Welcome, ‘suite’ readers, to Bespoke’s first instalment of The Inn Thing, a blog series where we look through the keyhole (err, behind the keycard reader) at a selection of Beijing’s hotels. Our mission: to give a useful and entertaining glimpse into places we think our customers and friends might be interested in. First up: we visit the two signature restaurants of Four Seasons Beijing.
Most foodies are quick to malign hotel restaurants – too generic, average food, overpriced – are the common complaints. So kudos to Four Seasons for hiring Tokyo-based Spin Design Studio and telling them to go wild. Don’t hold back. Take hallucinogenic drugs if need be. Just make sure diners will be slapped clean out of their apathy. And that’s certainly what happens as you step from Four Seasons’ rather dull lobby into Cai Yi Xuan’s striking entrance way…
Cai Yi Xuan is the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, and the more understated of its two food outlets. Chef Kwong, previously at Hong Kong’s Lei Garden chain, rustles up Cantonese fare, Peking duck, and standards from Shandong and Huiyang. The dim sum is reasonably inventive, with the ‘Beijing-style dim sum’ selection a clever touch, but the food plays second fiddle to the decor, which is so shiny and ostentatious it should come with a health-warning. But even that’s nothing compared to…
Mio, the Italian fine dining restaurant at Four Seasons Beijing. The photo doesn’t quite do justice to the sheer amount of dripping crystal bling. Ludicrously camp for a place with pizza ovens and such rustic peasant fare as…
ARTISINAL CHEESE. What other travel company can get you a VIP peak into such a sexy fridge, eh? One for all you curd nerds.
This sumptuiously kitted-out open kitchen is where Chef Marco Calenzo does his thing. Sadly, our budget only stretched to the rather play-it-safe set lunch (a much better selection is to be had at Opera Bombana for the same price), but an amuse bouche of passionfruit and foie gras ‘creme brûlée’ (imagine each flavour carefully, then put them together – genius) afforded a tantalising peak at what the a la carte menu might have in store, if you’re prepared to splash the cash.
A quick rundown on our set lunch: this seared tuna dish with tomato get things off to a fresh, light and and avacado-y start.
The bolognese with pici (a hand-rolled, slightly fatter spaghetti) was really excellent. Rich, beefy and full of depth, with a rustic pasta so al dente it put hairs on our chest. (Not really).
We threw a margarita pizza into the mix just for fun. Disappointing. Hotter oven, was our suggestion (and they have beautiful wood fired ovens so that shouldn’t be an issue). Also not pictured was a big wood board of Italian ham with house-baked bread ( disappointing again – baking not their strong suit?) and another main course pasta dish not memorable enough to recall.
Dessert finished on a high – ‘milk four ways’ – which sounded drab but tasted divine. Mascarpone gelato is our new favourite thing. To sum up, both restaurants earn a cautious BB recommendation for guests already staying at the hotel or in the nearby area. Service is terrific, of course, but at these prices there are other restaurants in Beijing that do special occassions better, even if largely by virtue of location – the east third ring road will always struggle to woo travellers. Check back for future instalments of The Inn Thing!
About the author: Tom O’Malley is Propaganda Secretary at Bespoke Beijing. A lifestyle journalist, guidebook author, glutton and bon vivant, Tom is a tireless crusader for fine food, hospitality and tourist experiences in China’s capital.