What's New Restaurants: 8 Qi Nian in Chongwenmen

Cantonese food has always held a special place in my heart; it was the first “real” Chinese food I was exposed to when I visited Hong Kong at the tender age of ten. I was fascinated with the tanks of wriggling sea creatures and exotic ingredients back then, but as my palette has matured, I have learned to appreciate the cuisine for its ability to capture and preserve the best of fresh ingredients. Even so, a good Cantonese meal is surprisingly difficult to come across in the northern capital.

Although 8 Qi Nian serves dishes from all over southern China, Hunan and Sichuan included, the restaurant really comes into its own with its modern Cantonese dishes. We start with a plate of tiny chilled tomatoes flavored with lemon and honey (RMB 38), so delicate they make me feel bad for whoever had to peel the skins. A dish of stir-fried beef with crispy garlic and black pepper (RMB 198) tastes like the version they serve at your local Cantonese take out place – but if the chef had studied at the Cordon Bleu.

The rhythm of the meal briefly falters on the deep-fried shrimps with avocado and crispy rice (RMB 148), where huge, competently fried prawns are hidden beneath a cloyingly sweet avocado sauce. Thankfully, a double-boiled soup of matsutake mushroom, conpoy (dried scallop) and Chinese ham (RMB 98 per person) restores the balance, as a good Cantonese soup should.

If you steer clear of dishes containing big-name ingredients, 8 Qi Nian is surprisingly keenly priced for a hotel restaurant, especially considering they don’t add service charge. Combined with the delicious dishes and graceful, courteous staff, we can think of few better reasons to venture over to Chongwenmen.

Photo: Sui