Stadium plays host to new hub for fine dining
Besides being home turf to Beijing Guoan and swamped by hordes of soccer fans every match day, the Beijing Workers Stadium is also becoming a center for Chinese fine dining in the capital.
Wutong Plus, an upgraded version of the creative Beijing cuisine restaurant Wutong, opened there earlier this year to offer its new take on contemporary Chinese food to local foodies.
Located on the third floor of a three-story building to the southeast of the stadium, Wutong Plus can be accessed via an external elevator set within a glass curtain wall that leads to a dramatic gilded entrance. The restaurant’s interior is separated into different areas by flowing lines, while a winding staircase connects the main dining room with its huge rooftop like a silk ribbon.
Yang Yijing, head chef at the restaurant, has more than two decades’ experience with Chinese cuisine. Having grown up in Guangzhou, Yang is also well versed in Cantonese cuisine.
“When you taste our food, you can tell it’s Beijing cuisine, but you will also notice a trace of Cantonese flavors,” says Yang.
When designing the menu for Wutong Plus, Yang says the main idea was to take a creative approach and elevate Beijing cuisine to new heights by combining the finest ingredients with elements of Western cooking techniques.
Roast baby duck stuffed with rice and truffles is one dish that represents Yang’s ethos perfectly. Unlike traditional roast duck, the duck is stuffed with fried rice mixed with truffle slices before being roasted for 45 minutes, allowing each grain of rice to soak up the flavors of the truffles and the duck fat.
“I got the idea to make the duck dish when I was visiting Macao to try the local roasted piglet,” says Yang. “You can always find inspiration when you travel to new places to eat.”
Besides using traditional fermented-flour sauce and sugar as a dipping sauce, Yang also created a passion-fruit sauce to add a sweeter element to the dish.
Fusion steamed fish with hot-and-spicy sauce is another of Yang’s new creations. The fish is deboned and steamed to make it tender and fresh, while the soup is cooked separately using chilies and Sichuan peppers.
Stir-fried sirloin with okra is another must-try. Besides the well-seasoned beef, the dish is served on a metallic hand-shaped sculpture that is more like a piece of art than a plate.
“I’m still working on creating new dishes, which will all taste good and look fabulous at the same time,” says Yang.
Western elements with a Chinese take can also be found on the menu at Wutong Plus, such as fried penne rigate with diced pork and eggplant — which combines a Chinesestyle sauce with Italian ingredients.
And with the arrival of summer, the rooftop at Wutong Plus is set to be a popular new spot to take in the night views of Sanlitun and enjoy the summer breeze with Chinese delicacies.