What's New Restaurants: Swiss Taste, Central Park

Robynne Tindall, Contributing Editor | May 21, 2015 5:45 pm | Add a comment | 2599 reads

After 13 years in China, including a recently concluded stint at the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce, founder of new Central Park restaurant Swiss Taste Peter Troesch is well qualified to introduce his country’s cuisine to the currently lacking Beijing market.

Instead of the stereotypical “Swiss chalet” motif, Swiss Taste us all about clean lines and white furnishings. Shelves and a small deli counter feature a selection of imported produce, including cheese, yogurt, milk, and chocolate. With this and other activities planned, Troesch sees Swiss Taste as a window to showcase the Swiss lifestyle and culture as a whole, rather than just simply a restaurant.

Not that the food is an afterthought. The menu focuses on the staples of the small country’s cuisine – cheese fondue (RMB 138/258), raclette (RMB 88), and flammkuchen (RMB 88-258), a type of thin bread pizza topped with sour cream instead of cheese. Our favorite is the traditional flammkuchen (RMB 88), finished with a generous portion of onions and bacon lardons. Elsewhere, a selection of mains feature dishes from Switzerland’s neighboring France, Germany, and Austria (none from Lichtenstein, for now). We enjoyed the white veal sausage (RMB 108) and its accompanying rosti, although we could have done without the overly reduced onion sauce.

Wash it all down with a bottle from surely the largest selection of Swiss wines in Beijing. The same bottles are available to take away at a 30 percent discount. With the weather warming up, we’re looking forward to settling in to their ample terrace with a glass of white wine and big slice of flammkuchen.

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