Dine in the color of Imperial China

By J. Harold Meyer (bestfoodinchina.net)
Updated: 2008-10-15 15:34

Bright, golden yellow is the color of Imperial China. It’s also the color that brightly shines from the excellent South China style dishes that are enjoyed at Beijing’s Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant.

And we find ourselves in a Palace indeed: From the moment we step out of the noisy vanities of Beijing’s Oriental Plaza shopping center, we are welcomed in an atmosphere of relaxation and calm, by refined taste and exceptional hospitality.

The interior of the restaurant covering 2.400 m² is outright stunning. Conceived by Japanese interior designers, the delicately lighted corridors with carved wood and Grey limestone and opulent furniture in Gold and Black leave a lasting impression. The lush grandeur of the great dining hall reflects the determination of the Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Group to recreate the ultimate Hong Kong dining experience in Beijing.

Chef Chung Chi Ming is indeed from Hong Kong. But he gently requested me to characterize his creations as Fusion rather than Cantonese. We could not agree more: The starter with a crispy piece of goose liver, elegantly placed on a bed of mango, leaves a truly international, refreshing first impression. The brightly yellow, braised shark fin soup “Teochew”-style and the sautéed scallop with broccoli are splendid crossovers of age-old Chinese cuisine from Guangdong Province with modern, light cooking a la Nouvelle Cuisine.

The most exceptional course of the evening was the main meat course. The beautifully arranged stewed beef short rib excels with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The gravy sauce presents exquisite, mildly sweet tasting sensations. For those who enjoy refined stewed meat, this is an excellent, out of the ordinary choice.

A casserole with traditional “Yangzhou” fried rice concluded our culinary journey along the Chinese South coast, to disembark in Hong Kong for the Grand Finale: The chilled herbal jelly with mango cream and pomelo.
The combination of the peculiar flavors of traditional Chinese medicine with deliciously sweet fruit is undoubtedly one of the boldest of Chef Chung’s creations. Presented in radiant yellow once more, this is an exciting tasting experience for lovers of Hong Kong desserts, veteran and newcomer alike.

The Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant is renowned for its Dim Sum serving at lunchtime. This restaurant with its cozy lounge, bar and many separate rooms is also a great destination to entertain guests or clients at nighttime with first grade modern Chinese cuisine.

Crystal Jade Palace Restaurant (Beijing)
Location: Oriental Plaza BB82, Chang’An Avenue
Tel: 010-85150238

This article is brought you by Best Food in China, the first and leading English website about local Chinese food and restaurants. For more information, please visit www.bestfoodinchina.net