Beijing Restaurant Review: Casa Talia
By Noelle Mateer
We were excited to review a new place in Raffles City. Our office is just across the street in Dongzhimen – and we often pop into the mall for lunch. But we were also not excited to review a new place in Raffles. Because when we do lunch near That’s Beijing towers, we do so reluctantly.
The malls around Dongzhimen are depressing to eat in. At Ginza Mall alone, we’ve endured still-frozen sashimi pieces we’ve at Sushi Express, 45-minute waits for basic ramen bowls at Ajisen and Yoshinoya-induced la duzi. If Dongzhimen’s dining dearth is indeed disastrous, then we are its damsels in distress.
Raffles City helps. But, like – how many times can three English-language magazine editors visit Wagas? (Answer: A lot, but… still.)
All this is why we’re very, very grateful for Casa Talia.
Casa Talia serves tasty, reasonably priced European bites on Raffles City’s fourth floor. The casual-chic dining space offers hot and cold tapas, creamy risottos and ultra-shareable paellas. And while most of the flavors take their cues from Spain, there are also French and Italian touches. The resulting menu is full of recipes that are new but taste like comfort food nonetheless.
Casa Talia is the brainchild of Tiago, the popular Italian kitchen you may recognize from Indigo Mall or Joy City. (The brand is a veritable mall-dining connoisseur, we say.) While the Tiago concept is geared towards family dining, Casa Talia has more sophisticated flair. Case in point: The Casa team has enlisted the help of Chef Corrado Michelazzo – currently known for his work at the Shanghai’s chic 10 Corso Como, and formerly known for his involvement in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe. Michelazzo will visit Casa Talia once a month, so look out for future dining events.
But even when he’s not in town, diners at Casa Talia can sample recipes he’s created. We enjoy Michelazzo’s creamy take on cod (RMB68, and we mean creamy – the dish looks more like mashed potatoes than it looks like fish). We also tuck into tender beef tongue (RMB68) with cheese foam and what the Casa Talia team refers to as Michelazzo’s “mama’s sauce.” And the mushroom truffle risotto (RMB78) is rich without sitting too heavily.
Paellas are small, at least by paella standards. But this is intentional, either so that you can have one as a snack or so you’ll have room for dessert (or both). The tiramisu (RMB128), which is made in front of you at the table, is a liquid-nitrogen-fueled spectacle that we dare you not to Instagram.
We enjoy the idea of having tapas in a mall, where sometimes we find ourselves between meals, hungering for a bite or two (or three). Ultimately, Casa Talia is a great choice for after shopping – or, we suppose, after writing restaurant reviews for a magazine.
1B, 4/F, Raffles City, 1 Dongzhimen Nandajie, Dongcheng 东城区东直门南大街1号来福士购物中心4层（8409 4009）
For more bar and restaurant news, click "Read more" below.