The Roots Settles in Yizhuang, Selling Organic Produce and Homestyle Foods with Care

Born in northeast of France, and after spending several years in the UK, Antoine Mansuy (小安) and his wife landed in Beijing, took root in Yizhuang and opened their restaurant, The Roots, which currently has 5/5 stars on Dianping. 

So why Yizhuang? Antoine, with a big smile on his face, says that he loves the feeling of small community here: “When locals are asked where they live, they always lower their heads and squeeze out in low voice ‘Yizhuang ...,’ I want to make them proud of Yizhuang. The area began to grow in 1992, now it’s the hot bed for young people and big companies, such as Coca Cola, Microsoft, Tesla, Mercedes Benz ...”

Focus on quality, stay affordable
Look at the menu, we found the prices to be surprisingly reasonable. Antoine says he wants to provide an affordable option for people to discover real western food, instead of having to splash out on pricey western food or eat at fast food. It took him and his team a lot of time to find affordable local farming sources with quality to make Mediterranean family cuisine.  

We ordered the smoked salmon salad (RMB 48), which came as a nice hearty serving, Antoine adding, “All the sauces are made by ourselves, when you look at the plate, and you know what’s in your dish, the salmon is hot smoked in house as well, and all the ingredients are prepared from scratch daily.”

We also gorged on the beef bourguignon (RMB 48), presented in an authentic Le Creuset pan, just how it was served on his Grandma's table. The secret to its rich flavor is the use of ribeye, ligaments, and fat over pricey lean filet meat. For the spice lovers, penne with sausage and broccoli (48 RMB) is a good choice, made directly from Antoine's Italian grandpa’s cooking repertoire.

The British banoffee pie (RMB 35) is a must try for those with a sweet tooth. The slight bitterness and aroma of coffee, not chocolate, melds well with the soft texture of the bananas. If you're looking for something a little less sweet then The Roots' homemade Italian tiramisu is also an option. 

The most popular dishes on the menu are the Caesar salad (RMB 38), tenderloin steak (180g, RMB 98) and the classic cheese burger (RMB 52). He says that sometimes more upscale venues choose to sell burgers at a high price because they choose filet meat, but in Antoine’s opinion, that’s too lean for burger.

Good honest food
Antoine is proud to say that he has a rooftop garden which provides a lot of his plants and spices and has already grown three kinds of basils, two kinds of thyme, bay leaves, lavender as well as tomatoes of all colors and shapes and many other vegetables. He spends a lot of time at his local market, making sure that every ingredient is reasonably priced and can maintain the dish's original taste, half of which are classics and rest unique, made from scratch at The Roots.

Many have said that The Roots has the best gelato in Beijing. Antoine worked with an ice cream company in London, which helped raise his benchmark in making gelato. A couple of months ago, he found a supplier to provide the best gelato, and shows me the secret of “massaging”, which heats up the frozen desert, making it softer, homogeneous, beautiful, and creamy. He serves four flavors – chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and passion fruit (RMB 25).

If the gelato alone doesn't entice you to visit then maybe the free coffee will.

About the future
Antoine plans to cooperate with organic farms to provide live herbs for people to cook at home. He wants to help more people understand real Western food – the less they go to fast food chains, the more they will branch out and try places like The Roots. Even they don’t like it, it’s not so expensive to break the bank. He is not only a passionate, speedy talker, but also a proud boss: “My job is to help my employees to do better at their job.” Three quarters of the front of house staff have been working with him since they started, apparently enjoying there time at the restaurant. Other members of staff left, only to return, wanting to perhaps stick to their roots.

You can see Antoine in action in this video he featured in for China Daily.

More stories by this author here.

Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos Courtesy of The Roots and Tracy Wang