TO Gourmet Network: 5 to try at the newly revamped In Street

In a town where mall culture is strong, the city’s shopping centres have no shortage of exciting finds, from hip retail stores to a range of entertainment options. But when it comes to gourmet offerings, only a small few have carved out a solid path.

The Galleria Mall in Sanyuanqiao is such a place. Officially lauded as the top 10 spots for late-night eats, and having nabbed our food award twice as the city's top 10 gourmet landmarks, the shopping complex has proven to be a promising hangout, especially with its outdoor and laid-back concept In Street.

Tucked away in an alley and hidden in plain sight across from the mall, In Street has welcomed a steady slew of notably new f&b openings this year, and is brimming with a host of restaurants and cafes, including Michelin-starred eateries and under-the-radar joints.Almost all of which comes with outdoor seatings, which you might want to make use of before the nice weather ends. Below are five stellar spots to try. The best part? We're also giving away some of their gourmet treats for free to our readers.

Lu Style 鲁采

Specialising in Shandong cuisine, Lu Style serves up freshly-sourced seafood varieties from the area's long coastline. Their latest Sanyuanqiao offshoot is also something of an art gallery itself with a cavernous, three-storey venue.

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A zen botanical garden is situated outdoors with century-old greenies dotted around, and an immaculate interior features dark wooden furnishings, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and swanky decors, from a Mount Tai marble feature, to an entire wall with hundreds of bottles of Moutai – one of the priciest and most popular brands of baijiu on display and carefully encased in glass. 

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While the menu runs the gamut of seafood delicacies from jellyfish, abalone, to sea cucumber, highlights also include rarities such as spoon worms, a hard-to-source, phallic-shaped creature that lives in the sand and mud on the sea, and often dubbed ‘fat inn keeper worm’ (or ‘penis fish’ for its distinct shape and supposedly aphrodisiac effects). Rest assured intrepid diners, we're happy to report the taste is much more appetising than its look. Served raw in a garlic sauce, it's chewy, savoury with a hint of sweetness, surprisingly moreish without any strong briny flavour or fishy aftertaste. 

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It's said that the bounties of the sea are at their freshest every September and October, so now it's the prime time to indulge in these delicacies. The uninitiated can also try their signature Shandong-style Jianbing, which comes in a neatly-arranged wooden tray with all the trimmings, including an assortment of veggies, fillings, and sauces.

📍 Lu Style 鲁采 S01, In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 11:30am-10pm (189 1050 8910). 朝阳区曙光西里甲5号院凤凰汇里巷S01 

Meat Mate

Serving both as a butcher shop and casual steakhouse, Meat Mate has carved out a following of steak lovers who want to enjoy a juicy hunk of meat without the formality of a meal. 

Carnivores can learn all about beef from their friendly staff, and browse from all manners of top-of-the-range, well-sourced slabs of cow, including grain-fed Australia M9 wagyu and Angus, US prime grain-fed beef, as well as 30-day dry-aged cuts from their in-house aging cellar, plus lamb chops, sausages, and cheese. Can't be arsed cooking your steak at home? Their kitchen team is happy to take over for free on the spot, once you've picked up your choice of protein.

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📍 Meat Mate N29, In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 10am-10pm (6888 6855). 朝阳区曙光西里甲5号院凤凰汇里巷N29

Aroi Thai 

Craving authentic Thai food? Enter Aroi Thai, a charming, light-filled eatery with outdoor seatings and helmed by two Thai natives – head chef Supanitch Kunying who cut her teeth serving the Thai royals with a specialty in creating sauces, and chef Wanvisa Prungkatoke, who specialises in all things salads, dessert and hors d’oeuvres.

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A safe bet for unpretentious Thai food that's packed with flavours, it delivers on its price point with an impressive menu that serves both well-known classics and fiery regional fares. While you can’t go wrong with staples like tom yum soup, papaya salad, and pineapple seafood fried rice, we recommend saving room for coconut milk with sago: A dessert beautifully decorated with butterfly pea flowers and topped with condensed coconut milk, and boasts a well-balanced taste of sweet, creamy and savoury.

📍 Aroi Thai S07A, In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 11am-10pm (5942 5771). 朝阳区曙光西里甲5号院凤凰汇里巷S07A

Bacchus

Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and fertility, is the namesake of this newly opened bistro, where an intimate, dim-lit space with dark wood and red velvet chairs everywhere, goes hand in hand with a refined, Italian menu and an extensive drink list brimming with wines, whiskeys and cocktails.

The menu, curated by its Japanese owner, also features unique Jananese-Italian fusion bites such as a tofu caprese platter, which as the name suggests, swaps mozzarella cheese with firm tofu, an interesting combination that has retained a somehow creamy texture that works with sliced tomato and basil leaves. Other specialities include a number of crisp, thin-crust pizzas, and mains like the braised beef tongue in red wine sauce which takes two days to prepare, as well as seafood-heavy pasta dishes that should appeal to those who like umami flavours. 

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📍 Bacchus S07D In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 5pm-midnight (5747 4729 ). 朝阳区曙光西里甲5号院 凤凰汇里巷S07D

Miam Miam 

The French dining titan Flo’s casual food court concept Miam Miam is no stranger to the neighbourhood. Reppin’ their pop-up outdoor terrace for a while now, their turquoise food truck has been slinging hot dogs and burgers during the warmer months, including their signature, Malaysian-street-style banjo burger. Side note: their wide-ranging menu of Thai curry, pizza, noodles are also available both indoors and outdoors.

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Before the temperature drops, make the most out of the rooftop weather with their al fresco jazz and Aperol spritz night every Saturday. Unwind with a tipple in hand to the tunes of local jazz singer Susan Wong accompanied by a pianist, and enjoy buy-one-get-one-free on Aperol Spritz from 6pm to 8pm with any food order. 

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📍 Miam Miam pop-up In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 10am-10pm (8436 7501). 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷

More to try at In Street 

📍 Forno N22B-23 In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 11am-11pm (6462 7447). 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷N22B+N23 

📍 In Love S08 In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 11am-2pm, 5pm-10pm(5866 8358). 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷S08 

📍 Fun Sense S05 In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 8am-2am (151 6589 9671). 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷S05 

📍 Dayin Luduanshao S07B In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 11am-2pm, 5:30pm-midnight (6462 6678). 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷S07B 

📍 Blue Glass N25 In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; Mon-Sun, 8am-10pm (176 1019 3007). 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷N25

...and opening soon 

📍 Underclouds N26B+N28 In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷N26B+N28

📍 Kōng & Kōng Coffee S06 In Street, Galleria Mall, 5 Shuguang Xilijia, Chaoyang district; 朝阳区三元桥凤凰汇里巷S06

To go into the running of winning some free food (think tasty Jianbing, hot dogs and burgers), simply share this blog on your WeChat moments, with the caption 'Time Out Beijing, take me to In-Street!', then send a screenshot of your moments to our WeChat account (TimeOutBeijingEN), along with your WeChat ID and full name. Entries must be in by noon on Sunday Oct 4, and winners will be notified by next week. 

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