Meeting Someone? Spacious Terrace and Tasty Southern Chinese Make Tang One of Taikoo Li's Best
Perched above the entryway to Taikoo Li's Uniqlo outlet now sits a foodie magnet for anyone hankering after southern Chinese cuisine, spirits and wine, and desserts – not to mention breezy terraces. Though a little tough to find (take the Uniqlo elevator up to the fourth floor), Tang by Meeting Someone quickly impresses with its sprawling rooftop terrace and stained glass windows that gleam in the midday summer sun.
And while experience has taught us that some venues that put so much emphasis on the digs can sometimes neglect the thing that matters most – the grub – Tang endeavors to live up to its flashy presentation with an equally memorable menu packed with stewed and braised meats, steamed crabs, and wholesome mushroom soups.
The food here spans a familiar selection of southern favorites, specifically a mixture of Zhejiang and Cantonese dishes, working in hearty staples with sweeter elements and presented with modern and colorful flourishes. Take, for, example, the diced yam sprinkled with chunks of hawthorn and a sweet osmanthus sauce (RMB 58), which together makes for a light and flavorful appetizer. Meanwhile, the crispy, deep-fried mushrooms (RMB 48), though plentiful and tasty in their own right, lacked the dazzle promised by the accompanying French foie gras sauce listed on the menu.
Our favorite dish by a mile was the juicy diced fried beef (RMB 108) served with chunks of scallion, potato, bamboo, and pepper. It made for a bright and mouthwatering melange of flavors and ingredients that will disappear in no time.
Tang also has a talented pastry chef on staff who makes eye-catching desserts (all RMB 78) like delightfully tart raspberry cheesecake, a unique chocolate mousse with passion fruit curd, and even a durian tiramisu that isn’t overly pungent and is sweet enough to tempt the uninitiated.
Their drink list is also a winner, abounding with dozens of options, including four by-the-glass house wines (RMB 65) and over three pages of imported whites and reds, with most ranging from RMB 300-600 per bottle. Tang also boasts a head-spinning seven pages of cocktails ranging from RMB 70-120, as well as several signature cocktails for RMB 90 each.
In all, the WeChat feed-friendly design (which is positively restrained given the team's zany black orb-fronted Aye by Meeting Someone last year) and the expansive and well thought out food and drinks make Tang by Meeting Someone one of Sanlitun's best summer openings. Alongside the new Red Lobster and TRB's strength-to-strength Hulu, it also signals a resurgence in Taikoo Li's draw as a legitimate dining hub after several slow years of the mall trying to refind its footing.
Tang by Meeting Someone
Daily, 11am-midnight. 4/F, S10-40, Sanlitun Taikoo South (above Uniqlo), Chaoyang District (8449 3591)
朝阳区三里屯太古里南区S10-40(优衣库楼上4层)
Read our review of Taikoo Li's other big opening this month, Red Lobster, here.
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
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Photos: Uni You
