The Rug Café Softly Opens As One of Wangfujing's Best New Restaurants
It's been a dull spring season thus far for Beijing foodies, thanks to a dearth of new openings. Thankfully, the Rug Café is here to brighten our moods and satisfy our appetites. This newly opened eatery at Wangfujing's WF Central mall is the latest branch of local F&B power trio Aden Chang, Elin Hung, and Gordon Chan.
That means you can expect the same sort elegantly casual ambiance that The Rug Sanlitun and Chaoyang are renowned for. The Wangfujing iteration is very airy and combines elements of a restaurant, bar, and café. It is also outfitted with comfortable yet trendy east-meets-west décor like a three-meter tall pane of stained glass, stone lions hidden at every corner, large neon lights, bird cages, and lamps in the shape of wusha mao (literally the black gauze caps that Chinese officers used to wear in ancient times). There is also a spacious outdoor patio that's perfect for brunch, lunch poke, a romantic dinner, or afternoon tea.
The menu is equally impressive, featuring fetching salads and pastas. Better still are the poke bowls, creative burgers, and waffles with a range of toppings on weekdays, as well as a brunch menu on the weekend. Be sure to try the soft-shell crab crispy waffle (RMB 118) which is large in portion and features a deep-fried soft-shell crab, a layer of well-seasoned gourd leaves, radish, and homemade tartar sauce.
The Buttered Lobster Roll (RMB 198) was one of the best sandwiches we've had this year. It's made with half of a soft cooked Boston lobster, chopped fresh apple, potato, cucumber, and egg salad, all seasoned with dill and chili powder. It was refreshing, flavorful, and straightforwardly delicious.
We also tried some of their new desserts like the yellow mango citrus passiflora (RMB 58). We enjoyed its orange paper-thin chocolate shell, along with its thick mango and passion-fruit flavored custard. The frozen orange pulp at its center, however, really put this sweet treat over the top. Their dessert menu also features cakes made fresh daily by their new pastry chef upstairs.
The meal didn't end with dessert, however. Instead we had fun with their “Apothecary” series of four special drinks. The special twist here is that patrons are given a set of ingredients to mix themselves, such as white purple-pine bubbly (featuring butterfly pea flower juice and lime and pineapple juice, with white tea sparkling water); grass jello café au lait (with herbal grass jello, organic milk, espresso, and maple syrup); and Hambella cold brew coffee. There are also several cocktails and a strong selection of wine.
The Rug Café’s soft opening began on Apr 12. So far they are providing drinks, desserts, and an afternoon tea set (RMB 55-198). The full menu will be ready on Apr 17. To celebrate the opening, Jing-A’s Flying Fist IPA will have a buy-one-get-one-free deal at The Rug Café from Apr 16-20, 5-7pm. Be it the elegant eats, sunny terrace, or airy interior, The Rug Café has plenty of attributes to lure us back again and again.
The Rug Café (WF Central)
Daily 10am-10pm. 112, West Side, 1/F, WF Central, Daruanfu Hutong, Dongcheng District (6528 3966)
东城区大阮府胡同王府中环1层西座112室
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos courtesy of The Rug Cafe, Tracy Wang
