Sneak Peek: Spoonful of Sugar Cafe & Deli in 798

Don't be deceived by its diminutive size: Spoonful of Sugar Cafe & Deli is a serious haven for food geeks. Behind the bar, a small closet contains cured pork legs hanging from hooks and a large container of infusing bitters tucked into a corner. Clever space-saving tricks aren't the only draw. If you catch Chef Max Levy when he pops out of the kitchen, he's more than willing to answer your food chemistry questions. Have you ever wondered which local alcohols can be used to make bitters? (Erguotou works fine.) Or how to craft your own liquors? (Try dried lemons for limoncello.)

Spoonful, Levy's latest project, soft-opened this past weekend out in 798. The tiny space, split between Levy's food-experimentation company Okra Works and Jellymon design studio, offers enough food and drinks to warrant a stop when you're in the art-maze neighborhood.

Attendees of Sunday's opening party had the chance to sample Levy's Hentai Fried Chicken, two pieces of hot, juicy meat with a crunchy seasoned coating. Accompaniments for the fried fowl included dirty rice with sausage, a creamy-spicy cole slaw, a Southern-style peel-apart biscuit and, for a sweet contrast, pancake slices topped with fruit preserves.

The cafe-deli is stocked with some jarred goodies such as kombu salt, XO sauce and cocktail bitters. The retail selection will expand in the coming weeks with more canned jams and preserves as well as their in-house cured meats including Tasso ham, chorizo, pastrami, smoked salmon and pate.

If the thought of cooking with those products doesn't get your mouth watering, it may not be worth your while to make the trip out to 798. The deli's focus is clearly on the retail products and the space is too small to be considered much of a restaurant. A handful of seats are available in front of the counter where you can take the edge off your hunger with a made-to-order sandwich (from a range of bread, meats and cheese) or the hot meal option of the day.

However, Spoonful of Sugar's concise menu is a welcome alternative to the long lists of mediocre pizzas, pastas and rice dishes to be found at neighboring cafes. If you're looking to take a break from exploring the latest exhibits and shops in 798, kick back with something from the coffee menu or one of their plus-size cocktails. The drinks, served in a pint glass, are made by familiar faces from Apothecary but at double the size and half the price.

Although you may not know exactly what's on the menu or shelves on any given visit, do expect all of it to be high quality. And don't forget to check whether there's anything new hanging in the closet.

Spoonful of Sugar. No. 10 Compound, 797 Lu, 798 Art Zone, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (behind PIFO Gallery)
朝阳区酒仙桥路2号 798艺术园区10号院内 （偏锋艺术空间后面）

Photos: Lauren McCarthy