W dine & wine
By Larissa Paschyn (
bestfoodinchina.net)
Updated: 2010-09-16 16:08
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W dine & wine can be summed up in one word: Charming. You might not think that when you enter. The décor looks like something out of NYC, up-market modernist with black swivel chairs and sleek lines. But don’t be intimidated into thinking W dine & wine is meant for the trendy and wealthy, this restaurant is meant for the mid-range customers.
The owner of W dine & wine, Geoffrey Weckx had actually changed the design of the restaurant to black sophisticate so as to make the place more approachable to locals, who were apprehensive of the prices when earlier when everything was in purple with rich curtains. Though the new scheme doesn’t necessarily alleviate that fear, the friendly English speaking staff and service soon causes you to ease back into the comfy surroundings.
Of course that is what Mr. Weckx wanted, which something you wouldn’t expect from someone with his background. For 20 years he has worked around the world in restaurants and hotels and even for three-star Michelin restaurants. Twelve years ago he fell in love with Beijing, a city where anything can happen, and he found that for all its charm, there were no charming mid-range casual restaurants with innovative and creative cuisine. This Belgium decided to change that.
And he has. Situated right across from the Canadian Embassy, W Dine and Wine is packed every lunch due to their great 98 rmb business lunches. The white-collared European executives have found the perfect spot to network and still fill themselves on house wine, appetizers, main dishes, and coffee and pastries. The weekends have become popular for families, and the romantics even come here for some loving; Valentine’s Day was exceptionally popular.
This relaxing and casual atmosphere is perfect for everyone; divided into three different sections, there are the informal round tables for families, the formal long tables for business meetings, and the quiet spots for couples. There is also on offer a VIP room for parties or smokers, separated by a large round window. Cool and dark, there is no booking charge, and one can simply make a reservation for 10 to 12 people.
However, what makes this place the best European contemporary dining experience in my book is the quality of the food and what they offer their guests. This is the only place I have found where they make their own bread on the premises, and make it complimentary and never ending! Every customer gets a neatly presented set of 3 sauces: tapenade sauce with olives and anchovy, pumpkin sauce, and roasted onion and tomato roasted garlic sauce. It is presented with fresh baked warm sesame seed bread or fresh focaccia bread. The sesame was incredible crusty yet warm and soft bread, something I have not found even at the numerous bread shops here. And the focaccia was even better; there is nothing I can say but that it was absolutely perfect, spot on focaccia. The sauces only added to it. The tapenade was the favorite but each was good on its own and light, however mixing them all together turned into an amazing dip!
The house wine was also a pleasant surprise. Most house wines tend to be of low quality, but the Argentina Osaaada Shiraz Cabernet-Sauvignon San Juan for 130 rmb had a good structure and smell. The Osaada Chardonnay Chenin Blanc white wine was nice a fruity, with a rich body and easy to drink.
The lunch only got better from there. Our appetizers (50 to 88 rmb) arrived in sync, and straight away we could see that these were not going to be any traditional European dishes. Elegantly presented, the duck liver on spice bread was the best appetizer I have ever tasted. With one bite, all the tastes hit you. Soft, moist, the duck liver still had a very rich beef taste to it, and when combined with the caramelized apple and celeriac puree on top of the spice bread, it became a part of cinnamon and nutmeg in your mouth. The contrast actually compliments each other, turning it into a hearty and smooth and rich experience.
The Basil Avocado Ricotta was another flavorful starter and the marinated artichoke from Italy with the water cress and horseradish turned this dish into a unique and lovely sweet yet savory meal. Our third starter, the Avocado and Alaska King Crab was lemony tangy and tart, and a great tongue tantalizer.
The soups were also picking me ups. The Consommé clear soup with vegetables, made of egg whites, minced beef, and beef stock reminded me of a chicken noodle soup. My friend adored it, calling it spicy and delicious, but I was swayed by the Mushroom soup, reminded me of cappuccino froth, and giving my other friend a “mouthgasm” or sorts. She described it as tasting like only the good parts of the mushroom, meaning it didn’t have an overpoweringly mushroom taste to it.
The best treat was yet to come: the Cocottes! W dine & wine is the first restaurant in Beijing to introduce cocotte dishes in its menu. Cocotte (“koh-kot”) is a cast-iron pot traditionally used for stews. In French, “la cocotte” means both “casserole” and “darling.” It has heat-retaining, flavor enhancing, indestructible practicality, and it is a hit among children!
The Cocotte (28 rmb) is what W dine &wine’s experience is all about: casual sharing meals! The cocotte is the perfect excuse to mingle. For the first time, I interviewed two customers who raved about the food and experience of the restaurant. Not only can you taste the quality, but the meals are children friendly, and you get the best value for your money with the free mini cakes, and bread. The cocotte dishes were simple yet tantalizing. The prawn cocotte was a mixture of Thai and Spanish style prawns, while the potato puree was crispy and creamy. The beef stew had some of the most tender meat I have had in a long, long time, and carrots with the cumin was just teasing you to keep eating. The lamb stew was also satisfyingly moist, and the mushrooms were moist and juicy! Yet my favorites were the red wine risotto, a savory warm and unique dish, and the salmon lasagna with ricotta, to which all I can say is “Nice!”
As if nothing could top that meal, we were presented with three phenomenal desserts (38 to 58 rmb). My favorite dessert, crème brulee, was transformed into a lightly crispy sweet dish by using brown sugar with Madagascar vanilla. It was mouth watering. The 72% chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was quite rich in taste, though definitely not as sweet as one might think. It is a grown-ups cake that makes one feel elegant and sophisticated, rather than sugar high. It may be a bit too dry for chocoholics. But the best dessert was the Tiramisu with raspberry sauce. I hate anything with any kind of coffee taste to it, but this Tiramisu, made with amaretto, was light and chilled on ice. The Banana mascarpone it was topped off with and the raspberry sauce drizzled on top turned it into something I just couldn’t put down. Some, including ex-pat Italians, have called it the best Tiramisu ever, while otherwise have called it average only. This Tiramisu is not meant for hard core coffee lovers and alcohol loves. Be prepared for a tart sugar explosion in your mouth rather than the wine and coffee explosion that usually accompanies tiramisu.
We finish our dining experience with samples of their Belgium French fries, popular with the children. They were large and long rectangular chunks of home-made potato. Moist and nicely salted they were not of the deep-friend variety at all, and an obvious choice of side dish. As we left the restaurant we were given mini cakes or mignardises, which finished the experience with a charming spongy and sweet end.
There is nothing about W dine & wine, I would change. Everything was perfect and oh so charmingly casual. The only flaw in the entire restaurant is the sign on the outside, that most be revamped for the sake of all Beijingers, so they know where this place is!
Service quality: excellent
Food quality: excellent
Price per head (RMB): 200-300
Environment: excellent
Feature dish or menu: Duck liver with raisin bread, cocottes, the basil avocado ricotta , all desserts
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Location
22-1 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, opposite the Canadian embassy // 北京市 東直門外大街22-1號，加拿大使館對面 Tel:010-6416 9838