2010 Beijinger Restaurant Awards – Experts' Picks

By now, you all know which eateries the readers crowned as their favorites in our 2010 Reader Restaurant Awards (and if not, click here). But as part of the festivities, we also asked a panel of dining experts to name the best restaurants in Beijing. If you can’t wait to pick up a copy of the April issue, here’s a rundown of the victors.

HOW WE DID IT: We identified ten experts on Beijing dining, gave each a blank ballot and asked them to nominate and rank up to three restaurants in each of our Restaurant Awards categories. A first-place nomination was worth 3 points, a second-place nomination 2 points, and a third-place nomination 1 point. If they did not have a strong opinion about a given category, they were encouraged to leave it blank. In each category, the restaurant with the highest point total was named Experts’ Pick.

OUR EXPERTS: Jim Boyce, Saibal Dasgupta, Shelley Jiang, Chandler Jurinka, Eileen Wen Mooney, Tom O’Malley, Adam Pillsbury, Jeffery Powell, Edward Ragg, Mark Thirlwall, Jordi Valles (for full bios of the experts, see the April issue of the Beijinger).

THAI
Experts’ Pick: Purple Haze
“The food is always generously portioned here, the pomelo salad is consistently satisfying and they do a great job with the evergreen pad Thai. The bistro branch is the spot to catch owner Toby on the guitar with friends. He’s a talented guy, especially at creating an atmosphere that makes for a great night out.”
– Mark Thirlwall

INDIAN/PAKISTANI
Experts’ Pick: Ganges
“Diners are the winners in this tightly contested category as restaurants compete for customers with specials, entertainment, and menus offering ever more exciting choices than just chicken tikka masala. Ganges tops the table with its consistency, service and lunch buffet, which at its Sanlitun branch features an unequalled number of frequently replenished dishes.”
– Adam Pillsbury

ITALIAN
Experts’ Pick: Ristorante Sadler
“The quality of the ingredients is what sets Ristorante Sadler apart from the competition. Olive oil, pasta, shellfish and more, all meticulously sourced and deliciously combined by Sadler’s chefs. One of the stalwarts of the Legation
Quarter.”
– Tom O’Malley

YUNNAN
Experts’ Pick: Yunteng Shifu
“The fake foliage and grotto ambiance of the main dining room is heaps of kitschy fun but there’s nothing artificial about the dishes, made with produce flown in thrice weekly from Yunnan. This is a fabulous spot to bring foodies new to Yunnanese cuisine and observe their expressions of surprise and delight upon sampling the mint leaf salad, fried goats’ cheese, stinky tofu, wild mushrooms and cured Yunnan ham accompanied by sweet rice wine.”
– Adam Pillsbury

SANDWICHES
Experts’ Pick: Bocata
“There are some great sandwiches at Le Petit Gourmand, Sequoia, and elsewhere, but I always enjoy popping into Bocata for a roast beef and blue cheese, especially when the weather is nice and the deck is open.”
– Jim Boyce

BURGER
Experts’ Pick: Let’s Burger
“The burgers are big and tasty, and always juicy and well seasoned. The vegetables inside make them taste really fresh and of good quality. The bread could be perfected but I’d say the whole experience adds up to making Let’s Burger the number one choice.”
– Jordi Valles

JAPANESE
Experts’ Pick: Yotsuba
“Uncompromising quality, obsession with detail, culinary excellence and understated elegance combine at Yotsuba to create one of Beijing’s few perfect dining experiences. Sit at the sushi bar, order a tasting menu and become entranced as the chef, using ingredients airlifted from Tokyo, works with purpose and economy to create a multi-course masterpiece of textures and tastes.”
– Adam Pillsbury

MEXICAN
Experts’ Pick: Luga’s Villa
“It’s a toss-up for Mexican/Tex-Mex in Beijing, but I tend toward Luga’s Villa because of the range of tasty food – everything from chicken with mole sauce to quesadilla burgers to good fajita options – combined with speedy service.”
– Jim Boyce

MIDDLE EASTERN
Experts’ Pick: Biteapitta
“I’m in love with several of Beijing’s Middle Eastern restaurants, but Biteapitta wins my heart with its crunchy green falafels, just perfect in a pita with creamy hummus and pickles. Nothing fancy, but that’s why it’s fabulous. You can go there anytime for wonderful food for very little money.”
– Shelley Jiang

DUCK
Experts’ Pick: Da Dong
“I like that I can take my vegetarian friend (plus carnivorous boyfriend) here. We’ll all swoon over the duck – crisp, tender, juicy – but she’ll have an equally impressive meal of creative Chinese dishes, the likes of which you can’t fi nd elsewhere.”
– Shelley Jiang

MEDITERRANEAN
Experts’ Pick: Sureño, The Opposite House
“Chef Marino takes diners on a Mediterranean tour – from Spain to Greece – at this elegant, trendy restaurant. Delicious olives, fresh herbs, carpaccio, paella, bruschetta and great pizza bread, so much to choose from the open kitchen. Bravo for the antipasto, and Marino’s famous tiramisu! Roberto the manager gives a warm welcome to all the customers too.”
– Jordi Valles

HOT POT
Experts’ Pick: Haidilao Hot Pot
“This chain is an all-time favorite with the capital’s diners for its spicy hot flavors and wide variety of ingredients, including exotic items like lotus root, garland chrysanthemum, golden enoki and duck blood to throw in your pot. Haidilao is undoubtedly one of the best hot pot restaurants in Beijing, but that also means that the lines are incredibly long. At least you can get a free manicure or shoe shine while you’re waiting in line for a table.”
– Eileen Wen Mooney

TAPAS
Experts’ Pick: Carmen
“With the Spanish wines on the menu, flamenco pictures on the wall, the Andalucia tableau, and of course the tasty, fresh home cooking, owner Carlos is flying the flag for Spain at Carmen. I like the gazpacho, stuffed eggs, mushrooms with onion and ham, beef salad and more. It’s full every night, and the live music and affordable wine list is the secret of their success. Felicidades!”
– Jordi Valles

SICHUAN
Experts’ Pick: Chuan Ban
“Chuan Ban is one of the most popular restaurants in Beijing, and it has the advantage that as a provincial government dining venue, it is able to train and plane the freshest Sichuan vegetables and ingredients from the sultry south. Unless you get there before 6pm, expect to wait at least half an hour for your table. The mapo doufu, ‘fish fragrant’ eggplant (yuxiang qiezi) and twice-cooked pork (huigou rou) are exceptional.”
– Eileen Wen Mooney

FRENCH
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“A seasonal menu is one thing, but Maison Boulud even tours, month by month, the varied cooking regions of France, from the hearty cassoulets of Toulouse to the bouillabaisse of the sun-drenched Côte d’Azur, all of which the kitchen turns out with unfailing love and dedication. Add to that the best cheeseboard, wine list and service in Beijing and it’s clear why Maison Boulud simply has no peers.”
– Tom O’Malley

AMERICAN
Experts’ Pick: Union Bar & Grille
“Union Bar & Grille consistently presents quality and innovative food. I especially appreciate the chargrilled rib eye steak, burger and BBQ chicken salad. A highlight is the Sunday morning brunch, one of the best in Beijing. Union also has a fantastic selection of American microbrewed beers to accompany your meal.”
– Eileen Wen Mooney

KUNG PAO CHICKEN
Experts’ Pick: Chuan Ban
“It’s akin to ordering spaghetti bolognaise at an Italian restaurant, but if you’re going to get this homestyle standard anywhere, it might as well be at Beijing’s best Sichuan restaurant. Tender, cubed chicken, easy on the sauce (and not bright red), with a generous dose of crunchy peanuts and spiky chilli, it’s simple, tasty and impossible to fault.”
– Tom O’Malley

PIZZA
Experts’ Pick: The Tree
“The pizzas are deliciously thin and crisp, and the ingredients are good quality. The cheese is good for the price, although there is definitely room to introduce a superior variety at a different price tag. The canteen-like casualness somehow adds to the charm of the pizzas, even though the wait staff can be a bit moody at times.”
– Saibal Dasgupta

XINJIANG
Experts’ Pick: Crescent Moon
“There are obviously many Xinjiang restaurants around Beijing and the competition in the field of kaorou across different Chinese cuisines is immense here. That said, Crescent Moon is worth returning to and is reliable for its very simplicity and consistency. Thankfully, no modernizing attempts are made to play with the menu. Crescent Moon produces superb lamb/mutton in most forms – including the excellent lamb kidneys in heaps of cumin – and breads to die for.”
– Edward Ragg

DIM SUM
Experts’ Pick: Lei Garden
“I’m quite finicky about my dim sum, and that’s why I’ll only go to a few places – Lei Garden included – for authentic, freshly made stuff and a selection that extends beyond shrimp dumplings and egg tarts.”
– Shelley Jiang

VIETNAMESE
Experts’ Pick: Luga’s Pho Pho
“This simple restaurant turns out the best Vietnamese food in Beijing. Naming itself, at least in part, after Vietnam’s famous noodle dish, the pho here is fresh, clean and thoughtfully Vietnamese. The other dishes, like the fresh spring rolls and banh xeo, are similarly authentic and burst with contrasting spices and textures.”
– Chandler Jurinka

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT
Experts’ Pick: Din Tai Fung
“Sure, they have high chairs, plastic cutlery, non-smoking areas, superb service and spotlessly clean kitchens. And yes, each xiaolongbao has 20 perfect creases. But my kids are oblivious to such niceties and wouldn’t clamor to return but for the joy of eating the spectacular dumplings, baozi, soup and fried rice. Heck, they even eat their greens with relish here.”
– Adam Pillsbury

CHEF
Experts’ Pick: Max Levy of Bei, The Opposite House
“Chef Max Levy makes everything Bei serves by hand, and he is very particular about ingredients, paying great attention to textures, flavors and plating. Most importantly, he thinks about how a dish actually eats, which is the key to any successful restaurant. Fresh, seasonal and flavorful – he does great things with ordinary dishes.”
– Jeffery Powell

SERVICE
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“The service is exemplary here. Each course, bottle of wine or shared dessert arrives as if the wait staff have trained for years in that single task. Everyone from Ignace to the waiters work tirelessly, but that only makes them so good. Service comes down to the individual, and what makes Maison Boulud’s service the best is that I genuinely feel the staff enjoy what they are doing.”
– Chandler Jurinka

CONTEMPORARY CHINESE
Experts’ Pick: Bei, The Opposite House
“Chef Max Levy uses excellent local ingredients and cooks with a combination of Chinese, Japanese and other Asian fl avors that blend very well together. It’s innovative food at its best in Beijing and I’ve always had a great meal there.”
– Jeffery Powell

STEAK
Experts’ Pick: CRU Steakhouse
“CRU makes up my steak trio along with non-hotel venues Morel’s and Café de la Poste. They don’t come cheap, but the cuts here are top-notch and the warm surroundings make it a good spot for everything from a business meeting to a romantic dinner.”
– Jim Boyce

IMPRESSING VISITORS
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“Superb surroundings? Check. Tasty cocktails and pre-dinner snacks? Check.
Excellent food, service, and wine lists? Check. Delivered at a fraction of the price
of top restaurants elsewhere in the world? Check. It’s easy to see why Maison
Boulud is considered by many to be Beijing’s top Western restaurant.”
– Jim Boyce

NB: The print version of our magazine mistakenly lists Capital M as the Experts’ Pick for the above category. Apologies to both restaurants for the error.

BRUNCH (NON-HOTEL)
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“Whilst some hotel brunches have become formulaic, Maison Boulud continues to innovate in offering a wide range of extremely well-executed dishes that vary according to season and availability of ingredients. Initially overwhelmed by the interest in its weekend brunches, MB has also worked hard to cater for its diverse and growing audience. Somehow, the superb signature DB burger seems more appropriate at brunch, although it’s sensible to leave room for what is an impressive array of dishes.”
– Edward Ragg

HOTEL BRUNCH
Experts’ Pick: N/A
The vote was split between our panel and there was no clear winner. [That’ll teach us to canvass the champagne set. Next year we’ll use Instant Runoff Voting - Ed]

ROMANTIC MEAL
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“Its enviable location in the Qing-era American Embassy just east of Tiananmen is the perfect setting for an upscale romantic meal. And if the architecture outside doesn’t impress then the decor inside will. Elegant furnishings, soft music, impeccable service and French masterpieces by Daniel Boulud seal the deal.”
– Chandler Jurinka

DECOR
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“Coming here gives you the impression you are in early 1920s Beijing and going to dine with the US Ambassador. On entering, two staircases lead enticingly to each side of the building. On the left, the bar has a ‘clubby,’ old-school ambiance, whilst to the right the dining room boasts big comfy chairs, soft tones and tables nicely spaced apart. The outside patio is a comfortable spot, too.”
– Jeffery Powell

WINE LIST
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“Divided into two tomes – one for white and rose wines, the other for reds – Maison Boulud has the most compelling and wide-ranging list in Beijing. The extent of the list might seem intimidating, but it is very clearly laid out and is usually extremely accurate in terms of what wine lovers crave: full names of wines, precise vintage and producer details, together with other useful information. I usually know precisely where most of the wines have been bought in other restaurants, but there are always great wines that pop up from more unusual sources.”
– Edward Ragg

BUSINESS LUNCH
Experts’ Pick: Mosto
“I love the rotating menu based on seasonal ingredients, and that staff are always informed of what’s being served, which to me is very important. It’s also very fast – they understand what a business lunch is. Customers need to be seated, eat two courses, knock back a coffee and go, all inside of one hour. Best of all their coffee packs a punch that puts a bounce in my step for the rest of the day.”
– Mark Thirlwall

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR (CHINESE)
Experts’ Pick: Da Dong
“It is rare for any roast duck joint to be able to pull off both superlative duck – which is among the lightest and crispiest in Beijing – and an excellent range of contemporary Chinese dishes (with one of the better wine lists among Chinese restaurants in town). I’m especially a fan of Da Dong’s re-interpretation of shizi tou (lion’s head casserole), which incorporates white fish in a pea soup broth rather than the traditional, if equally delicious, pork dumplings in clear soup. Clever, imaginative cooking without being faddish.”
– Edward Ragg

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR (NON-CHINESE)
Experts’ Pick: Maison Boulud
“Chapeau to Ignace and Chef Brian for the best fine dining in Beijing. The décor, service, mise en place, cuisine and crockery all work together in perfect harmony. As a chef, I want to congratulate them for the product research they’ve done from the very beginning, as everyone knows it’s difficult to adapt Western cuisine into the Beijing scene, and even more difficult to provide fine dining using local produce. Finally, Maison Boulud gets the award it deserves.”
– Jordi Valles