While You Were Sleeping: Beijing's Newest March Restaurant Openings That You Might Have Missed

Was it just us, or did March usher in a more than usual amount of new restaurants and bars across the city? For sure, it's a good time to be a hungry customer. Just in case you weren't paying attention, here are the best new restaurants and revamped menus that we reviewed over the past month.

New Restaurants

Black Knight (CBD)
A new Taiwanese hot pot tucked away in Dawanglu's Winterless Center, this restaurant's branding might be confusing, but their spicy broth certainly blew us away. As with all hot pot adventures, Black Knight is best visited in a large group of hungry friends. 

Mojo (Sanlitun)
The highly anticipated opening of Mojo brings with it a delicious and distinct take on European cuisine, as well as a massive 1,500-bottle-strong wine collection. This new spot is a prime location for anyone looking to splurge.

Glo Kitchen (Dawang Lu)
The second spot of Glo Kitchen and Fitness (the first one is located on Guanghua Lu) also impressed us this month, continuing the concept developed at their original location, offering healthy eats that are a world away from boring, basic salads.

Kokorowa (Dongsi)
This one is for those looking for a serious way to treat themselves: a RMB 1,280 15-course Japanese set menu, including sushi, a sashimi platter, and other high-quality fish dishes. You get what you pay for rings true in this case.

Omy (Sanlitun)
Taking up the spot next to Q Mex, Omy, another Japanese restaurant vying for your cash, features great fried oysters and good quality sushi. For the full experience, sit at the counter and watch the Japanese chef prepare your meal directly in front of you. 

Bobo (Sanlitun)
Tucked away in Sanlitun Soho, Bobo taught us not to judge a book by its over. This oddly decorated spot serves up some pretty decent European food.

Azur (West Third Ring)
While we don't frequently venture to Haidian, the 40 minute commute from our Hujialou office to Azur (previously S.T.A.Y.) is totally worth it. This new spot, with a menu by Michelin-starred chef Italo-Argentinian Mauro Colegreco, might just be the best new restaurant out west.

Home Grounds (Sanlitun)
You'll enjoy the great vibes at this new healthy eatery created by the team behind the popular gym Base Fit. The menu is concise, offering brunch-type dishes and salad bowls during the day, and a selection of small plates and large plates during the evening for an overall concept that is creative but healthy.

Little Boat (Chaoyangmen)
Skipping the tired trope of throwing shrimp onto the barbie, newly opened Little Boat instead opts for something with a little more bite, sizzling up Australian red meat for famished shoppers in Dongcheng's U-Town mall. However, these aren’t the fancy sit-down-and-dine-in steaks that most Westerners are used to. Instead, Little Boat serves those grilled cuts in a more familiar Asian street food fashion from a small basement kiosk.

Andy's Restaurant & Bar (Sanlitun)
Andy's Restaurant & Bar is a straightforward but satisfying spot for meaty, flavorful Nigerian soups and stews. The egusi with ukazi (pictured above) makes for a comforting vegetable soup with your choice of big chunks of beef or lamb served alongside a spongy garri (a West African staple made with fermented cassava root), purposefully bland so as to help temper the spiciness of the ukazi. There's nothing elaborate about the dishes here overall, but their simplicity gives the vibe that diners are being let in on some truly homestyle Nigerian hospitality.
 

New (Spring) Menus

Tribe Organic (all locations)
Those familiar with our favorite healthy chain Tribe know that they synchronize their menu with the seasons. That's why, with the arrival of spring, Tribe has introduced 10 new dishes to match the increasingly balmy weather.

Q Mex (Sanlitun)
Q Mex also helps us celebrate the arrival of spring with a range of hot new Mexican eats. Highlights include their new chorizo burger (pictured above, RMB 65), a double-grilled beef chorizo patty and bun, fiery jalapeños, sliced tomato, mayo, and cilantro aioli as well as a side of potato wedges and coleslaw.

Galleria (CBD)
The new menu at Galleria in Jiaming Center focuses on bringing in regular workers in the neighborhood for lunch. Eat around the artworks in the space, and follow the chefs every move through the open kitchen for a unique experience.

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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Images courtesy of the venues, Tracy Wang, Kyle Mullin, Tom Arnstein, Uni You