2009 Oct 30 Capital Bites: Sanlitun Restaurant Explosion
If I had a kuai every time a new restaurant opens at The Village at Sanlitun and its surrounding streets, I could probably afford some fish nuggets at Let's Seafood (two doors down from Let's Burger). To keep you apace with the gastronomic goings-on, here's a round-up of the new and coming soon.
Niajo - Spanish restaurant at Nali Patio
Spanish owner and chef Alex Sanchez (pictured) has opened up two doors down from Mosto on the third floor of Nali Patio. Hailing from the east coast of Spain, he's been busy for the last five months getting the place up and running.
Inside you'll find an open kitchen, simple bistro-style decor, and a menu showcases tapas dishes, salads and even imported Iberico ham. According to a local bar owner, the paella (RMB 148 for two) is particularly good.
Orient Kitchen - Hong Kong and South Asian restaurant
Beside Blue Frog in the Village, Orient Kitchen is scheduled to open November 15. Split over two levels, it shares a roof terrace upstairs with Va Va Voom. According to the work-in-progress menu, diners can expect to pay about 50-60 RMB per person on dishes like Hainan chicken and rice, curry noodles soups and laksa.
Queen's Cafe / Queen's Konditori - Cantonese snack shop 
Construction has only just begun on this huge space at the south end of the Village overlooking the fountains. Judging from the promotional material, you can look forward to Hong-Kong style dim sum, milk tea and pastries.
Little Bangkok - Thai restaurant
Close to Luga's Villa (just behind The Opposite House), this colorful Thai restaurant has been open for little over a week. Today is the final day of a 30% off promotion, so might be a good time to check it out. Free delivery also available.
La Pizza - second branch of Solana restaurant
Beside 3.3 Shopping Mall, authentic Napoli pizza, courtesy of Chef Giuseppe De Stefano is coming sometime in November. You can check out reviews of the original Solana location here.
i Burger & Stuff - Burgers, spaghetti, coffee and snacks
Last (and potentially least), this small joint just north of Le Petit Paris has a decent looking menu of burgers, wings, salads and coffee.
Look out for a Worker's Stadium round-up next week.
You might also be interested in :
Patty Power: Fatburger finally opens
Fatburger has opened up a new front in Beijing's burger wars with their first Mainland China branch in The Grand Summit complex just north of the Kempinski Hotel. We dropped in for lunch today (hat tip to Beijing Boyce for his timely twitter post) and found the place hopping on this, its first official day of business after a slight delay due to some issues with sourcing their beef. Business was so brisk, in fact, it was hard not to feel a bit sorry for the forlorn O'Brien's counter (owned by the same management) in the corner.Rigorously Authentic: Patara Thai Restaurant
Settled in wood and wicker booths overlooking a warren of hutongs, diners straddle the border between Beijing and Bangkok at this refined Thai restaurant. With decorations, key ingredients (like galanga and lemongrass) and a chef imported from Thailand, Patara is rigorously authentic.
Pan-Asian a La Carte: Lunar 8 Opens in the Fairmont
It’s been an age coming, but the CBD’s luxury Fairmont hotel is up and running. Lunar 8 is one of its food outlets – a large, pan-Asian a la carte restaurant in the vein of IFW and Made in China.
Folksy Barbecued Meat: Lao Beijing Kaorou Opens at Houhai
This folksy restaurant near Houhai joins a tiny number of places in the capital serving barbecued meat the old Beijing way.
Fragrant, Tender Bites: Dalyan Turkish Restaurant Opens
Curious carnivores seeking to sample Turkish food would do well to seek out this cozy tavern a short stroll south of Hooters.
