FatFace Dining have opened a second branch of their American-style barbecue joint The Smokeyard with the new Sanlitun venue offering the same great range of grilled and smoked meats. Signature dishes include ribs, served up with fries and apple coleslaw (RMB 78), pork or fish tacos, served with Korean fried rice and salad (RMB 48-52), and the house sliders (RMB 48).
There is no separate kids’ menu, but there are plenty of enticing dishes to please younger palates, especially the range of appetizers. Popcorn chicken (RMB 32) is served up in cool tin buckets, cheesy fries (RMB 38) come topped with crispy bacon bits, and coated mozzarella sticks are always a hit. For the adults, the beer-battered French fries (RMB 20) are awesome and perfectly complement the range of craft brews on offer.
Our ravenous young diner is 5-year-old Jonas Weisse, a student at House of Knowledge. German-born Jonas has been living in Beijing for almost three years. One of his favorite foods is hot dogs, but today Jonas samples pasta bolognaise and vegetarian pizza. The pasta dish was a generous heap of spaghetti, topped with meatballs, and plenty of sauce. The sauce is a bit spicy for Jonas, so bear this in mind if your kids prefer less chili heat. The pizza has a thin and crispy base, and is topped with freshly grilled artichokes, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
To finish, Jonas samples the strawberry ice cream shake. The tall glass is filled with pink shake, topped with whipped cream, and finished with a cherry. This is by far his favorite! The restaurant serves an interesting range of drinks which includes mango lassi, red guava, papaya milk, and strawberry lemon juice (RMB 18-23).
The restaurant décor is trendy and urban, with plenty of exposed brick work and metal furnishings. The split-level dining area gives it a warehouse feel, with some abstract art livening up the walls. The Smokeyard is a welcome addition to this part of Sanlitun, with great dishes at wallet-friendly prices.
Family-friendly facilities:
The restaurant is non-smoking throughout. There are clean, Western-style bathrooms with soap and toilet paper.
The Smokeyard 庭云
1) Daily 10am-2pm, 5pm-10:30pm. Unit 5, 6, Nan Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6501 7501) 朝阳区三里屯南路6号楼5门; 2) Daily 11am-9.30pm. 2-1, Huaqingjiayuan Building 12, Wudaokou, Haidian District (135 2206 4168) 海淀区五道口华清嘉园12号2-1层
This article originally appeared on page 30-31 of the beijingkids October 2015 issue. Click here to read the issue for free on Issuu.com. To find out how you can get your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.
Photos: Ken
