Skip the Sandwiches to Better Savor Bad Farmers and Our Bakery's Delicious Salads and Coffee at SLT North
Readying one's body for the balmy beach season doesn't exactly come easy in Beijing, given all the tempting carbs and junk food options that abound around town (not to mention all the Burger Cup related deals across town).
Thankfully there is an intriguing new healthy alternative at Sanlitun North. Titled Bad Farmers and Our Bakery, the space (part of a well reputed South Korean chain; read more about them here) has a small but sturdy menu of salads, sandwiches, and coffee that should appeal to those hoping to treat themselves without the post-gorge guilt.
Orders come with a pager that calls you back to the counter once your food is ready. That prep took a brisk 15 minutes or so, and it was immediately obvious that both the café's self-titled salad and avocado and salmon open-faced sandwich were colorful and appealing.
The RMB 62 Bad Farmers salad was especially balanced and pretty filling on its own, with a combination of quinoa, millet, and corn, along with a generous helping of diced chicken. Veggies like broccoli and tomatoes finished the mix off nicely, and some arugula gave the salad a refreshing zing, though the cheddar promised on the menu seemed disappointingly absent at best.
The avocado and salmon sandwich (RMB 46) did not fare quite as well and fell short of the salad's promise, given that it was little more than two pieces of brown bread with an above-average spread. The avocado, romaine, salmon and feta topping was fresh and tasted fine but was by no means memorable or filling enough to warrant the price. The café should ditch the half measures, add some heartier fillings like salmon, and serve the sandwich closed. Even if it adds to the price at least it would actually stave off enough hunger to make it worthwhile, promoting from just a snack that patrons can likely make for a fraction of the price at home.
The other sandwiches on the fairly limited menu seem even less appealing; blueberry and cream cheese for an unreasonable RMB 46, beet hummus for RMB 49, and a somewhat better shrimp and tofu mayo for RMB 49. The remaining five salads, however, seem like a far safer bet, from the RMB 71 guaca green (made with avocado, chicken, chicory, romaine, nacho chips, and more) to the RMB 63 shrimp bowl (featuring kale, corn, romaine, and shrimp).
Our Bakery's coffee selection isn't bad, but does come in teenie weenie 230ml cups that nevertheless satisfy thanks to their rich mix of ingredients. The vanilla coffee, for instance, had an astonishingly rich dollop of natural creamy vanilla extract, rendering the cheap sweetener tossed in many a café totally artificial in comparison. Other coffees on hand include flat white, red velvet, an Earl Grey latte, as well as cold-pressed juices if non-caffeinated beverages are more your thing.
The atmosphere coincides with the menu: green, light, airy. Plants are placed every which way, the open kitchen is highly visible as bakers and cooks work hard, and the leather chairs and wooden tables are comfortable and casual.
There's also a range of freshly made pastries served on a counter near the entrance. Puffy RMB 30 campagne loaves, puny RMB 27 rye baguettes flecked with cranberries, RMB 23 pretzels and slices of lemon, Earl Grey cinnamon bread (running between RMB 22-27 each) are all available and they look satisfying enough, though at first glance little seems to set them apart from what you'd find at Baker and Spice or other standard Beijing bakeries.
Quibbles aside, this is a commendably ambitious and inviting operation. Though its prices make it more of a healthy treat for those who don't have deep pockets, Bad Farmers and Our Bakery adds another option to Beijing's growing health scene for those hoping to slim down.
Bad Farmers and Our Bakery
Daily 10am-10pm. N8,Taikoo Li, Sanlitun Road (8447 2821)
北京市朝阳区三里屯太古里北区N8楼一层电话
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
WeChat: 13263495040
Photos: Kyle Mullin
