Nibbles and Sips: May/June 2017 Edition

Robynne Tindall, Contributing Editor | May 4, 2017 8:30 am | Add a comment | 908 reads

The third and fourth months of the year have been tough on some Beijing restaurants and their loyal customers, as swathes of construction across the city (including, but not limited to, Sanlitun, Wudaoying and Fangjia hutongs, and Beixinqiao Santiao) have lead to the closure of such popular venues as Andy’s Craft Sausages, Rollbox, Anchor Bar, Lingerjiu Noodles, and BBC. A number have either already relocated (Andy’s Craft Sausages is now operating out of XL Bar, for example) or are searching for a new space to call home, but sadly others may not dust themselves off for a final round.

It isn’t all is doom and gloom, however. Not far away from the closures on Xingfucun Zhonglu, new casual eatery Home Grounds has been brightening our palates with their fresh twist on comfort food like roast chicken, and fish and chips. Brunch dishes, including avocado toast topped with a soft boiled egg and a sprinkling of hazelnut dukkah, or pancakes topped with poached fruit and cinnamon cream, are early highlights.

Elsewhere, Temple Restaurant Beijing have announced that they are rebranding, changing their name to TRB Hutong, while TRB Bites will be renamed TRB Forbidden City. Both restaurants will now serve the same menu (that of TRB Hutong).

We end with an update on Beijing’s favorite sport: brunch. The team at Migas have refreshed their weekend offerings for spring/summer, based on the concept of “La Feria” after the “La Feria de Abril” festival held in Seville every April. The brunch features a cold station with a selection of salads and soups; a montadito bar, including different takes on these tapas-sized sandwiches; a fried fish platter; a free-flowing selection of tapas brought to your table; and a dessert cart crammed with that most festive of Spanish desserts, churros. The whole lot will set you back just RMB 268 per person. We’re also eagerly awaiting to try what the team has in store for us at their new China World Mall Migas Mercado location.

At the upper end of the price spectrum, Opera Bombana has just launched a new Sunday brunch (pictured above) that features a monthly rotating menu inspired by the cuisines of Italy. The brunch is priced at RMB 688 per person for five courses, and includes a glass of sparkling wine.

This article first appeared in the May/June issue of the Beijinger.