Capital Bites: Ravishing Ravioli, Pizza Plus Afternoon Deal and Bread News
We've got a carb-heavy edition of Capital Bites for you today. Ravioli Factory, opened by the guys behind Cafe CD Blues, is doing great out of the gate. Pizza Plus gets even better prices in the afternoons and we've got news about Pekotan's bread offerings.
Folks continue to be impressed by Pizza Plus (as evidenced by positive reader reviews like this one), so we feel duty-bound to tell you about their great afternoon special: From 2-4pm, you can get 20% off on the ready-made slices in-store (in other words, it doesn't work for delivery, or for full orders of freshly made pizzas). Their prices are already reasonable, so this just sweetens the deal. Great for people who take lunch late.
We loved our first try of the new Ravioli Factory. It's on the pricier side, but we're thinking of it like La Pizza but for pastas. If you go and order just their mix and match pastas, you can get out of there full for about RMB 60-80 per person. Or you can splurge a bit with wines and desserts (and their great selection of grappas). The food is high quality and very well made. Service was still in training mode, but their restaurant manager did a great job making things work. We'll definitely be back.
We've all walked through Chinese restaurants here and seen giant plates of food left behind by big parties. China Daily reports that in an effort to curtail this kind of waste, several Chinese restaurant and catering groups are starting to offer half-portions at lower prices. Among these: Quanjude, Xiabu Xiabu, Bianyifang, Donglaishun, Han Na Shan, Xiang E Qing and more. Look for half-orders on select menu items.
Quickie Salad has opened in Parkview Green. Prices are somewhat high for the style of food they offer (40 kuai for a "salad burrito"?), but we'll see if it's worth it in terms of quality and safety. We're checking them out today so will have thoughts for you soon.
It's no secret that we're huge fans of Pekotan's bakery section, but we've lately just learned that Gang Gang Delicatessen, the brains behind their phenomenal bread, have struck out on their own. They've got a two-floor operation going just south of Chaoyang Park's south gate. We'll track down their specific location soon and leave a handy breadcrumb trail. Meanwhile, Pekotan has started offering a morning bread buffet. RMB 29 gets you coffee and a "pile of bread." We're not certain how much longer the Central Park shop will be carrying Gang Gang's bread products.
A hop and a skip away, in Fortune Mall, a new fast-food Yunnan spot has opened, called San Qian Wan. They seem connected to the folks at Treescape (also at the Fortune Mall). While Yunnan fast food might sound suspect, it's actually quite a nice healthy option for a quick lunch. We tried the hei san duo (pickled vegetables with bell pepper and meat, RMB 29) over rice, and found it tasty and refreshingly devoid of excess oil. For something more indulgent, Wild Honey at the same mall has a Tuesday waffle special: half-price every Tuesday after 2pm.
There's also a new cafe called 3wish open near Ritan Park. Looks like a cozy spot that serves coffee, paninis and salads.
Happy eating.
Photo: Marilyn Mai
