Lifting food to new levels

Making tasty food is the top priority at 21st Floor (二十一层), although the presentation is quite decent too. The restaurant just introduced a new menu, featuring more than 100 dishes foreign expats love and Chinese people often order. Signature dishes are Chef Tian's superior casseroles (田氏极品煲), beautifully served in a bowl shaped like a pumpkin, and featuring all the best of Chinese ingredients. Another is deep-fried shrimp with dried white pepper (白椒炒虾球), both the shrimp and pepper taste crisp and look tantalizing.

Apart from that, the restaurant serves more than 100 other classic Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, such as the expat favorite, Kong Pao diced chicken (宫保鸡丁), and sweet and spicy fish-scented pork slices (鱼香肉丝). The dishes are served on beautiful plates, and in bountiful helpings. Two other recommended specialties are the old Beijing dry-fried meat balls (老北京干炸丸子), and stewed beef slices with wild mountain chili and sour vegetables (野山椒酸菜煮肥牛).

The service is five-star and the dcor is typically Chinese. Average spending is 250 yuan per person. Menu is color-illustrated, in both Chinese and English.

Text by Ye Jun, photo by Guo Yingguang

11:30am-2pm, 6-10pm. 朝阳区东三环北路10号长城喜来登饭店21层. 6590-5566. 21st Floor Restaurant, 21/F, The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing

(China Daily 03/22/2008 page6)