The Rug Sanlitun Starts Midnight Barbecue with Kebabs, Sliders, and Decent Beers at Competitive Prices
Well known for its innovative dishes with inspirations from all over the world, such as their "typhoon shelter" beef tartare, chicken and mango egg burrito, Dutch baby pancakes, cucumber shots, tiramisu, bagels, and top wine list, Sanlitun's The Rug has now launched their midnight barbecue in the heat of this flaming-hot summer. The new menu is reasonably priced so as to lure you inside to enjoy some chuan’r while it’s raining cats and dogs.
RELATED: Kingfish Ceviche, Dutch Baby Pancakes, and Cucumber Shots on The Rug's Revamped Menu
From Thursday to Saturday, 10pm-1.30am, RMB 69 will get you the choice of two items, or RMB 99 for the choice of three, from a selection of seven sliders, eight kebabs, cocktails, six craft beers, six different wines, four coffees, three juices, and two desserts.
The sliders are particularly lovely; three more choices have been added to the original four, which started out at Chatroom by the Rug at Joy City, and include beef, fried chicken, fried fish, barbecue pork, Vietnam chili pork, veggie, and shrimp and pepper (for an additional RMB 5). We tried barbecue pork, shrimp and pepper and Vietnam chili pork, and were not disappointed – all were juicy and full of flavor.
You can tell that the kebabs are strongly influenced by Southeast Asian and Korean cuisines, with varieties including cumin lamb, Siam Satay chicken, Korean spicy squid, New Orleans chicken wings, salmon yogurt sauce, caramelized pork meat balls, okra and cheese mushrooms. Out of all of them, we loved the Siam Satay chicken and salmon the most.
Upon arrival of the big, chunky chuan’r, we could feel beers beckoning and were happily surprised with the beer list, which is made up from six craft beers from the Scottish brewery Harviestoun. To my knowledge, the only restaurant that provides this option of pairing beers with food is TRB Bites, which come with a price tag twice that of what The Rug are asking. At RMB 99 for three, The Rug's deal is so good that you can't help but feel you're taking advantage of it.
The Schiehallion is a 4.8 percent ABV lager, featuring bready and tropical fruit aromas, as well as grapefruit and honey, the perfect start to the night, and pairs well with either the fish or pulled pork slider. Alternatively, we'd recommend their Broken Dial, a classic amber ale with a fruity finish.
The Old Engine Oil is one of my long-term loves, which I’m surprised to see on the menu given its hefty price tag, even at bottle shops. This award-winning black ale is made using tons of oats so as to smooth out the bitterness of roast barley, creating a color darker than the darkest night of Winterfell (Game of Throne lovers, you'll get it). Clocking in at 6 percent ABV, it couldn’t satisfied us more with its velvety and creamy texture as well as its coffee, toffee, chocolate, and cherry notes. If you're looking for something a little sweeter, grab the Raspy Engine (add RMB 15 per bottle), the 5.3 percent ABV raspberry porter is a milder version of the Old Engine Oil.
Ola Dubh 12 is the most special of the lot (add RMB 50 per bottle), and as the name implies (black oil in Gaelic), they age this beer for six months in casks that previously held Highland Park 12-year-old single malt, which gives it a smoky and rich, leathery kick from the residue whiskey. With aromas of molasses and vanilla, it pairs well with dessert; either The Rug's cheesecake or No. 7 whiskey walnut chocolate cake.
The cocktail menu is amazing too: red bull, pina colada, or red berry yogurt cocktails, as well as their beloved cucumber shots and maple rum ice tea, a drinks menu that summizes the restaurant's ongoing innovation, and will see us coming back again, and soon.
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos: The Rug, Tracy Wang
