Eileen Eats

What's the fuss about Zhang Mama?

Zhang Mama’s Sichuan Flavor

5 Fensiting Hutong, Andingmennei Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing

张妈妈川味

东城区安定门内大街分司厅胡同5号

I was on my way to the Ningxia Provincial Government Restaurant in the Andingmennei area when I was intrigued by a long line of young Chinese standing outside in the cold waiting to get a table at Zhang Mama, a hole-in-the-wall place in Fensiting Hutong. I thought that with long lines like this that the little Sichuan eatery had to be good. 

I got there a few weeks later with a friend, and we waited for almost an hour before we could squeeze inside. I ordered the obvious snack foods highlighted on the signage and on the very first page of the menu, which included the whole story on why bobo ji(钵钵鸡) is Zhang Mama’s hallmark dish (quite steep at 50 Rmb). It claimed that the dipping sauce (蘸料) was made with broth from a free-range chicken, which allegedly gave it a wonderful flavor. The condiment is served in a gigantic earthen pot , akin to pickling jar. Diners choose their own skewers (1 Rmb each) ranging from kelp to beancurd to chicken gristle (which has a brittle and chewy texture), which is stored on their messy refrigerated shelves. The condiment was served ice cold--we were told it was supposed to be that way.  “Room temperature maybe, but not cold,” I said to my companion. This dish did not impress us.

The second dish we tried was hot and and sour noodles (酸辣粉). The noodle was still uncooked, so it was tough and impossible to chew.   

Zhang Mama’s intention is to focus on bobo ji but her menu is loaded with other dishes, such as Kongpao chicken, twice-cooked pork, pock-marked beancurd, fish-fragrant pork, etc. I just can’t help thinking of the famous epicurean Yuan Mei, who wrote a long time ago: “A good cook cannot with the utmost application produce more than four successful dishes in one day, and even then it is hard for him to give proper attention to every detail”. 

It was a disastrous meal and I find it mind boggling that people actually queue up for this restaurant. Best to give it a miss.

 

Temple Restaurant Beijing

 

Temple Restaurant Beijing No.23 Shatan Beijie Off Wusi Dajie Dongcheng District, Beijing www.temple-restaurant.com See here for directions: map

TRB - Temple Restaurant Beijing - is the latest of a small number of new restaurants that are bringing Beijing dining to another level. TRB is stands out because it serves excellent contemporary cuisine within one of Beijing’s most tastefully renovated historical sites.

My recent dining at TRB was a four-course dinner paired with wonderful wines. Sparkling champagne and toasty mini-baguettes opened our dinner and the bread was continuously served during the meal. The menu consisted of a rich-velvety cauliflower soup, oxtail tortellini, basil-crusted turbot, chocolate tart and praline ice cream. Every single dish was spectacular, but the citrus-like sauce accompanying the flat fish stood out as distinctively unique, along with the condensed and intensely-rich cauliflower soup.

The service was eloquent and professional, and the staff attentive, with someone always nearby ready to help with any requests or to pull your chair when you got up or and push it back when you returned to your seat.

Our dining room was spacious, gallery-like with floor to ceiling windows,  looking out over this historic site, which dates back 600 years. The white and gray painted walls are adorned with abstract modern paintings, lending a clean and minimalist look to the restaurant.

This six-century old complex was once a printing workshop that churned out Buddhist sutras and imperial texts during the reign of Emperor Yongle. It was turned into a factory when Mao Zedong proclaimed China’s independence in 1949, and this is where the first black and white television sets were manufactured using the Kunlun brand name.

Renovation began in 2008, focussed on preserving all the layers of history and keeping as much as possible of the original structures, retaining the austere and solemn feel of the ancient temple. This is definitely one of the coolest and most chic places for a meal, a brunch, or a party.

I predict that TRB will snap up a wide number of awards in a variety of categories in 2012.

Red Kitchen Cabinet

After a few months of vegetating due to my full-time work at The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, feelings of ennui about the current state of Chinese cuisine, and frustrations with grid-locked Beijing traffic, my New Year’s resolution is to be much more active in 2012 blogging about the food scene in China.

In recent weeks, I discovered a few epicurean gems during my travels around northern China, some in the capital and a few in outlying areas. In the next few days keep an eye out for my finds in the less rattled and not-so frequented artist village of Songzhuang, and the true flavor of Chinese food that can be found in off the beaten track places such as Cuandixia, Luanping and Wenshui counties in Mentougou (southwest of Beijing), Hebei province and Shanxi province. If you visit any of these out of the way tourist sites, I’ve got some recommendations for you.

I begin the New Year with the Red Kitchen Cabinet, which is absolutely the place to go to for a range of international catering needs from dinner parties, openings and launches to conferences and seminars. Red Kitchen Cabinet can magically produce a wide variety of canapés and dishes, sweet or savory, and a wonderful array of desserts. Here is what’s impressive about the Red Kitchen:

• fresh, natural and quality ingredients form the basis of the company’s cooking
• it offers miniature and-bite-sized items that are perfect for parties
• the beautiful presentation is not only appealing to your eyes but compelling to your palate
• Ms. Zhang is able to work with all occasions and all budgets

Last but not least, proprietor-cum-chef Zhang Juhua, a 30-something Anhui native, is passionate about food. Ms. Zhang is supported by an excellent team, pastry chef Cao Wenmin, sous chef Cao Wenguang, and product developer Philippa Kelly, and so it is hardly a surprise that Red Kitchen invariably creates superb results to the hilt.

In short, this young team is among the best and most creative catering services in Beijing.

For more information about the Red Kitchen Cabinet, and to contact Ms. Zhang, please visit the companies nicely-designed and informative web site at: www.kitchencabinet.com