Greet Autumn with COMMUNE RESERVE & COMMUNE· X's new dishes

In association with COMMUNE RESERVE&COMMUNE·X

Autumn

For most Chinese, Autumn is the season to start preparing for winter. This involves copious amounts of eating and drinking to build up some blubber reserves for the cold. Not like you needed an excuse to partake in COMMUNE RESERVE and COMMUNE·X’s mouth-watering deals and offerings this season.

Unless you’ve been hiding away from Covid under a rock, you should be familiar with the COMMUNE empire, even if you just moved over from another Chinese city. With 80 branches in 31 cities, and expanding quickly, COMMUNE now has three outposts in Beijing. COMMUNE is by World City, COMMUNE RESERVE at Huamao its upscale sister and COMMUNE·X, the chain’s “designer label” sits atop Taikoo Li South.   

COMMUNE·X is typically packed all hours of the day and for good reason. The hip crowds at Taikoo Li gather in its loungey interior for caffeine fixes during the day and graduating to the 20-metre long fridges of beers and shelves of spirits to take out to its outdoor terrace now bathed in amber hues. And when we say it‘s “packed all hours of the day” we weren’t embellishing much as it starts from 11am and closes at 2am.

COMMUNE RESERVE on the other hand, has a decidedly more restrained crowd, mostly because of its location by Huamao, and its upmarket décor reflects this. It too changes its character throughout the day, offering early birds nutritious brunches, wholesome lunches for the CBD working set and afternoon tea for the leisurely bunch. When the sun goes down, the hungry come in to recharge with its extensive menu of international dinner selections and then wind down with drinks till it closes at 2am.

And if the quality of the new Autumn menu is to be the judge, both COMMUNE RESERVE and COMMUNE·X looks set to gain more followers. Typical of COMMUNE’s fare, the new dishes are thoughtfully put together with consideration for seasonality and are served in large portions perfect for sharing.

Highlights from its appetiser autumn additions include the Prosciutto e Melon – moist honeydew chunks with sweetness enhanced by savoury slivers of air-dried ham and paired with a sprinkling of arugula and cherry tomatoes. Those hankering for more ham can opt for the Antipasti Board that consists of an offering of Milanese salami, Neapolitan salami, black pepper beef fillet, prosciutto and smoked salmon. The sharing platter comes with grissini, sour cream, olives, sweet and spicy nuts as well as seasonal fruit; a perfect pairing for pre-meal drinks or a culinary centrepiece for a business meeting.

More sharing goodness is to be had with the Cheese Burger Spring Rolls – an amazing creation of the best bits of a Cheeseburger: minced wagyu beef, mushrooms and grilled onions, packed into a spring roll to be dipped into a cherry port sauce. Otherwise, opt for the ever-popular COMMUNE Crispy Chicken Wings, a staple of gastropubs though this rendition is where the deliciously marinated wings are deep-fried and served with minced garlic, cilantro and red chilli. Another pub staple given new life and taken upmarket is the Tartufata pizza which features a bechamel sauce base and topped with a gourmet black truffle paste, mozzarella, chunky mushroom and fresh basil.

It all sounds incredibly sinful, which is why you’ll appreciate the season’s greens congregating on two salad plates on the Autumn menu. The Smoked Salmon Salad features generous salmon with a dill and sour cream dressing sitting on a bed of mixed lettuce, olives, avocado, egg, chickpeas and crisp green apples giving it a crunch. For even more nutrition, order its Socal Superfood Salad with Romaine, lollo rosso, frisée, shredded Napa cabbage and kale, avocado, egg, grilled sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, quinoa, and topped with a yummy avocado yogurt dressing, pickled red onions, dried cranberries and chickpea.

With the cold starting to peter through the city, comfort awaits in COMMUNE’s burgers. If the Cheese Burger Spring Rolls left you craving for more, go the whole nine yards with the Classic Bacon Cheese Burger. 170g of wagyu beef patty is stuck between a brioche bun and topped with deep fried onion sticks, yellow cheddar cheese, miso-maple bacon and dressed with a Dijon mustard mayo dressing. But for a really hearty meal, pick the Oxtail Grilled Sandwich. Braised oxtail, Mahon Menorca cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese is grilled to sticky goodness between marbled sourdough-rye bread with jalapeno and balsamic onions helping to keep the richness at bay.

The Autumn menu’s mains follow a similar theme of rich ingredients to help your body stave off the cooler temps. The Beef and Sausage Ragu, served with rice, is a wholesome plate of pancetta, braised beef cheek, sausages, shrimp, mushroom and San Marzano tomato sauce. The Pasta Frutti Di Mare is stocked with lobster, shrimp, mussel, scallop, baby squid layered over with a rich tomato and shrimp sauces. Otherwise, peel off the tender meat from its Grilled Spring Chicken which has been slow-cooked for 72 hours, grilled and served with a southeast Asian chilli sauce. All of which are guaranteed to nourish your body, if not your soul, this season.

Finish the meal with a scoop or two of gelato – the dessert for all seasons. Created in collaboration with VAI, you get to pick from ten flavours with favourites such as Pistachio, Mint Chocolate, Mixed Berries Sorbet and a vegan option of Vegan Coconut.   

COMMUNE’s outposts in Beijing may differ in their menu, vibe and location. But COMMUNE RESERVE and COMMUNE·X's common denominator lies in their always creative dishes, bountiful selection of drinks and stellar service. With the Autumn menu’s delicious new additions, it might be time to make it your local.

📍 COMMUNE RESERVE

First Floor, Room 101, Guanghua International Building, 6A Xi Dawang Lu, Huamao 

☎️ 136 9323 2573

⏰Open 11am-1am Sun-Thu; 11am-2am Fri-Sat. holidays

📍 COMMUNE·X

Unit S08-3, Taikoo Li South, Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang district 

☎️ 152 1097 7183

⏰ Open 11am-2am daily

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