What would make a person stand for one hour on the subway to get to crowded Xidan?
Well, it definitely wasn’t for these tacky pink flowers that currently line Xidan station as part of promotion for a new Chinese soap opera. However, if you happen to be in the area and craving some decent food without having to burn a hole in your wallet Tiago has just opened their fourth outlet, Tiago Select, on the sixth floor of Joy City.
Select joins its sister spaces Tiago Home Kitchen at Indigo and Chaoyang Joy City, and Casa Talia by Tiago at Raffles City, as the latest brand in Tiago’s canon and sports a range of basic dishes for a slightly more affordable approach. The venue is modern and elegant and can seat over 100 customers. There’s also an emphasis on open space, with the bar set in the middle of the restaurant so that you can sit and eat with a clear view of the drink-making action.
During our visit we were also able to try the new menu, starting with an avocado and smoked turkey salad (RMB 58), with sliced avocado, boiled egg, turkey, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes, and a mushroom cappuccino soup (RMB 28), which, besides the obvious mushroom flavor, was rich and creamy.
Of the mains, the crispy suckling pig (RMB 178) stood out and is served with both mango and apricot sauce, as well as black pepper sauce, and cooked perfectly until the pig skin was crispy without drying out the meat. The truffle and porcini linguine (RMB 98) was perhaps a little heavy on the truffles, but the fried onion added a little sweetness, and the linguine’s bouncy added a welcome depth in texture to the dish.
To round it off, we had the matcha tiramisu (RMB 49), one of our favorites in city, the bitterness of the matcha and the white chocolate flakes on top combining to make for one of those desserts you just never want to end.
The portions here maintain the same family size as found in Tiago’s Home Kitchen branches at both Indigo and Chaoyang Joy City. We were impressed that the restaurant was almost full on a weekday lunch, especially considering it opened two weeks ago, and as such would recommend that you make a reservation in advance.
Tiago Select
Unit 13-15, 6/F, Xidan Joy City, 131 Xidan City North Street, Xicheng District (6618 5520)
西城区西单北大街131号西单大悦城购物中心6层13-15号
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang
