Not such a simple house

An all-Chinese hotel in Beijing's diplomatic district is showing the way on how to exercise international appeal with a stellar selection of Chinese restaurants. Pauline D. Loh samples degustation from one.

Come eat with us at Simple House, the invitation said, but as soon as I stepped into the restaurant, I knew it was not going to be so simple. This is one of many dining outlets at the Kunlun Hotel, arguably China's best State-owned hotel.

This towering edifice of hospitality is nicely planted in the plump diplomatic district of Liangmaqiao and proudly faces competitors, such as the Westin Chaoyang right next door and the Four Seasons across the Third Ring Road.

Kunlun Hotel used to be owned by the Public Security Bureau but was taken over by Shanghai's Jin-jiang International Hotels. The secret to its success, and what makes it stand out among the huge numbers of State-owned hotels, is largely its forward-looking management team. But that's another story.

Simple House Restaurant is one of 12 food and beverage outlets in the 800-room hotel.

It serves largely Shandong-style cuisine, although the chef has certainly lightened the menu at lunch to cater to the preferences of mid-day diners.

The restaurant itself is very atmospheric. It is like walking into a cool, green, hidden garden, with lots of bamboo and vines draping the walls. There is the sound of running water and birdsong.

In a little private dining alcove, I found the source of the music, a mynah in a cage hidden among the greenery. I thought that was brilliant, and it was a hospitable bird which kept up a cheerful exchange of chirps and tweets while I waited for my hosts.

The menu was placed in a brocade folder on the table, with the date and dishes of the day nicely printed in elegant script.

First to arrive was a pretty platter of appetizers, including marinated scallops, thin slices of soy-stock braised beef shin, asparagus shoots wrapped in ham, blanched and skinned cherry tomatoes and a colorful assortment of vegetables.

It was a telling plate that gave hints of the food to follow. Unlike traditional Chinese appetizers that form the "cold plate" served at the beginning of the meal, the chef here makes his starter a showcase of flavors. That the form is so artful is only a bonus for the eye.

The soup that came next was a pleasant surprise. Simple House may be Shandong-inspired, but this soup is proudly called Best Flavors from Jiangnan. The milky soup paid tribute to Lu cuisine with the addition of a spiky sea cucumber, but the salted meat batons, that single piece of tender bamboo shoot and the knotted beancurd skin displayed the flavors nearer Hangzhou and Shanghai.

My host had thoughtfully asked for smaller portions for our lunch, but the next dish of a single king prawn wearing a coat of red and spicy sauce was just right. The "bamboo basket" that accompanied the crustacean held spears of asparagus, a vegetable surely chosen to complement the sweet crunch of the prawn.

The fish that followed is a square fillet of sole topped with saffron-colored cordyceps mushrooms. The fish had the slightest bite of miso, but the tender flesh was very easy on the palate and the crisp julienne of orange mushrooms completed the mouth-feel satisfaction.

When the next dish arrived, my host sat up and said: "You have to try this. The lotus leaf makes it very fragrant."

It was a piece of beef short-rib wrapped in dried lotus leaf, and it was true. Winter may be approaching outside the door, but the slightly musky smell of the lotus leaf spoke of summer while the thin slices of mushrooms that came with it reminded us that autumn was just past.

The meat was fork-tender, and although it signaled the last of the main courses, it was just enough to complete a nicely balanced meal.

We also had a little bowl of bamboo shoots and what the Shanghainese call "chicken feather greens", tender shoots of Chinese greens. I particularly liked the way the chef had topped the dish with salty bits of fried garlic.

No meal at a Shandong restaurant would be complete without a bowl of noodles in braised sauce. But unfortunately, it had to be largely left alone and the bravest diners at the table could only complete half the bowl.

Simple House is a pleasant surprise and one of the secret pleasures that I am determined to explore better.

Kunlun Hotel also shows off cuisines from other regions in China, and boasts a Japanese and a Korean restaurant as well. It also to intends to open an exclusive private dining room with its own Western and Chinese kitchens, so keep reading us for details.

Contact the writer at paulined@chinadaily.com.cn.