Best Food In China

Location

The Meat and Wine Company offers excellent service and outstanding cuisine--combined with the historical Ch’ien Men location, The Meat and Wine Company solidifies it place as one of the finest overall dining experiences in the city.

Ch’ien Men 23 has a reputation for housing some of the finest restaurants in the city and The Meat and Wine Company is no exception. Part of an international chain of restaurants, the Ch’ien Men Meat and Wine Company outlet is the first opening in an ambitious Asia expansion plan for the South African based company. Each outlet has its own unique décor and set of characteristics. The Beijing branch can be described with a single word—epic. The interior is bathed in dark and stately wooden accents. The Indonesian wood tables and chairs were carefully sourced and chosen for their visual impact. While the terrace seating, which is particularly nice in the summer, and private rooms are tastefully appointed, the dining room makes best use of the stunning furniture. The imposing “Chef’s Table” took twenty men to carry into the dining room and days to set up and arrange properly, according to general manager Stan Gaberov. Gaberov, who has an amazing 20-year history in China, recalls the beginnings of the Sanlitun district and now has become responsible for one of the most formidable restaurants in town. He, along with the young and talented executive chef Ferdy Widjaja, oversees the exquisite food and service in this new local favorite.

Regular steakhouse stalwarts are interspersed with South African dishes on the menu, like the Biltong Bowl, a South African spiced cured beef. Meaty and bold, the Biltong is a robust beef-like prosciutto. Although it is served as a stand along appetizer, we ordered it on the Meat and Wine Company salad (RMB 88), which was appropriately dressed with a red wine vinaigrette. We also sampled Widjaja’s own beef carpaccio (RMB 88)—the thinly sliced rare filet was drizzled with sesame oil, an ample serving of black and white sesame seeds and crowned with roquette leaves and nashi pear. The sweet tangy pear was a delicious compliment to the nutty sesame oil and raw beef. The halloumi cheese appetizer (RMB 88) was two thick sliced of pan fried, dense and briny cheese sandwiching chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables, roquette leaves and balsamic glaze. The diversity of the appetizers was a refreshing breadth of cuisine that is usually missing from the usual steakhouse repertoire.

With our main course, we savored a bottle of 2005 Domaine du Tix (RMB 834). The medium bodied wine was redolent with muted fruit and a satiny, earthy finish. It was exceptional. Chef Widjaja recommended the ribeye (RMB 378), with the slightly spicy, full-bodied Portuguese sauce, while Gaberov insisted the rumpsteak (RMB 360) was best in the house. All steaks are Australian Angus and can be complimented with any of the nine sauces, including green peppercorn, creamy garlic, red chili or blue cheese and vodka. As with most high-end steakhouses, all cuts of meat are served a la carte. We chose the garlic mashed potatoes (RMB 38), but other options include fries, boiled potatoes or the house vegetable. The meat was juicy, flavorful and cooked to perfection. The meat was exceptional to a fault—we cleaned our plate and almost didn’t have room for dessert.

Luckily, a keen sweet tooth won out and we ordered the ‘grand finale’, which included a small piece of Oreo crusted mango cheesecake, crème brulee, chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream. The fondant is a house favorite, and rightly so—the crisp, chewy chocolate cake was filled with a creamy, rich sauce. The vanilla ice cream was the perfect pairing. We couldn’t pass up the coconut panna cotta with pineapple carpaccio, sago pudding and mint sauce. The panna cotta had a firm and creamy consistency that so many chefs lack the experience or patience to create.

Throughout the meal, our wine and water glasses were constantly refreshed, the courses arrived seamlessly and with a smile. It’s obvious that great emphasis has been placed on maintaining the highest standards of service. The Meat and Wine Company offers excellent service and outstanding cuisine--combined with the historical Ch’ien Men location, The Meat and Wine Company solidifies it place as one of the finest overall dining experiences in the city.

-- by Phoenix Torrijos

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: 

photos: