Beijing restaurants

Migas Mercado in CBD

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

A gorgeous view

Migas Mercado in CBD (Beijing) is a Spanish/ Mediterranean restaurant on the 7th Floor, North Zone, of China World Mall in the Beijing World Trade Center group of buildings.
The restaurant is one of several in the same building with a terrace that offers a great view of the new CBD area and the CCTV Tower.
Better keep the pictures of the area as in a very years it will change again dramatically and buildings such as the BTV Tower will be hidden by even more high-rises.
When we were there on a Saturday, 8 May 2021 we were told window seating, inside and outside, – demanded minimum consumption of 500 RMB per person. The next rows are 300 RMB minimum consumption, where we finally got a table. Most tables were already reserved.
See one of the many reviews: https://www.therooftopguide.com/rooftop-bars-in-beijing/migas.html

Nice food

I was there before and wanted to check the food again. We were not that in the blood sausages – Morel’s are better – but batatas bravas with chorizo, the salad and the mushroom paella, among other, were nice. With the many dishes ordered we reached the required 600 RMB easily. Service was reasonable while we were very early to get a table. A bit strange but we were told the minimum fee does not apply to afternoon tea…

The building China World Mall has a wide range of restaurants spread over several floors. I feel always a bit lost in that building, trying to find the right floors and the best entry/exit. A bit of a complicated labyrinth, worse if you try to come through the maze of underground levels walking from the other connected WTC buildings.

Old China Hands 4 June lunch

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Full house for an anniversary

For our Old China Hands 4 June lunch we again had some surprises, celebrating our 8th anniversary with a group picture and an unplanned musical performance.
Actually the lunches started in April 2013 but we were too busy in the previous lunches and wanted the celebration to be the main focus. Again with team work we got a banner that we used for the group picture. Some new faces but happy to see again our Aussie friend Geoff back and out of quarantine.

As Morel’s Restaurant had some staff issues I had to be the cashier at the door and forced to have part of my lunch while raking in the money.
And mobilizing the gang for the group picture demanded some calls to order, made easy as I am the Sergeant-at-Arms in Rotary. We were 35 exactly with a special table for the Flemish gang.

Impromptu performance

Our member Peter has some remarkable talents in shooting music videos. He surprised us by setting up a short trio performance. He has his own band, music studio and video company (more than 100 songs where he did composition and Chinese lyrics). He certainly has a very interesting professional background too…
See the vimeo clip, need VPN in China.

Our lunches are never boring!

Another author among our members

Our (new) member Caroline surprised me with her book: “Les trente glorieuses chinoises de 1980 à nos jours – Caroline Puel”. See here: https://www.france24.com/en/20110120-caroline-puel-journalist-author-30-years-that-changed-china

I promptly bought the book and I started reading it – looks very interesting. So few people know about the real history of modern China.

And yeah back back again

Honestly, a bit too much of Morel’s Restaurant?

The same evening back, to have dinner with friends. I had the spaghetti, the best one in town, really. And see what else came on the table.

Rotary Club of Beijing in April

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Rotary lunch 6 April

Rotary Club of Beijing in April had a busy month, started with the board meeting before the lunch, in a private room of Kempinski Hotel on 6 April 2021.

Lunch was in Via Roma, the Italian restaurant of Kempinski. PE Didier inducted our new member Vivian.

A new venue: Encuentro

The dinner on 13 April 2021 was held in the new South American restaurant Encuentro, located opposite Worker’s Stadium North gate.

Happens that our guest Iris from Panama is a professional food expert and has been advising the restaurant. She also tried an impressive and colorful cocktail, or was it a fruit cup…

Two new members were inducted by PE Didier, Hans and Chris.

A Spanish evening in The Roots

On 27 April 2021 the Rotary Club of Beijing had a Spanish-themed evening party, attended by visiting Rotarians, guests and Rotaractors. Full house at The Roots Restaurant that did a good job with the food, drinks and service.

PE Didier presided the dinner and brought along two guitarists (both from … Xinjiang, not Spain) who entertained us during the evening.

See here a short video (VPN needed in China):
Rotary Spanish evening in Beijing The Roots on 27 April 2021, https://youtu.be/0YBakPzOmQQ

Famous Cao Cao

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

We finally met in person

I mentioned the famous Cao Cao earlier. As it happens a lot, being a regular in Morel’s Resturant also allows me to meet a wide range of people, some simply nice, some unexpected, some, well, simply famous.
With the restaurant recently hopelessly full, some patrons are “forced” to sit at the chef Renaat’s table, the usual table for Renaat and Susan (and me). Often turns out the best that can happen to you!

On 2 March the “VIP table” had the Amcham president and our long-time friend Gaiya. And Cao Cao, the Internet celebrity, famous foreign actor and now also author.
I admit that I had at first a bit of a mixed opinion about such a “celebrity” but meeting him was a real pleasant surprise. He has a very interesting background, many fascinating stories to tell and he is a very “international person”.
He had just returned from a movie shoot in Jilin, having the leading role in a new Chinese movie. That experience was a unique story in itself.
He speaks fluently the Beijing Chinese dialect. And he made this clip about the Morel’s Restaurant that clocked some 45 million views (no typo here). He is on Douyin “caocaolaile666”.

You can watch the video here (there is no suitable link to Douyin…): https://youtu.be/lm24WNVqr-o
That video is largely the explanation why the restaurant has seen an invasion of Chinese… He has also other very popular Douyin videos…

Cao Cao dinner and books

That video led to the creation of a “Cao Cao menu” in the restaurant… He loves the steak with béarnaise and a waffle. As you can see, and accompanied by his usual bottle of Belgian beer (St Bernardus).

Jonathan Kos-Read (“曹操 Cao Cao”) is his real name. His book “The Eunuch” is to come out very soon, see the cover where you read about his background. Interesting and impressive; the book is pulished through Earnshaw Books, of Graham Earnshaw, whom I met a couple of times, see here in Shanghai.

Jonathan also joined our Old China Hands lunch on 5 March and I donated my book of jokes to him

SKP the Beijing super mall

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Exploring total luxury

Finally I visited SKP the Beijing super mall, on 9 January 2021.
You could call it the temple of capitalism, luxury shopping, extravagant consumerism.
It houses about any famous international brand, clothing, shoes, kitchen ware, watches, jewelry, anything. Bring your credit card…

We had dinner in the Macau Taste restaurant, in the connected China Central Mall, through underground level 1. Nice food!
You also find around there an Apple store and many banks.
We did not visit SKP-S.

I also had the experience to buy a small kitchen knife. Indeed normally NO ANY SHOP sells knives. If you need knives for your kitchen in Beijing, good luck. Hey, it is a weapon!
I did find exactly what I wanted, though super expensive. I succeeded to buy it after filling out forms, contact data and copy of my Green Card. Tip from the shop: do not take the subway with it… We went by Didi…

About SKP and the new SKP-S (Select)

One of the most upscale malls in Beijing, SKP is filled with shops selling pricey designer goods. Shop in comfort then have lunch at one of the many restaurants, many in China Central Mall connected to SKP.
Located on Jianguo Road, West Dawang Road and near Dawang Bridge. See the maps.
See this website with many great pictures: https://superfuture.com/2020/01/new-shops/beijing-skp-s-mall-opening/

Says the website:
As the planet’s biggest luxury market, you’d say China is the holy grail for any self-discerning brand operating in fashion’s upper echelon. The SKP mall in Beijing has long been the home of glittering trophies from the realm of fashion and lifestyle, featuring a myriad of flagship stores of relevant brands from across the planet. Interestingly, SKP is state-owned, and it looks like the venture’s raison d’être is aligned with the harsh government crackdown on illegally imported luxury goods in recent years. As a consequence of local market conditions, SKP mall in Beijing is slowly transforming into a department store, aiming to offer a more cohesive shopping experience to the Chinese capital’s most discerning shoppers, and which is able to rival some of planet’s most prestigious shopping grounds along the way.

The opening of SKP-S (SKP Select), a distinctly design-led south wing is part of this newly adopted strategy. In a bold move, the company has teamed up with Gentle Monster, the Seoul-based eyewear brand known for its bold and highly evocative retail design, to create premises fit for today’s generation of digital-savvy shoppers.