Tao

By Howard Scott (bestfoodinchina.net)
Updated: 2008-12-17 15:29

Tao

My visit to Tao on Lucky Street in Chaoyang was a pleasurable experience. The restaurant has a cool and calm atmosphere, reflected in its friendly staff, comfortable décor, soft lighting and mellow music.

Tao is a strange name for a Meditteranean Restaurant, but don’t be misled. The menu changes approximately every 15 days giving the Catlunyan chef the opportunity to keep the food revitalised and exciting, and dishes of Spanish, Catlunya, Italian and Greek influence creep into the list. The starter of foie gras terrine with salad shallots, grapes and toast was a refreshing opener, all ingredient tasting fresh and healthy.

The same went for my companion's choice: sautéed green beans, potatoes and bacon. For the main course I went with the recommendation of the host, who suggested Australian Beef Tenderloin, potato puree with olive oil and pepper sauce, while my companion chose the excellent red snapper, which was steamed in ginger, wrapped in cabbage and served with vegetables.

The steak was cooked to medium perfectly and of good quality, thought the potato puree might benefit from a little more imagination in added ingredient. The red snapper was superb, and cooked in a different way it had layers of tastes – fish, ginger, cabbage. My impression of Tao is that the food is delicious and unpretentious, the staff speak English, are efficient, affable and on hand just enough, and the restaurant is a clean and relaxed establishment.

It satisfies, but I wonder about the identity of the place. A photographic exhibition on the walls adorn the interior with well inspected Chinese faces, the name itself is Asian, the menu is Mediterranean, the Beef, Chardonnay and Shiraz all Australian. Perhaps Tao is trying to be too many things where it could be enhanced by focusing solely on its Med aspects.

This is what will draw people. Regardless of this minor wonder, the food was of a high quality and in good proportion to the prices (120RMB for the main, and 65RMB for the starter). We finished with deserts of Crème Caramel and Pear Cake with Toffee Sauce. Tao is a pleasant place to go, perfectly appropriate for families, business meals, tourists or dates.

Location: 1-34 Chao Yang Park Road, West of 21st Century Hotel

Tel:(8610) 5867 0209

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