By Ye Jun (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-14 07:25

Hidden in a narrow street to the north of Ditan Park, Noble Club is designed to be a private and high-end eatery. Its location was the resting place of Qing emperors during their visit to the park to worship the God of Earth. It is a beautiful garden with mock rockery, plantation, and stream.

Situated right next to the north gate of Ditan Park, the restaurant offers a very quiet place to have an undisturbed meal with your distinguished guest or close business partner.

The private rooms, as well a public dinning area, are elegantly and elaborately designed and decorated, to suit the needs of high-end customers. Several private rooms are old courtyard style rooms, including one that is big enough for 30 people. Other private rooms are designed in a more modern style, and can accommodate from 2 to 20 people.

The food is a mixture of Chinese official cuisine, popular Cantonese, Sichuan foods, and Japanese dishes. The so-called "official cuisine" originated from chefs of high officials in ancient China, who cooked private dinners for the rich and powerful. The dishes are delicate, artful and healthy, with a mild taste.

Cantonese cuisine is known for its use of choice ingredients and elaborate cooking methods. The cuisine offers light foods for the summer, and richer flavors for winter.

The restaurant also offers Sichuan cuisine, which is known for its strong tastes and variety of flavors. The Japanese foods here include sushi, sashimi, tempura and the traditional, formal Japanese Kaiseki cuisine.

Expect to spend more than 500 yuan, on average, for a formal dinner excluding drinks. There is no minimum spending required at the public dining area, but at the modern private rooms, you need to spend more than 500 yuan per person, and in the old rooms, more than 800 yuan per person. Menu is beautifully color-illustrated.

11am-2:30pm, 5-10pm.
Next to north gate of Ditan Park, B16 Hepingli Zhongjie, Dongcheng District. 6428-1188 ext 106.

(China Daily 04/12/2008 page7)