JAAN, wagyu, and tastes i can't describe -

got into beijing late this afternoon, and much to our joy, it IS like a wong kar wei film.
met at the gate by a bellboy, who carried our luggage to the audi limo, which whisked us through the fog of the fading light into the heart of the city, past bicyclists and neon and building sites (the olympics are coming), and up to the gates of the Raffles hotel.



the place is rather 1920's grand (a developing theme, in fashion and in our lives), and the room looks like something out of Dynasty circa 1989, the moldavian years. in a good way. it goes on and on. . . and the bed complete with curtains, is on it's own dais. i'm comfortable with that.


tim pointed out that the framed toile was the same one his mother had on her walls. i have no idea what to make of that one.

so we had a little bit of time before the party (another post. probably the one right after this one.), so we called down to see if there were openings in the lobby restaurant. turns out there are several, including a french one that has just opened.

JAAN. . .


remember that name, because when all of you get here, you have to make it your first stop.
lovely, of course. the chandeliers alone were reason to linger. but the food? get OUT.


whether it was the foamed arugula soup with hazelnut ravioli and shaved black truffles:


i swooned over that one . . . or the wagyu beef with balsamic reduction, baby arugula, and crumbled macadamia. you can slice through wagyu with the edge of your fork like it's warm butter. the texture is unbelievable.


or to finish, the chilled pistachio pops, filled with chocolate ganache. . . and vanilla pop rocks. you bit into it and there was the lush chocolate, the sweet nuttiness, and FIZZING.


i mean. . . flaw. less.