Folks in Shanghai are looking at our pick for "restaurant of the year" and laughing their heads off.

Element Fresh, restaurant of the year?

There is no accounting for taste.

Morel's, La Taverne and Metro - while all excellent restaurants in my personal opinion - were not nominated in the nomination round, which was based on the votes of 200 people - there was no "lack of payment" or advertising interest involved, as you suggest.

You should note that a large portion of nominees and winners have never advertised in the magazine.

Hi Alex -- We're open to any and all suggestions on further classification of the awards.

No system is perfect. We've often considered other ways of classification, but already with 35 awards we are pushing the upper limit of the number of questions that can be effectively asked in a single survey.

For instance, in your example of French restaurants, we could sub-classify them into

Best French (Under RMB100)
Best French (Over RMB100)

or

Best Cheap French
Best Premium French

or

Best Locally-Owned French
Best Overseas-Invested French

or
Best Single-Location French
Best Multiple-Location French

... but each of these sub-classifications has its problems as well -- among them (a) the objections that some restaurants might have of being put in a particular category; (b) the fact that once parsed into smaller categories there may no longer be enough candidates in one category, and (c) the fact that, if done in many categories, we are then asking our readers to not vote in 35 categories, but 50 or 70 or even more ...

Generally we do this balloting to call attention to what's great in Beijing. It certainly is not perfect, but we do believe that it gives people a nice picture of the choices available to them in Beijing.

PS: we're The Beijinger, we have nothing to do anymore with 'that's Beijing'. It's been a year since our former government partner summarily kicked us out of that business and we switched names.

Massive joke ... hmm.

A popular restaurant with a long-established reputation and multiple locations in Shanghai moves to the center of Sanlitun, into a trendy development, does roaring business from the Olmypics onward. Try getting in there without a wait on a weekend afternoon. I'd say "massive joke" is perhaps overstating your case.

What's your choice for restaurant of the year, Some Random?

and another thing.... the categories are also chosen by the readers and when you vote you are always welcome to post a write in candidate, so if you feel your personal choice is not listed write one in! if enough votes are written in for a certain establishment then it will appear in the results.... simple as that!

Element fresh is a great restaurant and I would argue that they offer one of the best sandwiches in the city. But to call element fresh THE best restaurant in the city is a bit ridiculous.

To compare a restaurant like Element Fresh to that of Maison Boloud, Jaan, or Whampoa Club is just a bit off. The creativity and thought that these restaurants put into all aspects of their business create a nearly flawless experience, while element fresh is a great place to have a salad on a tuesday afternoon.

Let's all try and remember that popular opinion is often flawed. Think communism, Mac Donald's and The Jonas Brothers.

Chef Jeff, I think you are leaving one very important thing out - it is not just READERS as you say that can vote - ANYONE can. In other words, if you have a massive data-base of customers (such as Element Fresh with sandwich shops in two major cities) then you have a huge voting power if everyone votes. Element Fresh is a great sandwich shop/cafe - please don't insult real restaurateurs and restaurants here in Beijing (as mentioned before such as Maison Boloud, Blue Lobster etc) by comparing a shop that sells a standardised menu in all of its locations. Everyone knows that Element Fresh winning is a bit of a joke - no offense, but don't kid yourself.

BTW
We went to Maison Boloud with great expectation.
Sadly it did not meet with expectation...rather disappointed!
On the other hand Sureno was to be recommended.

Thedon,
I agree with you that ANYONE can vote, but if you are implying that Element Fresh asked all of their customers to vote or somehow stuffed the ballots you are way wrong.
As former Culinary Director of the company I for one know that is just not the way they do things. Element Fresh has some of the highest quality and Hygiene standards I have ever seen in any restaurant company anywhere let alone in China.
Just because the restaurant has the same menu in all locations does NOT diminish the quality of ingredients served, or the recipes (some of which happen to be mine)
Don't try to tell me places like Maison Boulud don't have other outlets. I know they do.
I have been a chef for 20+ years, worked at some of the best restaurants in the world and have shared space in cook books (see One Fish Two Fish Crawfish Bluefish for example) with your "real restauranteurs" and have several multi star reviews under my belt while the kitchens were under my direction. I for one am quite proud of the food Element Fresh served while I was in their employ.
Please don't insult me or anything you don't truly know anything about.
regards,

Touche' Thedon,
I'm sorry to have offended you. But I'd be happy to have a cook off with you any day. what do you say? Spatulas and Santoku's at dawn?
As far as canvassing the clientele of their restaurants, Like I said before, That is just not the way Element Fresh Does things.
Eating a sandwich at Element Fresh is certainly not the same as eating dishes at the other places. That would not be comparing apples to apples. Try The dinner menu at Element Fresh sometime while I'll admit it is not world class haute cuisine it is solid and well executed. I have eaten at all of the restaurants you mentioned. I agree that a good portion of them are great places and the food is good. But for what Element Fresh does do it does well.
What I am saying, and have said from the beginning. Element Fresh is a popular restaurant with great food and they got the most votes for best restaurant because of that fact. If you have a better idea on how to structure the awards by all means do your own awards or help the Beijinger do theirs with my blessing. if not, you are stuck with what you have.
It is obvious to me that you are in the business and feel slighted by the readers votes. Make your place the best in town! I'll vote for you if it's great food and Great service in a heartbeat. Prove the masses wrong! Go get 'em tiger!