2013 Year in Review: Our Picks for the Best in Fine Dining

In a city full of constant restaurant openings and closings, it's quite a feat to cull the list down to a few favorites. That's not a position to complain about, but it does take some concentrated deliberation. In the end, each of the restaurants that made the cut (including honorable mentions) had similar threads running through them – surprises to every meal, excellent value in terms of experience to price, and what I think makes the biggest impact: that everyone there simply loves what they are doing. These are the places where I find myself returning to, off-the-job, and which I think have been the major actors in pushing forward Beijing's contemporary dining scene in the past year.

Okra
Chef Max Levy has been a fixture in the Beijing dining scene for a number of years now, most notably running the kitchen at The Opposite House's Bei (now closed) and behind the original menu at Apothecary. In 2012, I had a thought-provoking meal at Bei which I still think about, so when I heard that Levy would be opening a new spot, my residual sadness at Bei's closing finally started to fade.

Okra does not disappoint. Levy's approach to food is highly intellectual in an enchanting blend of hip, nerdy and playful. There's really nothing so charming as hearing how the currents of an ocean make the flesh of a fish that buttery and tender. The menu reflects his intense attention to detail – from the red tofu soup created in lieu of proper miso in this country to the astonishing raisins sourced in Xinjiang that taste of roses. Both the sushi and the cooked dishes are superb – challenging, thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. Plus it doesn't hurt when you can dine like royalty on a lavish tasting menu for RMB 375, crazy value for what you are getting. The cocktails are excellent – though this is where is can get expensive, so I'm happy to hear that they've just launched a happy hour.

Opera Bombana
Opera Bombana hits all of the right notes: excellent food presented beautifully in an elegant, yet comfortable setting with graceful service – and somehow all in the basement of a glorified shopping mall. It's the third venture of Michelin-starred Italian chef Umberto Bombana, following his two locations of Otto E Mezzo in Hong Kong and Shanghai. While comparatively it may be more casual, Opera has found a sweet spot befitting of laid-back Beijing's fine-doing scene. Everything about the experience feels effortless – from Manager Daniel Allegretti and his team on the floor to Executive Chef Marino D'Antonio (formerly of Sureno) and his crew in the kitchen to the gang behind the bar. If lunch or dinner seems too much of an initial commitment, I'd highly suggest stopping by for their apertivo hour (5-7pm, the complimentary snacks are exceptional) for a cocktail or even just swinging by to pick up some of Beijing's best bread, which they've priced insanely reasonably.

Brian McKenna at The Courtyard
Reinventing an institution that has grown stale is possibly more laudable than starting from scratch. Brian McKenna did just that at The Courtyard early in the year when he transformed the Forbidden City staple into Brian McKenna at The Courtyard. He injected the tired space with an air of surprise – chocolate terracotta warriors that break to reveal a cascade of liquid mandarin orange, a delicious medley of "dirt" and "pebbles" – that makes eating fun. Beijing has its other kitchens that dabble in the molecular realm but not nearly with as much whimsy or delight. The expanse of imagination over pretension prevails here.


Honorable Mentions

Brick and Wood
Not strictly fine dining (but I'm including it for price point), this Japanese kaiseki spot presents a style of cuisine that provides a rough frame and then the kitchen goes from there – resulting in a unique and changing opus of over ten courses.

Pinotage (Sanlitun Soho location)
A wonderful wine selection and a superb introduction to South African cuisine which Beijing's city center didn't know it was missing – but was.

Jing Yaa Tang
An excellent choice for an upscale Chinese meal for out-of-town guests or a Beijing date night: impressive duck and refined versions of classics from across the country in a gorgeous space – there is little more to ask for. Lovely cocktails, too.
 

Photos: Cat Nelson, Sui

Email: catnelson@thebeijinger.com
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