Best Food In China

Location

As he says, the best way to bring a culture is through food, and Carlos has not only done that, but has brought a sandwich haven to those in need for some good bread, cheese, and meat.

With its Moorish architecture, clunky wooden tables and white cushion seats, the only feeling of China you get is when you look out the enormous glass windows to the street of Sanlitun.

From the moment we ordered our drinks we knew Bocata was going to be different. Asking for drinks off the menu, we received Spanish Mahou beer and hot chocolate. The Mahou beer was a refreshing change to the usual local and imported beers, and was a light bitter taste. More amazing however was the discovery of the best hot chocolate in China. Every single restaurant we have tried has had packaged water down hot chocolate. This was the first authentic European hot chocolate we have found, thick and very creamy, almost like chocolate syrup.

The service was also very polite and not fussy, and the deco ambience made it a relaxing night where you could forget about the outside world. Of course as Carlos the manager warned, it is probably best to come in the evenings, as lunch time is extremely busy, as the employees from the surrounding businesses rush to have lunch within 45 minutes. Bocata caters to the family and business yet maintains a more cool and lose atmosphere.

After savoring the drinks, we ordered fried potatoes and potato croquettes. The dishes were very well presented with minimalist bowls. The fried potatoes were crunchy and not greasy. These were definitely home-made gourmet French fries. You could taste the fluffy potato inside rather than simply over used salt and oil. They tasted healthy and fresh. The croquettes were even better. Hot, hot, hot, plump and round, they have fantastic garlic after taste.

We hadn’t even had the main meals and already the restaurant is a winner. It shouldn’t be surprising though. Carlos studied to be a chef in his native Spain and worked in Portugal and France. He wound up on a one month holiday in China and fell in love. China was another world with too many things to learn.

With promptness our sandwiches arrived. The sandwiches range from 26 to 46 rmb. Each sandwich is a keeper, and worth more than the three to eight dollars you are paying. I ordered the Chili Tuna Sandwich. It was creamy and a little spicy, and the bread, which is freshly baked at the restaurant, was a softer ciabatta, not too crunchy or hard. It is a new type of bread invented by Bocata to cater to the local Chinese who are not used to harder crispier bread. The tuna tasted fresh and light, definitely not like the greasy diner food most sandwich shops imitate here in China. It tasted European, and felt like you could have been in Europe that instant eating quality food.

The Aussie beef sandwich was also a real good surprise. With imported Australian beef it was warm and succulent without being overly cheesy. It made you crave more with every bite.

Carlos has perfected the quick lunch for the time constrained concept. Though there are now rival sandwich shops, none are done to such perfection as at Bocata. As he says, the best way to bring a culture is through food, and Carlos has not only done that, but has brought a sandwich haven to those in need for some good bread, cheese, and meat.

-- by Larissa Paschyn

Cuisine Style: quick food, European sanwiches
Ambience / Interior: deco, european
Who To Invite: friends, family,
Cost: 100 to 200 per head
What’s Good: the sanwiches
Drinks: cocktails, hot chocolate, coffee, beer
Critic Opinion: Best place for sandwiches, fantastic food

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