The Opposite House Beijing Indulgence @ SUREÑO

Finding a foreign taste in another foreign land may seems to be a challenge when it comes to food and especially to look for a traditional yet genuine cooking style and preference. Playing a wonder tourist may even find it impossible without some good recommendations. After the opening of SUREÑO at the basement of the Opposite House Beijing,  the trendy, hip and sleek  Mediterranean  restaurant gathered the best of all odds from Southern France, Italy, Spain and Greek and had transformed it to a hearty and contemporary taste of the Southern Europe.

Dining at SUREÑO is genuinely unpretentious. The cozy and stylish ambience surely would make you want to stay longer before you even wants to take a look at the menu and beverage list. As ever, we do not judge the book by its cover and always let the food this Mediterranean restaurant speak by itself and find more culinary discoveries. Thanks to Alex Chen, the Area Director of communication who took the liberty to changed our dinner to SUREÑO instead of dining out at a free standing restaurant.

Right after we were seated by Pieter Ham, the tall and well spoken Restaurant Manager who catches most patron attention especially girls who want to get his attention to their tables (If your idea of coming to SUREÑO and part of the reason is for Mr. Ham, sorry boys and girls, he is taken and don't event think about it). To no surprise, we noticed plenty of eyes were focused on Ham indeed.

We took a little time to read through the menu instead, the extensive menu is one of those that make you think you would want to come back for tasting the rest of the appealing dishes as well as the wine list was pretty impressive as told. Since we were in an absolute good hand of Mr. Ham and with his wise recommendation, all we asked for to get Mr. Ham to ensure we have enough to eat as we were seriously here for real food indeed.

We kicked off with a bottle of Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc from Malborough, New Zealand. This Kiwi wine is made by Kevin Judd, a former wine maker of the well-known Cloudy Bay winery. This wine is very expressive with a clear element of fresh bell perpper and tomato. Nothing will go wrong with such good refreshing palate to start a meal.

Mr. ham selected a fewtapas to pair with the Sauvignon Blanc, the <Boquerones> white anchovies, <Bacalo Brandade> Cod fish emulsion, <Escalivada> Mediterranean vegetable mix and <Tomato bread with Iberian shoulder ham>. something yet well paired for the wine before our big meals came.

In addition, I ordered some <Fin de Claires> and some <Gillardeau> oysters and have it raw and done  in an alternative Kilpatrick style. Mr. ham chose 2 smaller one for me to enjoy it raw as it is mush more flavorsome and the slightly bigger one done for for Kilpatrick style as they are much meaty and gives a much more intense texture in term of its size. Before the entree hit the table, the <Mushroom risotto with porcini mushroom and truffle essence> was rather tasty enough to have it as a main by its own. Food didn't stop coming as Mr. Ham had prepared a <Slow cooked wagyu short rib on celeriac mash with Nebbiolo sauce>, the Nebbiolo sauce was a perfect  pairing for the wagyu short ribs. It is simply divine. My almost 700g <Oven roated baby chicken> was well balanced roasted and the flavors and juice were well kept and moist.Alex's <Slow braised ossobuco on a bed of saffron rissotto> was rather something you won't want to just keep your eyes on but to finish it at once.

For these, a bottle of limited 2006 Barbera D’Alba Elio Altare wine was once again well paired to our meals. The beautiful Barberra D'Alba Elio Altare is not a usual wine from the region, it is rather unique and it is also called the baby Braolo. The nose of bramble, boysenberries with modest tannins and a hint of flora are nicely integrated. It has a great long finish, a solid Barbera which indeed make it one of the hidden gem in SUREÑO's cellar.

Bacalao Brandade (cod fish emulsion), Tomato bread with Iberian shoulder ham and The Boquerones (white anchovies)

Escalivada (Mediterranean vegetable mix), Mushroom risotto with porcini mushroom and truffle essence and Oven roasted baby chicken

<Fin de Claires> and <Gillardeau> oysters

The limited 2006 Barbera D’Alba Elio Altare

 

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc from Malborough, New Zealand and The limited 2006 Barbera D’Alba Elio Altare

Slow cooked wagyu short rib on celeriac mash with Nebbiolo sauce and White cholate mousse with crunch praline and a raspberry sorbet

For desserts,  we were served a fruit platter, a <White chocolate mousse with crunch praline and a raspberry sorbet>, a <Mandarin orange mousse with blood orange sorbet and orange chips>. The blood orange sorbet was something you will seriously would ask for more. Desserts weren't what you would cal it a night, a digestive drink to follow is the only way to end your meals before you could leave the table in a Mediterranean Italian restaurant. Mr. Ham prepared us some <Eaux de vie> which is the top of the line of Morand Williamine, Abricotine and Framboise. Honestly, do we have enough to eat and drink for that evening and not being well look after? The indulgence of being honest had it all written on our face before we left the classic Mediterranean SUREÑO.

Tried & Tested

Ambience : 4/5

Food : 4/5

Service : 3.5/5

* Special thanks to Petrie PR @ the arrangements & the Hospitality of The Opposite House Beijing.