Al Fresco Area, Boston Lobsters, New Pizzas, and Cloudy Martinis at the Upgraded Tiago
A recent run of blue sky days has meant has seen Beijing's al fresco spots flooded with the hungry masses eager to make the most of the sun, a fact not lost on Tiago, whose Indigo branch just opened a 30-table outdoor dining area. As if that wasn't enough to lure you over, they've also revamped their menu at both of their outlets, promising fresh takes on their Italian staples made from only the best ingredients from around the world.
Owner Katie Li told us that before they released the new dishes, the team had been testing them over and over again, “until everything was perfect, only keeping the outstanding dishes.”
Those who follow our blog will know how much we enjoyed Tiago's rustica-parma mushroom truffle pizza, which now has an upgraded younger brother in the form of their new premium rustica-parma mushroom truffle sauce and honey pizza (RMB 128). “We use the best Farina 00 flour, and ferment the dough for 18 hours,” said Li, giving the base a delicious texture perfect for holding the pre-grilled mushrooms, parma ham, fresh mozzarella, and truffles. The salty prosciutto di parma balances the sweetness of white truffle honey sauce, and what can I say, it was so damn good and worth the trip alone.
Upon our last visit we also loved the Angus tomahawk steak (using 150-day grain-fed Australian beed), this time we went for half Boston lobster with Australia Angus grain-fed tenderloin (RMB 288). The chef cooked the tenderloin to the perfection, the crisp and juicy meat, seasoned with Himalayan pink sea salt and black pepper – what a match.
As if that wasn't enough, there's one more must-try dish – Tiago's signature Boston lobster and seafood spaghetti (RMB 158 for half lobster). The lobsters “are imported from Canada and sent to here every morning, each lobster has an ID to trace their origins to keep them fresh,” Li explained. The sauce is made with lobster, prawns, and fish and cooked for five hours, before being mixed with the spaghetti, giving a very rich and umami flavor.
Tiago's second most popular dish, their Segafredo tiramisu, keeps patrons coming back with its low sugar content and top quality natural ingredients. The cheesecake, made with homemade sponge, cream cheese, and topped off with fresh strawberries was also a hit.
How could we call it a proper dinner without having anything to drink? We opted something a little fancy, Cloudy Martini (RMB 68), which on the menu already looked dreamy, and did not disappoint. Tiago created this one for Beijing's cloudy days, which as we know, grace us all to frequently. The grey cotton candy is given a shimmer with some shiny silver powder and the drink below is made from a mixture of gin, cointreau, fresh lemon juice, and blue curacao. After you finished eating the cotton candy, drink directly from the sea salted rim to experience the full flavor that'll send you straight to the clouds.
If you're wanting to head over for an event, Tiago's Indigo branch has free-flow happy hour cocktails for RMB 100 on Tuesdays, buy-one-get-one-free pizzas on Wednesday, and a buy-one-get-one daily happy hour (which includes the fancy Cloudy Martini above).
As a family-friendly home kitchen, they've reprinted the new menu and added a lot of pictures, making it easier for families to order, and there's also a children's play area.
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
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Photos: Tiago, Tracy Wang
