Capital Bites: Shark Conservation, Brand-New Bagelry and Hats Off to the Westin Beijing Financial Street

Penguins are really super-awesome creatures. Not only are they ready for a black tie event 24/7, they also have a kick-ass layer of protective fat underneath their skin. Humans are less naturally sartorially-blessed, but we have some subcutaneous insulation (albeit less effective) too! This week in Beijing, temperatures dipped below zero: ouch. If you need help building that fat layer back up after a summer of drinking, dancing and Diet Cokes, we can help. Keep reading for that weekly dose of eating news!

The Westin Beijing Financial Street's Hats Off! Canadian dinner is on tomorrow (Nov 25). If you don't have a booking yet, I highly recommend it. Yes, it's more than you'll pay for the average meal, but it's definitely an experience and the Westin Financial Street's Hats Off! events have a history of serving interesting, tasty and innovative cuisine. Patrick McMurray, champion oyster shucker (see our interview here), will be there plying his craft, as will noted Canadian chefs Michael Blacki and David Brode (pictured below). RMB 800 will net you six exquisite courses, paired wines and plenty of Ketel One vodka. Call 6629 7803 if you're interested.

And just in case you forgot, this is the shuckin' man, Patrick McMurray. He's very smiley!

Two great offers from Dianping.com for those in need of a sugar boost: free vanilla milkshake with any burger purchase at Fatburger, and a 1-inch upgrade on all cakes for RMB 1 from Divina. We went to Fatburger and were pleased to report that they're being very obliging: a free milkshake whether you buy a solo burger, burger meal, whatever. They were also happy to accommodate a request for chocolate instead of vanilla. Of course, your mileage may vary. For more deals, check out their vouchers section (you'll need to understand Chinese), or have a look at our previous post (some listed deals still valid).

The Peninsula Hotel group (or rather more geographically relevant, the Peninsula Beijing Hotel) has committed to stop serving shark fin as of next year. It's not exactly a controversial decision (hello, Yao Ming!) but it is deeply commendable and I personally hope that other major F&B outlets follow suit. Stephen Schwankert of Sinoscuba remarked that he was "stunned and so pleased" by the decision, as is much of the interweb. I'd love to know just how much it'll affect a hotel's profit margin - we'll have to wait and see.

Sanlitun sweethearts Modo and Mosto are both kitted out for winter with a new menu from Daniel Urdaneta. For one, the man's a marvel with cheese, and for two, Mosto's winter offerings include a butter-poached lobster risotto. Three of my favorite words in the same sentence, brilliant. More on this soon.

Tadka, the newly-renamed Indian restaurant in the Beijing Marriott Northeast, is holding a wine dinner next Tuesday (Nov 29). Five courses of contemporary Indian cuisine, each paired with a European wine. We've seen the menu and it looks promising - bonus points to Chef Kurly for putting falooda noodles in the lineup. Fun to say, eh? Falooda! And at RMB 198, it's also one of the best value wine dinners in town. Give them a buzz on 5927 8328 for a reservation.

Gung Ho! Pizza have been doing combo deals for a while now, but we've noticed that they're not listed on the official website. Check them out above. This does make Gung Ho! a bit more affordable post-price-rise, but note that you won't get pizza points with these. Double points are still on until the end of the month to celebrate their new Lido location.

We're a little late, but Laowai's in Wudaokou is now the Five Spot. They're giving away a free lunch dish with every purchase of a large latte, Americano or cappucino from 11.30am-3pm, weekdays.

Other east-side discoveries: Manna's House is a tiny stall next to exit B of Wudaokou subway station. They're now offering hot dogs wrapped in a sweet waffle, amongst other waffle-icious delights. Pretty sure that's up there alongside fried coke as far as unnecessary foods go.

Onto openings and closings now. Tori Ton is a new Japanese BBQ joint open across from the East Gate of Gongti. Little sister to Tori Tei, it's big for a yakitori place and would suit groups. Also a deft touch with chicken hearts - theirs were tender, not chewy! Open 5.30pm-1am, call 6585 3100 if you get lost on the way there.

Let's Burger is expanding to Shunyi! Expect a Pinnacle Avenue location to open soon.

Rug Bagel & Cafe are open in Lishui Jiayuan, directly opposite the South Gate of Chaoyang Park, with outdoor seating, Wi-Fi and apparently a kids' play area.

Annie's is opening yet another branch on November 28 next to Gori, across from The Place. Well done.

Unconditional Love appears to be closed. According to signage in their shopfront, they've been shut down for reasons relating to fire safety regulations. We've heard that one before. They tell us they hope to reopen, but no news at the moment. If they don't come back, we'll be very sorry to see them go - they've been one of the best coffee shops around Beijing, certainly in the Shuangjing/Pingod area.

Oh, and happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans in Beijing! Have a safe & delicious holiday. For the rest of us, I'm proposing the establishment of Nondenominational Appreciation Day this Saturday. Saturday, because only the luckiest of us can afford to take the afternoon off for the 4.30pm seating at Chef Too. Snack safely, everyone!

Photos: Literarylush.wordpress.com, Susan Sheng