Dining Roundup

The hottest kitchens in town are the ones where you get involved. With a ton of new restaurants opening each day, diners are looking for a new experience – and I don't mean one with good service and food, Beijing already has that. Cooking classes where diners meet other like-minded foodies while enjoying a scrumptious meal afterwards has attracted a huge following. A few favorites include Hutong Cooking, Black Sesame Kitchen - www.blacksesamekitchen.com, Chef at Work, and The Hutong, all of which are set inside traditional Chinese courtyards. They offer relaxing environments, experienced chefs, and a chance to put your cooking skills to the test. So what are you waiting for? Get ready, get set, cook!

But if you’re looking for some prepared food, head to the newest branch of El Fogoncito on Dongdaqiao Lu – this Mexican restaurant dishes up some of the city's best burritos, tostadas and tacos. Huajia Yiyuan, a fantastic restaurant that has made a name for its exceptionally well-prepared home-styled cuisine, has also opened a new branch on Jianguo Lu across from Wanda Plaza. One of the Beijinger staff's favorite Cantonese finds, Herbal Cafe, will open another branch in the new Sanlitun Village. This healthy Cantonese restaurant serves herbal teas and an assortment of dim sums that is always fresh and always good. The beloved Element Fresh from Shanghai will also make its debut in Sanlitun Village this month, dishing up healthy recipes with fresh ingredients for the health-conscience eaters out there.

The South Beauty empire has opened another branch in China Central Place (Huamao), with a new Japanese restaurant Siejo, which focuses on private dining, next door. Other new openings to look forward to include the massive three-story tall Italian Experience (also at China Central Place), which purports to offer an "unforgettable Italian experience" with food and drinks imported from the country. The sheer size of this establishment is impressive and we hope it won’t let us down.

Meli Melo at Les Millesimes Wine Club, reviewed in the July issue has transformed itself from a French fusion restaurant to a Champagne bar, now serving 13 different brands of Champagne with more than 35 different types of Champagne-based cocktails. They will also serve a number of tapas and standard drinks as well. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, live music events will be held from 9.30pm to midnight.

For some delectable desserts, try France's purveyor of gourmet food, Fauchon inside of Shin Kong Place – they now serve home-made ice creams (RMB 18 per scoop) with flavors such as green tea, raspberry, lemon, mango, and more. These ice creams are also used to create sculptural desserts such as the raspberry ice cream slab layered with blueberry ice cream or the mango and orange ice cream sphere on a bed of caramelized pineapples.

Links and Sources
Black Sesame Kitchen: Image- www.blacksesamekitchen.com