Food reviews

Diners dock at Le Quai

Le Quai is unique in the Beijing dining scene for moving a traditional two-story wooden building that is hundreds of years old, indoors. Patrons can examine the ancient structure in comfort before a meal.

But in some ways the eatery's outdoor area next to a lake is a better place to be at, especially in the summer. The space is nicely lit with colorful neon lights, and always has a nice, light breeze. The restaurant has had its ups and downs in terms of the quality of the food, but chef Fu Yang's current offerings are a high point.

Smoked egg has a pleasing sensation, while the smooth foie gras filling takes the appetizers up a notch. Tuna salad hand roll is delicately flavored with truffle oil. The deep-fried thin beef flour roll makes a good party appetizer, and goes well with wine.

The spicy water-boiled fish is a Sichuan-style staple, but Le Quai uses chicken broth instead of oil, and spotted grouper instead of grass carp, creating a tender and fragrant treat.

Gulaorou, fried pork in sweet and sour sauce, usually comes with pineapple, but the restaurant uses dried fig fruit instead, making for a delectable surprise. Fried beef chops with black pepper, roast BBQ mutton rack, and a dessert with four ingredients are other dishes worth trying.

The restaurant is a member of the Slow Food Association, whose aim is to encourage an easy-going attitude to life and dining. The average cost is more than 200 yuan ($29) per person, while the set banquet price ranges from 500 to 1,000 yuan per person.

10 am-midnight. Opposite No 12 platform, enter from east gate of Beijing Workers Stadium, Chaoyang district. Tel: 6555-5155

Summer Palace offerings

The Summer Palace seldom fails to satisfy discerning diners with its winning combination of Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisines.

Start with the chef's cold appetizer platter, comprising marinated turnip, cucumber, sweet BBQ pork and brined pork giblets. The sauted shrimps, served in a yellow ring of bell peppers, are fresh and tender.

Yellow croaker wonton soup with matsutake mushrooms is a flavorful and healthy option, while braised beef short rib with cloves is a tasty treat. Mandarin fish is creatively shredded and sauted for an interesting, chewy sensation, while the sauted wild mushroom is served in a whole steamed pumpkin, which can also be eaten.

Although the Shanghai noodles in fish broth and chilled mango sago with pomelo are average, lunch is, overall, a pleasing experience.

The restaurant's dcor, while modern, retains plenty of Chinese elements. A decent dinner costs more than 500 yuan per person. But a brief lunch, or a Cantonese dim sum meal, can be had for around 300 yuan per person, or less.

11:30 am-1:30 pm. 5:30 pm-10 pm. 1/F China World Hotel, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district. Tel: 6505-5838 ext 5630

Duck to die for

Bian Yi Fang Peking Roast Duck Restaurant's Hademen branch has re-opened on the 4th floor of Guo Ri City Shopping Mall, south of its original location in Chongwenmen. Its opening earlier this month marked the 594th anniversary of the oldest Peking roast duck brand name, and the 8th anniversary of its founder, the Bian Yi Fang Group.

The new restaurant is spacious and beautifully renovated in traditional Chinese style. Start with a tasty pork skin jelly, refreshing marinated lettuce stem slices, chicken slices with Chinese fragrant toon leaves, pawpaw with mashed purple taro, tuna and lettuce leaves salad, or Sichuan pickled vegetables.

The roast almond slices with chicken pie was tender and fragrant, while the stewed soft-shell turtle was flavorful, served with crispy flour cakes dipped in the soup.

But the boiled sea cucumber in millet and pumpkin soup tasted rather bland, and the fish slices in curry soup was overdone.

Bian Yi Fang is known as the only restaurant offering closed-oven Peking roast duck. Because the oven is closed, the ducks are clear of any trace of possible contamination from the fuel, which is mostly, gas. As a result the skin does not taste as crisp as open-oven roast ducks, but the flesh is more tender.

The restaurant has two healthy variations of the roast duck. One is flower flavored, another vegetable flavored, by marinating in vegetable juice before roasting. The result is a less greasy duck, although one might not be able to taste the vegetable flavor.

The roast duck is sliced in front of diners. Service is attentive. The average bill is 100 yuan per person.

11 am-2 pm, 5-9 pm. 4/F Bianyifang Building, Guo Rui City Shopping Mall, 16 Chongwenmenwai Dajie, Chongwen district. Tel: 6711-2244

(China Daily 06/26/2010 page12)