DINING NIBBLES NEW ARRIVALS Many little cafes have opened up in Sanlitun in time for Christmas. Taking over White Rabbit’s spot in Tongli Studios, Hercules offers up deli fare in the form of sandwiches, salads and soups (see p24). Meanwhile, a few blocks over, Refresh! (located beneath Hooters) also serves light fare in the form of sandwiches and paninis, baked goods, smoothies and coffee. A few paces behind The Bookworm, Khan Baba is a new Pakistani restaurant dishing out samosas, curries and roasted meats at reason- able prices. For more refreshment from the subcontinent, Royal Boat is right across the street in Sanlitun Soho. It specializes in Indian drinks: premium teas, lassis and fresh juices. For some tasty , head to Shanghainese chain Xiao Nan Guo in Liangmaqiao’s new City Mall. Soon to be its neighbor is the newest branch of Element Fresh, another popular Shanghai chain. Speaking of old favorites, Sequoia Cafe has relocated its main store to the Jianguomenwai Diplomatic Compound, Comptoirs de France has opened a branch in Pacific Century Place and Jenny Lou’s has opened a brand-new store in Central Park as well as its refurbished Chaoyang Park branch. Not too far away, Cage’s Crab House will steam up crabs imported from all A HAUL FROM SANYUANLI MARKET over the globe, along with “crabby” sides, and salads. On a lighter note, the Korean owner of the newly- opened SG Song at the Vantone Center will focus on healthy and fresh CAPITAL BITES Korean dishes made without MSG. JEN LEUNG GOES SHOPPING During these cold days, nothing is more comforting than hearty Eastern European . Bluecity Polish ou can buy fake Gucci, find remain my excuse for a weekly oranges or just want to see a whole restaurant in Soho Shangdu features antique cameras, or pick up a visit. Needless to say, it’s a veritable lotta produce, head to Xinfadi. perogies and cabbage rolls. And Ypet poodle at ’s many lifeline for those longing to cook This is the city’s biggest outdoor Budapest has finished renovations, specialty markets, but for those of non-Chinese feasts. market, where supermarket chains resulting in a space that’s now sleeker us who love to cook, the best reason If you love , go to Jing and other wholesalers source their and better-lit; they’ve added even more Hungarian specialties to their to hit the market is food. While the Shen market (see Feature, p17), a produce. Much of it is sold straight menu as well. neighborhood Jingkelong or Jenny massive wet market packed with from the back of massive trucks If it’s too cold to leave the house but Lou’s is convenient, the wholesale tanks where dinner is still swimming – – that sight alone is worth the trek. you still want , Hegel’s food markets around town are everything from common catfish But there’s no need to go that far Bagels will deliver fresh bagels (RMB treasure troves for foodies. to baby sharks. There’s also row to get wholesale deals on fruits 80/dozen) to your door, and Pie Sanyuanli, in the Xinyuanli upon row of giant oysters and other and vegetables. For instance, on House is offering chocolate hazelnut neighborhood, has long been an mollusks such as clams and geoduck. the west side of Shichahai, Rundeli cake for the holiday season. They are also hopping on the cupcake train and expat favorite (see p29). Originally While the market is raucous with market has every type of produce sell five for RMB 125. intended as a wholesale distributor dealers selling to restaurant buyers, imaginable for bargain prices. You for the embassy kitchens, it stocks a with patience you can figure out can cruise down the wide aisles on NEW MENUS fine selection of Western groceries exactly what sort of crustacean to your bike/scooter/horse-drawn cart Element Fresh, Maison Boulud, Bei at some of the best prices in town. buy, and at unbeatable prices. And and shop in comfort without ever and Morio are among those taking Here, you’ll not only find cheddar if the thought of wrestling a live hopping off your wheels. winter in stride and offering updated and olive oil, but also hard-to-locate crab into a pot makes you nervous, There’s no better excuse than menus with seasonal ingredients items such as puff pastry and curry you can take the critters to the the holidays to cook up a storm for that’ll help keep you warm. Element laksa paste. On the herbal front, food court upstairs to be cooked your family and friends. I suggest you Fresh now has lamb with lentils, and Morio will serve individual pots there’s fresh sage, rosemary and on the spot. make one of these markets your first of nabemono (a warming Japanese thyme, not to mention the more While most expats seldom need stop … Sanyuanli even stocks fresh stew) with seafood. Eat up, stave off exotic lemongrass and galangal. to buy fruit in wholesale amounts, turkeys and cranberry . the cold! The mounds of avocados, though, if you ever need 20 pounds of PHOTO: JEN LEUNG DECEMBER 2010 23 WHAT’S NEW RESTAURANTS CAFES & TEAHOUSES HERCULES 荷加斯餐吧 Daily 11am-late. Unit 201, 2/F, Tongli Studios, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6415 0299) www.hercules3s.com 朝阳区三里屯路同里2层201

Twelve Labors would be enough to make anyone hungry. This Sanlitun café bearing Hercules’ name would have provided the ideal sustenance for such toil with its honest, hearty fare. The three staples on offer – sandwiches, salads and soups – offer warmth enough to counter the season in an environment befit- ting a not-coming-on-too-strong first date. The borscht (RMB 18) is a tad insubstantial but that is not a criticism that can be leveled at the homely ox tongue (RMB 38) or traditional pastrami (RMB 42) sandwich on your choice of fresh-baked ciabatta, baguette, croissant, etc. The various breads and fillings are the delight of a menu rounded out by all-day breakfast and pastas. Drinks range from cof- fees to wines, which makes Hercules equally suitable for a late-morning laptop session or a late-night refill during a traditional Sanlitun session. Pete Reilly Also try: Biteapitta, Bocata

DUCK "TAKOYAKI"

BACON-EGG-LETTUCE AND TOMATO

CAN YAN COOK? SPANISH CONTEMPORARY CHINESE OLÉ RESTAURANT AND BAR Daily 11am-2am. Courtyard 4 (opposite Tun), Gongti Beilu, YAN CAN COOK BEIJING Chaoyang District (6595 9677) Daily 11am-10pm. Unit 201, World Financial Center, 1 Dongsanhuan Lu, Chaoyang District (5981 7578) 朝阳区工体北路4号院（屯吧对面） 朝阳区东三环中路1号环球金融中心WFC201单元 Sanlitun’s Spanish invasion moves up a gear with the launch of this huge, three-tiered space. an Yan Cook? Martin Yan, the celebrity chef done neat and sweet with a to-die-for X.O. chilli All-you-can-drink sangria promotions are the of TV’s Yan Can Cook, has just opened his sauce. draw in the downstairs bar, with casual tapas Cfirst restaurant in Asia, with fusion dishes But other dishes need some work. The honey on the second floor and more upscale dining adapting the best of Chinese to Western eel, smothered in a zesty plum sauce, was over- on top. Both dining floors share a pumpkin- tastes. Even in a town where authentic Chinese cooked and nestled oddly on a bed of bland orange color scheme, bouncy Iberian music food is cheap and abundant, this concept could lettuce and blander white toast (RMB 98). The and a duo of Spanish chefs knocking up striking still be fun, but Yan falls a bit short. coffee-flavored pork (RMB 88) smelled amazing black rice paella with squid ink and cuttlefish The roast pigeon is finger-lickin’ good, the but was too fatty, and its sauce only highlighted (RMB 180), salads, roasted meats and various meat moist, the skin crackling (RMB 38 for half). the dominance of sweet and sour on the menu. tapas plates. Portions are big and flavors bold. The other barbecue offerings are just as grand. Firecracker duck balls are creative – it was The second-floor business lunch (RMB 70) The crystal pork (RMB 38) is a high-class aspic amusing to discover savory duck “takoyaki” under includes a choice of two dishes (try the the drizzle of mayonnaise and bonito flakes (RMB estofado beef stew), a basket of warm bread 68). This upgrade of the Japanese street snack is and a glass of passable Spanish red. On top, laudable, but without the traditional starchy base, higher-end specials worth a shot include roast also rather dense. And while Yan’s (RMB suckling pig (RMB 480, serves 6) and fabada, 28), a variation on the classic Yangzhou version, a northern Spanish dish of beans with pork, and the Hong Kong-style (RMB 38) chorizo and veggies. Tom O’Malley looked picture-perfect, both needed a liberal dash of salt to give them life. Also try: Carmen, Agua

So, Yan Can’t Cook? Not necessarily – the OLE OF COURTESY AND ZHOU JUDY PHOTOS: setting is classy, the open kitchen welcoming and the plating lovely. The less successful dishes can be easily tweaked, so give him time, and Yan can succeed. Jen Leung

Standout dishes: Roast meats, duck skin with marshmallow Also try: Da Dong PAN TUMACA WITH HAM

24 DECEMBER 2010 SUCCULENT SUCKLING PIG THE REBIRTH OF COOL

SPANISH AGUA Daily noon-2.30pm, 6-11pm. 4/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (5208 6188) 朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园4层

t’s likely that most people who were familiar the talking. Peering through the kitchen’s tinted (RMB 99, Mon-Fri noon-2.30pm) are an excellent with Agua’s original spot at Ch’ien Men 23 windows, we find continuity in the reassuring form entry point. There’s something distinctly rustic Iwill welcome the restaurant’s revival and of bespectacled chef Jordi Valles, arguably Beijing’s about much of the fare. Initially this is a surprise, relocation to the more accessible surrounds of most instantly recognizable chef and certainly but mouthful by mouthful, your heart warms to Nali Patio. Indeed, it’s hard to see anyone who among the capital’s best. Those who know Valles’ the point where you feel like a nap on the living enjoys good food not finding something to form will dive straight in and order his trademark room sofa and some Sunday afternoon TV beckon like about this place. Agua’s move to Nali is a suckling pig with apricots and shallots (RMB in the next room. For proof, order the melt-in-the- tale of change and continuity. Whereas the old 198). The suckling pig also appears on a menu of mouth stew of lentils, tender chorizo, ham and Agua was all passionate reds, the new design several dishes that can be ordered to share. All pork belly, or the pumpkin soup with poached is less sexy, featuring a simple two-tone color of those have a 45-minute waiting time, so you egg. We’ll be back. Iain Shaw scheme, paintings of bullfighters and flamenco might order some tapas to start off, or one of six dancers, and Arabesque lampshades. It’s quietly signature cocktails (RMB 58). For newcomers, the Standout dishes: Suckling pig, pumpkin soup classy, setting a tone that allows the food to do RMB 308 tasting menu or three-course lunch sets Also try: Carmen, Modo, Niajo

CANTONESE MING COURT 明阁 Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm. 2/F, Langham Place, 1 Er Jing Lu, Beijing Capital International Airport (southwest of Terminal 3), Chaoyang District (6457 5555) 朝阳区首都机场二经路1号朗豪酒店2楼 (T3航站楼西南侧)

Ming Court may be a bit far from town, but just is a definite bargain. Skip the sticky-rice chicken (a think of it this way – it’s a tasty and classy alterna- bit dry and heavy) and go for the shrimp tive to the airport food court. Take, for example, the with its delicately elastic skin, pan-fried fried grouper cooked two ways (RMB 218). Half is and steamed sweet custard buns. Where else can sweet-and-sour, not so unique – but the half stir- you count planes while nibbling on Cantonese fried with mushrooms and dried shrimp roe brings ? Emily Young out the umami of this fish. Claypot rice with dried shrimp, scallop and matsutake (RMB 128) is savory Standout dishes: Tiger prawns (生拆蟹肉海 with a brilliant sauce. The joy of tiger prawns (RMB 虾炒蛋白), claypot rice (虾干瑶柱松茸煲仔饭), 138) is tripled when stir-fried with crab meat and shrimp (笋尖鲜虾饺) soft egg whites. And the buffet (RMB 98) Also try: Lei Garden, Lotus Garden SHRIMP DUMPLING FAMILY PHOTOS: EMILY YOUNG AND COURTESY OF AGUA DECEMBER 2010 25 WHAT’S NEW RESTAURANTS AMERICAN SWITCH! Tue-Wed, Sun 11am-6pm; Thu-Sat 11am-9pm. 8503, 798 art district, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (5978 4916) 朝阳区酒仙桥路4号798艺术区8503 (近UCCA)

The huge stainless-steel open bit, with canapé-esque portions kitchen calls to mind an American that recall their catering origins. diner, but the slick furnishings take For example, the steak and eggs away that illusion. The menu, how- (RMB 65) had a card-sized filet and ever, does reflect classic comfort one egg dropped into a hole in food: mac and cheese croquettes the toast. (Leave the toast whole, (RMB 35) and donut holes (RMB please – I’m still hungry.) This lofted 35). Helmed by successful caterers multipurpose space, attached to Culinary Capers, Switch! serves the UCCA, finally offers 798’s gal- simple and upbeat Western fare. lery-hoppers a chic spot to grab The duck dip (RMB 45) is a mar- lunch, have a glass of wine and velous riff on the classic French take a breather. Jen Leung dip, served with a great au jus. The calamari (RMB 35) is flawless and Standout dishes: Duck dip, yam fries (RMB 25) always please calamari the crowds. The brunch falters a Also try: Element Fresh

PLUMP PORCHETTA LITTLE ITALY ITALIAN LMPLUS Daily 8am-11pm. Unit 102, Bldg 10, Central Park, 6 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6533 6366) 朝阳区朝阳门外大街6号新城国际10号楼102号 CRISPY CALAMARI ive years ago, the newly built (three courses RMB 79, two courses WHAT'S NEW: RESTAURANTS ... WHERE THEY ARE Central Park complex was RMB 49). Fbilled as “cosmopolitan living Some bread and a jug of lemon at its best.” Really? water were early signs of good On a smoggy day, a visit to the service, which only wobbled a bit concrete huddle of towers would eat when I had to harass a waiter for SWITCH! at my soul (yes, I live in a hutong), to black pepper to fix my spaghetti the point where jumping from one carbonara, one of about eight pasta seemed the only escape. options. For secondi, porchetta, a Then, with a waft of freshly baked fatty roll of herb-infused pork belly bread and great lunch specials from the Lazio region, was a greasy, Pekotan could talk me off that ledge. guilty treat. Mercifully, tiramisu Other nice restaurants followed, the ended things on a lighter note, tasty latest being LMPLUS, a smart little if just a little lacking in alcohol. Italian restaurant anyone would A 12-seat “wine room” and welcome on their doorstep. antipasti buffet smartens things up From the guys behind L’Isola, for dinner, and the thoughtful wine AGUA LMPLUS exports the ristorante fare list showcases excellent by-the- that’s won plaudits from Italian glass selections at good prices. In a HERCULES expats into a smaller, more casual housing complex that lacked heart, OLÉ environment. At noon, most other LMPLUS adds another welcome dot YAN CAN COOK diners (including impeccably of warmth. Tom O’Malley BEIJING dressed Italians) were daintily pick- ZHOU JUDY PHOTOS: ing at panini and foccacia sand- Standout dishes: Minestrone soup, LMPLUS wiches stuffed with vibrant veggies porchetta with roasted vegetables (RMB 35-45). I opted for the set lunch Also try: L’Isola, Annie’s

26 DECEMBER 2010 CHEF’S SELECTION

KU CHIFAI EXECUTIVE CHEF, YU AT THE RITZ-CARLTON BEIJING

f you want to have a conversation FAVORITE BEIJING-STYLE with somebody who’s truly RESTAURANT Ipassionate about Cantonese Hua Jia Yi Yuan 花家怡园 cuisine, talk to Chef Ku, who learned I think the dishes here are very his craft at the famous Lei Garden representative of Beijing cuisine, restaurant in his native Hong Kong. very reasonably priced, and cater In his quest to create innovative yet to popular tastes. Also, the environ- authentic Cantonese food, however, ment is really pleasant. Ku is also highly inspired by the delicate aesthetic and ingredients FAVORITE JAPANESE of Japanese cooking. That influence RESTAURANT comes via Osaka, where he worked Seijo 成城 prior to Beijing. Here, Chef Ku shares The food here is almost as good as in with us his opinions on where to eat a local Japanese restaurant, and like and shop in the city. Hua Jia Yi Yuan, the prices are good and the atmosphere is great. FAVORITE RESTAURANT Lei Garden FAVORITE MARKET Both the dishes and the environ- Jing Shen Seafood Market ment at Lei Garden are great – even 京深海鲜市场 in Beijing, you can find genuine Everything you could imagine is Hong Kong style, taste and service. available at this seafood market – Also, I worked at Lei Garden before there is even some rare imported I started at the Ritz, so I understand seafood. Apart from being fresh, the the high level of food quality the produce is not expensive given that management insists on. it’s very high quality. (See p17.)

FAVORITE HONG KONG-STYLE FAVORITE DISH AT YU RESTAURANT Pan-fried imperial shark fin with Charme 港丽餐厅 crabmeat 生拆蟹肉干煎海虎翅 I really enjoy the Hong Kong This is one of my signature dishes, chacanting (casual diner). The owner and one of the most popular of Charme is from Hong Kong, in the restaurant. It’s also very and the milk tea and dim sum nutritious. For such a , the here are very traditional. Also, their price is great! pineapple buns (boluo bao 菠萝包) are the best in town. For venue details, see Directory, p71. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RITZ-CARLTON BEIJING DECEMBER 2010 27 FEATURE things are more comforting (or more useful for putting on that protective winter fat) than a hot and gooey fondue. Chunks of bread and vegetables are dipped into a pot of melted cheese (usually Raclette, Emmental or Gruyere) that is spiked with a generous dose of white wine or liquor.

Morel’s, Enoterra, Swissôtel: All offer cheese fondue served with baguettes and vegetables. Let’s Seafood: Because eating a pot of cheese isn’t decadent enough, you can substitute crab and lobster for bread. Blu Lobster: Not a dairy fan? Then try fondue bourguignonne, where raw meat is dipped (and cooked) in boiling oil.

HEALTHY After excavating slices of fatty pork from the inch- thick chilli oil at Sichuan , you might find it hard to believe that hot pot can be healthy. But southern Chinese versions (i.e. Hong Kong and Taiwan) often use medicinal soup bases such COME TO A BOIL as ginseng and black chicken. Moreover, the HOT POTS OF THE WORLD emphasis is on seafood, such as fish cake and shrimp balls, instead of fatty beef and lamb. by Jen Leung Still not healthful enough? Then eat your way to better skin with collagen-rich soups, or avoid all guilt by trying a vegan fondue. RIB AND POTATO SOUP AT TUNMALU Ding Ding Xiang (鼎鼎香): This popular, high- t’s that time of year. Temperatures have Needless to say, kimchi flavors are prevalent, and class (and thus expensive) Taiwanese-style hot dropped and the heat is finally on – hot pot for the most authentic meals, you should head pot offers individual pots and a variety of healing season has arrived. The Chinese options alone to Wangjing. soups. (Beijing and Sichuan and Yunnan, oh my!) Yintan Jintang (银滩金汤): Their signature soup Imay seem endless, especially on Guijie, a street Korean Goryeo (高丽王朝): Order any of the is made from abalone, chicken, pork and wild dedicated to this beloved communal dining jjigae, and cook up sliced raw mutton in the stew mushrooms. Their minced seafood pastes are a extravaganza. But rumor has it that this winter will at the table. must-try. be a long, harsh one – so to support you through La La Rib Hot Pot (喇喇排骨火锅): Specializes in Collagen Hot Pot (旬鲜胶原蛋白火锅): For RMB this extended hot pot season, here are some alter- kimchi-flavored pork rib stew. 38 per 200g, you can add collagen powder to natives to keep your belly full and body warm. Tunmalu Rib and Potato Soup (豚玛露脊骨 your hot pot; for best results, pair with the skin- 土豆汤): This Wangjing restaurant is famous for beautifying papaya soup. JAPANESE its namesake – a hearty stew of pork ribs and Pure Lotus (净心莲): Their “cheese” fondue is Of the several styles of Japanese hot pot, shabu- potato chunks. made from wheat bran, oil leaf, and olive oil – and shabu (literally “swish-swish”) is the closest to it’s a none-too-bad substitute for the real thing. Chinese, where the meat is dipped in a bare FONDUE broth to flash-boil, then drenched in sauce. In Chinese, this Swiss panacea for cold weather Addresses for all listed venues can be found in the Afterwards, congee is cooked in the rich broth is called nailao huoguo, or “cheese hot pot.” Few Directory, starting p71. to cap off the meal. Sukiyaki is sweeter, with a soy broth of simmering beef and noodles, and a CLEANSING MEDICINAL TAIWANESE HOT POT raw-egg dip. Nabemono, more stew-like, is a big pot of meat, vegetables, and noodles brought to a boil at the table, where diners can pick from the communal pot.

Matsushin (松伸): Traditional shabu-shabu (with a water base) restaurant frequented mostly by Japanese diners. Kagen (火源): Shabu-shabu with a variety of soup bases; sukiyaki is also available. Niu Xuan An (牛玄庵): Specializes in nabemono, but also has sukiyaki. Soup bases include miso, curry, tomato and soymilk.

KOREAN Korea’s version of hot pot is jjigae, a big pot of LEUNG JEN AND YOUNG EMILY PHOTOS: stew in which chunks of meat, vegetables and potato are slow-cooked in a soupy base. Its end- less variations include crab, kimchi, fish and even dog meat (good for generating body heat). At the table, there is often the option of cooking thinner slices of raw meat and vegetables in the stew.

28 DECEMBER 2010 FOOD HERO FANG YUCHI CHEF, AUSTRIAN EMBASSY

30-year veteran of foreign black bread with goat cheese embassy kitchens, Fang Yuchi (Liptaueraufstrich mit Schwarzbrot), A has spent the last decade as beef stew (Gulasch), and Gugelhupf, head chef at the Austrian Embassy. a buttery cake adapted from a recipe Not only does he handle daily meals of the ambassador’s mother. for the ambassador and his family, but he is also in charge of official Describe for us. embassy feasts. A recent one was My knowledge only applies to a large banquet to the ambassador’s celebrate Austrian “SANYUANLI MARKET family. They prefer National Day. Chef simple, nutritious Fang chatted with ORIGINALLY SERVED and balanced food, us about his expe- AS AN INTERNATIONAL usually consisting rience. of beef soup, po- INGREDIENTS tato salad and egg So how was the DISTRIBUTION CENTER pasta. And they old daughter, who used to ask for the late 1990s, originally serving as National Day can’t live without spaghetti four years ago but now she an international ingredients distribu- banquet? FOR EMBASSIES” desserts. I keep four yells for xihongshi jidan mian (noo- tion center for embassies. The kitchen was cra- kinds of sweets in dles with egg and tomato) right after zy busy. I invited a lot of chefs from oth- stock: poppy seed cake (Mohnkuchen), she returns home from school. What does this job mean to you? er embassy kitchens to help me out. plum cake (Zwetschkenfleck), I own several properties near Basically, each embassy has only one Sachertorte (a famous chocolate And where do you get your Jiaodaokou, and the rent money chef, so we often help each other cake with apricot jam) and of course, ingredients? from those provide me with ample out on special occasions. Food was his mother’s Gugelhupf! Sanyuanli market is always my top income, so I work entirely out of love served to 700 guests, and we were choice – it’s an old friend to us em- for cooking. I love to watch people working nonstop for 24 hours. I made Do they like Chinese food? bassy chefs. I can say I know every enjoy my creations, and it’s wonder- classic Austrian dishes, ranging from Actually, they love Chinese flavors – single vendor well. We’ve spent a ful to bring people happiness by duck goose pate (Entenleberpastete), especially the ambassador’s 8-year- fortune on this place. It formed in serving these delicacies. PHOTO: SUI DECEMBER 2010 29 HOME COMFORTS Ingredients the egg whites – you want it well- 4 eggs (whites and yolks incorporated, but you don’t want to separated) lose the marvelous air and lightness 1/3 cup sugar that is your reward for having beaten 1 cup heavy cream these ingredients separately. 1 pint whole milk 5. Chill for at least one hour. Then 3 ounces bourbon ladle the mixture into cups and dust 2 ounces brandy (if you like) with a little nutmeg and cinnamon. 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Cinnamon (or chocolate shavings) Note: If you are fearful of eating raw to sprinkle on top eggs, you can temper the egg yolks first. To do this, warm up the milk in a 1. Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks saucepan (but do NOT boil) and very, until they turn fluffy and a lighter very slowly pour in the egg yolk and shade of yellow. Add the sugar sugar mixture, stirring vigorously all slowly, and beat until the sugar is the while. You want to heat up (and dissolved. cook) the egg as part of the liquid, 2. Beat the egg whites in a separate but you don’t want the milk so hot bowl with one tablespoon of sugar. that it cooks the egg into curds. Beat until stiff peaks form (though ALL I WANT FOR be careful not to overbeat) and set aside. 3. Beat the heavy cream in a separate CHRISTMAS bowl until stiff peaks form (i.e. it can hold its own shape). Here again, by Jen Leung be careful not to overbeat – better to err on the side of slightly softer. he holiday season is the perfect English aristocracy, who mixed this Set aside. excuse to indulge, and nothing milk-based punch with brandy. Tis better for that than a creamy, American versions substituted 4. Add the milk, bourbon and grat- boozy eggnog. That’s right – a home- bourbon, and I say, why not just use ed nutmeg to the egg yolk and made, not-too-sweet, airy, fresh egg- both? Happy holidays! sugar mixture; stir until well-mixed. nog. This drink originated with the Gently fold in the whipped cream and PHOTOS: JEN LEUNG JEN PHOTOS:

30 DECEMBER 2010 GRAPE PRESS something special, then quality cloying palate. Champagne from top producers FESTIVE SEASON is highly recommended, as are ONE TO DRINK other sparkling wines from Australia NV Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff WINES FOR CHRISTMAS or California (often made from Edge Sparkling Shiraz, Australia the three Champagne grapes: RMB 338 (The Wine Republic) by Edward Ragg Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Available at Ritz-Carlton, Switch!, Meunier). In Australia, sparkling Terra Shiraz is the drink of choice for this From one of Australia’s most noted time of year. producers, this is quintessential And Christmas would be strange sparkling Shiraz. Deep ruby with indeed without a fortified wine. a persistent fizz, this wine exhibits Many fortified wines keep well after lovely blueberry fruit and an essen- opening and this month’s Aussie tially dry, refreshing palate. Tawny is no exception! You can enjoy this on the day or over a week after ONE TO SAVOR opening. NV Egly-Ouriet Les Vignes de Vrigny Brut Champagne, France ONE TO QUAFF RMB 592 (Globus) NV Penfolds Club Tawny, Available at Maison Boulud Australia You cannot get much further away RMB 150 (ASC) from “big brand Champagne” than Available at Carrefour Shuangjing, Egly-Ouriet. Made exclusively from Jenny Lou’s, Kempinski market Pinot Meunier, this is medium-gold This red fortified wine, medium- with a delicate mousse. The nose is tawny in color, is made in the hugely complex with floral, biscuit hoosing wines for the festive wines, while celebratory fizz is same style as Tawny Port. The nose and citrus aromas followed up by season very much depends undeniably fun, do keep in mind has attractive dried red fruits and a dry, refreshing palate of consider- Con how you are going to that sparkling wines – especially nutty aromas with a sweet but not able length. celebrate. If you’re throwing a fun those from cooler climates – are Edward Ragg is co-founder, with Fongyee Walker, of Dragon Phoenix Fine wine party for a larger group, then very high in acidity, which can upset Wine Consulting, Beijing’s leading independent wine consultancy and opt for approachable grapes like guests’ stomachs. So make sure to education service (www.longfengwines.com). They write for the world’s Merlot or Shiraz, which tend to provide enough food! wine magazines and several publications in China. be crowd-pleasers. As for white But if you want to serve PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS DECEMBER 2010 31 BAD FOR YOU CONFECTIONS: RATED X(MAS) FRUITCAKES AND OTHER NAUGHTY HOLIDAY TREATS by Gabriel Monroe

cakes are soaked in brandy or rum for decades, a mellowing strategy that I’ve seen emulated by a few friends with mixed results. Somewhere at the deranged border between fruit and cake, strange and wondrous things are known to happen, as a brisk flip through the Unofficial Annals of Fruitcake Records reveals. Highest measured density of an object? Not a diamond, but a 140-year-old fruitcake excavated in rural Austria in 1994. Oldest living thing? Not a giant sequoia, but an 800-year-old plum cake still residing prosperously in South Wales. For a taste of the legend, try the new line of Christmas fruitcake offered by the South German Bakery. Here in Beijing, across the globe from boozy fruitcake’s ancestors, the more demure stollen is my merry morning companion of choice during Christmastime. I’ve heard the rumors that the equivalent of two sticks of butter goes into each loaf, but no such health concerns shall ecember is a regal time for food. From cestors of today’s luxuriously buttery stollen were for- have precedence over the gay Yuletide spirit. Christmas cookies and gingerbread bidden by church decree to include anything tastier I have also heard that a breakfast of these holiday men to panettone and eggnog, an than plain flour. After meekly requesting that this rule breads and eggnog (with brandy, of course) not elite class of food specialties grace our might be reconsidered, these 15th-century bakers only warms the body but stimulates the mind, Dmarkets every winter. Three lump-shaped waited more than four decades through the reigns of making it a smart choice for both sumo members of this noble pedigree embody its five popes before receiving the long-awaited “butter wrestlers and surgeons. Thanks to my best efforts to style, tradition and allure: Yule logs, stollen and letter.” This precious document revoked the Vatican’s maintain holiday spirit, I look a little more like fruitcake. ban on using butter in Christmas stollen, making Jolly Old St. Nick after every holiday, and I know First, the Yule log (aka bûche de Noël), one possible today’s rich loaf. No matter how much I’m not the only one. of many holiday treats inspired by centuries of you eat, don’t feel guilty – your penance was For addresses of bakeries, see the Dining directory, European tradition. Most sponge cakes do not prepaid by medieval Saxons and their plain loaves. p71. Also try foreign grocery stores as the holiday turn my thoughts fondly to Thor, the Norse god of season gets into swing. thunder, but then, most are not named after the ancient winter solstice bonfire lit to honor Thor CERTAIN FRUITCAKES ARE and win good luck for the coming year. SOAKED IN BRANDY OR RUM Though Thor got demoted in importance, logs continued to be burned as a Yuletide tradition. FOR DECADES, A MELLOWING But the world changed. The food-that-looks-like- STRATEGY THAT I’VE SEEN

something-else trend swept the land (sometime UNERDCOREGIRL AND SIMONDOGGETT USER FLICKR JIANG, SHELLEY PHOTOS: in the 1800s), inspiring a cake version of the log, EMULATED BY A FEW FRIENDS originally eaten by the French at midnight mass. WITH MIXED RESULTS While a Yule log’s sponge cake is relatively spare on butter, most interpretations make up for it with Happily, Beijing’s vibrant German community a thick outer layer of chocolate buttercream (the has engineered a characteristically efficient stollen “tree bark”) and, often, mushrooms sculpted of supply infrastructure. If you can’t make it to the meringue or marzipan. Beijing’s best bet for Yule German Embassy’s annual Christmas Market on logs is the bakery Comptoirs de France, which rolls November 27 to stock up, rest assured that high- out logs annually. quality stollen are offered by several of the city’s The German celebration bread stollen reflects a finest confectioners, including the South German similar trend – the food-that-is-meant-to-look-like-a- Bakery, the German Food Center and Comptoirs swaddled-baby-Jesus. These loveable loaves of Christ- de France. mas cheer are a worthy indulgence. After all, they are Stollen belongs to the magnificent and a monument to the hard-won benefits of obedience, dense fruitcake family, a clan steeped not only in suffering and patience. Six hundred years ago, the an- heritage, but frequently, alcohol. Certain fruit-

32 DECEMBER 2010 WOKIPEDIA

RED-BRAISED PORK H IS FOR … … hongshao 红烧 dipping for hot pot, because Hongshao, which literally means it cuts sp iciness and enhances flavor. “red-braising,” refers to a common The Cantonese adore oyster sauce cooking method. The main ingre- and use it with everything from dient – whether pork elbow or lettuce to duck feet, beef stir-fries to pork belly, fish or sea cucumber – is roasted pigeon. cut into large chunks that are first seared, then simmered in a mixture ... huiguo rou 回锅肉 of soy sauce, rice wine and rock Widely known as “twice-cooked sugar. The glossy coating that results pork,” huiguo rou is the most popular ranges from mahogany to maroon Sichuan dish. Cabbage and pepper to crimson. are common additions, but only garlic sprouts (蒜苗 suanmiao) and ... haoyou 蚝油 fermented sauce (豆瓣 Haoyou (“oyster sauce”) is indeed 酱 douban jiang) are considered traditionally made with oysters, essential ingredients. The pork, although there are vegetarian which is first boiled and then stir- versions. By cooking oysters over fried, should include a layer of skin low heat for a long time, their juice as well as multiple layers of fat and starts to thicken and caramelize, lean meat. If sliced thin enough, it yielding a very rich, dark, condensed should curl as it cooks, but remain oyster flavor. Sichuan cooks add it to soft and luscious.

YOUR CALL READER REVIEWS FROM THEBEIJINGER.COM

Scott’s Family Italian

fili: The decor was perplexing but the open kitchen is nice and the waiters amicable. The food selection was vast and covered the most popular Italian dishes without many strange ingre- dients. The bruschetta was sensation- ally fresh and well-seasoned. The pizzas are thin and authentic. To top it off we were offered a delicious strawberry mousse. Prices are very competitive for the quality. Definitely worth it, if you can find it. I walked out with a big smile on my face and Lan Club nostalgic for home (Milano). Contemporary International

Thump: Pretentious, overrated, and my worst meal in Beijing. The avocado was rock-hard, the tuna looked like spam, and the Australian beef was served cold. Wine is outrageously expensive and they only serve Evian. We eventually had to leave and search for a restaurant that served food and service. Don’t waste time there. Got an opinion about a restaurant? Register at www.thebeijinger.com to have your say. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF XIAO NAN GUO DECEMBER 2010 33 BACK FOR MORE All appetizers are marvelous. The vinegar peanuts (怪卤花生 RMB 12), riddled with chillies and the distinc- tive “smelly fish grass” herb, have a tanginess that is habit-forming. Also try the cold arrowroot noodles (酸辣蕨根粉 RMB 16), drowned in a ridiculously spicy vinegar that will clear your sinuses. Now the mains. The Da Gui ribs (大贵排骨 RMB 68) are the length of your arm; with meltingly tender meat smothered with stir-fried pickled vegetables and chilli, this dish is near-magic. And the stir- fried (毕节酸菜炒汤圆 RMB 28) is adored by most, particu- larly those with a sweet tooth. These sesame-filled dumplings are usually boiled and served as a dessert with ART OF TARTNESS clear ginger syrup, but here they are deep-fried, then stir-fried with GUIZHOU pickles and chillies. The flavor combo DA GUI 大贵 may overstimulate all your taste buds at once, but it’s heavenly. Daily 10am-2pm, 5-10pm. 69 Daxing Hutong (off Jiaodaokou Nandajie), Dongcheng District (6407 1800) Three Guizhou Men may be 东城区交道口南大街大兴胡同69号 better-known, but if you hunt out Da Gui, you’ll uncover a new apprecia- tion for . Yes, you’ll he intriguing mix of spicy eating at Da Gui, you’ll wonder why the air is pungent with the aroma inevitably over-order and overeat, and sour that is the hallmark not. This unassuming courtyard of the house specialty, suantang yu since nearly everything is fantastic Tof Guizhou cuisine is not too restaurant is small, spare and cozy (酸汤鱼), fresh fish poached in a sour and the prices low. But trust me, it’s common in Beijing – and after with less than a dozen tables, and and spicy broth. well worth it. Jen Leung ALLEYWAY GOURMET BEIJING HOT-POT SPOT HOW TO FIND UNBEATABLE FRESH LAMB by Emily Young

ingxing Xiaochi, tucked voucher. But hey, don’t walk away – away in a residential area in your cash works too. Xthe south of the city, is an A Muslim couple owns this small unsung hero of lao Beijing hot pot. 30sqm gem. As you sit down, just Its authentic shuan yangrou (lamb say “tan guo shuanrou,” and they hot pot) is beloved by neighbor- will heap glowing coals into a tradi- hood locals and serious eaters on a tional copper pot, and place sesame tight budget. sauce, scallion and cilantro on the There’s no décor, no waiters, table. Now order up some “shuibao no menu. But it probably serves yangrou” and tell them the number the best lamb in town – fresh, of plates you want. Shui baodu – well, not frozen, and sliced by hand that’s optional, as tripe is an acquired rather than by machine. The lamb, taste. (Maybe today is the day you’ll though lean, never gets chewy even acquire it?) after a long boil in bubbling broth. If that’s too much meat for you, More amazingly, the mutton is there’s also , cabbage, mush- flavorful but not gamy. Though the rooms, and of course, . thick sesame paste for dipping is Load up and tuck into a traditional excellent, without it you can better Beijing feast. savor the rich taste of lamb.

All this flavor is hidden in a flat Try it: Xingxing Xiaochi. Daily YOUNG EMILY AND LEUNG JEN PHOTOS: white house in a courtyard. Look 6-9am (breakfast only), 11am-2pm, for the small blue-and-white sign, 4.30-9.30pm. Yulinli Residential Area under which are listed a range of 锅 涮 肉 ), shuibao yangrou (水 爆 the Fengtai District government (near the community service station), Beijing breakfast items, mian, bing, 羊 肉 ) and shui baodu (水 爆 肚 ). reading “Dining Table for the Elderly Youanmen, Fengtai District (6305 mantou and doufu nao. Ignore them. That’s charcoal-fired hot pot, lamb and the Disabled,” indicating that 0721) Instead, commit these three words and tripe, respectively. Hanging on these categories of people may 鑫鑫小吃,丰台区右安门玉林里小区社 to memory: tan guo shuanrou (炭 the wall is a golden plaque from enjoy these eats using a welfare 区服务站

34 DECEMBER 2010