Valenti's Italian Restaurant Impresses at Jianwai Soho

Kyle Mullin | Jul 21, 2019 5:00 pm | Add a comment | 840 reads

There's something special going on with the tender Tuscan steak (RMB 228) at Valenti's.

Owner and lao Beijing proprietor of the Jianwai Soho restaurant, Shawn Bing, is justifiably proud of the peppery, savory steak sauce which is made with white cooking wine from Tuscany and fresh mushrooms. “The secret: don’t use any water, just juice from the mushrooms along with the wine,” he says with clear enthusiasm.

This is just one of the time-honored tricks of the trade that Bing gleaned from John William Stanley, an esteemed Italian-American chef with whom the Chinese restaurateur ran an establishment in Atlanta, Georgia for more than a decade. Now that he’s back in Beijing, Bing is keen to serve up the same kind of simple and comforting Italian eats to CBD patrons looking for bang for their buck.

Another meaty must-try at Valenti’s is the RMB 188 grilled lamb shank. This juicy and fall-off-the-bone tender lamb leg is marinated in special savory sauces for two days before being boiled, grilled then salted. You can put your knife away for this one, because its meat is tender enough to fall apart with just a nudge from your fork, a delicious and aromatic treat for the senses.

For a lighter alternative, try the RMB 68 pesto scallops pasta (pictured in the lead image above). Al dente manicotti noodles are perfectly paired with garden-fresh basil pesto and fat scallops.

The menu features several other pastas all sitting in the RMB 40-70 range. There are also salads, appetizers like marinara mozzarella sticks and fried calamari (RMB 35-60) and desserts such as tiramisu, chocolate mousse and more (RMB 30-50). Valenti's is also decently stocked when it comes to vino, offering entry-level house wines like Coteaulaife and Ave de Fuego (both RMB 48 per glass or RMB 198 per bottle), mid-range four-year-old Chianti (RMB 299), and more.

Aside from those tempting items, Valenti’s also distinguishes itself in another surprising way. The Jianwai Soho restaurant eschews the sleek, modern trappings of many of its competitors, opting for a more relaxed vibe. The staff sport colorful aprons, little maps of Italy are stitched into each tablecloth, laid back lime green sofas and chairs are placed at each table, and a projector shows clips of Italian American chefs readying their wares on the wall furthest from the entryway. In that sense, it’ll remind you of a long-running and well-regarded mom and pop style spot rather than a highly hyped newbie trying to lure in scenesters. But once you settle in, try one of the straightforward but made-with-care wares, and notice the friendly service, you’ll not only find Valenti’s satisfying but also refreshingly focused on substance over style.

On top of all that: the restaurant's WeChat members are only charged half price for wine, which you can join by scanning the QR code below.