Best Food In China

Location

Craig Willis, the executive chef from the Wagas group, the man who brought you RoomTwentyEight of URBN hotel and Bistro by Wagas, now spends his time in the open kitchen of his new self-titled restaurant, Mr Willis. The cozy little eatery sits above two of Craig’s other creations; a bakery named Baker and Spice and La Strada, a pizzeria. Mr Willis sits on the third floor at 195 Anfu rd near Wulumuqi rd.

Taking the words right out of Craig’s mouth, “the restaurant doesn’t try to be anything its not, it’s just a place you will find tasty yet simple home cooking style Auzzie and Mediterranean fare. It’s a place where you can come to enjoy a glass of wine and a flank steak on Tuesday night or rotisserie chicken on Wednesday night.”

The atmosphere is a dim lit and cozy attic space with a wood ceiling and floor. Trying to make you feel at home, the space contains a living room complete with couches, rugs and coffee tables, a mud room with shoe and jacket cubbies, and of course an open kitchen. The dining space houses only ten tables not including the small terrace and huge window looking over the quite street. No doubt the focus of the restaurant is Craig working hard in a well-lit open kitchen with a chalkboard marquee displaying the daily specials.

To start the meal, I sampled the capers and lemon fish tartar, accompanied by the frailest French bread crackers I have ever witnessed. Both the crackers and the tartar I recognize as one of my favorite selections from RoomTwentyEight. Following nicely was a set of antipasti selections, including chicken liver pate with sweet caramelized onions, a bowl of roasted red peppers in olive oil, and my favorite of the meal, a broad bean mash.

Other favorite appetizers were the fresh mozzarella roast tomato and chickpea salad, and the grilled scallops with roast tomato chutney and curried lentils.

As for the main course, you can’t go wrong with any of your home cooked favorites; rack of lamb, flank steak, or rotisserie chicken with pumpkin gratin and roasting jus. If you happen to be in the mood for pizza, a pie can be ordered from the menu and brought up from the brick oven in the pizzeria below. From the pizza menu, I suggest the simple yet delicious potato pizza complete with rosemary, mozzarella, parmesan, and olive oil.

No matter who you want to take, whether it be a date, friend, family, colleague or client, Mr Willis is a quiet atmosphere with great home style food. Word to the wise, don’t leave without a topping off of Mr Willis’ homemade limoncello.

-- by Howard Steidle

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