Saveurs de Corée

Apéritifs (lemon soju + pomegranate soju) and banchan

Dubu buchin (crispy tofu w. onion sauce) + Kyeojachae (julienned squid, pear and egg salad w. honey mustard dressing)

Haemul pajeon (Korean pancake with squid, prawn and spring onion filling)

Bulgogi (beef filet in pear marinade, eaten in lettuce wraps)

Saveurs de Corée
20 Ju Er Hutong, Dongcheng
(Near Nanluogu Xiang's north end)
Daily, 11:30am-10:30pm

Notes:

Saveurs de Corée is a cosy restaurant situated in the heart of the Dongcheng hutongs. B and I went on a Wednesday night and started off with two different apéritifs, soju mixed with lemon and pomegranate. Very beautiful cocktail servings (which the pictures really don't do any justice) though they did not taste of much. We thus quickly changed to white wine to accompany our Korean feast. We started off with supposedly "crispy" tofu with onion sauce. The tofu was fried, though not crispy, which did not really matter - it was delicious paired with the onion sauce. Then came a gorgeous salad of squid, julienned pear, carrots and cucumbers tossed with lettuce in a sharp honey mustard dressing. A wonderful serving that I will certainly try to replicate myself. The pajeon was very traditional in its form but the fillings of squid and shrimp were of high quality. Finally, the bulgogi in pear marinade was very tasty, tender and satisfying. With this serious splurge of food including the apéritifs and a decent bottle of white wine the bill came to RMB443. Highly recommended.

Home Plate BBQ

Manhattan + Slow Boat on tap

Americana feast

Home Plate BBQ

35 Xiaoyun Lu courtyard, Chaoyang

(from Dongsanhuan Beilu head 20m north of Xiaoyun Lu intersercation and take the first right)

Chaoyang District
Daily, 11am-10pm

Notes:

Serving hearty American BBQ and additionally named Best Restaurant of the Year by The Beijinger, Home Plate BBQ has quickly become a Beijing institution among the city's expats. We went on a Saturday night before heading to Hilton's annual pole dancing contest. Drink selection is simple but decent. A Manhattan runs at around RMB30 and is served in a normal glass on lots of ice. Their selection of beer by the bottle is impressive and interesting by Beijing standards. Also they serve Slow Boat on tap, however I have on most occasions found that their beer lack character. As to the food we shared a BBQ platter of chopped brisket and pulled pork, both good quality but not mindblowing. The ribs were nice and juicy but still needed that extra something to make them truly outstanding. All this was accompanied by a very lovely coleslaw, texas ranch beans and very standard french fries. In total we had a lovely time at Home Plate BBQ. The atmosphere is great, the service attentive and friendly and the food should be able to satisfy any craving for American BBQ. Recommended.

Decanter by Haut-Brisson

A glass of wine in serene surroundings.

Decanter by Haut-Brisson
St. Regis Lhasa Resort
No. 22, Jiangu Road
85000 Lhasa, Xizang (Tibet)

Notes:
After a rough 48 hour train ride on hard sleeper, a few days of ascetic living in Lhasa and another train ride back coming up, B and I were in dire need of an escape. B had just read about the newly opened St. Regis in Lhasa, and we decided that it would be a great place for a drink. The hotel ambience was calm and relaxed and provided an ideal setting for a few hours of relaxation. The Decanter's wine list was quite extensive given the middle-of-nowhere location, and even fairly priced. We had a bottle of wine for less than 300 yuan. Highly recommended.