Beijing Yan, Modern Chinese Fine Dining with Elemental Ingredients

Beijing Yan: Modern Chinese Fine Dining with Elemental Ingredients

Tracy Wang, Senior Editor | Jul 22, 2016 1:00 pm | Add a comment | 3261 reads

It looks like our list of "best restaurants to impress people" is getting longer. Alongside Zijin Mansion, Da Dong Roast Duck, Sifang Sanchuan, we can now add another gem to the roster. Opened in 2015, Beijing Yan is already popular among Chinese customers, not only because the restaurant provided the catering for Huang Xiaoming and Angela Baby’s wedding, or because it counts numerous other Chinese celebrites among its investors, but also for its traditional Chinese theme, with fine ingredients and good service at a reasonable price.

While we were waiting for others, we happily gorged on the free waxberries on our table, a palate cleanser to get you prepped for the dishes ahead. We were then served by the manager, who told us that the juicy sweet fruits were shipped daily from the south of China.

The place seems a one stop for all your dining needs – to satisfy your senior relatives like grandma and grandpa, or surprise your friends who have never seen Peking Opera before, or if you're looking to have a Chinese meal from a kitchen that prides itself on great flavors. You can tell that this chain restaurant is ambitious, a fact solidified by the upmarket location of two of their branches next door to Da Dong Roast Duck. Seeing themselves as direct competitors to that most famous of duck places, they've gone as far as to price match their cripsy-skinned version at RMB 268 for a whole duck and RMB 134 for a half.

Apart from the duck, there are 70 dishes on offer in total, which is relatively short compared to other fine dining places. That's because they Beijing Yan focuses on natural and fresh flavors, just like mom’s cooking.

The fish and tofu soup was impressively fresh. The manager again introduced it, saying all the ingredients were shipped from their original source. The roasted pumpkins from Xinjiang were very sweet, giving the impression that the restaurant gathers all of the best Chinese ingredients from around the country, and utilizes the simplest way to cook them before bringing them to the table.

You'll also notice that the menu is composed of a decent range of foods, from those more down-to-earth dishes; youpomian (RMB 16), dumplings (RMB 48) and youtiao (RMB 12), as well as others considered a little more fancy; sea cucumber soup (RMB 168), Wagyu beef topped with cotton candy, and fried Angus beef ribs (RMB 168).

Aside from the tasty food, the restaurant also has some unique tricks up its sleeve. Firs, you can enjoy live Peking Opera while you dine, and second, if you book ahead in advance, they will use colorful sand to write whatever you want on your table, adding an interesting personalized touch to your meal. You'll also get Beijing desserts for free at the end of your meal, a sweet touch to an overall impressive meal.