First Glance: Jinlinhui, Chaoyang Park
We were lucky enough to be invited over to the newly-opened Jinlinhui, a beautiful high-end Chinese restaurant, clearly showcasing western cooking influences, and boasting a lavish rooftop bar. Chefs here are of the highest caliber, and the atmosphere is exquisite. The restaurant is a labyrinth of tables and private rooms, each room more spacious than the next.
We tried the salad topped with crispy duck (RMB 128), chocolate and pumpkin soup (RMB 48), and smoked foie gras pâté served with cigar-shaped bun (RMB 98) as starters. The flavors were all carefully combined, although the salad topped with crispy duck, served on tiny deep-fried slices of mantou, easily took top prize, the salad dressing perfectly complementing the crispy duck skin.
As for mains, the pan-fried Australian beef cubes with peppercorn (RMB 196) was extremely tasty, good quality beef topped by Guijie-style Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and roasted garlic. A dish certainly not for the faint of heart, or those who can't stand chili. We also tried the sauteed green tofu with beef (RMB 67), which consisted of homemade tofu made using eggs as well as the extracted colors and nutritious elements of bitter melons, while foregoing the bitter flavor. The tofu's texture was solid, and together with the sauce it made for a treat.
However, our favorite dish was the curried seafood served in a coconut bowl (RMB 129 per person, RMB 359 for a large bowl). The red curry was spicy and full of flavor, and the coconut bowl was filled to the brim with mussles, shrimp, and chunks of fish.
To top things off, the restaurant is coupled with a relaxed rooftop bar and an amazing view. The menu here, as is to be expected, is filled with expensive bottles but there are also decent cocktails (RMB 50-70 for the classics), and bottled beers on offer. A great spot for that post-dinner drink on a beautiful day.
Jinlinhui is definitely the kind of place that you take your parents to during their visit, and they are guaranteed to absolutely love it. Although there are some items on the menu (namely sea cucumber, my arch-nemesis) that you might want to avoid, there are plenty of offer dishes to choose from that cater to all tastes.
Oh yeah, and did we mention that you can have North Korean dancers, singers, and drummers come to your private room for a performance? Well, you can. If that's what you're into.
Jinlinhui
Daily 10am-2pm, 5pm-2am. Inner Courtyard, 8 Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District (5840 8989)
朝阳区朝阳公园西路8号公馆内
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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of Jinlinhui, Margaux Schreurs
