EAT: Joe Schofield at Equis, Gung Ho! Winter Menu, Mosto After Dinner Happy Hour, Eat Dumplings for Dongzhi

Tis the season for warming winter dishes and Gung Ho! have jumped firmly on the bandwagon with their new seasonal menu. The new menu makes full use of excellent produce from Gung Ho! co-owner Jade Grey's home country, New Zealand, including huge green shell mussels (which come steamed in a classic Normandy-style cider cream sauce made with another New Zealand brand, Moa Apple Cider), and beef and lamb from Silver Fern Farms. That lamb appears in the form of sliders (RMB 28), topped with cucumber, rocket, and fresh mint tzatziki, while the beef graces the top of a pizza, first marinated and slow-roasted, and then served on a base of sautéed balsamic beetroot chutney and fresh rocket, topped with a fresh Italian gremolata (medium RMB 99/large RMB 143). Veggies aren't left out, either; try the roasted winter salad (medium RMB 46/large RMB 59), which features roasted pumpkin, sweet potato, beetroot, carrot, and onions, piled on top of quinoa and served on a bed of fresh spinach, with a Mediterranean yogurt dressing (pro tip: order on Monday when all salads are 50 percent off, in-store or delivery). 

If you like to eat late and keep the party going even later, you'll be glad to hear that Mosto have a new after dinner happy hour that runs every day from 9-11pm, during which time all cocktails and glasses of house wine are RMB 40. A great deal now that the weather is too cold to go bar hopping after dinner. 

On the subject of drinks, cocktail fans will want to get down to Equis tonight and tomorrow (Dec 19-20) as they welcome Joe Schofield, head bartender of Singapore's award-winning Tippling Club. Joe – who previously worked at the American Bar at London's Savoy Hotel, which was named the World's Best Bar in 2017– will be concocting drinks inspired by those childhood favorites, Haribo gummy bears. Stop by and try cocktails like Happiness, made with tequila, yuzu, orange, lemon, and honey, and the Lust, made with Champagne, peach, vanilla, and tonka bean.

Dec 22 marks the winter solstice, known as dōngzhì (冬至) in Chinese, and like most Chinese winter festivals it is celebrated by eating dumplings. On the evening on Dec 22, That's Mandarin will be holding a dumpling making class at their Dongzhimen office. You can learn how to wrap dumplings, while also learning more about the Chinese lunar calendar (which is divided into 24 brief seasons). If you're more interested in eating dumplings than making them, then check out our list of the best places to eat dumplings in Beijing, including Mr. Shi's and Baoyuan.

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Photos: Equis