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As we sipped this strong home-made brew, and listened to the soothing murmur of a room full of happy customers, we felt like we had an experienced a slice of something different; maybe not one hundred percent pure Italian, but very close.

We came to Danieli’s with high expectations for several reasons. Amongst these was St. Regis’ status as one of Beijing’s premiere hotels and comments we had heard from our contacts lauding the authenticity of its food. However, another was just the simple fact that this reviewer professes to crave good Italian food.

So when we were presented the menu for the evening, printed out elegantly on cream-colored paper, we were delighted to see exactly that: a line up of dishes that could have come straight from an Italian trattoria. The décor, although edging ever so slightly on the side of gaudy, was nonetheless distinctive and pleasantly memorable, with arches, dim lighting, and a view overlooking the main entranceway of the hotel.

As we took this in and waited for the first course, we were served Voss water from a long eye-catching glass bottle, and presented with a satisfying large napkin, folded like a pita, and stuffed with all kinds of different breads from thin to thick, crispy to chewy. Of course we were supplied with plenty of good olive oil to soak up, which helped to further whet our appetite and give us a small taste of what was to come.

Our Rocket Salads (RMB 120 each) arrived speckled with goodies: artichokes, cherry tomatoes, black olives and Parmesan shavings. The artichoke hearts were slightly chilled, and the thin shavings of Parmesan were devilishly addictive. It was also not doused but rather sprinkled lightly with just the right amount of balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil.

Next came a rack of lamb with fresh herbs, grilled asparagus and natural jus (RMB 275). The presentation was excellent; the lamb was planted into a base of mashed potatoes, with the four bones in the rack curving up and outwards, all surrounded by a drizzle of rich sauce based off of red wine. The meat itself was tender and extremely flavorful, while the asparagus spears were al-dente and balanced out well the otherwise rich side of this dish.

Mocha scented Tiramisu came next. A blueberry and a blackberry were delicately propped on top, as well as a crispy twist of dark chocolate and powdered chocolate. An Italian favorite done justice.

Traditionally dry cookies and coffee finished off our visit. As we sipped this strong home-made brew, and listened to the soothing murmur of a room full of happy customers, we felt like we had an experienced a slice of something different; maybe not one hundred percent pure Italian, but very close.

- by Royce Ferguson

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