Switch Places: Culinary Capers Sets Up Shop in Cathay View

Switch!'s exodus from 798 has been a net positive for us eaters, as it brought us first the Switch! Grill at Dongsishitiao and now the Switch! Cafe at Cathay View in Shunyi. We dropped by the official opening this weekend and also snuck in a tour of parent company Culinary Capers' commissary kitchen, which is basically the Magic Kingdom for foodies.

The Cathay View complex is still getting its feet off the ground, but it should fill out in due time. The trek to Shunyi can be daunting for city slickers, but it has actually become plenty more accessible with the opening of Line 15. I've also had plenty of luck cabbing out there along the Airport Expressway, so long as I avoid rush hour.

Switch! Cafe carries over some of the popular dishes from the original 798 location and the grill, which opened up earlier this year. We're talking salads, appetizers, sandwiches, burgers and pasta. They'll also have a dinner menu that's supposed to include seasonal comfort foods. For dessert, they'll rotate through baked goods and their popular warm chocolate brownie with ice cream (RMB 65).

There's also a brunch menu that runs Saturday and Sunday 11am-3pm and offers classic breakfast choices, as well as mains like steak and eggs (RMB 135). The cafe, which seats 38 inside and several more outside, has a kid zone that should make it quite family-friendly.

With new kitchen facilities and offices adjacent to the cafe, Culinary Capers has set itself up to feed thousands more. The company recently began providing its services to Dulwich College, so the next generation of Beijingers are cutting their teeth on fine food.

CEO Debra Lykkemark tells us the facilities are designed to meet exacting Dutch standards. Food bins are color-coded and the workflow runs only in one direction to keep foods from being cross-contaminated. Considering that most of us are cooking out of spaces that would function better as hallways and closets (if we cook at all), these photos should give you a mean case of kitchen envy.

Switch! Cafe
Daily 10am-9pm. 1/F, No 1 Bldg, 6 Xiangjiang Lu, Chaoyang District (137 1878 0944)
朝阳区香江路6号（观唐广场）1号楼1层
Subway: 1.5km east of Maquanying (Line 15)