Delicious Dim Sum at New CBD Restaurant The Beijing Kitchen
This new restaurant might be called The Beijing Kitchen, but it actually brings a taste of fine Hong Kong dining to Beijing's CBD.
Having recently opened in the Dawang Lu-adjacent SKP mall, the restaurant is unassuming upon entry, decorated in muted earthy colors, and featuring standard latticework dividers to section off the tables and the Din Tai Fung-style open kitchen that has become a prerequisite at many eateries around town.
The menu, however, strives to be a notch above in terms of quality, with even higher prices. Entrees include pan-fried cod for RMB 138, braised pork feet with plum sauce for RMB 108, and poached tofu in chicken soup for RMB 138.
Thriftier patrons will be tempted by the cheaper dim sum menu. From it, we ordered a trio of steamed whole shrimp dumplings for RMB 38, crab meat and lobster soup stuffed dumpling for RMB 39, and baked egg tarts for RMB 28, along with an assorted Chinese platter from the main menu for RMB 138 (pictured above).
The shrimp dumplings had a luxurious, cushy texture, while the crab meat and soup stuffed dumpling was more innovative and distinctive, amounting to a creative twist on Shanghai's xiaolongbao soup dumplings thanks to the varied textures of its eclectic ingredients.
The platter was even more satisfying, with an assortment of meaty goodies, the standout being cubes of roasted pork belly that were salty and crispy on the outside, with juicy soft inner layers. You'll find yourself gobbling up these tasty meat squares in an instant. However, the platter is bogged down by a jellyfish dish that's sour and squiggly; very much an acquired taste, to put it gently.
However, the caliber of the other dishes we tried was very impressive, and that comes as no surprise, given owner and chef Ku Chi Fai's experience. The veteran Hong Kong kitchen master spent years working at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton Hotel. He and the Hualian Group, which owns the SKP mall, plan to open more branches across China and abroad in the future. The quality of their dishes should make the endeavor a success, although we would say that they should fine tune the training of their staff before then, considering we waited nearly 15 minutes for a waiter to come to take our order during our recent visit, despite the demeanor of those staff members being apologetic and friendly enough.
That being said, if the service and the decor could be upgraded to the level of this restaurant's impressive dim sum dishes, then The Beijing Kitchen would be an even more impressive addition to the local fine Chinese dining scene.
The Beijing Kitchen
Daily 11.30am-3.30pm, 5.30-9.30pm. 6/F, SKP Mall, 87 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (6530 7965)
北京厨房: 朝阳区建国路87号
Photos courtesy of The Beijing Kitchen