Capital Bites: Kempinski Cooking Class, Meat Pie Bonanza and Win Free Cookies!

Hello, culinary denizens of Beijing! I hope you've had a delicious week. Now that the weather's getting a little nippy, I'd be pretty happy to live off home delivery. At some point, though, one has to get oneself off the couch, put down the Flaming Hot Cheetos (RMB 10 at BHG opposite the Place, please go buy them all so I can't) and leave the house. Here are some dining destinations and events you should try when you, too, manage to leave the house. Except the cookie competition. That one, you can enjoy at home, in your pyjamas, wearing a Snuggie.

Trattoria La Gondola is running an Italian cooking class on October 23 with head chefs Paride and Jean-Luc, including lessons on perfect pasta and Italian desserts. Post-class, students can enjoy a three-course meal, including wine. The class plus dinner runs from 3-8pm: it's a good deal for RMB 498 a pop. Give the Kempinski a call at 6465 3388 ext 5707 if you're interested.

Meat pies (good ones) are arriving in Beijing soon, courtesy of Steph and Steve at Mao Mao Chong. They're strictly limited, and only available on two select nights this year, the first of which is October 30. Meat pie, mashed 'taters, white beans and spicy capsicum relish. Be awesome and go in a Halloween costume. I'll be the girl at the bar that resembles a half-hearted bumblebee.

Brandon Trowbridge's cookie store, Cookie's Cookies, that I mentioned last week has a website, where you can order all manner of delights. I'm eyeing the "Elvis", but I like anything more with a bit of pig in it. We're planning a visit to their Houhai store (in front of Hutong Pizza), but you can win 15 cookies of your choice delivered by telling us in the comments what your favorite childhood biscuit-and-or-cookie was, and why. We'll pick some winners on Tuesday afternoon next week.

In case you've been under a rock for the last two months, the Beijinger is ten this month. So are our good friends at the Grand Hyatt Beijing, who threw a massive party this past Tuesday (Oct 18) to celebrate (their birthday, not ours). The star of the show was a similarly massive whole tuna that they carved up, then and there. I like to think it got fat and pretty swimming in their Oasis Pool, which I've only ever seen photos of, but have been told is the stuff of damp dreams and rainforest mystery.

Solana will be graced with a new Japanese barbecue restaurant later this month, named Ours.

New Gung Ho! in Lido: finally opening on Jiangtai Lu within the next few weeks, though we haven't yet been able to confirm an exact date yet. In other Gung Ho! news, November 1 also sees a price increase, details of which you can find here. Their Weibo also says something about a VIP card, which we don't have (boo!) and haven't been told much about. Expect to hear more soon.

P.S. I know I talk about this guy a whole lot, but I reckon if a work blog isn't the place to air my work-related semi-crushes, where is? Chef Chakall did a private dinner last Monday (Oct 17) at the Astor Grill, and it was spectacularly spectacular. Look, if you go to Portugal, try one of his restaurants. You might get a chance to eat this:

Photos: Susan Sheng