Capital Bites: Meat Platters and Sweets in Sanlitun

The three-day holiday pretty much guarantees a slow week, but that doesn't mean you can't get some good eating in. News today includes tips on meat platters and meatballs, a new patisserie in Sanlitun and more.

We gave Smiling Dumplings a whirl on last week's snowy Friday and found the trip very much worth our time (and frozen digits). Check out our preview here, and look out for a review in the upcoming issue of the magazine.

The Nali Patio spot formerly occupied by cookware shop Pantry Magic has been replaced by a cafe/patisserie called Velvet. It looks pretty ready to go and workers were doing some training in full livery last week, so it should be opening soon. Looks fancy. We'll get in there and fill you in soon.

There's also a new bar in the Sanlitun area (north on Sanlitun Lu, near the Royal Smushi House) called Concentrate. One of our readers (yes, we are quite aware this mystery reader is possibly involved with the bar), alerted us to a "Viking platter" that supposedly includes about 20 pounds of meat. So if you're hungry ...

Speaking of the Vikings, their descendants the Scandinavians have some meat and potatoes for you, too. We did a quick review of the food on offer at the Scandinavian cafe/bar Take 5 over at World City, but the owners have been by our forum to let us know how great their meatballs are. We're more curious about their "Truck Drivers' Choice," the Pyttipannu. It's basically the Nordic version of bubble and squeak: sausage, potatoes, fried egg. If that interests you, take a look at their menu here.

If you're reading this still crusty-eyed and hungover from last night, you must be hungry. We've got some New Year brunches listed at the end of this blog here. You might still be able to catch the tail end of some of them. You can also check out our look back at Beijing's year of dining in 2012, or tell us what your hopes are for eating in Beijing in 2013.

Happy New Year!

Photos: Josh Ong, Lilly Chow