Capital Bites: It's World Food Day, Plus Fresh Pasta at LMPlus, Polar Bear in a Can and More

Today, October 16, is World Food Day, so let's take a moment to appreciate the abundance we have around us and also think about those who have much less. Also, news tidbits like LM Plus' new deli, the return of Bob Louison's cocktail classes, more restaurant reviews on the blog and a chance to attend Hilton's Food and Wine Experience on us.

Every year, the international community celebrates World Food Day on October 16, which is the anniversary of the founding of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. This year's theme is agricultural cooperatives – grassroots ways we can support farmers (and farmers can support each other) so that we can feed the world sustainably. So, think about that with every bite you take today. It's easy to spend a lot of time critiquing Beijing's dining scene and whining about what we don't have here, but let's consider ourselves lucky. Also, great day to sign up for Chi Fan for Charity, where we can celebrate our bounty while also giving to those less fortunate.

Meanwhile, in other fun news: Looks like the Arctic Ocean (Bei Bing Yang) polar bear soda is popping up (hah, get it?) in cans. We haven't tried it yet but we took a picture. Anyone out there able to vouch for whether it's as deliciously fizzy as the glass-bottled version?

LM Plus seems to have opened a deli just about next door to their LMPLus location in Central Park. They're selling fresh pastas by the jin (500g), including squid ink tagliolini and an intriguing beetroot gnocchi. They're also selling sauces, from tomato and basil to shrimp and mussels. Take a peek at the menu above for more.

If you haven't entered already, don't miss your chance to win three tickets to the Hilton Food and Wine Experience on October 27. Check out our blog here for more details.

Niajo celebrates three years this Thursday with a Dine & Wine Spanish Night. It'll be RMB 398 for a five course meal – which will include 5J Iberico ham and cheeses – and four Torres wine pairings. You can book a table for 6.30pm or 8.30pm by emailing them at rsvp@niajo.com or calling 5208 6052.

Bob Louison's Spirit It classes are back, with the upcoming one taking place this Saturday, Oct 20, 8-10pm at the Hilton Beijing's Zeta Bar. Cost is RMB 188 and this week he'll be taking you back to the golden age of cocktails: the pre-prohibition era of the 1830s-'70s. To reserve, email Bob at bobspirit.it@gmail.com with your name and the number of people attending.

Next Tuesday, Oct 23, at 4.30pm, Fongyee Walker (co-founder of Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting) will be hosting a highly informative presentation about the soil and climate conditions that define California's Napa Valley. Following that, Erle Martin of Pine Ridge Vineyards will host a master class introducing several Napa Valley wines. This will all take place at the Park Hyatt Hotel. For cost and other information or to book a reservation, contact Yuki Tian at yt@viapacifica.com.

If you missed Fuchsia Dunlop's talk last Friday, you can still catch our interview with her here.

And in case you've missed any of these, check out our takes on Jeff Powell's Back Alley Bistro, Jamaica Me Crazy, Charlie's Italian Cafe in Shuangjing and the new My Soup at Central Park.

We also got a taste of Laia Pons' new dishes at Sureno at their 4th anniversary dinner last Friday. She's off to a great start, with fun plays on classic flavors like a melon soup with parma ham, star anise potato chips and a baba rum cake with ice cream and passion fruit sauce (pictured above). We're looking forward to seeing more of her handiwork at her new post.

Happy eating.

Photos: Iain Shaw, Marilyn Mai