Stupa Foods: Fine Dining at Temple Restaurant Beijing
Move over, CourtYard – there’s a new “romantic fine-dining in historic setting” restaurant set to steal your guidebook crown. But Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB), run by former Maison Boulud GM Ignace Lecleir, is too lovely for mere tourists. The dining room itself is housed in a modern annex. However, tall windows capture the astonishing site, just outside of a hitherto forgotten, centuries-old Buddhist temple.
From the single spotlight illuminating the temple stupa to the immaculate cut of Ignace’s suit, this is one seriously good-looking eatery. Acres of room between tables, comfy corner couches and relaxed service make TRB conducive for romantic lingering long after the complimentary petit fours (including homemade marshmallows) have been gobbled up. The kitchen works its socks off to match the setting with modern European fare (RMB 248-428 for three- to five-course set meals, or order a la carte), and mostly gets it right.
Some dishes were very good, like the rich and wintry pigeon with ceps, smoked duck, parsnips and truffle jus. Others, like the duet of lobster and goose liver (RMB 128), were exceptional – a terrine of foie gras encasing silky soft poached lobster, partnered with a lobster mousse topped with a lusciously imploding foie gras “fondant,” served with warm toast. Classic desserts like tarte tatin and a chocolate and hazelnut dacquoise are another strong suit.
The extensive Francophile wine list, which skews towards champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy, has the reach to pick the deepest of pockets. Still, for these austere times, there are at least a few in the sub-RMB 300 range.
Standout dishes: Foie gras and lobster duet, grilled sirloin of beef and beef cheek ragout
Also try: Capital M, CourtYard
Temple Restaurant BeijingMon-Sat 11.30am-2.30pm, 6-10pm, Sun 11.30am-2.30pm. 23 Songzhusi Temple, Shatan Beijie, Dongcheng District (8400 2232) 东城区沙滩北街嵩祝寺23号
Click here to see the February issue of the Beijinger in full.
Photo: Judy Zhou
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mespinosa
Submitted by Guest on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 18:05 Permalink
SCAM &Fine Dining at Temple Restaurant Beijing
Last week I had dinner in this place, the restaurant is fine but not amazing, the service is overwhelming all the time offerering more water, do you need something else, they do not let you have a decent conversation.
When you arrive they have the courtesy to ask for your coat, scarf, hat to take this items to the coat room. Immediately they offer you mineral or sparkling water, ask you if you want a drink from the bar, the food menu and the wine menu. It appears at first sight that the staff speaks perfectly english, but do not trust in that, they are just trained to affirm with a sligh up and down head movement. 3 of my friends asked for a soup or appetizer I did not, but the waitress insistend in bringing me a courtesy plate that I did not ask, so I have to return twice courtesy dishes, it started to be annoying. Two of my friends asked for a cuba libre (rum & diet Coke) with an extra glass with ice and a extra diet coke, the waitress brought the rum and a regular coke and a diet coke to mix, after we fixed the confusion the started to bring what my friends asked for (rum & diet Coke) with an extra glass with ice and a extra diet coke. The main plate was very good but in a very little portions, my first thought was to bring my little girls there, where they for sure will leave an empty dish.
We asked for a couple of desserts and the waitress brought some complimentary sample of other dessers, they were fine. The firs surprise was the bill, when i checked it they were charging $150 RMB (25 USD) for each bottle of sparkling or mineral water, yes the one they offered as a compliment when we just sat.
The second sorprise was that they were charging 4 regular cokes, when we asked why they said it was our mistake when we ordered de cuba libre from the bar.
But well we came to have fun and not to be cheap even for a more than $500 USD bill, so with the language difference and been late we decided to let these situations pass.
The real situation was when we asked for our coats from the coat room, a hat was missing, ok there is no problem we thought so we asked the waitress to look for it, after 30 minutes of people running from one room to another without giving or proposing a simple solution for the missing hat, finally the manager decided to appear. He is an elegant man, but just in appeareance, after 20 minutes discussing he made very clear that he was never sure that we came with a hat, it was a freezzing night by the way, everyone of us had a hat, however the way he treated us was the opposite to a client, he was never propositive on a solution, he was rude, in one simple word he is ARROGANT, it seems that he is making us a favor letting us have dinner in his restaurant.
If you want to have a good time go somewhere else, this place is not worth the time, the money or the food they serve.
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