DINING NIBBLES ARRIVALS Remember Ras Ethiopian? Restau- rateur Danny is back, this time at Chaoyang Park North Gate, right beside music venue 2 Kolegas. With a new outdoor kitchen, the signature Ethiopian stews and injera flat breads are joined by kebabs and seafood fresh off the barbecue. They’ll be open all day on weekends with plenty of garden space for the kids to run riot. Upscale Shunyi eatery H a r u Teppanyaki has opened a new branch in Sanlitun Village North, a smart contrast to recently opened teppanyaki party spot Tairyo. Haru comprises six elegant private rooms, offering lunch sets from RMB 85-120 and pricier dinner sets that feature foie gras and Kobe beef. Va Piano, the Italian restaurant at the InterContinental Beijing Beichen by the Olympic Park, has just completed a full facelift and is running a Sicilian food promotion all summer. Barefoot entrepreneur and student fancier Jade Gray has formed an unholy alliance with ex-Domino Sith Lord and lad-about-town John O’Loghlen to create, well, something special down Sanlitun way. Keep an eye out, especially if you see John’s black van loitering outside your house. DEPARTURES Maison Boulud is scouting for a new GM following the departure of Belgian front-of-house maestro Ignace Lecleir. Theresa Valiante, from QUACK ADDICTS, REJOICE Daniel Boulud’s DBGB in New York, will be taking over in the interim. Union Bar & Grille’s much-admired chef, Zachary Lewison, has moved on. The good news is he’s only moved CAPITAL BITES as far as Lido, to Park Side Bar & Grill TOM O’MALLEY CAN’T FACE THE MUSIC (see What’s New: Restaurants, p24). On Lewison’s watch, Union won an Expert’s Pick for “Best American” in f music be the food of love, what Sunday brunch buffets, “Champagne of the week, with raucous Cuban tbj’s 2010 Reader Restaurant Awards. does that make Phil Collins? Supernova” by Oasis is much too standards in the Buena Vista Social I Something between heartburn and obvious. Instead, go for “Rock Club mold. On my visit, I sat through a stomach ulcer, I’d guess. Creating Lobster” by the B52s. Better yet, a quarter-hour bass guitar instrumental the ultimate dinner party playlist is no “Spread” by Outkast. Sandwich joints of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.” easy task. The Smiths’ “Meat is Murder” can’t go wrong with “Mayonnaise” by It really wasn’t. Carmen in Sanlitun isn’t the song for a garden barbecue. the Smashing Pumpkins. “You Can’t is a venue I keep endorsing – Similarly, Weezer’s “Pork and Beans” Always Get What You Want” by the and yes, it has live flamenco guitar is rarely a hit at a bar mitzvah. And Rolling Stones might help assuage music. David Bowie’s “Life on Mars,” whilst a disappointed customers at Panino For something a little different, top tune, is the sort of diet that ends Giusto. And Led Zeppelin’s “How Many Kiev has live Ukrainian organ music with a talk show host airlifting you to More Times” should be mandatory (though as far as I’m concerned, the a hospital. at any restaurant on its second “soft only organs at a restaurant should Restaurants are notoriously poor opening.” be in the sausages). And Amigo at choosing the right music, so here A handful of Beijing eateries go regulars will know that, despite NEW MENUS are some suggestions I’m putting out so far as to hire a live band, which boasting just one CD of well-worn W Dine & Wine’s new summer menu there. Use at your own risk, Beijing. to me seems all wrong. How often Mexican standards, local bluegrass includes avocado, arugula and Firstly, if it’s afternoon tea, stick to do you see cooking demonstrations band The Redbucks have been known cucumber soup, Alaskan crab cakes something British, so anything by at a rock festival? I’m told that Latin to break out the banjos near closing with zucchini, and new French classics either The Jam or Cream. Or just play band Habana en Clave sets the house time. After one too many margaritas, like grilled sirloin with W fries. “Afternoon Tea” by The Kinks. For on fire at Casa Latina most nights that’s my exit music. PHOTO: JUDY ZHOU JULY 2010 23 WHAT’S NEW RESTAURANTS EUROPEAN PARK SIDE BAR & GRILL 园景 Daily 10am-late. 9-6 Jiangtai Xilu (opposite Rosedale Hotel), Chaoyang District (6444 6555) www.parksidebeijing.com 朝阳区将台西路9-6号（珀丽酒店对面） Park Side ups the stakes in the pub grub battle. And “grub” shouldn’t be taken as disparaging. Chef Zach Lewison, previously of Union Bar & Grille, helms the kitchen. Try his Caesar salad, with wafer-thin slices of grilled chicken, or the plump beef medallions, perched atop mustard seed- laced mashed potatoes. The menu provides trusty classics, presented with class, but portions aren’t enormous, so don’t come to line your stomach. Park Side may be a restaurant, but it’s also a pub, and a grand-looking one. It’s hard to imagine coming for dinner without also planning to stay for several drinks. There may be diners who find TVs a turn-off, but the alfresco eating will be a unanimous hit. It’s all part of the package – good food, service and family-friendly fun, rather than Maison Boulud elegance. Iain Shaw Also try: Union Bar & Grille, Morel’s VIETNAMESE LUGA’S BANH MI NOW Daily 10am-11pm. Above Luga’s (opposite Tongli Studio), Sanlitun Houjie, Chaoyang District (6413 2786) RAISING THE STEAKS 朝阳区三里屯后街同里对面 STEAKHOUSES Luga is a man after my own heart: never settling, THE CUT always striving. His many transformations some- Daily 6-10.30pm. 2/F, The Fairmont Beijing, 8 Yong’an Dongli, Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (8511 7777) times baffle, but I wholeheartedly approve of 朝阳区建国门外大街永安东里8号 his latest, Banh Mi Now, where they serve this much-missed staple of Vietnamese street food. Good banh mi sandwiches are all about the ow. I’ve just eaten a steak that cost Fairmont’s new restaurant seeks its niche in peerless ideal combination of fillings, and Luga’s gets it RMB 638+15%. It was fabulous. It cost prime cuts served in a truly intimate environment, mostly right, with generous servings of pickled twice the price of my new bicycle. To be for dinner only. The burnished gold interior, dim W daikon radish and carrots, pate, cucumbers and fair, it was a 10-ounce Wagyu rib-eye, The CUT’s lights and electronic beats get the mood just right, cilantro, as well as your choice of protein, all on flagship slab, selectively bred for its high degree and the service from manager Faisal Majeeth and his a crusty loaf (RMB 26). The grilled pork is a nicely of succulent marbled fat, and is flown in fresh, team is exemplary. charred, juicy delight, while fried eggs, another not frozen, from Australia (business class, I assume). Canadian chef Graham Kruse kicked off the classic, arrived tenderly scrambled with scallions. Eager to break the established ranks of Steak meal with a delightfully deconstructed Caesar salad Disappointments were few. (Unless you’ve been Exchange, Grange and CRU Steakhouse, The (RMB 95) – crisp romaine leaves and pancetta strips nursing a raging nostalgia for “white pork loaf,” lay beside a puree of parmesan and anchovies, I’d advise against this spongy, bland cold cut.) and tart, oven-dried cherry tomatoes. Foie gras on Do try the guava shake (RMB 25), though, after caramelized apple (RMB 135) did seem rather wintry, which Sanlitun Houjie might almost be mistaken but the goose liver was among the finest I’ve had for the back alleys of Hanoi. Shelley Jiang PHOTOS: JUDY ZHOU, SHELLEY JIANG AND COURTESY OF THE CUT in Beijing. The steaks are wonderful, especially a grain-fed New York strip loin, also the cheapest on Also try: Nam Nam, Muse, Nuage the menu at RMB 308. Of the sauces, the rich truffle morel jus, though awesomely flavor-packed, rather overpowered the meat; we found the homemade tarragon mustard a better companion. Admittedly, this tip only applies to those with the means to dine here. For the rest, be nice to your boss and maybe he’ll treat you one day. Tom O’Malley Standout dishes: Crab & coconut bisque, 7-ounce New York strip loin, “CUT” apple tart Also try: Steak Exchange, Grange, CRU Steakhouse 24 JULY 2010 SAUSAGE FEST GERMAN HOPFENSTUBE 慕尼黑啤酒屋 Daily 11am-midnight. 3 Sanfeng Beilu (opposite Cashbox KTV), Chaoyang District (5909 6666/22) 朝阳区三丰北里3号（钱柜KTV对面） sn’t this the second time ‘Go West’ has schnitzel and potato-based sides, with five soups steal. RMB 48 affords diners unlimited trips to a salad played?” and as many salads. Our “Bavarian Brewhouse Platter” bar of fresh greens, pickles and Swiss cheese; a bread “I “Dunno. Maybe this one’s the World Cup (RMB 88), eschewing plating niceties for sheer protein, basket with delicious salty pretzels; a daily soup and a remix.” looked like someone had rolled a hand grenade into trio of main course options (go for the Nuernberger I don’t think it was. But the music shows the vibe a barnyard and caught as many flying bits of animal sausage). What’s more, it’s just RMB 10 on top for a this huge German restaurant is gunning for. With as they could on a plate. Pork knuckle, chicken breast, glass of excellent home-brewed beer. In fact, the 300 seats, a dozen plasma TVs showing sports, and a frankfurter and Thueringer sausages, shards of pork only real disappointment was the apologetic splat copper microbrewery, it’s all about thigh-slapping, crackling and processed German meatloaf were all of lukewarm mashed potato.