New And Improved: Modo Urban Deli Impresses

Many of us were sorry to see Modo close a few months ago, but owners Alex Molina and Daniel Urdaneta promised us that its successor, Modo Urban Deli, would be a fitting successor. They threw the doors open on the new venue – redesigned and reformatted as a deli offering sit-down and takeaway options – a little over a week ago, and I'm pretty sure I'll be making regular visits.

Let's dwell briefly on what Modo has lost. The contemporary-fusion "small plates" concept of old Modo made for some excellent dishes, but essentially no trace of that remains. New Modo is a straight-down-the-line deli intended to deliver high quality sandwiches, pastas, cold cuts, cheese platters and more.

The mezzanine also had to go, for reasons explained elsewhere. Unfortunately, that means there's no longer space for the fun of sampling wines out of enomatic wine dispensers. Of course, there is still wine: Glasses of house red, white and sparkling are RMB 38, and there are around ten options each of white and red by the bottle. Bottles are affordable, with nothing more expensive than RMB 350 and a 30 percent discount if you're buying to take home.

The lower floor has been redesigned for a more casual feel, and though I'm always a little nervous around sizeable chandeliers, Modo Urban Deli looks the part, seating more than you'd expect.

To the food, and a whistlestop tour of what we tried ...

Order a couple of sides, starting with this wonderfully rich, grainy Black Olive Tapenade (RMB 18). The seed-laden cracker isn't as tasty as it could be, but adds texture.

The White Bean Hummus (RMB 28) is a lighter starter, with lemon and olive oil, cilantro, red onion and peppers all adding bite over the gentle flavor of the beans themselves.

Modo Urban Deli doesn't allow you to make your own salads or sandwiches from scratch like the best delis do, but they offer variety and customization with choices of meat and optional extras. We opted for chicken over steak with this Thai Cold Noodle Salad (RMB 68). Unfortunately, it was less "Thai" than I'd expected: I wanted more spice and citrus, maybe even a hint of lemongrass. Cilantro, avocado, mango and peanuts added a variety of textures, but I still felt this salad lacked sharpness of flavor.

The "Deli Sandwich" (RMB 58) was the highlight for me. Two slices of walnut toast stuffed with salami (my choice – smoked turkey is the other option), cream cheese, pickles, lettuce and a sweetening berry jam made this more than lunchtime filler, with a variety of olives served on the side.

I rather enjoyed the Modo Burger (RMB 85). The pork and beef patty could have been juicier, but tasted pretty good. I would agree with the opinion, voiced elsewhere on this blog, that the meat should be allowed more room to breathe; there's arguably too much on this burger. The pickles, cheddar and mustard reminded me a little of the excellent Great Leap Burger, currently one of the most popular around. If the two were actually related, this would be the staid cousin to Great Leap's rock 'n' roll hedonist. I prefer the latter, but thought this was a decent burger.

I'm not a good photographer, so if the chocolate brownie (RMB 48) on the frying pan above looks good to you, then it's because it really looks great. I would have liked it just a little more moist, but between two of us we destroyed it in less than three minutes. That's vanilla ice cream on top, berry coulis squirted artfully around the pan, and a few candied walnuts for extra flavor. A fine way to finish, just as a glass of the house white was a great way to start.

We didn't try anything from the "Grilled and Oven" section, but I imagine the beef tenderloin steak (RMB 148), andouille and chorizo sausage plate (RMB 108) from Max Levy's Traitor Zhou's, and the crispy pork belly with mashed potatoes and mustard rosemary sauce (RMB 128) would all be well worth your while.

A few other things you should know. You can order a half salad and half sandwich for RMB 68, or three half salads for RMB 88. Items can be ordered to take away, and they also sell take-home provisions like granola, coffee and tea. Jinshisong and Sherpa's will bring Modo Urban Deli to your own home, and Modo's catering service is available for home and office events alike: see the full menu at Modobj.com.

Oh, one more thing. While the weather's good, you can enjoy the terrace. I'll be doing a bit of that this summer, I suspect.

Modo Urban Deli. Daily 10.30am-10pm. S10-31, 3/F, Taikoo Li, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6415 7207)
朝阳区三里屯路19号太古里3层S10-31

Photos: Iain Shaw