Don't Look Now: Kerry Centre is Beijing's Hottest New Dining Destination

If you haven't been to the Kerry Centre recently, you're in for a surprise. It's now one of the hottest dining destinations around, with a dozen new and revamped choices.

With long-time Kerry Hotel standby Horizon anchoring the space with its fabulous wood-fired Beijing duck, it's only a few steps down to B1 where a new culinary world awaits.

Japanese favorite Hatsune has opened its newest (and dare I say hippest) new location downstairs, while next door the city's most reknown Taiwanese restaurant Bellagio has opened up shop. A two-story Element Fresh will be open by Chinese New Year, and on either corner of the east entrance you'll find a two-story Starbucks and a new location of sandwich supremos Wagas.

Newly ubiquitous juice masters Original Fresh are also nearby, premium juicers whose ingredients list includes such unexpected (and healthy) fare as avocado and walnuts. For tea lovers there is the upscale Danning Tea House, and for simpler Chinese fare, the Tak Yong Noodle House.

A Subway location remains in the mall, and rounding out the mix are two additional yet-to-open Japanese restaurants and Belencre, a stylish little cafe/bookstore serving drinks and meals surrounding mostly Chinese but also a few shelves of English books.

Missing from the current space is the supermarket that was once there and the Vista Clinic, which has been moved upstairs near Kerry Sports and the new kids attraction Adventure Zone.

Definitely worth checking out if you haven't been for a while – you'll hardly recognize the place.

Photos: Michael Wester