2010 Feb 09 Thai in a Hutong Setting: The New Purple Haze Bistro
As the Gongti branch celebrates five violaceous years of business, the new incarnation of this Beijing Thai institution has opened in a renovated traditional courtyard dwelling.
The decor, utilizing antique wooden cabinets, takes a departure from the slick, modern original, while the snug space is illuminated by a glass roof. The menu sticks to the winning formula, with favorites like the green mango salad (RMB 38) with nuts, chilli and shrimp, the beef with Thai pesto (RMB 52), and creamy coconut dishes.
The curries offer a gentle introduction to the flavors of Thailand, like the creamy, mildly spicy red curry (RMB 48) with crunchy bamboo shoots. Rounded out with a variety of vegetables blanched or stir fried to perfection, like the Thai-style spinach with shrimp paste (RMB 32), the food makes the grade.
With a live jazz band set to play every Wednesday, look forward to a new epoch of Southeast Asian sensuality in inviting surroundings.
Daily 11am-11pm. 1 Dongsiliutiao (east exit), Dongcheng district. (8404 3392, 6501 9345) 东城区东四六条一号（东口）
Got something to say about this or any other Beijing restaurant? Find restaurants by name and neighborhood in our online directory and share your views by adding a user review.
You might also be interested in :
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.
New Openings: Laburnum Thai Restaurant
This glowingly lit Thai restaurant is a beckoning beacon to passing patrons of the neighboring super-nightclubs of Gongti West Gate. Those who heed the call are rewarded with a luxurious, tropical environment and the exciting aromas of Southeast Asian cuisine. A faint floral scent floats through the air – not an easy feat in a place that cooks up curries and stir-fry – and banana leaves wave from every corner. For a tasty, textured treat, start with the black fungus appetizer (RMB 32), served in a frozen ice bowl, smacking with lime juice, garlic, vinegar and cilantro. From there the thin, crispy scallion pancakes (RMB 25) nicely complement the creamy Malay beef brisket curry (RMB 69) – perfectly cooked chunks of tender meat, potatoes and bell peppers, which arrives simmering in a hot cooker. Tue-Sun 7pm-11pm. West Gate of Workers’ Stadium, Workers’ Stadium Xilu, Chaoyang District. (6652 9999)
金链花餐饮.朝阳区工体西路工人体育场西门Can't Make Phuket or Bali? Try Bali Papaya
Can’t swing a trip to Phuket or Bali? Then consider a visit to this new tenant of restaurant-packed Nali Patio.Little Bangkok in Big Beijing
Little Bangkok Restaurant & Tea House is hard to miss with its glowing, lime green exterior, gaudy chandeliers and Thai furnishings - this Sanlitun
restaurant seems to revel in overindulgence.Seamless Shift: Mao Mao Chong Reopens
Mao Mao Chong has settled swiftly following its relocation from Wudaoying Hutong.
