First Glance: Country Kitchen at Rosewood Beijing

Rosewood Beijing has taken a diversion from the standard Cantonese offerings in most Beijing hotel Chinese restaurants, choosing instead to open a restaurant serving hearty northern Chinese and Beijing-style cuisine, called Country Kitchen. The restaurant is studiedly casual, having the feel of a lively canteen without the uncomfortable bench seating. No fancy water glasses here, instead tables are set with sturdy copper mugs and earthernware pottery.

The short menu focuses on staple foods like noodles and dumplings, with a small selection of roasted and wokked dishes. Living up to the menu's promise, the pork and scallion pot stickers were outstanding, complete with a crispy, lacy layer hot from the pan. Spice fiends will be happy to see malatang on the menu, while hardened carnivores should not miss the whole roast organic Mongolian lamb leg (RMB 190), which would happily feed four to six along with other dishes.

Definitely don't miss desserts, which manage to combine traditional Beijing flavors and dishes with modern Western plating. None are overly sweet either, which will probably be a bonus after all that fatty lamb you've just eaten.

Vegetarian Friendly:

Vegetarians are not forgotten on the list of dumplings and noodles, with some pretty tasty egg and chive jiaozi stealing the show. Elsewhere, we enjoyed a dish of blanched spinach dressed with a pungent sesame paste sauce (RMB 40).

Read more about Country Kitchen in an upcoming edition of the Beijinger.

Country Kitchen
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm.3/F, Rosewood Beijing, Jingguang Centre, Hujialou, Chaoyang District (6597 8888)
乡味小厨：朝阳区呼家楼京广中心北京瑰丽酒店1层

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Photos: Robynne Tindall