Deli de Luxe Sister Restaurant Claret Opens in 798 Art District With Solar Term-Themed Menu
Veteran Chaoyang foodies are likely to be familiar with Deli de Luxe, the Chaoyang Park-adjacent and tucked-away café that prides itself on healthy organic quiche, salads, and sandwiches. Owner Sakashita Kiyono has now gone on to take that winning formula to Deli de Luxe's sister brand Claret in the 798 Art District. Housed at the back of Aio Space bookstore, Claret is a three-floor eatery with a small café on the first floor, a more formal seating on the second floor, and a sprawling 600sqm in- and outdoor dining area on the third floor, which is reminiscent of Origine in Wudaoying before it succumbed to the Great Brickening.
They offer a seasonal five-course set meal (RMB 358) complying with the Earth's 24 solar terms. We opted for the guyu (谷雨), or Grain Rain, the last solar term in spring (Apr 20-May 5). The meal kicked off with a bread and homemade dip platter including hummus, pesto, and harissa. The latter was our clear favorite, the combination of mild and spicy courtesy of blended chili peppers giving way to a sweet and tangy finish. These are so good that you'll want to take them home with you (thankfully they sell 10 kinds of pastes by the jar for that very purpose).
By the second course, white asparagus soup. it was clear that the solar term concept is not just empty talk – the kitchen uses it to highlight seasonal local ingredients. The soup was creamy and rich and original for featuring gorgon fruit, a traditional TCM ingredient, and sprouts of shepherd’s purse. The main dish, slow-cooked snowflake beef short ribs, was not as hot as it should have been upon serving (an understandable misstep on their first day) but its spicy carrot puree and a dollop of fennel oil were enough to save it.
The dessert, homemade chocolate sculpted into a flower, came alive as its petals bloomed and fell down when the chef poured green matcha sauce onto the plate. Black garlic-flavored cheese served as the stem, and it was all topped with roasted sweet chili pepper and chopped nuts. It was not a normal dessert by any means, but the sweet chocolate balanced well with the savory cheese, spicy pepper, and smoky matcha flavors.
Aside from the special set meal that will be revamped every two weeks, Claret also offers an all-day brunch, salads, soups, tapas, staples, quiches, sandwiches, and pastries, for those with less time to spare.
Its creative approach to utilizing local ingredients with a Chinese-bent has gotten Claret off to an exciting start and it will undoubtedly appeal to those wanting to splash a little cash near 798 Art District. Given that area's comparatively slim culinary pickings, we expect Claret will do well for itself once the word is out.
Claret
Daily 10am-10pm. Aio Space, D Zone, Beijing 798 Art District, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (158 1053 4041)
听厨：朝阳区酒仙桥路2号北京798艺术区D区机遇空间
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang, courtesy of Claret
