Flavorful Dishes and Lots of Flowers Make Wood Garden House a Recipe for Success
After the challenges of 2020, we all deserve to end the year basking under palm trees, noshing on dishes garnished with flowers. Wood Garden House in Sanlitun offers just the opportunity.
A tunnel of lights leads to a secret garden with purple and yellow orchids, tropical plants, and royal blue chairs. A vertical plant wall draws diners into the magical space. Terrarium-style tables have an opening between the glass top and the base, giving access to the succulents underneath. I was tempted to use my fork for some Zen gardening while waiting for lunch, but I refrained.
“Most Western restaurant customers – especially women – love flowers,” says owner Yao Wei. “If I can get them to come in, they will bring the men,” continues Wei, who owns a similar outlet in Solana Mall along with a more casual Mexican dining spot called Pioneering in Haidian district. He plans to open a fourth restaurant by year’s end.
The menu makes big promises, with Instagram-worthy photos of salads, power bowls, soups, and entrées. Colors swirl on the pages like a kaleidoscope: cubes of purple dragon fruit, rosy cherry tomatoes, golden corn, vibrant greens, tender pink steak, miniature daisies, and edible pansies. We ordered and waited with anticipation.
The herbal salad with hot spring egg (RMB 56) came out looking like the menu promised: tossed arugula decorated with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, pea pods, crunchy pickled radish, and colorful flowers. Large enough to share, it served as an edible centerpiece.
Several soups – garnished with pansies no less – hit high notes, including a slightly sweet chestnut pumpkin (RMB 26) and creamy mushroom soup (RMB 28), although on one visit the soup came at the end of the meal. It’s easy to be forgiving when flowers are involved.
The pasta with shrimp and asparagus (RMB 70), a creamy, comfort food dish with grilled shrimp, gets finished with flowers, as does the fried squid (RMB 40), which was pleasing enough but a bit undersized.
The Spanish seafood paella (RMB 98), rich with clams, mussels, and prawns won the approval of a Paella-loving friend, who praised the juicy seafood and overall seasoning.
The standouts are the Mexican dishes, including the chicken quesadilla (RMB 78) with a nice, crispy exterior, and the tacos, including shrimp and avocado, and beef and fish (garnished with flowers of course).
“I saw growth in Mexican food in Beijing,” says Wei, who explained Chinese diners like the spicy flavors and affordability.
Wei plans to add more steaks, fish dishes, and other entrées soon to balance the salad-heavy menu. Diners can also expect the debut of desserts, featuring fancy French pastries with fresh berries and cream.
A DJ spins tunes every night from 8-11pm.; later on weekends. Live music premiers in December.
With eye-candy dishes and flavor to match, Wood Garden House is an oasis in the often monochromatic landscape of Beijing. We’re hopeful that this place stays around since we could all use a few more flowers in our lives.
Wood Garden House
Sunday-Thursday 10am-11pm. Friday-Saturday 10am-1am; Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu (across from The Loft), Chaoyang (010-6507 8392)
朝阳区工体北路4号院（藏酷斜对面）
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Images: Kirsten Harrington
