Maison Boulud, the three Michelin star restaurant for a Wednesday after school lunch, the only thing that went around your mind during the two hours lecture in the morning was whether I was underdressed. Maison Boulud is located in the restored site of the former American embassy, namely Chienmen 23. As all of us are originated from Hong Kong, both the name and décor of the place resemble some sort of new luxury residential complexes in Hong Kong.

Given that it’s a Michelin Star Restaurant and was previously highly recommended by a few of my friends for their Sunday brunch, there were much expectation as well as speculation as to what this Daniel Boulud fine dining empire would bring when opened in Beijing.

All of us went with the easy option in choosing their lunch set menu priced at an exceptionally good price RMB 198. For me I had went with the Chestnut Soup and Salad as starters, for main dish I had the Sword Fish while two of my other friends had the DB Burger which is Stirloin Burger filled with Braised Short Ribs. In between course, it seemed like we were being served unlimited portion of bite sized madeleine cakes, macaroons, nougats as well as couple of other French sweet bites. Very generous of them we thought. However my feed back as a whole was that the best thing that I really liked about the meal turned out to be the complimentary canapés and sweet treats. As for the courses in the lunch set, I would agree with my friends who came previously for lunch that the quality of the food was indeed overrated. Food was average, but a great place if you are looking for somewhere exquisite, quiet and romantic. Here are some snapshots of the food we had, sorry that I only bothered about eating but not photoshooting.

One good thing that I really like about the restaurant is that they change their lunch menus every week! Although it will only really make a difference if you can enjoy the luxury to visit them at least once a week. For real foodies who don't mind travelling all the way to Qianmen away from all the fine dine and shopping areas, MB is certainly the place to visit, its more than just food but an experience of the classy Beijing. 

For more details please see: 

http://danielnyc.com/menus/maison_beijing/Lunch.pdf

Chillbeans.

Barolo- it must be one of the best Italian restaurant in town

Barolo- it must be one of the best Italian restaurant in Beijing.

Thanks to my friend who is a real foodie and frequent traveller to Beijing for his cool biz trips, Barolo is definitely one which I would rate the maximum number of stars whether your scale is from 1-10 or 1-100. Not trying to exaggerate how good this restaurant is, for reasons that firstly, under the name Ritz Carlton Beijing it automatically gives quality assurance in terms of the restaurant environment and of course the quality of the food. Secondly, this kitchen is taken over by Gianluca Visani, one of the best chefs in Beijing as rated by TimeOut Beijing in 2012.

“Visani’s cooking is full of all the best things that we love about Italian food” TimeOut Beijing

“One of Beijing’s pinnacles of Italian fine dining” City Weekend

Given that my foodie friend knows Visani personally and that he comes here everytime when he is in Beijing, I didn't have to worry about what to choose on the menu. I have to say that THE FOOD HERE WAS AMAZING!!! I WILL DEFINITELY COME AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH TO LIGHTEN UP MY LIFE IN BEIJING.

Food for the night

Starter- Crab Salad with Avocado Mousse, Gazpacho Dressing and “Crystal” Lobster Bisque. It was a very refreshing dish, the bisque was a bit spicy but as a whole it was infused with rich seafood flavor.

Main (half portion)

Tagliolini ai Ricci di Mare

Tagliolini with Sea Urchin and Spicy Zucchni.

This was probably the high light of the night not only because I love sea urchin, but the pasta was great with a pinch of spiciness. I am only a fan of good pasta and so Linguine Fini in Hong Kong is always top of my list as it’s a restaurant specializing in pasta cooked with innovative fusion of ingredients, however after trying Barolo’s pastas I think I’ve been further spolit.

Tagliatelle con Guanciale, Copolla Rossa e Crema di Piselli

Tagliatelle topped with Crispy Cured Pork Cheek, Red Onion and atop of Green Peas Sauce. My friend who has been here for couple of times however missed the egg yolk sauce better.

We also had the clams risotto which was recommended by the Visani. Again, there is no scope for disappointment unless you have a personal thing against risotto and/or clams. While I pretty much prefer any fresh pasta dish over any risotto, I would say that everything on the menu here is worth a try. 

Dining at Ritz Carlton might sounds pricey for a casual dinner, but having been living in Hong Kong for more than a decade, knowing well what is consider as over-price for average quality food and reasonable price for high quality food, Barolo definitely falls into the latter category with food which adds highlight to your stay in Beijing. 

For More Details- Please Visit https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Beijing/Dining/Barolo/Menu.htm

Chillbeans.