Capital Bites: Cooking With Bruno, Euro Eating Festivals & Win More Thanksgiving Dinners!

It's been a quiet-ish week in eating: a lot of really great holiday events and dishes are just on the horizon. Still, "quiet" doesn't mean "silent." Beijing is blessed with an excellent food scene that still manages to be interesting in the most lackluster weeks (see: precipitation). It rained last night, but the pollution doesn't seem to have budged an iota. What can you do? Not much. What might perk you up? Delicious foods! How can you get a totally boss Thanksgiving dinner (yes, another one of these competitions) at the Renaissance Cafe for zero RMB? Read on, read on.

Last Friday saw me visit the Ritz-Carlton Beijing in Huamao for a cooking class with their new executive chef, Bruno Correa. He's a fan of high tea at the Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental, which already means he's in my good books. In any case, smashing success (i.e. everybody produced something edible - nay, tasty!), and amusement was had by all. I left full, pleased and with a major case of knife envy; the Ritz-Carlton kitchen boasts a number of outstandingly sharp Henckels. More details on future classes as we hear about them.

Slow food guru and organic revolutionary Alice Waters is in town for the US-China Forum on the Arts and Culture. Fingers crossed, we're going to get the chance to meet her this weekend, but she's been busy working with local farmers to prepare a meal for visiting stars like Meryl Streep, Joel Coen, Amy Tan and Jonathan Spence, not to mention US Ambassador Gary Locke, and attending the forum's various events. Spot her among the assembled celebrities in this gallery of photos (also including the menu from the dinner).

The (well-hidden) CBD Taj Pavillion has an upcoming tandoori barbecue promotion running for ten days from November 25, with a number of lesser-seen tandoor dishes available during that period only. We got the chance to go for a preview tasting and enjoyed the Karela Chicken (tandoor-baked chicken stuffed with minced prawns, chicken, lamb and spices) - deliciously juicy. Here, have a picture. Other dishes on the tandoori menu include Afghan kebabs (chicken basted in egg white before being baked in the tandoor) and Adraki lamb chop. Dishes average RMB 48-68. Well worth a visit.

The Belgian Gourmet Festival starts today, with a number of F&B retailers showing off their Belgian roots. Participating joints are listed here, and dependent on how much they spend, consumers can win diamonds (swish!) or sweet gift packages. Belgian restaurants are thin on the ground in Beijing, but if you haven't been, give Morel's a shot. They're about as old as me but much better at doing great food. Exacting standards, hearty fare and devastating fries. Chinese locals can also take a crack at the Belgian Quiz, where you can win an all-expenses paid trip to Belgium.

Now from Antwerp to Andalusia, with the Andalusian Drinks Festival on now. Last night (Nov 17) saw a Vinos y Tapas Evening at the Marriott City Wall Hotel, and the InterContinental Beijing Financial Street Hotel will host a Spanish Ham Slicing competition on Nov 30 (what will they do with all the sliced ham?) Unlike the Belgians, however, there is no denying that the Spaniards have a muy formiddable battalion in Beijing, notably those HQ'd in Nali Patio. One really must wonder: how big can it get? Will we ever be Spain-saturated? Wild speculation in comments invited.

Susu have unveiled an exciting new winter menu, with Vietnamese hot pot as the signature. Owner Jonathan Ansfield tells us: "In launching our new menus, it made sense to bulk up on mains with hearty stews and soups for fall and winter. Hot pot's a no-brainer but like a of lot things at Susu came by popular demand. Several Vietnamese patrons waxed on in great detail about different types of lau - hot pot - and Quyen, our chef, injected a splash of creativity into our two formulae."

Susu's hot pot (lau) comes with two soup bases - the house soup (Lau Susu - RMB 68), a chicken base with lemongrass and the salty sour tang of fermented rice; and the Lau Vietnam (RMB 88), a seafood-based broth - Chef Qyen's secret formula apparently - made with coconut milk and shrimp paste. It's richer, thicker and saltier than the Lau Susu. Hot pot ingredients range from RMB 18-62, including beautifully presented raw shrimp, strips of snakefish, beef tenderloin, mixed mushrooms and veggies like pumpkin, morning glory, spinach and crown daisy. Several new stews fill out the menu too. Galangal pork stew (RMB 88) is a great winter warmer - you get a big bowl of meltingly tender pork in a thick sauce of galangal root and fermented rice, which you mix DIY style with a side dish of vermicelli and fresh herbs. Another is "Peasant duck" (RMB 98) - actually fermented tofu and taro in a hearty, savory sauce. There's also a range of new Vietnamese-inspired cocktails at RMB 50 - the Hanoi Fling and the Quiet American, both whisky-based, with smoky, sour flavors, impressed our writer.

Onto some openings and closings: Tonton & Tata Alsace is sadly bidding Beijing adieu on Sunday Nov 20. They plan on finding new digs, but until then, a number of Alsatian dishes will still be available from December at Swing Bar & Bistro on Sanlitun Nanjie. We're hoping that other Sanlitun Soho residents will not follow suit.

Va Va Voom is expanding! Viet Express opens December 15 in Wangjing. The concept is a little more casual than the original restaurant, and will feature a number of new menu items. I had dinner at Va Va Voom recently and found a rather interesting apple pie: more a crumble than a pie, with a hint of condensed milk. An acquired taste, but one I could see myself acquiring.

Speaking of niche milk products, does anyone do a real dulce de leche in this town? Inquiring tongues wish to know.

We'll be checking out new-kid-on-the-block Gramercy Tavern at U-Town soon. If you've been, give us a holler.

If you were at Chi Fan for Charity, you may already know about Little Gold Books. Similar to the Entertainment book sold in Australia and New Zealand, Little Gold Books are chock full of vouchers for Beijing's most delicious-est of eateries. Expect anything from 25% off the bill to a free chicken curry. See the full list of offers here, and pick up a copy for RMB 240 online.

Finally, we got some seriously amusing answers from our last Thanksgiving competition, so we scrounged up a few more meals to give away. If you fancy a fancy buffet dinner for two from Renaissance Cafe in the Renaissance Beijing Chaoyang Hotel, leave a comment to tell us: Who would you least like to spend Thanksgiving with? We'll pick two winners by Monday. Bonne chance!

Photos: Susan Sheng