sauce was tasty but could have been that much more delicious if made fresh to order Overall, Mughal's extremely ironic eating experience left us slightly annoyed and confused. We didn't feel bad about the usual glum factors of ingredient quality or service, but bad about the food itself and how it might never get the chance to truly to show its amazing delissh factor & hidden tasty potential

Foodie Addict: Xi2

4th Floor, 3.3 Sanlitun 三里屯酒吧街3.3大厦南侧 那里花园4层

5208-6082

Cuisine: Vegetarian – Fusion

Yum Factor: 4.5/5

Fu to the Wu (service): 4/5

FengShui: 5/5

Moolah: $$$ - Costly Business Class

Repeat-Worthy: Yes

Pure Lotus is your vegan utopia heaven for both vegetarians & carnivores wanting a meat-free meal. We all agree that this eatery is completely in its own dimension & unaffected whatever dining scene is happening or not happening around the capital. Pure Lotus is definately one of our favorite all-rouner venues with amazing zen-like ambience, consistently excellent service & dishes that not only have unparallel presentation but also taste, uniqueness & creative concoctions unlike anything you've probably tried before

"I cannot believe this isn't...." is a repeated sentence for 1st timers eateing here with mock dishes like black pepper ribs, sweet & sour foil fish, & even the famous Peking duck. Trust us, its hard not to believe you ain't eating animal protein - dishes are quick to convince that maybe vegetarians aren't really missing out much at all

Do not come here & NOT order the simply named 'seaweed hand roll" - a seaweed wrapped cone topped with candied walnut, fresh strawberry that tastes a-m-a-z-i-n-g & leaves you wanting to order another 4 for yourself

The 'half-chicken soy protein' is highly recommended & everyone has to be reminded that its not actually chicken you're eating. For groups of 4+, the cheese fondue is a must & comes fully loaded with baguette croutons, multiple veggie bits & forked prongs for your dipping pleasure (P.S. It's not cheese!)

Fish in foil is also a pleaser with fake skin & texture to match. To finish, bowls of pine-nut rice are always emptied at the end of the meal; individuals can also choose to opt for healthy bowl of 5x multigrain organic rice as well

At the end of each meal, there's a beautifully presented surprise for the foodies (and not alcohol as none is served at this monk-run establishment) Foodies should however be careful with ordering as not paying attention can snap you out of your zen-utopia state when the bill arrives

Definately worth a visit even if you ain't a veggo - though we're sure that once you pure it, it wont be your last

Foodie Addict: Xi2

10 Nongzhan Nanli | 文联大厦院内

Chaoyang Park
in compound below the JVC Tower | 农展南里10号JVC大厦
6592-3627

[FIND OF THE WEEK: OCT HOLIDAYS]

Local Provincial NooOdles

One of Guilin's famous traditional dishes - you won't find the best bowl of noodle-age at your 5* hotel, but rather a local grotty stool style local eatery.
We were lucky enough to have a local guide who showed us where to get dem' famous noodles

Stopping at a small 'one-you-would-have-passed-by' open air eatery, expat hygiene freaks should beware as this definitely isn't the eating ambience one would favorably choose back home. But hey - we are foodies after all, so no ambiance standard should stop us from trying a famous national provincial dish right?

Orders are taken by the liang (25g) here & one can opt for a standard 3 liang bowl or go for the smaller 2 liang. As the name states, mifen is rice and the noodles come in long white strands resembling a thinner version of the thick japanese udon. Freshly boiled, the bowl comes piping hot with a spoonful of peanuts, cut onions, sauce & a dash of spicy xiang oil.
On the side, you're welcome to add as much homemade selection of chilis, pickled radishes & soy sauce/vinegar

We were told that the best way to eat dem' noodles was dry, but for those that prefer a little soup-age, there's a barrel like bucket of specialty boiled beef bone soup to add to your noodle bowl mixture

Guilin peeps like their food spicy so those that can't handle the hotness should ready some H20 on hand to counter the spice.
Flavors are instant & deliciously strong, the freshness of the daily made noodles are obvious and balances the spicy condiments well by helping tone down the hotness of chilis & pickeled radish bits.

The dining experience is quick & it is not uncommon for foodies to go for 2nd or even 3rds.
Overall, definately one of the better bowls of noodles we've tried around China.
We're just crossing our fingers that our stomachs agree -

Foodie Addict: Xi2

Cuisine: Japanese - Traditional

Yum Factor: 5/5

Fu to the Wu (service): 3/5

FengShui: 3/5

Moolah: $$$$ - Pimping 1st class luxury

Repeat-Worthy: Yes

Yotsuba=Sushi/Sashimi Guru

Find a Japanese restaurant that serves fish as fresh as Yotsuba in Beijing, let me know!
I've been to a fair few Japanese restaurants in Beijing & Yotsuba ranks top for fresh fare without competition.

What the restaurant lacks for in variety, (no white tuna, yellow tail, etc) it makes up for in their muli-selection of Tuna (ligh,medium, oily tuna, mmmmmm *drool).
The restaurant is tiny, with only three tables & a sushi bar that can hold up to six people, but this holds true to the traditional appeal of the restaurant

Despite this, I am a little disappointed with how there is only one chef serving cuisine ere. When there is a full house, which is normaly the case, one chef is simply not enough. Their salad dishes could be a little more inventive.
Ordering sushi a la carte is recommended, avoid the over-priced sashimi.
Can anyone explain why the sashimi is 3-4 times more expensive than the sushi? I'm baffled here.

Foodie Addict: Patek

Build 2 Xinyuan Xili ZhongJie | 新源西里中街2号楼旁
Dongzhimen
near Yuyang Hotel | 渔阳饭店附近
6467-1837