leonleebaoyan's Profile
a-zhong noodles: taipei > shanghai
perhaps. but unlike chowhound, dianping.com is a commercial site where listing position and placement are bought which skews that consensus - i know this because i've incurred their services before. And according the current consensus, Diary Queen is the # 25 in the "Best Tasting" restaurant in Beijing ... so i can't help but raise an eyebrow.
Decent bars in Hong Kong -- Do they exist?
unfortunately when i tried to go was the day it was closed ... sigh. at least i didn't get turned down for service like my hk friend who tried walking in wearing flip flops - so beware.
a-zhong noodles: taipei > shanghai
but 蚝子米线 isn't exactly any rice noodle dish nor should it ever have Guilin in its name. i'm assuming the ratings are from dianping.com which i don't always trust. has anyone who likes taiwanese street food actually been to a-zong?
a-zhong noodles: taipei > shanghai
has anyone tried the shanghai branch? it's a bit out of the way so i didn't get to go the last time i was there and am now left wondering if it's any good.
and if you'all know of a good 蚝子米线 place in beijing - HOLLA!
(Uighur) Food in Chaoyang?
ouch! rmb 177/person ... yet foie gras and abalone isn't on most xinjiang menus
Vietnamese in Beijing or Shanghai
went to LLS for lunch and then another time for coffee around dinner time: i had a regular pho and it was just ok. i had to request condensed milk for my coffee which seemed strange. great atmosphere and the place was packed during dinner.
i walked by Phodaize in wudaokou (they have another location on the east side) and was tempted then remembered to temper my expectations.
and then there is a vietnamese place in the food court of some mall south of dawang lu that is suppose to be a bj outlet of an sf little saigon vietnamese resto. someone told me this about 6 months ago and i am never in that part of town ... but willing to travel if it is indeed very good. anyone?
Solo dining in Beijing
agreed - consistently the best 酸汤鱼 guizhou sour fish soup in beijing. and it tastes fresh and clean (read: no MSG attack).
as for solo dining, Noodle Bar is a great deal for good quality beef noodle set. granted their style of beef noodles is of no particular region but short of heading to taipei, it's the best i've had in beijing. that is unless you know of another place? anyone? anyone?
Beijing: Cooking Magazines? in English? American ones?
i ask friends to bring Cook's Illustrated, Food & Wine, Saveur, Gourmet, Food Arts, and whole bean COFFEE when the come from the states - i can't justify paying imported rack prices for mags in beijing. as for cookbooks, i can't afford retail priced tomes anyway so I tend to buy second hand or remainder/over-stock when i'm in the US, HK, even in Thailand, then pay the extra luggage fee. actually, there are so many recipes online that i hardly turn to my cookbooks.
(Uighur) Food in Chaoyang?
this is probably really late but honestly, it's been a LONG time since i've had any decent Uighur food in Beijing. Crescent Moon is good and the Xinjiang Province Office near the old BTV station is about the best i've had (and hardest to find). the Xinjiang specialty goods shops outside have really good quality wines/spirits, fruits, and dry goods.
Vietnamese in Beijing or Shanghai
just saw LLS the other day in passing ... anything you recommend besides the coffee?
Health food in Beijing?
there are several branches of Lohao City in Beijing
http://www.lohaocity.com:8080/EN/index.jsp
also, try Mrs Shanen's Bagels in Shunyi - among other things, you can grind your own peanut butter there.
lastly, several of the organic farms have retail outlets - join this group and download the files for locations:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/beijing_organic_consumers/
Vietnamese in Beijing or Shanghai
didn't find the petit place but apparently the newly opened Lugar Food & Wine on gulou dongdajie serves Vietnamese tapas (not sure what that means ... and didn't ask to see a menu). I stopped in for sunday brunch and had a mushroom-cheese crepe. besides the woody rehydrated porcini, it was decent. however, the watery, acidic coffee needs work.
The place is going for a boy's night out basement game parlor feel with a long dark wood bar, leather-esque loungers, big screen tv, good sound system, and a billiards table. If the drinks, food, felt & cue, and music are good, it could be a fun place.
The place is run by a Taiwanese guy who opened the crepe place in the basement of LG towers. Like most first gen restos of new developments (including Beard Papa), it failed - but they've got lots of leftover printed napkins for legacy purposes.
Vietnamese in Beijing or Shanghai
i second sandra on vietnamese in beijing. apparently there is a shanghai high end viet food chain moving to beijing (perhaps already opened) but this was about 3 months ago.
i live near gulou dongdajie and haven't heard or seen of this new Petit something or other - if you find out or eat there, let me know.
there is no shortage of eats in my nabe, but a dearth of places i make my canteen. recommendations?
Best Dessert Dishes in China
a good basi apple is one of the best desserts i've ever had in my life and i don't even like hard candies. if anyone knows of a place in beijing that does it well (caramely, fully-melted sugar syrup without having been dusted in corn starch or flour), please post it here.
i usually order it every time i see it and thus far, i haven't had a good one since at the beijing zajiang mian place near hongqiao ... more than 7 years ago.
other that that, shaved or 'knife-shaved' ice with a spectrum of toppings is something that i couldn't get enough of while in taipei. there was this one stand at the tonghua that made their own taro balls and it was damn tasty ... the rice pellet-sized ice with candied pineapple and the super QQ taro balls -- now that's some seriously sweet and textural sensations.
i've learned the hard way with the condensed milk manto gold-silver mantou - now i only order the gold mantou, which i didn't know was an option until much much later.
as for not available in the states, the candied hawthorn kebob?
guilin jelly? 龟苓膏
what about 爱玉 and that black herbal jelly, both common with shaved ice and alone in sugary water with ice.
pea cakes? 豌豆膏
donkey rolling in the hay i've seen in alhambra, calif but not elsewhere in the states?
Ethiopian food in Beijing?
i ate at ras a couple of weeks ago ... not really a report but just a tidbit.
no smoking
small portions
we had the 4 combo with the split peas, that staple poached carrots/cabbage/potatoes salad, lamb stew, and the chard.
where i come from (san francisco bay area) there are a lot of Eritrean restaurants and their portions are HUGE. measured against past experience, Ras was less flavorful with way smaller portions. i'm used to seeing food piled high onto the injera and at Ras it just looked more like a painters palette. and back in the bay, that poached potato/cabbage/carrot salad thing is usually a (complimentary) centerpiece among the piles. however, everything we had tasted good enough except for the chard which was rubbery and very bitter despite the drizzle of acid. my dining companion doesn't eat a lot and i didn't hesitate to peel the injera off completely.
then there is the show. the dancers - two female and one male - was definitely having a good time (entertaining each other) on the raiser but the music was way too loud - louder than many of beijing's rowdier bars! but props to the dancers, their chin jutting and shoulder rolling skills were impressive.
i had a glass of south african (i think) pinotage that was either really bad or corked. the owner - a very cool guy - offered to change it after an initial no-can-do by the waitress.
this was on a wednesday evening at 830p and the place was pretty much full.
Beijing dining near Regent/Park Plaza Hotels
the wangfujing area ...
western breakfast, better stick to the hotel b/c even today few places in beijing get it right. but if you're willing to cab it for weekend brunch, Chef Too does it well but call ahead for a reservation or risk waiting even if you're solo. brunch with champagne will set you back rmb 200 unless you get something with crab meat or steak.
Chef Too Restaurant 美西西餐厅
Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang Park Between the West Gate and Lucky street
朝阳公园西路枣营南里小区东门南侧 朝阳公园新西门斜对面
6591-8676
within walking distance, inside Oriental Plaza basement floor is Crystal Jade Palace is a nearby dim sum place that is fairly authentic. depending on your appetite, shouldn't set you back usd 30. they decor is overly opulent but i've dined there alone in flip flops and nary a soul squawked.
Crystal Jade Palace - Malls at Oriental Plaza|1 Dong Chang'an Jie (bet. Dongdan Beidajie & Wangfujing Dajie) Beijing, China 100738
a bit farther - 10 min by cab - is Lei Garden which is arguably (sorry if i've stepped on anyone's toes, i haven't read the backlog where there is sure to be a dim sum thread) the most authentic HK style dim sum in the capital.
Lei Garden Restuarant, Beijing - 3/F., Jinbao Tower, 89 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng Ju, Beijing, China Tel : (86-10) 8522 1212
also within walking distance, garden of delights serves a mean nuevo latin cuisine in a sleek dining room. on week nights it is pretty dead unless they are having a wine or cigar event.
Garden Of Delights
53 Donganmen Dajie, East Gate of Huafu International Hotel, Dongcheng District, Beijing 5138 5688 / reservation@gardenofdelights.com.cn
a couple of places nearby which may be good to visit if nothing else for the view:
the emperor hotel
http://www.designhotels.com/hotels/asiapacific/china/beijing/theemperor
the courtyard restaurant
http://www.courtyardbeijing.com/home.html
last but not least, a stroll in zhongshan park within walking distance from wangfujing is a great way to wile some time away. stop in at Laijinyuxuan Tea House near the Dr. Sun Yat-sen statue for a little down time from the modernity.
Weeping willow salad?
this time of year, 香椿 and fresh tofu salad can be had on the outskirts of beijing in what we urbanites like to affectionately call 'farmer food'.
then there are also fiddlehead fern(?) salad yeah?
Visiting Lijiang and Beijing
and on that note, here are a few of my out-of-the-way recommendations:
for chongqing style charcoal flat-top cooked whole fish
Zhu Yu Fang 竹鱼坊(东单店)
地址: 东城区北极阁3条(东单路口)
电话: 010-65222335
they only have this one thing on the menu with a few additions and side dishes available. call ahead for reservations.
also, it is inside a hutong alley and very difficult to find - call the number and get the cabbie to drop you off at the mouth of the hutong.
44 Private Kitchen 细管胡同44号私家厨房
地址: 东城区细管胡同44号
电话: 010-64001280
the best Guizhou sour soup fish i've had in bj. no msg headache or parched throat side effects.
again, inside a hutong and not easy to find.
Yuebin 悦宾饭店
地址: 东城区翠花胡同43号
电话: 010-85117853
the original Beijing restaurant. immortalized via a opening-up era novel and in fact the first privately owned resto in Beijing post-79 liberalization, it serves authentic beijing-style food. yet again, inside a hutong and not easy to find. to boot, they close early ... like 830pm.
but if you really are set on imperial cuisine, any of the recommendations in the guides will work. they're not that much different and you probably won't be disappointed.
Best bread in Beijing, Bruno Bakery
ok, haven't been down to pcp lately - will check it out and thanks for the tip
Visiting Lijiang and Beijing
not sure where you are from and whether you've been to beijing before but here is my very cynical 2 cents:
imperial cuisine is over rated. if you go to tiandi yijia or any fancy place, request no msg, no chicken bouillon, low oil, and low salt (this is my standard schpiel when ordering) and see if the chefs can really cook or just rely on those 'Four Olds' of modern Chinese food. i've found that most restaurants can't make the food tasty without it and won't go the extra mile to ensure that your substitutions and preferences are executed with care and quality of flavor.
as far as i know, only the hotel restaurants will work a little harder around these parameters (i.e. not just use water instead of bouillon chicken stock) and try to recreate the flavors without leaning on chemical crutches. and if i had to recommend hotel chinese restos, i'd go to: Made in China in Grand Hyatt, the one in Ritz Carlton Financial Street or the one in China World Hotel. On the rare occasion that I go for a fancy Chinese meal, these are a safe bet that you'll get what you want without the undesirable additives.
Best bread in Beijing, Bruno Bakery
the above sounds like self promotion?
hooray, my first posting since pre-chow.com buyout and moving to beijing.
best bakeries in beijing (that i know of):
Comptoirs de France for their pastries and tarts but not their breads
i've found their baguettes too chewy and dry - possibly attributed to the local climate and not their imperfect recipe.
South German Bakery for their breads but not their pastries
the best loaf breads i've had but really dry and too-crusty croissants and pastries. if i only lived close to take advantage of their end-of-day sales.
Kempi Deli is all around good but the tourists, the lines, the wait, the getting there and the price! what am i complaining about, it's a hotel.
21Cake and Comptoirs for cake even though i've only had them when someone else have ordered it for some special occasion -- way to pricey for regular enjoyment.
When in Wudaokou, i'll stop by Cafe Bros (a Korean chain doing Japanese-style coffeehouse fare - convoluted ain't it?) for a slice of their crepe cake. it's not to-die for but great value for a nice slice of cake. their set cheese cake are a bit sweet but not bad ... for set cheese cake.
I miss relaxing at Le Palais and the 6 kuai croissants to go at the Novotel Peace - RIP.
Any Beijing folks care to chime in?
