2013 Reader Restaurant Awards Experts' Panel: Joel Shuchat

Cat Nelson | Mar 29, 2013 2:00 pm | Add a comment | 1657 reads

Each year in our annual Reader Restaurant Awards, we ask our readers to assess the best of Beijing's dining world. Alongside of the Awards, we also query a panel of experts to throw in their informed opinions on top spots in the city. In this series of blog posts, we introduce our connoisseurs and a select handful of their picks.

Joel Shuchat
Hailing from Montreal, Canada where he was trained as a chef, Joel Shuchat has been in Beijing since 2004. He spent a year eating his way throughout Asia prior to settling in our capital. In Beijing, Joel did a long stint as tea exporter and ran tea tours of Maliandao before opening the boutique hotel, The Orchid, in Baochao Hutong. Now, you can find Joel teaching in the kitchen at The Hutong or kicking back with guests at The Orchid.

What's the overall message from Joel? Well, he really likes Mercante.

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR (NON-CHINESE, FINE DINING)
Mercante

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR (NON-CHINESE, CASUAL)
Taco Bar

BEST BEIJING DUCK
Duck de Chine

BEST DIM SUM
Hengshan Hui

BEST FRENCH (FINE DINING)
Maison Boulud

BEST FOR IMPRESSING VISITORS (NON-CHINESE CUISINE)
Najia Xiaoguan

BEST FOR IMPRESSING VISITORS (CHINESE CUISINE)
Temple Restaurant Beijing

BEST ITALIAN (FINE DINING)
Mercante

BEST ITALIAN (CASUAL)
Mercante

BEST JAPANESE
Sake Manzo

BEST KOREAN
Saveurs de Coree

BEST PIZZA
La Pizza

BEST SICHUAN (FINE DINING)
Transit

BEST VIETNAMESE
Susu

Photo: www.thehutong.com