Fast and luxurious: fine food without forking out a small fortune
Hulu, the latest casual dining concept from popular Beijing restaurant brand TRB Hospitality Group, saw its first busy day of trade in Sanlitun on Feb 12.
Unlike the two original TRB fine dining restaurants, where diners tend to linger for an evening, Hulu’s mission is to serve up similarly good food but at a much quicker pace. Dishes are brought to the table as soon as they are ready, saving on the waiting time between courses.
“Our concept is not for people to spend two to three hours having a meal,” says Evan Horsman, director of business development for the group.
As a diner, Hulu prides itself on delivering healthy, nutritious dishes with contemporary artistic plating and fresh, tasty flavors all at the same time.
Just a quick browse of the menu is enough to whet any diner’s appetite. Fresh Norwegian salmon sashimi cubes circled by avocado slices and lime topped with black and white sesame seeds create an attractive dish in the shape of a rose blossom. Beef bone marrow served on a dark wooden board with grilled toast and snails filled with green parsley foam form another attractive ensemble. A plate of four baked potatoes, joined together by strands of their skin and filled with creamy avocado or prawns, is served on white plate decorated with cobblestones, which seems to conjure up memories of camping trips.
You would expect this attention to detail to come at a price, but diners at Hulu can expect to grab a great meal for around 100 yuan ($16).
And there’s plenty of choice on the menu too. A Caesar salad will set you back 58 yuan and comes with four choices of side dishes: roast chicken leg for 18 yuan, salmon or foie gras for 50 yuan, and beef steak for 65 yuan. As delicious as this sounds, the more health-conscious diners among us should take note that no actual quantities are stated on the menu, which won’t help those counting the calories.
And regulars at TRB’s fine dining restaurants might find some familiar dishes at Hulu.
According to dining review website Meituan-Dianping, the raw spicy salmon with capers, horseradish cream and lemon, has been ranked as one of the most popular dishes in both of the restaurants. It has now been introduced to the diner, the third location you can enjoy the delicacy. And Hulu’s sea urchin dish also shares the same plating as the dish found in the other eateries, where it’s now paired with avocado instead of the more pricey caviar.
Opening just before Spring Festival, Hulu was already crowded at lunch and dinnertime. In the afternoon, people enjoyed quality tea time with a rich choice of desserts, including lemon tart, cheesecake, opera cake and caramel tart.
According to Meituan-Dianping, the latter, a dark chocolate souffle is the dessert most favored by customers. “With a moderate amount of sweetness and its soft texture, it brings a feeling of happiness,” commented one online critic.
With few restaurants remaining open after 10 pm in Sanlitun, Hulu grabbed the opportunity to extend its opening hours.
The diner takes last orders at 11 pm from Sunday to Thursday, and at 12 am on Friday and Saturday.
With bottles of wine priced between 200 and 3000 yuan, late night diners of every budget range can enjoy a glass or two with their meal.
Cocktails are also a good choice, especially while there’s a special offer of any two cocktails with two of the five most popular bites for 168 yuan after 9 pm every night.