Sorì Brings Mediterranean Tapas, Wine, and Chef Table Events to The Crib

One of the advantages of being a food writer is having your appetite whetted by juicy gossip about new openings. Such sunny news has helped us stave off the despair that La Dolce Vita and Fu Tapas wrought when they were shut down. Yes, that's right: a hot new Mediterranean joint is here to fill the void on the second floor of The Crib.

Despite the sunny region of Northern Italy's wine country from which its name hails from, Sorì Tapas & Wine is tucked behind a stark concrete-gray wall. After you enter via a hidden door on the left, you're immediately struck by both its posh decor and its relatively small, albeit suitably intimate, square meterage. Next to the open kitchen sit stools around a white marble bar, allowing diners to watch the chef's every move. Yes, Sori offers both dinner and a show in that regard.

This tapas joint opens at 6pm, focusing its efforts on luring the Sanlitun crowd after work and in a much need of freshening up via the rejuvenating powers of Mediterranean food and wine. During the daytime, the space doubles as a cooking studio, training center, and gelato lab, explains co-founder Fabio Falanga.

The menu's focus is narrow but not at the expense of depth. There are less than a dozen tapas options (RMB 38-138), including Caponatina (Sicilian-style stew), Italian cold cuts with cheese, fried scallops, sautéed mussels, roasted octopus and pepper skewers, and anchovy balls, as well as a couple of pasta dishes.

The garlic flavored fried Argentine prawns in Kataifi (RMB 58) exceeded our expectations of what simple tapas can be, the prawns rolled in crunchy threads of shredded wheat – reminiscent of the famous Greek desserts soaked in honey from which they get their name – and laid on a crumpled metal net. The homemade tartar sauce and a drizzle of lemon help the crisp and fresh prawns pop.

The almond-crusted croquettes (RMB 38) were another highlight. Stuffed with pancetta and provola cheese, the croquettes come on a tangy bed of pureed eggplant and cherry tomato that'll see the underlying slate wiped clean.

However, the true star of this meal was the white truffle flavored ravioli (RMB 88). The ravioli's creamy sauce features their homemade and organic ricotta cheese and diced walnuts and is topped with parmesan to lift the mellower notes of the sauce to another level. It's absolutely impossible to eat this one without uttering a few "ooh's" and "ahh's."  

To wash those delicacies down, Sorì has enlisted the help of sommelier Ben Zhang, founder and owner of Xiaoju Courtyard and Xiaoju Wine Bar, and an expert in Mediterranean wines. The Barco Negro from Portugal was rustic, has a full body, notes of dark berries, and a hint of spice, and was a great pairing for the tapas we munched through.

As for dessert, not only do they make the bread, tortellini, and ricotta cheese in-house, the gelato is also handmade by the multi-talented Gelato Lab's Nicola Saladino (also located on the second floor of The Crib) given that he also designed the venue. The pistachio flavored gelato came with plenty of grounded nuts and had dense texture overall, a welcome break from some of the lighter renditions you find. The rum and raisin, meanwhile, boasted an intense aromatic rum flavor that'll make you want to jump over the bar and finish the whole bucket.

In the coming weeks, the Sorì team will host a number of events to help gets Beijing's foodies equated with their premise, the likes of which include chef’s tables, chef’s set dinner, guest chef stints, special product tasting dinners, and cooking classes. But even without those laudably ambitious flourishes, there's more than enough on offer at Sorì Tapas & Wine to have your head over and try their small bites in the meantime.

Sorì Tapas & Wine
Daily 6pm-late. 2/F, The Crib, 1 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District
工人体育场北路1号育膳房2楼

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang, courtesy of  Sorì