Capital Bites: Adios Casa Latina, Konichiwa Obentos and More Food Scandals

There are six million and three adages about being the bearer of bad news*, but bear it I must. This week’s dining news has a little more “gosh darn it” than usual, but take my hand, Reader, and we’ll make it (I swear!). Click on for your usual weekly dose of closings, openings and switches.

My favourite Mexican place, Casa Latina, has sadly closed their doors for the last time. Their website claims it’s due to “technical reasons,” which calls to mind Jetsons-style kitchen bots shorting out into a vat of picante. Is there a good reason to visit Solana anymore?

(OK, maybe for Greek Delicacy, which is underrated.)

In other sobering news, the Internet tells us that up to ten percent of our meals in China could contain gutter oil. However, police managed to break up a gutter oil network recently, confiscating liters of dodgy oil. In another show of competence, the boys in blue also arrested a few Beijing baozi sellers stuffing their buns with illegal additives bound to make your liver quiver. Moral of the story: be careful. I'm kinda old-school: I like these.

Wudaokou’s Holy Fries – the tiny stall across Chengfu Lu from Lush that made surprisingly good hot dogs – has been taken over by a “potato farmer from New York,” inside sources say.

And a few good newsbites to round off the afternoon:

The Ganges above Paddy's we mentioned here is now open. Tikka up your life!

In "soft opening" as of yesterday, Obentos is the new kid on the Central Park block and looks almost certain to be a lunchtime hit. Their highlights are a range of "classic" and "gourmet" bento boxes (RMB 46-78) including options like teriyaki chicken, eel kabayaki and seared beef tenderloin. Right now, the menu is limited to bento boxes, salads and sushi, but there will also be onigiri rice balls, noodles and desserts to come. Deliveries don't get underway until this Monday (Sep 19), and for the time being will only be available within Central Park. A more comprehensive CBD delivery service covering Dongdaqiao Lu to the East Third Ring Road will be offered from sometime in October. Obentos is open 11am-10pm Mon-Fri and 10am-10pm on Sat-Sun.

Lastly: I went somewhere really very good for not a lot of money, and now I want to tell all my friends. Here, friend, this is one of the things I ate. More on this very, very soon.

*OK, I can only really think of three. Six million and three, give or take six million.

Photos: Iain Shaw & Susan Sheng