Customers dine at Fennel, which offers Mediterranean-style dishes. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY

The past decade has seen an explosion in Western dining in the Chinese capital, although for the most part few of these new venues have made a deep impression. That began to change, however, over the past few years as a number of very talented chefs - from Europe, the United States, Australia and elsewhere - turned up in Beijing, significantly raising the bar.

Some of these top names include people such as Brian McKenna at The Room, Jordi Villegas Serra of Blu Lobster, Marino D'Antonio of Sureno, Max Levy of Bei, and Robert Cunningham of Capital M, just to name a few.

The latest chef to make a mark in the city is Swiss-born Christian Hoffman, the executive chef of Fennel, a new restaurant in Yi House, a chic boutique hotel located in an old crystal factory on the grounds of the 798 Art Zone.

This chic Mediterranean eatery showcases Hoffman's astonishing and phenomenal cooking style, boldly revealing the essence and the soul of fresh ingredients in a minimalist and natural way.

Seafood Parade (998 yuan), for two to four people, is served on a three-tiered silver tray and features shucked Tasmanian and Sydney rock oysters, poached scallops, clams, Alaskan crab leg and lobster, which are flown in live from either Maine or Boston.

Facing oceanic creatures in front of you, especially the satiny looking oysters exuding the smell of seawater, makes you feel like you're sitting in the middle of an oyster village in southwest France. Sydney rock oyster - with its buttery and briny taste - is definitely an acquired taste.

Skip the accompanying condiments, cocktail sauce, mayonnaise, garlic vinegar, wasabi and soy sauce, because it would be a shame to mask the very natural flavor of the perfectly poached crab legs and lobster, which is already seasoned with just the right amount of salt.

Fennel salad (68 yuan) - featuring paper-thin shaved fennel bulbs paired with matchstick pieces of green apple, arugula, frizzy lettuce, roasted hazelnut and pomegranate - is tart, sweet, crisp, nutty and peppery, with a hint of a licorice flavor. All the flavors are achieved with little dressing, relying on a chorus of carefully paired fruits and vegetables, which create a genuinely pleasant culinary experience as well as a sense of connection with nature. Absolutely brilliant!

The amazing steamed black cod (168 yuan) set on a bed of Chinese cabbage sitting in ponzu sauce is seasoned with uplifting slivers of scallion, Chinese youcai (baby bok choy) and caixin (choy sim). The best part, other than the smooth-and-silky textured fish, is the hidden treasure underneath the fish, the tender leaves of Chinese cabbage.

This is similar to the Cantonese method of steaming fish, in which the flesh is as tender as spring bamboo shoots. There is no trace of oil in the dish, yet the flavor is full and intact.

The Australian lamb chop (268 yuan) is grilled to medium rare and served on a heated plate with a spread of summer vegetables: sweet tasting snow peas, white asparagus and young carrots, and creamy polenta. Thyme, tasting as if it had just been picked from the garden, accompanies the lamb chop, which is undeniably tender, moist and juicy, with a superb grilled flavor.

For dessert, try the cheese platter (98 yuan), which consists of a selection of soft cheeses, a Manchego hard cheese, and dry fruit bread, complemented with a sprinkling of roasted nuts, spices and dried fruits.

The dry fruit bread alone, a combination of sweet and sour, is worth coming for. The inspiration for this bread comes from a fruit bread baked in a monastery in Switzerland.

The banana pizza (80 yuan) is a wonderful dessert.

The "pizza" is actually a crispy pastry, like that of millie feuile, with slices of banana and a crisp layer of caramelized sugar on top, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Also excellent is the moist and chewy macaroon with a filling of fennel ice cream.

After your meal, take a walk around Yi House, which occupies the site of a 1950s crystal factory that was constructed in the Bauhaus style. It has high ceilings, with an airy and bright colonial deco interior with a few Chinese touches.

On exhibit in the dining area and lobby is Marco Beretta's spiritual photography, which fills the broad gray walls, adding an air of subtlety to the chic and cozy atmosphere.

Fennel offers a reasonably priced set lunch menu during weekdays for 88/98/108 yuan for one, with two courses and with a dessert. There is also a Sunday brunch for 100 yuan per course.

Fennel's dashing array of international dishes make it fit to be ranked among the capital's handful of world-class restaurants.

Fennel's executive chef Christian Hoffman

Raspberry filo tart

Fennel salad

 

Amedei chocolate cake