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Beyond the duck: 20 best Beijing restaurants Posted: 24 May 2013 09:57 AM PDT In food-mad Beijing, the problem is too many choices, not too few. We narrow the field No longer outshone by Shanghai or Hong Kong, Beijing is growing in gastronomic stature. From high-end international dining to hole-in-the-walls showcasing China's myriad regional cooking styles, there's an outstanding eatery for every budget. Expensive More than RMB 250  (US$30) per person, excluding drinks. Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) The welcome bar at Temple Restaurant Beijing. In the shadow of Zhizhusi, a hitherto forgotten Tibetan temple, this 120-seat restaurant is Beijing's hottest address for fine dining in a historic setting. Standout dishes include a masterful double play of lobster and goose liver on toast, and grilled pigeon with ceps, smoked duck and truffle jus. Weekend brunch (RMB 350) is replete with dainty house-baked pastries. The Francophile cellar is skewed towards Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux (yes, they have vintage Chateau Lafite). Some of it is relatively affordable -- about a dozen bottles are priced under RMB 300. Temple Restaurant Beijing, Songzhusi Temple, 23 Shatan Bei Jie, near Wusi Da Jie; +86 10 8400 2232  Brian McKenna @ The Courtyard The Courtyard, with its famed perch overlooking the Forbidden City's moat, has stumbled through several incarnations in recent years, but its fortunes look bright under the new stewardship of maverick British chef Brian McKenna, famed for his molecular tinkering, and with a designer makeover from the team behind W Hotel in New York. Spoiler alert: diners brandish mini garden forks and spades to tackle a fiendishly creative garden salad that at first sight appears to owe more to horticulture than gastronomy. And look out for the Terracotta Warrior. We will say no more… Brian McKenna @ The Courtyard, NO.95,Donghuamen Street; +86 (10) 6526 8883 Capital M Terrace views across the Tiananmen Square by night. Capital M is Australian restaurateur Michelle Garnaut's Beijing flagship and every inch the equal to her Shanghai starlet, M on the Bund. Dishes are big, bold and playful, like M's "ever-so-juicy" suckling pig, the house-smoked Norwegian salmon, and her signature slab of pavlova. Embossed tableware, imported Nepalese rugs, VIP service and snazzy open fireplaces bring it all together in glamorous harmony. And the view. Gazing out to the halls, towers and statues of Tiananmen Square … it'll make anybody feel like a somebody. Capital M, 3/F, 2 Qianmen Buxing Jie, near Xidamochang Jie; +86 (10) 6702 2727 More on CNN: Beijing's best shopping areas Maison Boulud Maison Boulud's decadent "DB Burger." This branch of New York celeb chef Daniel Boulud's culinary empire cooks the finest French-inspired fare in Beijing. Housed in a period mansion that served as the former U.S. legation, executive chef Brian Reimer turns out classics like duck confit and escargot alongside new world imaginings like "baby pig" with daikon sauerkraut and apple coleslaw. Weekend brunch carries the "DB Burger," a medium-rare Wagyu slab topped with truffles and braised short ribs. Service is exquisite to the finish -- complimentary petits fours of sugar-dusted madeleines round off each meal. Maison Boulud, Ch'ien Men 23, 23 Qianmen Dong Da Jie, near Guangchang Dong Ce Lu; +86 (10) 6559 9200 Duck de Chine Duck de Chine's aromatic duck skin. In a city famed for roast duck, Duck de Chine, set in a chic refurbished factory complex, stands neck and feathers above the rest. Having lived in Beijing for almost 11 years, Hong Kong-born father-son chef team Peter and Wilson Lam formulated what they believe to be the perfect Peking duck: 43-days-old, two kilogram birds roasted for a longer-than-usual 65 minutes over 40-year-old jujube wood. Carved up, dipped in the heavenly house-made hoisin sauce and rolled into gently steamed pancakes, the results are hard to refute. Supporting dishes, mostly Cantonese, are very good too. Duck de Chine, 1949 The Hidden City, Courtyard 4, Gongti Bei Lu, near Nansanlitun Lu;+86 (10) 6501 8881 Tiandi Yijia A post-millenium take on imperial Chinese food. The burly, secret-service-like doormen and its choice location beside the Forbidden City lend this Chinese restaurant a VIP air; the prices do the rest. Inside, it's all fancy hardwood furniture, lion sculptures, tinkling water features and fawning service. Chef Zhang Shaogang mixes classical Imperial-style techniques with unusual ingredient pairings for a uniquely contemporary Chinese experience. The forward-thinking Beijinger puts a creative spin on old Beijing-style snacks too, such as his petite take on shaobing (sesame pancake). Tiandi yijia, 140 Nanchizi Dajie, west of Changpuhe Park; +86 (10) 8511 5556 Mio Head chef Marco Calenzo, previously number two at London's Michelin-starred Apsley's at the Lanesborough, had the task of designing a fine-dining Italian menu worthy of probably the blingiest restaurant interior in China. Mio, in the newly opened Four Seasons Hotel is quite a sight, but Calenzo's innovative fare, like sea urchin spaghetti, foie gras cooked sous vide, or simply the home-baked breads and wood-fired pizzas, holds up impeccably. Mio, 48 LiangMaQiao Road; 100125 Chaoyang District, Beijing;+86 (10) 5695 8888 Aria Australian Wagyu steak with foie gras, beetroot and ground coffee. One of Beijing's longest-lived fine dining institutions, Aria, in the China World Hotel, still has the kitchen smarts to impress. Chef de Cuisine David Pooley continues the fine work of previous kitchen star Mathew McCool with dishes like chicken and corn soup cradles plump scallops, shavings of jamon iberico and a slowly melting quenelle of foie gras mousse. The European restaurant's signature dish, "deconstructed" cheesecake, is equally playful -- the crunch of pistachio soothed by a poached cheesecake cream, booze-infused strawberries and house-made caramel sorbet. Aria, 2/F, China World Hotel, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, near Dongsanhuan Zhonglu; +86 (10) 6505 2266 ext. 36 Mid-range Around RMB 100-250 per person, excluding drinks. Da Dong Da Dong does Peking duck for the 21st century. The nightly queues outside this 4,500-square-meter restaurant are all about the duck, but there's more to the menu than Beijing's signature. About 200 more dishes, in fact, comprising chef and general manager Dong Zhenxiang's "artistic conception of Chinese cuisine." A student of many culinary styles, Dong Zhenxiang is one of the most celebrated cooks in northern China, famed as much for his "super-lean roast duck" (less oily than the competition) as for his braised sea cucumber. Many dishes feature showy flourishes -- "noodles" made of lobster meat, hollow globes of C02-filled ice, steaks blowtorched tableside -- you wonder how they can possibly manage in the kitchen. Well, it's easy when you have 300 chefs. Da Dong, 1-2/F, Nanxincang International Plaza, 22A Dongsishitiao, near Dongmencang Hutong; +86 (10) 5169 0329 Najia Xiaoguan Najia Xiaoguan showcases exotic Manchu cuisine. Manchu royalty loved nothing more than a spot of hunting, so its no surprise that braised venison is the signature at Najia Xiaoguan, a showcase of China's northeast Manchu minority cuisine. Other unctuous meaty treats include salty duck -- a mound of shredded, smoky duck meat -- and some of the most gloriously fatty red-braised pork belly in town. For a mid-range Chinese restaurant, the wine list is broad and reasonably priced. A combination of comfy surroundings (the chairs and tables are huge), good food, great service and low prices means the 110-seat restaurant packs out nightly. Book ahead or join the queues. Najia Xiaoguan, 10 Yonganli, Jianguomenwai Dajie, south of Xinhua Insurance Building; +86 (10) 6567 3663 King's Joy King's Joy's perch close to Beijing's still active Lama Temple is appropriate, because Chef Pan Jianjun is a former Buddhist disciple from a monastery in Jiangxi province. His menu is a meat-free nirvana, utilizing ingredients sourced from organic farms around Beijing, and with a focus on nutrition and health as well as achieving a rarefied balance of taste, texture and looks. Chef's sautéed matsutake mushrooms with asparagus and gingko, eaten al fresco in King's Joy's idyllic courtyard, will woo even the most hardened carnivore. King's Joy, 2 Wudaoying Hutong, Yonghegong, Dongcheng district; +86 (10) 5217 1900 More on CNN: Healthy Beijing: A wellness guide to the city  Lei Garden Lei Garden dim sum, steamed to juicy perfection. This well-established Hong Kong brand is lauded for its pricey preparations of classic and modern Cantonese fare -- but most foodies in Beijing head over for its lunchtime dim sum. From fluffy pork buns to dainty egg custard tarts, this chain restaurant serves some of the best dim sum outside Hong Kong or Guangzhou. Mains like the braised spareribs, lobster clay pot noodle or stir-fried oysters with XO sauce make the evening service worth a visit. Prices are moderate if you eat family-style with two or three other people. Lei Garden, 3/F, Jinbao Tower, 89 Jinbao Jie, near Dongsinan Dajie; C2-C3, Tower C Central International Trade Center, 6 Jian Guo men wain st., Chao Yang District, Beijing; +86 (10) 8522 1212 Din Tai Fung The signature dish at this celebrated Taiwanese chain is its surgically precise xiaolongbao -- juicy soup dumplings wrapped expertly by hand and cooked in bamboo steamers. Diners can choose between pork, seafood, crabmeat or veggie fillings, or splash out on the pork with truffles variety –- pricey but delectable. Accompanying dishes includes simple stir-fries, noodles and rice, and sweet red-bean buns for dessert. Din Tai Fung, 24 Xinyuan Xili Zhong Jie, Beijing; +86 (10) 6462 4502 More on CNN: Ultimate guide to Chinese dumplings Susu Hip hutong style at Susu Vietnamese restaurant. Part of a growing trend of 'hidden' hutong restaurants, this stylish courtyard eatery serves the best Vietnamese food in town. A duo of chefs from Saigon assembles pork spring rolls and zingy salads bursting with herby aromatics, like exotic fish mint and Asian basil. On everyone's table is the signature La Vong fish, a DIY dish of turmeric yellow fish fillets, glass noodles and bundles of fresh greens. A nifty cocktail bar mixes themed libations, such as the Quiet American, a blend of whiskey, lemon, ginger and grapefruit bitters. Susu, 10 Qianliang Hutong Xixiang, near Dafosi Dongjie; +86 (10) 8400 2699 Hatsune California-style sushi rolls with a twist at Hatsune. Pearlescent sashimi and inventive California rolls are served in a hip but pretension-free atmosphere in this long-time Beijing institution. The dozens of unconventional, fusion-inspired sushi rolls are great fun, perfectly washed-down with craft beers and an extensive sake selection. Take your pick from tempura that's crisp, light and oil-free, delicious grilled mackerel and plenty of salads and other Japanese snacks. Hatsune, S8-30, Bldg. 8, Sanlitun Village South, 19 Sanlitun Lu, near Gongti Beilu; +86 (10) 6415 3939. Mercante Bologna-based chef Omar Maseroli and his Chinese partner took a bold step with Mercante, opening a tiny, slow-food inspired Italian eatery in an ancient hutong alleyway far from Beijing's established restaurant zones. The result? A tiny slice of Italy in old Beijing, and a delightful secret everyone that discovers it wants to share. The rustic menu keeps it simple with homemade pasta with rabbit or duck ragu, ravioli, imported meats and cheese and fresh-baked foccacia, paired with a well-priced list of Italian wines. Mercante, 4 Fangzhuanchang Hutong, Dongcheng district, Beijing; +86 (10) 8402 5098 More on CNN: 72 hours in Beijing Budget Under RMB 100 per person, including drinks. Haidilao Spicy hot pot is one of Sichuan province's most successful exports; Beijingers simply love eating by dunk and dip. Haidilao, a Sichuan chain, goes the extra mile in the capital by offering astonishingly generous service on top of its fragrant bubbling broth. Hot towels and free drinks refills are par for the course, but there can't be many restaurants in the world where you can get a complimentary manicure and fruit plate as you wait in line. Haidilao, 2A Baijiazhuang Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing; +86 (10) 6595 2982 More on CNN: Beijing hotels: 9 fantastic new places to crash Chuan Ban Sichuan-style spicy chicken. It's as hot as it looks. With stodgy service and a canteen ambience, this 60-table, Sichuan restaurant is a throwback to the old days of Chinese restaurants. It is, however, affiliated with the Sichuan Provincial Government Office and therefore has some of the most authentically spicy fare in town. Heavy on numbing Sichuan peppercorns, the dishes here, like "tingle-pepper chicken" and shuizhuyu (fish boiled in a spicy, oily broth), stand apart for their depth of flavor and use of imported ingredients from Sichuan. You'll probably have to queue during peak times, but turnover is fairly brisk. Chuan Ban, 5 Gongyuan Toutiao, Jianguomennei Dajie, near Chang'an Grand Theater; +86 (10) 6512 2277 ext. 6101 Mr. Shi's Dumplings Don't forget to dip your dumplings in garlic vinegar. Dumplings, the porky party pockets beloved by the Chinese, are wrapped fresh to order at this cheap and, thanks to the avuncular Mr Shi, very cheerful eatery. The "three-sided" fried dumplings (san mian jiao) resemble miniature, greasy tacos, held together by sheer juiciness, or try the boiled dumplings filled with beef and coriander or beef and celery – dangerously addictive when sloshed in the dipping sauce of garlic vinegar and chilli. Mr. Shi's Dumplings, 74 Baochao Hutong, Gulou Dongdajie, near Nanluogu Xiang; +86 (10) 8405 0399 Crescent Moon Muslim Restaurant Xinjiang-style vegetable pie covered in fried lamb and onions. Yum. This green and gold alleyway restaurant grills up some of the best dishes from China's far northwest -- cumin-spiced lamb skewers, crispy nang breads, homemade yogurt, hand-pulled noodles and ornate pots of salty milk tea. Try the hearty dapanji (big plate chicken), which is chicken on the bone slow-cooked in a savory broth with potatoes, veggies and hand-pulled noodles; or the danxian subing kaorou, a crispy vegetable and egg pie, with a big mound of fried lamb and onions dumped on top. Service is surly but efficient, and the atmosphere is more refined than at typical Xinjiang joints. Crescent Moon Muslim Restaurant, 16 Dongsi Liutiao, near Chaoyangmen Beixiaojie, +86 (10) 6400 5281 More on CNN: The man bringing cheese to Beijing Tags:  visiting Beijing Beijing restaurant restaurant guide

Ultimate guide to Chinese dumplings Posted: 24 May 2013 09:30 AM PDT Need a bite? Try this roundup of the tasty, fun-sized "firecrackers" that fuel 1.3 billion (and counting) stomachs Rice is nice, noodles are great, but if an online poll were to solicit votes for China's most rational national food, dumplings would come out way ahead. Dumplings great and small enjoy unique names, traditions and areas where they're scarfed by the bucket-load. Here's a thoughtfully chosen buffet of the most iconic dumplings China has to offer. Chinese dumplings, pure and simple. Shui jiao (水饺) Shui jiao, or boiled dumpling, is a staple food, especially in northern China. During Lunar New Year, families in the north turn into super-efficient dumpling production lines -- grandma rolls out the dumpling skin, mom mixes minced pork and vegetables for the filling, and the rest of the family pinching dumplings into crescent-like shapes. Zealous cooks will hide a lucky coin inside a dumpling for a fortunate eater to find. Laobian Jiaozi Guan in Shenyang has specialized in making shui jiao for more than 150 years. Fish shui jiao is the regional specialty. Laobian Jiaozi Gun, 208 Zhong Jie Lu, across from Rose Hotel, Shenyang; +86 24 2486 5369; open daily, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. More on CNNGo: Around the world in 30 dumplings Traditional food for the Lantern Festival. Tang tuan or yuan xiao (汤团或元宵) Tang tuans are round, gooey soup dumplings made by enclosing a sweet or savory filling in a glutinous rice flour ball. Popular fillings include sesame paste, powdered peanuts and sugar for sweet tang tuan, or pork with green onion for the savory kind. Tang tuans are eaten during the Lantern Festival, the last day of Lunar New Year celebrations. Their shape emphasizes a unified family. The tang tuan shops in the Qibao Old Town boil some of the most traditional round dumplings. Old Street Tang Tuan shops, 14 and 26 Qi Bao Lao Jie Nan Da Jie ; +86 21 6459 2917; open daily 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. More on CNNGo: 6 Shanghai dishes, 6 delicious ways to be lucky To eat these soupy dumplings, be a Zen master with chopsticks. Xiaolongbao (小笼包) Cubes of meat aspic (gelatinized broth) and pork filling are carefully hand-pleated into thin Xiaolongbao wrappers and steamed. Within that dumpling skin is a bomb of rich soup and a filling of tender pork, or pork with hairy crab meat and roe. The fame of xiaolongbao is such that you can find the name slapped onto dubious menus throughout China. Even in the city of its origin (xiaolongbao were invented in Nanxiang, a suburb of Shanghai), there are many takes. Spend the day eating the various incarnations and find out your favorite or hit these xiaolongbao eateries that serve the best of those soupy pockets in Shanghai.   More on CNNGo: Day trip to Nanxiang: Birthplace of Shanghai's most iconic dumplings Shaxian steamed dumplings. Zheng jiao (蒸饺) Zheng jiaos are usually filled with a combination of minced meat and vegetables, and steamed to doneness in a bamboo round to retain the fresh flavors of the ingredients. There are many variations -- har gow is one that's gained its own celebrity. Zheng Jiao is often more delicate than their boiled and pan-fried counterparts. Another well-known variety comes from Shaxian in Fujian Province. They are filled with pork or beef and hand-pleated to look like little mice. Find these specialty zhen jiao at Shaxian Xiao Chi, one of the biggest restaurant chains in China. They are everywhere, just look around the corner. More on CNNGo: 35 Shanghai street foods we can't resist Wontons in their mini form. Hun tun (馄饨) Hun tun, aka wonton, can be served dozens of different ways.  There are two classic types: carefully folded large wonton filled with bokchoy or wild watercress and minced pork, and "xiao wonton," tiny dumplings floating in a fresh cilantro and sesame oil broth. The Cantonese rendition features plump segments of shrimp in the filling and a side of egg noodles in the soup. Sichuan cuisine offers chao shou -- poached wontons drizzled in toasty chili oil, pepper corns, and green onion. The best is at Chen Ma Po Sichuan Restaurant in Chengdu. Chen Ma Po Sichuan Restaurant, Room 10-12, 10 Qinghua Lu, Chengdu; +86 028 87317216; 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; www.chenmapo.com More on CNNGo: 10 of China's spiciest dishes The ambassador of Chinese dim sum. Har gow (虾饺) Translucent har gow filled with chubby shrimp are the darlings of the dim sum cart. For many, this pretty pink crescent is the gateway to a lifelong obsession with Chinese dumplings. A top-notch har gow wrapping should be just thick enough to wedge between chopsticks without breakage -- never chewy or too sticky. Dab them in red vinegar to bring out the flavors. The best shrimp dumplings are in Guangdong Province, where they were first invented, or Hong Kong, where sub-par har gow aren't tolerated. Luk Yu Teahouse in Central serves the best. Luk Yu Teahouse, G/F-3/F, 24 Stanley St.; open daily, 7 am-10 pm; +852 2523 5464; dim sum is available until 4 p.m. More on CNNGo: The best Hong Kong dim sum Shanghai street snack. Sheng jian (生煎) The image of sheng jian is often associated with the cook at a breakfast stall taking a heavy wooden lid off of a giant black pan. Inside, there are rows and rows of sesame and green onion studded dumplings, their bottoms searing to crispness. Sheng jian is a Shanghainese breakfast dumpling that is fried to crustiness on the bottom, steamed to perfection on top, and eaten with vinegar. Once you bite into the soft, mantou-like skin, there's a meatball of seasoned pork and a flood of broth. Xiao Yang Sheng Jian is one of the most popular in Shanghai. Xiao Yang Sheng Jian, 2/F, 269 Wujiang Lu, near Taixing Lu; +86 21 61361391; open daily 7 a.m.-9 p.m. More on CNNGo: 31 dishes: A guide to China's regional specialties Popular across China. Guo tie (锅贴) Potstickers, or guo tie, are the crusty, thicker-skinned cousins of the shui jiao. These ingot-shaped dumplings are pan-fried for a crispy bottom and steamed to doneness on top. Each one is a two-fold texture experience. They are usually made with a pork-based filling with bokchoy, leeks or cabbage. Overseas Dragon is a chained restaurant specialized in potstickers. The guo ties at Shanghainese restaurant Xiao Nan Guo are juicy and are an ideal comfort food. Overseas Dragon (Huaihai Dong Lu chain), 70 Huaihai Dong Lu, near Yunnan Nan Lu, Shanghai; open daily 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Xiao Nan Guo, 4/F, 9 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu, Shanghai; +86 400 820 9777; open daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m. More on CNNGo: Insects, dog meat, MSG, evil tofu and other Chinese food fallacies Dumplings from the Himalayas. Momo (馍馍) Topping off the list of Tibetan comfort foods, momo are larger, hearty dumplings that exist somewhere between a jiao zi and a samosa. The combinations of filling are many and always spiced. Potato and minced vegetables, and ground chicken, yak, and beef flavored with ginger, coriander and garlic are popular variations. Momo can be round or crescent-shaped. Usually they are steamed or fried, and served with a fiery homemade chili sauce (sepen) and a bowl of soothing broth. The real deal can be found at the Snow Deity Palace Tibetan Restaurant in Lhasa. Snow Deity Palace Tibetan Restaurant, 4 Zanyiyuan Road, west of the Potala Palace Plaza, Lhasa; +86 891 633 7323; Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-11 p.m. More on CNNGo: Momo madness: Your all-purpose guide to the versatile Himalayan dumpling Another dumpling that appears all over China with regional variations. Shao mai (烧卖) Originating from Inner Mongolia, these are money bag-shaped dumplings which gush steam from the fillings exposed on top. In the southern Yangtze River region, the hefty shao mai are made with glutinous rice, pork, mushrooms.  There is also a smaller but visually stunning version called fei cui shao mai. Its wrappers resemble pieces of jade and are clear on top and deep green in color on the bottom. Our favorite shao mai come from Duyichu Shaomai in Beijing, a specialty restaurant patronized by the Emperor Qianlong himself in the 1750s. These dumplings have frilly, paper-thin flour wrappers enclosing a range of fillings that vary with the seasons. Duyichu Shaomai, 38 Qianmen Da Jie, Beijing; +86 10 6702 1555, +86 10 6702 1671; open daily 9 a.m.-9 p.m. More on CNNGo: Beyond the duck: 20 best Beijing restaurants Halal fare. Manti (新疆薄皮包子) Manti is the most underappreciated dumpling on this list, but the Xinjiang-style mutton dumplings are absolutely delectable and deserving of much more attention. They are straightforward, deeply satisfying and always have that essential taste of home. The best manti come from some road-side shack in Xinjiang but we have never tasted bad mantis from any Uyghur establishment. Check out Tiyuguan Lu in downtown Urumqi for a variety of Muslim restaurants and roadside eateries. Originally published July 2012, updated May 25, 2013. More on CNNGo: 5 places to travel with nomads in China Tags:  Chinese food dumplings chinese dumplings

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