Huge place with 3 routers available, none which worked for me on a recent visit. (Was using Wi-Fi at bar previous to arriving here and once again afterwards, so was definitely something from Eatalicious's side.) Pizza highlight was the tomato sauce. Cheese was flavorful but not enough of it or other topping (spinach). Considering the environment, however, would pay ¥70 again for it but certainly not a bargain. Some beers are OK to serve warm, but Corona is not one of them (considering it was ¥32 a bottle). No one else was drinking it so it wasn't as if they were flying off the shelf. Nice to see a place not skimp on a/c but please chill your beers!
Want Waffles With that? Wangjing Korean Cafe Serves Upscale Italian
Convenience. It's a word that's analogous to Beijing's Italian food. Just ask those who voted in the Reader Restaurant Awards – pizza and pasta, it seems, is synonymous to “Annie's.”
In comes Loft Eatalicious. Without nine locations to boast, it doesn't immediately stand out as an alternative to what is practically akin to the American frozen dinner in Beijing, but, convenience aside for a moment, there's really something to be had for quality food here. Rephrase: Their stuff is molto buono.
It's no surprise, then, that Roberto Masili, the master chef behind Wangjing's newest Western dining establishment ran the former L'isola in Pacific Century, which was voted Beijing's best Italian restaurant in the 2010 Reader Restaurant Awards (those same voters called Annie's “the McDonald's of the Italian category”). His brother, Massimo, can take credit for award-winning LM Plus. And if that's not enough, he recently kicked off olive oil-focused Bantu in China View.
Masili has enough street cred to make up for Loft Eatalicious's unlikely location, right smack in the middle of Korean waffle joint, Caffe Bene.
If you're looking for sophisticated dining experience, don't be discouraged by the life-sized stuffed teddy bears that have taken up residence at the center table of the two-story space. Duck outside in the evening for a more romantic, candlelit spot on their patio benches and start off you meal with a hearty mozzarella salad (RMB 68) topped with round, caramelized onions, eggplant, grilled zucchini, roasted red and yellow peppers, and sundried tomato (whew!).
Their pumpkin soup (RMB 40) is a welcome twist on what's commonly offered in the city's cafes, packing a healthy serving of plump shrimp in its creamy broth. What's more, it's large enough to serve two, which is good news considering the price.
Their pizzas are solid and made from fresh ingredients, like parma ham, rucola and parmesan (RMB 76), but for something more standout and signature, The classic Italian baked lasagna (RMB 65) is a good bet. As the name suggests, you won't find curds of ricotta cheese or the odd ingredient in this dish, but it's easy to appreciate Masili's simple gesture of authenticity. Layers of thin pasta are separated by delicate amounts of sauce and topped with mozzarella.
A perk of an Italian restaurant inside a Korean study cafe, besides being one of the few, if only, upscale Western dining options in Wangjing, is that you're an arm's length away from 10 flavors of gelato (RMB 16 for one scoop, RMB 28 for two). And if a bottle of wine isn't your thing, the chocolate banana five grain smoothie (RMB 37), adds a little sweetness to round out your meal.
Loft Eatalicious
Daily 10am-11pm. Rm 101, Bldg A1, U Lo Park, 610 Wangjingyuan, Guangshunnan Dajie, Chaoyang District (8870 0868)
朝阳区广顺南大街望京园605号楼悠乐汇A1座101室
Photos: Lova
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