When you first enter Universal CityWalk you are immediately drawn to the iconic Universal Studios globe spinning in the center of the plaza, but as you pose for a pic you might notice a looming chocolate factory to your left. Trust me when I tell you the inside of that building is just as Insta-worthy and way tastier.
I was at Universal CityWalk with Beijing’s reigning Foodie Queen, Ana Lourenco, in search of fun and unusual snacks, and our first stop was The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. Whenever I’m at Universal I’m impressed by the consistent attention to detail and the unique experiences to be had in each building. Toothsome is no different. The second you walk inside you are transported to a steampunk chocolate fantasy.
Greeted by Professor Dr. Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome and her robot sidekick Jacques, we were ushered into an incredible glass and steel atrium overlooking a lovely open patio perfect for kids to play in. Upstairs is an undeniably cool bar leading to an outdoor patio with a view of the Hollywood Hotel and a breeze of a lake. It’s an ideal spot for a summer brunch.
Our group got a selection of drinks both of the alcoholic and child-friendly variety, and just the selection of unique beverages would make this a place worth stopping at for a rest. The Toothsome signature Chocolate Coke (RMB 32) was surprisingly refreshing, and the Chocolate Stout (RMB 68) got good reviews from the beer-lovers at our table. We passed around several cocktails and mocktails from the extensive drink list (RMB 88-108) including the Something for Nothing, Panoplies Fancy, and Breath of Fresh Air, all of which were lovely and made me happy I had a few hours to sit, sip, and enjoy.
As we looked over the menu I was a little uneasy about some of the menu items. I have a major sweet tooth, but a lot of the savory items had a cocoa twist and I was worried it would be too much. Surprisingly, it works! I’m not going to lie, we ate a lot between us.
There are definitely some not-to-be-missed items. The Crispy Chocolate Chicken Wings (RMB 88) were by far my favorite thing on the menu, and I would happily have made a whole meal out of them. We shared all of the flatbreads, and I was a fan of the BBQ Chicken and the Wild Mushroom (RMB 98 each). I tried bites of several of the sandwiches and burgers, and surprisingly my favorite was the Cranberry Herb Vegetable Press (RMB 108). The Gong Bao Shrimp (RMB 138) had a nice kick without being too spicy.
But then it was time to get serious. We opened the dessert menu. Our table shared a light and fluffy Nutella Crepe and a Strawberry Waffle (RMB 78 each) and then decided the milkshakes were calling our names! Everyone got a different one so we could try them all (RMB 88-98 each) I opted for the Coffee milkshake, which was my favorite, but the Peanut Butter Cup milkshake, which is their seasonal specialty, won rave reviews, and a few die-hard sugar fanatics thought the Confetti Cake was the best possible way to celebrate your birthday.
Which got me thinking, “This is a pretty great place for a casual birthday dinner!” There is a kids menu and the shakes can be made in a mini kid-friendly size. There is plenty of outdoor space for the little ones to run around in, and the costumed characters and ongoing fun of CityWalk will keep kids engaged as parents enjoy good food and drinks in a novel environment!
Finally, long past the point of full, we walked out through the candy shop. I was incredibly tempted by the rows of chocolates for sale, but one more bite would have sent me into a diabetic coma, so we headed back out to the street to try and get a few steps in.
Wandering around outside I realized how many great restaurants and amusements are available without even entering the park. A place called Cutie Cones offers ice cream cones within ice cream cones – it’s very meta. Neon Street Hawkers is an indoor food court filled with different types of southeast Asian street food and stalls along the thoroughfare sell everything from classic caramel popcorn to corn juice (I’m still not sure what that is) and seasonal treats like Singaporean pineapple tarts that I have on good authority are the best in Beijing. And that’s before we get to all the other sit-down restaurants offering interesting experiences, like The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar’s fusion of burgers and sushi – “Burgushi!”
You don’t need to buy a ticket to the park to experience any of these fantastic attractions, and a 30 to 40 minute Didi ride makes it feel like a little vacation from Beijing without risking your health kit status. So next time you are considering a lazy afternoon brunch, consider changing up your usual routine and checking out Universal CityWalk.
Find it:
1 Universal City Walk
环球大道1号
Tel: 4008778899
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Images: Ana Lourenco, Julie Wolf
