A chain eatery opens

Blue Marine, the lastest outlet in a group of restaurants, doesn't disappoint.

Located in Beijing's embassy area near Liangmaqiao, a newly opened restaurant may not catch our eye but for a friend's recommendation. Its name, Blue Marlin, is fresh on Beijing's dinning map; yet, the restaurant chain has already gained ground in a host of China's smaller cities. Now it's landed in Beijing.

There are few successful Chinese brands of Western chain restaurants and bars, especially ones founded by a Chinese boss and chef. Blue Marlin Bar & Restaurant is one of the exceptions.

Founded in 1999 with the first branch in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, the restaurant chain has established 13 locations in Suzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Changzhou, Wuxi, Hefei, Xuzhou and Beijing.

"Compared to Beijing and Shanghai where there are myriad of fancy restaurants and bars that are dazzling to the eye, Blue Marlin is better known in smaller cities such as Suzhou, Changzhou and Wuxi. It's a 'home away from home', for expats in these local communities," says Sheng Xueyong, head chef of Blue Marlin Beijing, who has also worked at the chain's Suzhou location.

Blue Marlin's specialty lies in variety, providing a tour of global food. Burgers, Tex-Mex, pasta, barbecue, Spanish seafood rice, Vietnam Pho, Thai curry ... as long as you can fathom it, you can find your home food there.

The ambiance at Blue Marlin's Beijing location is elegant, but in a more casual and family-friendly way, unlike a formal fine dining experience. Echoing the name "Blue Marlin", the interior is designed in the theme of a cruise ship.

The spacious ground floor can hold up to 80 people. Blue Marlin's house band performs almost every night, and occasionally big sporting events play on the restaurants' multiple big-screen TVs.

Like a guest cabin on a yacht, a private dining area on the ground floor mimics the decor of a "living room" with an elephant-gray leather sofa, tea table, TV stand and book shelves. The living room is connected to a warm wood dining table that seats six.

The second floor is more intimate and recreational. A Brunswick pool table stands in the center, surrounded by high chairs, small bar tables and sofas. A terrace on the third floor is said to open this summer.

We tried only some of the signature dishes, and found that the quality does not give way to its variety.

Our antipasto was cold cuts with cheese, a selection of roast beef and pork, ham, salami, marinated vegetables, large olives, served with freshly baked panini bread. The platter was fresh and fabulous, nothing to nitpick for us fastidious foodies. It was perfect for a family gathering, and would go well with a bottle of wine.

The pan-fried tuna with Arugula and black truffles, paired with fresh lettuce, was also a good starter to tingle our taste buds. Tuna fillets wrapped with white and black sesame seeds were fried for two minutes, leaving the meat tender and firm, and with a light-red color.

The highly anticipated "tomahawk" steak did not let us down. Cooked medium rare, the meat tastes heavenly: tender, succulent, chewy and flavorful. Perhaps part of the reason is because the selection of superior cuts of meat: Australian 180-day grass-fed rib-eye. Sprinkled with arugula, Parmesan cheese and sour vinegar sauce, the steak can be enjoyed with a peppercorn dipping sauce or without, depending on your preference.

Another highlight is the red wine roasted lamb leg with seasonal vegetables and grilled garlic sauce. The charcoal roasted lamb leg was marinated for four hours with more than 10 different spices before being grilled into a maroon color. The texture is incredibly soft, but the aroma captures you before your first bite.

Blue Marlin's drink list also caters to nearly all tastes: smoothies, milkshakes, tea, coffee, juice, more than 50 different cocktails, and a wide variety of beer and wine.

We tried the "big girl", which is made of X-rated peach liqueur, osmanthus wine, tonic water and a shot of "Spring Spring" made of blue curacao, peach liqueur, sprite and tonic. Big girl is luscious, and the latter one is relatively compact.

For lunch, there are also two sets of three-course menus: roasted halibut fish with seasonal vegetables (168 yuan or $21) or roasted T-bone steak with potatoes and seasonal vegetables (268 yuan). Both sets are paired with a vegetable soup appetizer, and soft drink or coffee.

dongfangyu@chinadaily.com.cn