R2 Fusion, Southeast Asian Style Restaurant Shi Wo Er Opens at Xinyuanli

Fusion Southeast Asian Restaurant Shi Wo Er Opens at Xinyuanli

Tracy Wang, Senior Editor | Dec 20, 2016 11:30 am | Add a comment | 1387 reads

You have to be confident to open a restaurant on the third floor of a small shopping center. Owner Ren Qiang’s confidence is justified by a full house at his Southeast Asian restaurant Shi Wo Er during peak lunch hours as well as a flurry of delivery guys running in and out throughout the day. We presume the hive of activity has only been aided by the numerous TV shows it has been featured on, a fact that is proudly displayed on posters outside the door.

The 68-square-meter space seats approximately 40 diners and is delightfully and colorfully decorated; particularly one tropical-themed wall and the ceiling, which are covered with bright green leaves and parrots. Beijinger Ren Qiang was once a chef at the Shangri-La Hotel 20 years ago, and has been involved in the TV industry for the past 10 years, most notably in Shangcai, a famous Chinese reality show about delicacies on BTV, a role that has led him to where he is today. Ren’s preference lies in Southeast Asian food, as evidenced by his menu, which he boasts only took 15 days to put together and features a series of fish, curry, and fusion dishes.

We highly recommend the spicy roast pig trotter (RMB 62), which boasts a rich pork skin seasoned with fried dry chilies and chopped citronella. We also loved the Phnom Penh fish in sour soup (RMB 50) and Thai sliced fish in hot chili oil (RMB 48); the former a moreish mixture of spicy and sour hot pot laden with fresh fish and a slight sweetness thanks to a touch of honey; the latter, although not as spicy was we expected, has a good numbing kick. For something as little different, diners will want to try the Mahjong fruit salad (RMB 45), which contains mock Mahjong blocks made of dark chocolate.

To play it safe for wallet and palate, grab a curry lunch set for around RMB 35, great value for the Liangmaqiao area. It’s worth a visit for these curry sets alone although there are plenty of other options if you’re craving something spicy.

Shi Wo Er
Daily 10am-12am. 3/F, Jiayi Vogue Square, 3A Xinyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang District (8453 3371)
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This article first appeared in our November/December magazine. To read the entire issue online, please click here.