When Nathan Zhang’s former restaurant was bricked amidst Beijing’s citywide renovations, he had some choice words.
“It’s violent and forceful, and unfair because we don’t get a say in it,” he told That’s in August, after local authorities bricked over the windows of his popular Xiang’er Hutong restaurant, White Tiger Village. “Businesses here are forced to go out of business, and we don’t have a voice in the situation […] It’s not the same hutong – it’s not even a hutong anymore without these quirky businesses.”
But Zhang is not one to sit around complaining. Instead, he went to work building a new concept. Enter Cravings, his newly opened place just south of Chaoyang Park.
Ironically, the new spot is just across another strip that fell prey to 2017’s widespread ‘brickings’ (nowhere is safe). Liulitun Zhonglu was home to Napa, before it was shut in the same manner as White Tiger Village. But Cravings is on the opposite side of the street, in the comfort of a mall. And what the new place loses in hutong charm, it makes up for accessible, all-ages fun.
Cravings strikes a rare balance: It is both family-friendly and hip. Its lemon-yellow walls feature street-art-style paintings by local artists and designers. Its menu offers sophisticated sharing plates, kid-friendly nibbles, and a robust list of beer and wine. And during the day, Cravings transforms into a haven for brunchers, with reasonably-priced, creative brunch plates.
While kids romp in a seriously tricked-out play area, the adults take part in the equally serious business of eating. White Tiger Village was known for its ‘upscale chuan’r’ concept, but the idea here is less obvious – Cravings makes simply good, shareable plates with Western and Asian flourishes. We start with a pot of mushrooms, topped with an onsen egg and Yunnanese ham (RMB52), and thrice-cooked crispy potatoes smothered in a tangy sauce made with popular local spice brand, DaQian (RMB48).
But the stars of the meal are the seafood dishes. Our tuna tartare (RMB98), featuring egg yolk and thin slices of crispy sourdough, is like a sinfully good poke bowl minus the rice – which is the lamest part of any poke bowl to begin with, are we right? And we’re at a loss of words for how to describe the Hokkaido scallop tataki (RMB118) – drizzled in a hazelnut vinaigrette and burnt macadamia. Impress your date with this.
Dishes run the gamut from comfort food to seriously impressive cuisine. But what really makes them is the atmosphere in which they’re served: a gastrolounge for hutong hipsters, smack in the middle of Chaoyang.
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