The Peninsula Hotel

I treated my parents to a one-night stay at The Peninsula for their 37th anniversary. This is my first time staying at a Peninsula hotel.

The Peninsula Hotel Beijing is an all-suite hotel located in Beijing’s historic Wangfujing area. This luxurious hotel has two restaurants and a rooftop lounge. Jing restaurant and bar is a Michelin starred French restaurant, and Huang Ting offers Cantonese cuisine. The Yun summer lounge is located on the 15th floor, with views of the historic area.

I was slightly disoriented when I entered the hotel; the lobby resembled a mall because you’ll first notice the high-end boutiques. The reception desk is small and tucked in a corner; however, we were greeted by a friendly receptionist.

One highlight of the Peninsula is the “Peninsula time,” which allows guests to check-in as early as 6:00 a.m. and check out as late as 10:00 p.m.

The hotel has its own gallery showcasing a curated collection of specially commissioned paintings, sculptures, and photography. In addition, contemporary paintings and photography are also displayed throughout the hotel.

The gym is well equipped, and the pool is spectacular. It was clean, well-lit, with instrumental music playing in the background and comfortable deck chairs.

I corresponded with the hotel’s guest relations manager Katherine for my parent’s anniversary room arrangement. She was attentive when inquiring about my parents’ preferences. The flowers and cake prepared were based on my parents’ liking, and they even made a short video that played their favorite song. There was also a handwritten card. It was a lovely surprise for my parents.

I booked the deluxe suite with twin beds. The rooms are luxurious and spacious with a separate bedroom and living room and tastefully decorated with warm neutral and black color schemes and beautiful contemporary Chinese paintings. The big marble bathroom has a tub, an inset 19-inch TV, and a separate shower. In addition, the minibar was complimentary.

A feature in the room that stood out is the tablet technology. One can control lighting, room temperature, multimedia, TV, and order room service with a touch of a button. There is also a docking station that allows guests to connect their own media to the TV.

The only downside was the size of the twin beds. I thought they were a bit small.

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In-room dining

Oven Roasted Half Spring Chicken (RMB 160), Herb Roasted Potatoes (RMB 50), and Laksa Noodles (RMB 160)

The laksa noodles came in a rich, creamy, spicy coconut milk broth served with yellow noodles and rice vermicelli and a generous serving of prawns and clams. The flavors were spot on!

The roasted chicken and potatoes were well seasoned and cooked perfectly.

Breakfast at The Lobby

Breakfast is served in The Lobby. I was excited at the availability of gluten-free bread, which elevated my breakfast dining experience (I found out a few months ago that I am gluten intolerant). The buffet had a small spread. There was an assortment of bread, cheeses, cold cuts, fruits, cereals, congee, sausages, and bacon. There is also a made-to-order a la carte menu of hot dishes such as beef noodle soup, pancakes, eggs benedict, omelets, etc.

The poached egg with smashed avocado on gluten-free toast was done well. The beef noodle soup was packed with umami, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and the beef was tender.

Hotel staff from all departments were friendly and polite. Everyone greets you with a smile. And not to mention the impeccable service. The guest relations manager Katherine and her assistant Ludi made an effort to make our stay comfortable and memorable. The Peninsula exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to visit the other locations.

The Peninsula Hotel

Website: https://www.peninsula.com/en/beijing/5-star-luxury-hotel-wangfujing

Telephone: +86 10 85162888

Address: 8 goldfish lane, Wangfujing, Beijing, 100006

Ralph’s coffee

The latest addition to Beijing’s coffee scene is Ralph’s coffee by fashion mogul Ralph Lauren. Located in the heart of Taikoo Li Sanlitun shopping village inside the Ralph Lauren retail store, this café serves coffees, teas, hot chocolate, and desserts. The establishment is relatively small, with six tables inside and four tables outside.

The chic retro green and white color schemed interior with marbled countertops and jazz music playing in the background reminisce of a cafe in New York. I love the relaxing vibe and smartly dressed baristas and waiters.

Coffee beans are available for purchase along with merchandise such as mugs, tote bags, and t-shirts.

The dessert menu is small, but the cakes and cookies come in a generous size. Your cake options are carrot cake, chocolate cake, brownies, new york cheesecake, and honey cranberry loaf cake. For cookies, you have chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter, jelly cookies, red velvet sandwich cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies.

I ordered a chocolate cake (RMB 65) and an 85% dark chocolate drink (RMB 48), and my friend got a carrot cake (RMB58) and an Uji matcha latte (RMB 42).

The hot chocolate wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. I like mine thick and creamy, and this was the opposite. However, the chocolate cake is the chocolate cake I have been waiting for; it is decadent, moist with the right balance of sweetness. In my opinion, the best chocolate cake in town. This is now my go-to place if I have a hankering for chocolate cake.

The carrot cake had a good balance of sweetness and spice with a velvety cream cheese frosting. The Uji matcha latte was bold and creamy. My friend is a matcha fan, and she absolutely loved it.

I will definitely be making another visit to try their coffee and cookies.

Ralph’s cafe

Website: https://www.facebook.com/RalphsCoffeeSanlitun/

Telephone: +86 10-64155600

Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily

Address: Unit S6-10a on First Floor, Taikoo Li Sanlitun South, No.19 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District 100027 Beijing

Cafe Flo, Sanlitun branch, Beijing

Cafe FLO is the new casual dining space from Groupe Flo, who also owns Brasserie Flo, Beijing longest standing French restaurant. There are two other branches located in Parkview Green Mall and World Trade Center mall. Each branch has a slightly different menu and different decor.

When I entered the cafe, I was taken with the decor of the restaurant. The whole interior was aesthetically pleasing. The dark wooden beam columns along with the different shades of blue accentuated the ambiance of a Parisian bistro.

I was at Cafe Flo on two different occasions. One was for brunch and the other dinner. I will share both experiences.

As stated on the menu, all brunch meals come with French imported butter, croissant, and Bonne Maman jam. The croissant was buttery and flaky. The baguette emanated a subtle sweet fragrance, the kind you get from a freshly baked bread.

Brunch du Chef C. 100g grilled beef tenderloin with truffled scrambled egg, bacon, pork sausage and sauteed baby potato

150RMB

In my opinion, the price for this dish was a tad bit steep. It just had the usual ingredients for a full breakfast meal. It was good, but nothing was outstanding that would justify the price. I was not a fan of the scrambled egg. It was not because it did not taste good, but it was the way it was made. The French-style scrambled egg has a more creamy consistency with tiny curds. I prefer my eggs “dry”.

Saumon norvégien. Norwegian salmon topped with sauce Vierge with a side of cauliflower puree accompanied by asparagus.

98RMB

The salmon was cooked just right. The sauce did not overpower the natural sweetness of the salmon. The cauliflower puree was a good companion to the food.

Red velvet chocolate

I did not know what to expect from this drink. It was my first-time hearing about it, and I am a big fan of red velvet cake. In my mind, I thought maybe it would taste somewhat like a red velvet cake (plus it looked stunning in the picture). The drink was a little too sweet for me, and it tasted like a hot strawberry candy drink with milk. Some people may like it, but it did not fancy my palate.

Vienna coffee

Two shots of strong espresso topped with whipped cream with a sprinkle of cocoa powder.

This was an enjoyable coffee. You take a sip of the coffee with the whipped cream, and it gives the coffee a light creamy sweetness, and you get this lovely bittersweet flavor with each sip.

Soupe de champignons
Creamy mushroom soup with marinated mushrooms

48RMB

The mushroom soup was delicious. This substantial warm-hued soup was a perfectly balanced blend of good quality fresh ingredients complemented by a dollop of cream.

Frites de patates douces

Sweet potato fries with garlic aioli

25RMB

These sweet potato fries were fried to perfection. The sweet potato used were pleasantly sweet – just a basket of deep-fried goodness!

Spaghetti au boeuf

Spaghetti with minced beef, Provençale sauce, Parisian mushroom, and Parmesan

79RMB

The spaghetti bolognese was somewhat different from the American or Italian style. It was light, creamier, and smoother in texture. There was not a lot of ground meat. I did enjoy the dish, it was flavorful.

Overall, I enjoyed the food. However, unlike its more famous sister restaurant, Brasserie Flo, the service at Cafe Flo lacked professionalism. The waiters were all gathered at a counter, in the middle of the cafe, in some sort of discussion. I raised my hand to get the attention of one of the waiters for the bill, but no one saw me until I called out to one of them. Shouldn’t there be at least one waiter at different corners of the restaurant? That was my only disappointment.

Al Safir, Middle Eastern Cuisine

Al Safir is my go-to place for middle eastern food – good value for good food. The restaurant is not big; there are 6 tables inside. When the weather is warmer, there will be tables outside to accommodate more customers. Al Safir is not as fancy as the other middle eastern restaurants in Beijing, but the food is one of the best. The menu has a good selection along with pictures which are very helpful when ordering especially for those who are not familiar with the dishes.

I always order the lentil soup when I’m here. It’s hearty and savory. The lemon juice adds a zing to the flavor. The vegetable soup was not too bad, nothing exceptional.

The fattoush is a great tangy palate-cleansing salad. It is a toasted pita bread salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and cucumber. I love the crunchiness and juiciness of the salad. The Moutabal (eggplant and tahini dip) on the other hand was too sour for me. So I did not have too much of it.

The Bamya bel lahmeh is popular Arabic okra with lamb stew. It is a strong tomato-based stew but not offsetting. You can have it with rice or on its own as soup. The kebab platter consists of beef, lamb, and chicken. The meat was tasty and succulent. There are two dips for the meat, one is a tomato and onion dip, and the other is some kind of mayo dip which is absolutely delicious, it gives the meat an extra boost in flavor.

One of my favorite rice dishes is the Kabsa chicken. The chicken is tender and comes right off the bone. It is lightly seasoned, so it still retains its natural chicken flavor. There are yogurt and a special sauce that you can add to the rice for more flavor. The saffron rice is just plain saffron rice ..haha.

I highly recommend this place!

Brunch at Toast, The Orchid

My friend and I had brunch at this lovely rustic boutique hotel restaurant tucked away in a hutong located in the ‘old city’ part of Beijing (Gulou). This hotel is pretty hidden, so I had to use a map on my phone to locate it. The hotel also has a pickup service for a fee if needed.

I’m used to dining in a more contemporary setting at the more modern busy part of the city, so dining at the toast was a refreshing experience. There is an indoor and terrace dining area. There is a warm, cozy feel to the restaurant. Most of the waiters are foreigners, so one does not have to worry about language. Since it was a lovely day, we opted for the terrace. I could see the bell tower from the terrace along with the rooftops of the Chinese-style houses. I liked that the surrounding was adorned with greenery. Shortly after we placed our order, it started to get windy, so we had to go indoor.

The brunch menu is a tight menu of Mediterranean and Western inspired dishes. I ordered a Cappuccino and The Full Chinglish (seared spinach, a poached egg, Andy’s homemade maple sausages, flatbread, potato, and seasonal fruits). My friend ordered the Cake for Breakfast (organic rye flour buttermilk pancakes served with homemade cinnamon syrup and seasonal fruits) and cookies with roasted almonds. The ingredients were fresh. Both the Full Chinglish and pancakes were delicious. The only issue I had was that the spinach had a little too much salt on it. The cookies were a little disappointing. They were average.

Overall, we had an enjoyable brunch, and I am looking forward to my next trip!

The Orchid

#65 Baochao Hutong

Guloudong road

Dongcheng District

Beijing

北京市东城区鼓楼东大街宝钞胡同65号

+(86) 10-85659295

http://www.theorchidbeijing.com/

PAULANER BRÄUHAUS

Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center

The German restaurant, Paulaner Brauhaus, at the Kempinski Hotel is my go-to place for good German food. The restaurant has an expansive beer garden and a large indoor Bavarian decorated dining area. It also has its own microbrewery.

Complimentary bread basket

The bread basket I was served consists of three types of bread – Pretzels, rye bread, and oatmeal bread, accompanied by three different spreads. The liverwurst and the homemade butter was absolutely divine with the bread.

Altdeutsche Tomatensuppe
Traditional German tomato soup with rice and meat dumplings

A nice hearty bowl of soup for a chilly day! The tomato soup was thick and tangy. I don’t think I’ve ever had a tomato soup as rich as this.

Halbes Wiesnhendl
Roasted half chicken

The roasted chicken was a disappointment. The chicken was dry and somewhat bland.

The potato salad was decent, however, in my opinion, there was too much lemon juice in the dressing that it overpowered all other flavors.

Schnitzel von der Poulardenbrust
Vienna style Chicken schnitzel

Schnitzel perfection! The chicken was tender and juicy, the crust was flavorful and crunchy. The lemon juice gives the chicken a nice tangy flavor. The Schnitzel comes with tomato salad, cranberries and pan-fried potatoes with bacon and onions.

Cheesecake

Rich and moist! Lovely!

The prices of the dishes are little high compared to other German restaurants in Beijing. It would cost around RMB500 ( $75 ) for two people. However, if you love German food, this is the place to be!

The Brasserie Flo, Beijing

The Brasserie Flo is a quaint restaurant with a beautiful courtyard and a bar area. The setting reminiscent of 19th century Paris. I love the warmth of the vintage wooden interior and chandeliers. I have driven past this restaurant many times and have been wanting to dine there. Finally, I did! I went with a friend two days ago to try out their business lunch special. The business lunch special comes in three price groups (RMB 148, RMB 188, RMB 198). We chose the RMB 188 lunch special which includes an entrée, a main course (Chef specialty), a dessert and tea or coffee.

We were served two amuse-bouche and a bread basket with their own made butter. I am not quite sure what the green one was, but the mini bruschetta was bursting with flavor! The flavor was amazing! The tuna was good and fresh, and the bread was crusty on the outside, warm and soft on the inside.

For the entrée, I had the salade de foie gras “Rougie” (“Rougie” foie gras with fig, Granny Smith apple salad, and crispy fig brioche). The salad greens were very fresh, and the foie gras was rich and flavorful. These two combined had a certain je ne sais quoi to it.

Next, I had the crépinette de porc Rossini, purée, sauce périgourdine (“Le Pont de l’Ouysse” truffle and pork crépinette with seared foie gras, mashed potato, périgourdine sauce. On the menu, it stated that this was a Michelin star dish. If this was indeed a Michelin star dish, then I was somewhat disappointed. It didn’t blow me away. The overall taste was nothing exceptional.

For dessert, it was the Crème brûlée and red velvet cake. The Crème brûlée was fantastic. Very creamy! The red velvet cake … let’s just say, I have had better ones.

At the end of our meal, we were given a complimentary basket of Madeleines and a box canelés. The canelés were gorgeous!

Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience at the Flo profoundly. Each dish had an aesthetic appeal, and the waiters were friendly and attentive.

PHONE: +86 (010) 65 95 51 35

FAX: +86 (010) 65 95 51 40

HOURS:

Lunch :Sunday – Monday : 11:00 – 15:00

Dinner:Sunday – Monday : 17:30 – 23:00

http://www.flo.cn/brasserie/

The Lounge at the China World Summit Hotel

It was a polluted day, and I didn’t feel like staying at home. So my friend and I decided to chill at the China World Summit Wing hotel lounge, perched up on the 80th floor of Beijing’s tallest building. I know it’s not the best of days to be up so high, seeing that the view would just be smog.

We went to the lounge after dinner. It was dimly lit, with lounge jazz music playing in the background. The lounge attracts mostly foreigners, couples, and rich Chinese second generations. One can dine at The Lounge, or select from the array of beverages offered.

I ordered a peppermint tea, and my friend ordered some kind of South African red tea.

Other than chilling, we also brought along our work. After working for some period of time, we felt like having dessert. I ordered a chocolate mousse with raspberry jelly and my friend the Tiramisu. The fudge cake was rich but not too sweet. The texture was somewhat dry. The Tiramisu came in a cup made of white chocolate. It was 90 percent cream and hardly any cake. The cream was good quality, and the taste was decent.

The Village Cafe, Opposite House, Beijing

The Opposite House is a boutique hotel located in the heart of Sanlitun. Its emerald glass exterior

makes it hard for one to miss. The cafe is located next on the ground floor, next to the hotel’s large central atrium with various art sculptures on display. The cafe is a great place to have brunch or lunch. It is a popular spot for the foreigners and is usually busy during brunch/lunch on the weekends. I like its chilled, casual, and naturally lit setting.

I also like their simple contemporary menu, so one is not overwhelmed by choices. There are burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pasta, and salads.

I ordered the smoked turkey on rye with avocado, coriander, tomato, lettuce and cheddar cheese. It was decent and hearty. The lotus root crisps were delicious. I was going to order a dessert, but I was stuffed! So I ordered a Cappuccino instead.

All in all, great environment, good service, and great food!

The Opposite House

Phone:
+8610 6417-6688

Website:
http://www.theoppositehouse.com/

Email:
answers@theoppositehouse.com

Niajo, Beijing

Niajo is a little authentic Spanish restaurant tucked away on the 3rd floor of Nali Patio (A Mediterranean-style courtyard mall). This is my favorite place to come for Spanish food. The place is dimly lit with a window view on one side of the restaurant with an elegant and sophisticated ambiance. Great place to bring a date.

The manager is a Filipino, he was very welcoming and friendly. On special occasions such as birthdays, they will give a complimentary drink.

Ensalada queso cremoso, frutos rojos, berenjena, pepino, tomates, y aceitunas

The goat cheese salad with forest berries and eggplant was interesting. I’ve never been fond of any kind of fruit dressing, but this one turned out to be very flavorful. It had the right amount of dressing, so it wasn’t too sweet and overwhelming. It went well with the goat cheese and lettuce.

Croquetas de jamon iberico de bellota y pollo

The croquettes are one of my favorite dishes and a must-try. I ordered the chicken and ham croquettes. They were crispy on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside. Taste like a crispy, creamy chicken pie. Love it!

Paella Valencia

The chicken paella was mouth watering. The portion was perfect for two. The chicken was tender, and the beans were well cooked. The first time I had their paella, it came with some kind of garlic cream which went fantastic with the rice dish. But this time there wasn’t. It was still good nonetheless.

If you are looking for an authentic Spanish gastronomy experience in Beijing, this is the place to be!

3rd Floor Nali Huayuan (Nali Patio)
81 Sanlitun Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
Beijing, China
北京市朝阳区三里屯北路81号
那里花园三层邮编100027

niajo@niajo.com | +86 010 5208 6052