Should You Eat At Mercedes Me?

The short answer to the title’s question: Uhhh, maybe?

The long answer: It depends. Do you like Sichuan, Guizhou or Yunnan food? Do you like luxury cars? Do you like ostentatious light fixtures masquerading as balloons?

If yes, then – uhhh, maybe?

Mercedes me (the lower-case ‘m’ is intentional branding, by the way, not a typo on our part) is the mega complex now parked on Gongti Beilu just across from Taikoo Li. If you haven’t seen it, then you must not have left your house in the past month. It is massive. A larger-than-life statue of the Mercedes me logo stands outside flashing bright blues and purples. High-paced music blares. People take selfies out front. 

It is ostentation defined. It is also, frankly, kind of cool. Walk in, and you can check out a couple Mercedes cars, or pick up some Mercedes #swag. The visitors’ guides to Beijing littered throughout – which are free and in both Chinese and English – feature cool-kid city recommendations. A sleek, well-stocked bar overlooking Taikoo Li plays smooth grooves; a cafe downstairs buzzes with Sanlitun-ers having meetings over coffee. A Mercedes dealership has never gotten so much action. 

But, like, should you eat here?

Mercedes-Benz is known for many things. Food is not one of them. And so we are pleasantly surprised at the quality of the dishes at Sifang Sanchuan, Mercedes me’s contemporary Chinese restaurant on the second floor, which serves authentic Southwestern Chinese cuisine.

An appetizer of cold pigs’ ears is marinating in its peppery, complex sauce. Scallops bob around a large bowl of fiery red soup. The dishes are almost all spicy, and simultaneously complex. Food is authentic, high-end.

All in all, the cuisine is unexpectedly masterful in spite of location within Mercedes’ soft-power compound. And yet, therein lies the issue: its location. Mercedes me is as pretentious as it gets. Part of the charm in having authentic, fine Chinese fare is an authentic, fine Chinese setting – lazy Susans, red tapestries, the hustle and bustle of a popular restaurant. Mercedes me takes all that charm and replaces it with its logo.

And balloons. We’re a little confused by the decor, which is full of ostensibly cool things, none of which we actually like. We can’t tell if the things hanging above our table are balloons or some ultra-modern take on lanterns; walls are covered with shiny mirrors, but no windows; booths are a questionable shade of 1970s-era gold-yellow.

Granted, service is more prompt and accommodating than other Sichuan joints. Waiters hover over us with recommendations, and our water glasses are never empty.

But should you eat here? That, ultimately, is up to you.

Sifang Sanchuan, see listing for details