Made in China (Chang An Yi Hao)

Description:

• This is a restaurant we regularly visit, for its fantastic Peking duck and its equally enthralling setting -- a dining room placed in the middle of an open kitchen, illuminated by the occasional leaping flame from the stove. The Grand Hyatt's showcase restaurant offers traditional northeastern and Beijing dishes in a bustling open-kitchen restaurant. Made in China serves the capital's most palatable dou zhi (fermented bean puree), excellent ma doufu (mashed soybean) and the ubiquitous zhajiang mian (wheat noodles with black bean mince), a dish that has spawned its own chain of restaurants. The Peking duck is the highlight -- the presentation and flavors are impeccable. There's the odd fusion twist such as foie gras with sesame pancake, and there are excellent plain dishes such as tonghao vegetable with rice vinegar and garlic sauce. Quite unexpected for a Chinese restaurant, Made in China does delicious desserts -- the pear champagne and passion fruit sorbet packs a fruity punch. Right next door you'll find the sleek Red Moon Bar, perfect for an aperitif.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2009
•  Highly Recommended 2010