Date Night in Beijing: 19 Years and Still Madly in Love

It's no secret that the longer you're with someone, the easier it is to unknowingly slip into habit and routine. The love is doubtlessly still there, but the butterflies that took flight before every dinner date and movie night are less inclined to set your heart aflutter, instead giving way to comfortable familiarity. For longterm committed couples to those who have graduated to parenthood, however, the need for date nights is still as important as ever, and serves as a reminder of when you first fell for each other and the fact that outside of your roles as parents or partners-in-life, that love is rooted in something deeply magical and unique.

Whether you have kids or you've simply been with your partner long enough to settle into a sedentary lifestyle, relationship experts say that the importance of date nights are fivefold; communication: giving couples time to really talk to each other away from the distractions of children and careers; novelty: breaking out of your daily patterns and routines so that you never take each other for granted; the spark: creating magic moments in which the world melts away and you only have eyes for each other; de-stress: intimate conversation helps cultivate healthy emotional support and thus lower mental stress; and finally, commitment: date nights help couples reconnect with each other and build deeper bonds, ultimately nurturing a strong sense of togetherness.

Though recent events may have presented obstacales to date nights, the fact remains that Beijing has plenty of options for a fun evening out for two. To see how the real pros do it, we tagged along on a date night with Lise and Francesco Floris at Made in China. The Flores couple have been married for 19 years and are proud parents to three kids: Simon (20), Samuel (18), and Rebecca (15). The couple met in Santorini, Greece in 1995 where Lise was working in a shop and Francesco was the good-looking tourist who caught her eye.

Made in China has been famous for its delicious Peking duck for over a decade, but they were also the first hotel restaurant to feature an open noodle bar where guests could watch chefs at work while slurping up freshly made noodles. The restaurant caters to locals and expats alike, offering exquisitely prepared Beijing cuisine and a few signature flares that leave guests craving more. Perhaps more unusual: since they first opened back in 2003, Made in China hasn’t changed its central menu. According to Executive Chef Anish Padgaonkar, even though they do introduce occasional seasonal dishes, their guests have remained infatuated with the original Made in China menu, thus the restaurant keeps bringing back their staples. Now, after 17 years in operation, Made in China offers a tried-and-true, curated list of guests' all-time favorites.

Starting off the couple’s date night is a plate of spinach with sesame sauce rice vinegar (RMB 50). This classic Beijing cold dish is a must-have, arriving within minutes of ordering, whetting the appetite and providing tasty nibbles while you wait for the main event.

For seafood lovers, the sizzling king prawns (RMB 465) are a sight to see (and taste). The fragrance of the prawns fill the entire restaurant and turns heads as the waitress gracefully parades them from the kitchen to your table. Talk about inspiring food envy! For a healthy seafood option, the simple ingredients of the steamed blue cod (RMB 395) help to amplify the natural sweetness of the codfish, giving you a guilt-free healthy dish.

Of course, a trip to Made in China isn’t complete without a taste of their Peking duck, and unless you’ve got a really big appetite, half a duck (RMB 265) is more than enough for two people to share. Made fresh in their wood-fired oven, each duck is carved table-side and served with the classic pancakes and Peking duck condiments.

As Lise and Francesco finish off their night at Made in China, we couldn’t help but ask the couple for a bit of marriage advice. Lise admits that for some reason, the couple often ends up arguing while on date nights. “I’ve heard that’s common because we get to ‘dig into’ some practical discussions about family and life topics,” Lise tells beijingkids. “Thankfully we always make up before the end of the date.” And what about a tip for new couples? Their secret to a long happy marriage is to always be able to talk openly and honestly, even about the difficult stuff. “Oh, and physical attraction doesn’t hurt either,” she adds with a laugh.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids.

Images: Uni You