EAT: In-N-Out Pop-Up in 798, Avocado Ice Cream at Avocado Tree, Jing Xi Beer Garden Launch

EAT: Your bite-sized guide to the best eats to be had in Beijing this week.

In-N-Out Burger Popping Up in 798 Today (May 14)

Fans of Californian burger chain In-N-Out should get (tentatively) excited because several other local news outlets have reported that said cult favorite will be popping up at Las Cafe in 798 for one day only today (Tuesday, May 14). The pop-up will run from 11am-3pm but there are reported to be only a couple of hundred burgers available, so expect them to run out quickly. We remain a little skeptical of the motive behind (and, indeed, veracity of) such a small, one-day pop-up, so approach with caution, but having just enjoyed a classic Double-Double on a recent trip to LA, you can bet this editor will be there trying her luck along with the rest of the crowds.
 

Avocado Tree Launches Avocado Ice Cream

Apparently not content to offer one of Beijing's tastiest, best value healthy food options, Avocado Tree has been tinkering with avocado-based desserts, the fruits of which is a surprisingly delicious avocado-based ice cream. Created with the help of Lingxia Gelato, the ice cream comes in several flavors, including a vegan avo-coconut. Our favorite is the avocado frozen yogurt, which is intensely creamy with none of the chalkiness that sometimes plagues frozen yogurt. Get one scoop in a cup for RMB 22, two for RMB 33, and three for RMB 45, with the option to add a cone for RMB 3.

If you're very lucky, however, the absolute best pick is the avocado surprise (RMB 45), which – surprise! – is shaped like an avocado half. The avocado flesh is made of their avo-coconut gelato with a stone made of hazelnut gelato, while the incredibly realistic shell is made of 85 percent cocoa dark chocolate. The chocolate, in particular, adds a really nice dimension here, its bitterness contrasting with the mild sweetness of the ice cream. At present, they only have very limited quantities of the avocado surprise, so if you want to sample it for yourself, it's best to get in touch with them in advance.

Avocado Tree also recently opened a new store in the center of Wangjing, their sixth in Beijing, while their Topwin Center location is currently in the midst of a two-week renovation. Also, look for them to open a new store in the Kerry Center sometime this summer.
 

Jing Xi Pak Pak x Jing-A Beer Garden Launch, May 16

Following the successful return of the Jing Jing beer garden at the Opposite House, Jing-A is launching a new collaboration with Thai restaurant Pak Pak in the CBD. Jing Xi will launch this Thursday, May 16 with an opening party with free beer for the first 50 customers, plus a free buffet of Thai snacks from 5-7pm. Happy hour (RMB 10 off all beers) will run until 11pm.
 

Great Leap Brewing's No-Diet Day Special Menu

In celebration of International No-Diet Day (which actually fell on May 6), an annual celebration of body acceptance and promoting healthy lifestyles at any size, Great Leap Brewing have added a couple of indulgent specials to their menu. From now until May 26, Great Leap Brewing will be serving a new limited-time menu, featuring chicken-fried bacon with tangy mustard sauce (RMB 25, pictured above), mac and cheese (RMB 40), a Buffalo chicken sandwich (RMB 55), and, to top it all off, a triple cheeseburger with three layers of beef smothered in triple cheddar, fancy sauce, mayo, and pickles (RMB 85).

READ: Topwin Mall Gets an F&B Shake Up, Ousts Favorites Shawarma Dareen and Fatboy's

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Photos: Flickr/Ryan Kartzke, Robynne Tindall, Avocado Tree, Great Leap Brewing