Dining Out: Taste Testing at QMex Bar and Grill

We met the energetic Liam at the equally lively QMex Bar and Grill in Sanlitun. Liam is a five-year-old student at Western Academy   of Beijing (WAB) in Shunyi. He plays the drum and practices kongfu in his free time. QMex’s chef was creating a kids’ menu. Lucky for us, they needed a taste tester, and Liam was kind enough to delight us with his honest opinions. “I can eat the whole restaurant,” was one of his first reactions.

QMex is a big colorful restaurant, but when we asked Liam what he thought of the interior he said it was small. And here we thought everything seems bigger when you are five years old!

We got together with the chef and had a look through the menu to make a selection for Liam to taste. We started with a corn cob (RMB 35) roasted on the grill. Liam was not sure what he saw when the corn came out as it was charred from the grill. He had corn the night before and we asked him what he thought of this corn, he said, “Not so good with the burned flavor.” We were not kidding when we said he would be honest.

After bravely trying the corn, the taquittos (RMB 25) were up for the test. Taquittos are corn tortillas rolled up with chicken inside and then deep fried.  Other than being too hot to touch at first, they were a hit. Big smiles and a “pretty good” from our small but critical food tester.

The taquittos were followed by the biggest hit of the lunch, nachos with sour cream and guacamole (RMB 35). Liam said the nachos “are like a dream come true!” Following this epic dish, Liam got a mini burrito with rice, beans, and corn. Liam was not a big fan, and wanted to keep eating the nachos instead.

Liam ordered a mango smoothie (RMB 40) which came with added kale. Liam did not notice, so this was a brilliant way of adding some veggies to the lunch. Then Liam tasted the quesadilla (RMB 30), two flour tortillas grilled with cheese in the middle, a big hit in our household. Liam dipped the quesadilla in the sour cream and devoured the cheesy Mexican dish.

We finished the marathon session of food tasting at QMex with the giant dessert nachos (RMB 65), a heap of fried flour tortillas, topped with cinnamon sugar, fresh fruit, jam, and chocolate syrup. Essentially anything you can want from dessert was on top of the nachos.

QMex has a great formula for a weekend lunch with kids. Dads and moms can enjoy some Slow Boat beer on draft and give in to the family’s Tex-Mex cravings.