It’s hard to feel refined when you’re wearing a bib. But bubbling hot pot is indiscriminately messy; it cares not for the renminbi spent. Regardless of whether you’re scooping old tripe out of gutter oil or dipping marbled Wagyu into a gold cauldron of unicorn tears, the fact remains: hot pot is a messy dining experience.
So while Sanlitun’s Coucou is certainly swankier than its casual sister chain Xiabu Xiabu, it’s imperative that you wear a bib. But ignore this minor informality, and you’ll find an upscale restaurant that is just about worth the higher price tag.
Unlike Xiabu Xiabu, picking the good stuff will rack up a RMB150-a-head bill with ease. But also unlike Xiabu Xiabu, ingredients are brought to life by the broth, not drowned by it.
Both Coucou’s spicy Taiwanese-style and beef-and-tomato varieties are balanced and rich. As for what goes in? Well, you know the drill. Pick the meat and vegetables you’re partial to and get dipping. (It’s hot pot – our menu recommendations are hardly necessary.)
So let us instead tell you about the restaurant itself. After all – and let’s not kid ourselves – this is what you’re paying for. (Sure, the ingredients are better than usual, but, we repeat, it’s hot pot – they’re not going to blow your cash on chefs.) Coucou proves its worth in decor.
Traditional Chinese design fuses with something altogether more contemporary and angular. The use of space is as interesting as what fills it. And while the restaurant has a dark, cavernous feel, the lighting around the tables gives the impression that our bubbling pot is at the center of the known universe.
Crucially, this helps us forget where we are. The Topwin Center might be Beijing’s hottest new mall, but no-one wants to fork out a couple of pinks to knowingly eat in one. Equally, one might not fork out pinks to wear a bib like a blubbering infant. But it’s a concession we’re willing to make.
Image by Holly Li
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