P.S. We Ate You Nov/Dec 2017 Edition

Robynne Tindall, Contributing Editor | Jan 2, 2018 8:30 am | Add a comment | 709 reads

P.S. We Ate You is a popular column featured in every issue of the Beijinger magazine which rounds up the best new dishes that we've tried around town. This time, our favorites include:

float like a fruity smoothie bowl
Tribe, RMB 58
In addition to looking great, this Float Like a Fruity Smoothie Bowl (pictured in the lead image above) embodies Tribe’s purple winter theme, which in this case comes from butterfly tea powder, an Asian flower that has become popular for its iridescent and organic coloring as well as purported anti-aging qualities. Quinoa is added to the base of the slightly-sweet smoothie bowl, and fruits and nuts sit on top, making for a more filling breakfast than your average fruit and milk blend.

face-off coffee
Vase, RMB 40
More of a novelty item than anything you’d actually really want to buy, Xingfucun’s Vase café allows patrons to scan their face (or, more highly recommended, a picture of their face), which is then rendered in all its frothy glory into the foam of your chosen coffee to be consumed one weird gulp at a time. If those vorarephilic tendencies don’t do it for you, head upstairs to buy some pretty flowers instead in the adjoining florist.

300g steak
Meat Mate, RMB 100-300 (depending on the cut)
Now that the floodgates of US beef imports have been blown well and truly off their hinges, Beijing is slowly realizing its steak lover’s dream. Meat Mate is just one of many restaurants now cashing in on such provisions, albeit dabbling in the Australian variety, lining its walls in Indigo Mall with fridges packed with high-quality beef, waiting to be cut and sizzled into the perfect steak. Beautifully sautéed, our ribeye had a golden-brown outside and a nice pink inside and needed no sauce to boost its juicy texture and bold flavors.

grilled gruyere cheese toast and tomato soup
Boxing Cat Pop-Up, RMB 65
Sometimes nothing beats a crunchy toastie that’s overflowing with cheese, whole grain mustard, and sweet pickled onions, which is exactly how Boxing Cat’s rendition of this down-home American classic comes. Pair it with a creamy tomato soup with a dollop of pesto, and a pint of King Louie Imperial Stout for good measure, and you’ve got yourself a combination fit to see you through Beijing’s numbing winter.