Epicurean in Beijing

Even business lunches in China can end up being quite a feast. This time was no different. My hospitable hosts had organized an elaborate lunch at Quanjude, the renowned restaurant that has being serving Peking Duck since 1864 when the Qing dynasty still ruled China.

Like is usual when dining in Asian restaurants, we were seated around a large round table with a revolving platter of exquisitely presented dishes placed in the center.

Dish after dish of fish, meats and fruits appeared. Slices of pear, jello-encased seafood, BBQ pork short ribs, sauteed spinach with peanuts, and much more. I will let the pictures do the talking!




Soups and fried rice were followed by more meats and vegetables in sweet and savory sauces. All exquisitely presented and every one of them delectable. The variety of taste, texture and flavor was a feast for the senses.






It was time for the house speciality - Peking Duck. I was presented with a certificate with the serial number of the duck - a running number from the time they have been serving roast duck to their patrons. This popular restaurant now sells over 2 million roast ducks annually!

The chef expertly carved the duck at the table as we admired their practised deftness of hand. A plate of the famed melt-in-your-mouth slices of the glazed, crispy skin arrived in front of us, followed by the duck meat which we greedily rolled within pancakes with hoisin sauce, sugar and spring onions. Finally came the soup made from the duck. Nothing goes waste here. The Peking Duck was amazing as always.


Finally came an interesting cream-filled dessert, a pastry filled with a sweet tasting meat and a fruit platter. Desserts in China seem to play a minor part in what is usually always a very elaborate dining experience.



In the evening we dined at Zen 1903, an upscale restaurant in Beijing's swish Legation Quarters. This area used to house foreign embassies at one time but now is the destination for gourmets in the capital city. This butterfly-themed restaurant serves upmarket Cantonese cuisine along with Peking Duck and some Sichuan favorites.



We sat under an impressive crystal chandelier as a series of steamed, stir-fried, BBQ and roasted delicacies made their way to our plates. This time there were more exotica such as jellyfish, duck's feet and duck's kidneys and I am happy to say I tried every one of them. We ended with a dessert made of egg yolk along along with a sweetened roll.












As you can see, it was another elaborate and satisfying meal in Beijing. Ming and team, thank you for being the perfect hosts as always!


PS: Posts from my previous visits to China:

• Gastronomic Beijing
• More Beijing
• Other Tidbits from China
• In China for the First Time
• Beijing Again

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Pune Dining: New Hot Spots

I have a lot of catching up to do! With my increasing travel, I have been reviewing more restaurants outside Pune than in this city I call my home. Hopefully, this post will quickly put Pune back on this blog. Let me begin by Momo at the Courtyard in Hingewadi: I went back to try their dinner buffet on a weekend. The live Chinese and Pasta counters enhanced the already elaborate buffet spread. The chef also turns out a mean pizza. And like always, I loved their desserts; they seem to have a very talented pastry chef.

I also visited Kareem's multiple times. In addition to their East Street outlet, they now have one in Dhole Patil Road, right next to Zamu's. The biryanis are robust, served in ample portions, and yet modestly priced. Ph: 26053374

On yet another day, I discovered the Bombay Duck at Rahul in Aundh. Bombay Duck despite its name is not a duck but a fish. This ugly looking fish has a powerful odour when dried; however, the expertly fried fillets at Rahul were excellent and I can recommend it safely to seafood lovers who want to try something different.


While I was away travelling, a host of eating options seem to have emerged in Pune. Here are the ones which are top of my list:

Cafe Maroo, an intimate little Korean restaurant has opened at Westend Plaza on New D.P. Road, Aundh. In addition to Korean green and herbal teas, you can find kimbap - Korean rice and other condiments rolled in seaweed, dduk - rice cakes, and bulgogi in their menu.

Coffee lovers rejoice! Aromas on Dhole Patil Road (opposite Madhuban) has brought gourmet Australian coffee into the city. Aromas is part of the chain popular all over Gold Coast and Brisbane in the Australian continent.

The good news just doesn't end. Pune's first microbrewery, 1st Brewhouse and its brewpub opened with fanfare at the Corinthians. Beer lovers can now sample four varieties of beer with retro rock and a variety of meat and veggie wraps and rolls - if you don't mind driving down the far end of town.

Other new openings and interesting discoveries:

Squisito in Koregaon Park. Yet another vegetarian-only Italian place that also has Mexican and Lebanese on its menu. 1 Jewel Tower, Lane No. 5, Ph: 2605-4005

Tertullia on South Main Road has reopened as a fine-dining restaurant. I love their pastries and coffeee but haven't yet visited them in their new avatar. Lane No. 5, Ph: 26151100

Bombay's popular Cream Center: For those who fondly remember its crowded namesake in Chowpatty, you can now sample their delectible Mexican nachos, ragda-patties and Channa Bhatura in Fern Hotel, Kalyani Nagar.

BBQ Nation opened its second outlet in town, this one open-air on the rooftop of the new Sayaji Hotel. Ph: 42121212

Another international restaurant chain brings Legacy Restaurant to Pune. Known for their Cheese Naan, Hazari Kabab, Chicken Methi Malai and Mutton Biryani in far-flung cities of Africa and the Middle-East, they have even brought their chefs from Dubai to make a good first impression. Lunkad Sky Station, Viman Nagar, Ph: 66410110

Westin finally opened in tony Koregaon Park, bringing with it some upscale dining options as well. Kangan opens daily for dinner and specializes in frontier cuisine. Prego, the fine-dining Italian restaurant looks promising too (Dec 2009: reviewed here). QBA promises to introduce the best Cuban delights to Pune. Mix@36 is the bar for whiskey lovers; they claim to have over 68 different varieties here.

The Great Kabab Factory comes into town in the newly opened Radisson Hotel. Their much imitated and unique concept of unlimited kababs, biryanis and speciality Indian breads in an upscale ambiance has been a personal favorite of mine ever since I first visited the New Delhi Radisson many years ago.

After Galaxy Grill, Corinthians now brings the second Greek dining experience to town with Salsa. However, for those not too adventurous, they have some Indian food on the menu too.

Then we have '96K' for some royal Maratha fare including the fiery mutton rassa with wade and patra fish. Incidentally, '96K' stands for the first 96 Maratha families who had their roots in Rajasthan. Really! What say Thakeray and Thakeray? Located in Sanas Memories, 927 F.C. Road, near Deendayal Hospital. Ph: 25679669

Finally, Cafe Boulevard in Hotel Kapila on Dhole Patil Road is getting good reviews for those out of good options late in the nights when you are desperate food and drinks at non-five-star prices. This restaurant is open 24 hours. Ph: 6644 6644 (Jan 2010: Reviewed here)

I will keep updating this post with links to more detailed reviews. I would like to hear from you too. Bon Apetit!

Other posts on Pune's dining scene:

• Jan 2009: Bounty, Laguna and More
• Feb 2009: Kokum
• Mar 2009: Stone Water Grill and More
• Apr 2009: Indus Kitchen, Addah, etc.
• May 2009: The new Malaka Spice
• Jul 2009: Momo Cafe, Ccasanova, Hard Rock Cafe
• Aug 2009: New Updates

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Dim Sum Heaven

I had less than two days to spend in Hong Kong, most of that time devoted to business. Sight-seeing was clearly not on the agenda this time, but I could not return without the yum cha experience of Hong Kong. Which is how I found myself at Maxim's on a Sunday morning, one of the most popular yum cha outlets in town. Arriving at 11 AM, we found outselves amongst a crowd of families, tourists and businessmen - all awaiting their turn for the city's primary gastronomic indulgence of tea and dim sum.

While most of the world uses the word dim sum, the entire dining experience is actually called yum cha, which involves drinking Chinese tea, dim sum dishes, soup and desserts. Maxim's is a culinary instition in Hong Kong having existed since the 1950s. The Beatles actually performed at their original restaurant in the 60s during a visit to the city. The Maxim's empire now has a variety of high-quality restaurants across the city. The one we were in today, the Maxim Palace in City Hall, is among their most popular.



Smartly dressed girls in embroidered pink uniforms gave us a number. Over the heads of the waiting people, I could the huge hall with its large windows overlooking the ubiquitous shorelines of Hong Kong. A large crystal chandelier cast a golden glow in the cavernous interiors crowded with happy families. It was only 50 minutes later that the girl called out our number; the appetizing smells wafting my way from the dim sum carts had already gotten me ravenously hungry and without much ado I settled down to dig in.


Gleaming gold carts came by with a variety of fresh steamed, fried and baked delicacies. All we did was point and pick as we slurped up the little bundles of pure bliss. Among the twenty-odd dishes that passed my plate, I can't remember one that I didn't like! Simply amazing! Some had a crunch in the palate while others were slippery little devils. Yet others surprised with their combination of textures and flavors, but every one of them was piping hot and absolutely terrific.





I had selected an interesting warm drink made of crysanthimum, lemon and honey. This was very exotic and refreshing too. I also remember having a soup in-between.

Finally, we ended with a dessert of cocunut jelly cubes and more tea. While I was completely satiated after that yum cha meal, I know this is something I want to repeat with my family very soon.



Late in the evening, I ventured out again to the harbour-front on the Kowloon side. As the skies darkened, the steel and glass towers began lighting up. It was a very pretty sight and it felt good just sitting on the shore-side, listening to the waves and seeing the Hong-Kong skyline come alive in neon splendor. I took the ferry back to Central and located a lovely, warm restaurant in the IFC tower. The Union Bar & Grill with its red brick walls and mahagony detailing looked inviting with its Xmas decorations.




The baked potato skins with cheese were nicely done and made for a good starter. The lamb chops I ordered were very tasty too. All in all, a great end of a quick visit to this historic port city of Asia.

PS: For some amazing dim sums in New Delhi, try this place.

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