Nibbles: A hand-picked selection of goings-on in Beijing’s food and drink scene, June 3

In Nibbles, a weekly series, we serve up a run-down of the best dining deals, food & drink events, and restaurant/bar openings and closings.

News

Brewers: Beijing’s got ‘em, and now they're collaborating. Last month, Great Leap, NBeer, Slow Boat, Jing-A, Panda and newcomer Arrow Factory put their beer brains together to create a Belgian-style IPA in anticipation of Craft Beer Week, which kicks off on June 7. The special brew will be made available at all the breweries listed above for RMB35.

Does the idea of a weeklong celebration of beer whet your whistle? Good, us too. From June 11-14, grab a beer passport RMB300 and attempt to try the 30-plus guest beers on tap at craft breweries throughout the city. If you succeed, you will be the (drunken) winner of a t-shirt. See www.beijingcraftbeerweek.com for details.

News Bites

Sperm whales have something called ‘baleen’ – straw-like tendons between their upper and lower jaws that filter ocean water out of the swarms of krill swimming into their mouths. Now, if China has anything to say about it, there’ll be krill headed to our mouths too. Last month, China announced plans to expand its arctic fishing for krill, claiming that the tiny crustaceans will be used for food and medicine.

That said, this may all be conjecture. Opponents of the plan say krill are the lifeblood of the Antarctic food chain and that any drastic increases in fishing will need approval from the Antarctic Conversation Commission, the area’s de facto governing body comprised of 25 nations. But if all goes well, you might soon see the tiny prawns on a menu near you – provided the Commission grants China its license to krill.

Weekly Deal

A place like Opera Bombana doesn’t have to offer deals. The brainchild of celeb chef Umberto Bombana, Opera is the kind of place people will gladly shell out for. Put a plate of his risotto in front of us, and we’ll be scrambling for our latest paychecks faster than you can say “freshly grated truffles.”

We were pleasantly surprised, then, to learn that Opera Bombana is more affordable than we’d previously thought. From Monday to Friday, the restaurant offers a set lunch menu for as little as RMB98 for one course (RMB168 for two). Included are the chef’s Wagyu beef cappelletti, seared salmon, grilled chicken breast and grilled tenderloin. And the pannacotta or mousse for just RMB 38.