Barolo in the Ritz: Fine Italian Dining Worth Price Tag
Posted: August 14th, 2012 | | Foodies & Dining Scene | Barolo, Chef Gianluca Visani, Italian food, Ritz-Carlton, Vegetarian food | No Comments »
LumDimSum Snapshots of Barolo in the Ritz Carlton:
This tomato soup may seem like such an ordinary, boring soup, but it was anything but ordinary. One spoonful and we were "ahh"-ing and "ohhh!" -ing until there was nothing left in the soup bowl.
Barolo Italian Restaurant (The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing)
Located within the Ritz-Carlton Beijing hotel, you can already imagine that a dinner at Barolo Italian Restaurant will run your wallet dry. Fine dining Italian cuisine at a fancy hotel like the Ritz does not come without a high price tag, but the real question is whether or not it's worth it.
Barolo is widely considered Beijing's best fine-dining Italian restaurant, a premiere dining destination where excellence is expected and fully delivers.
"Experience the rapture of falling in love at first bite on the authentic flavors of Italy in an elegant and cozy ambiance where dining provides an exceptional Italian experience, defining the Italian lifestyle in Beijing." – Ritz-Carlton Beijing
Although I eat out on a daily basis, my monthly expense account would really only allow me to treat myself to a meal at Barolo on special occasions but when such a lovely opportunity presents itself, I jump at it without a moment's hesitation because I know Barolo will not let me down.
Named after one of the most famous of Italian wines from the Piedmont region of Italy, Barolo Italian Restaurant serves classic Italian dishes with a modern twist and is now home to a unique and indulgent Italian culinary experience in Beijing.
I recently met Barolo's Chef Gianluca Visani, who once worked alongside Michelin-starred chef Marco Torri whilst in Milan and over the last 12 years, he has worked as a head chef in Singapore, Europe and the United Arab Emirates. While he won't be staying at Barolo indefinitely, he has entirely impressed me with his talented cooking skills and has already developed a strong cult following within a year of taking on his role as Barolo's Executive Chef .
Although the Ritz-Carlton is a lovely hotel, it seems that Barolo is not up to the fancy-pantsy standards that are evidently clear in all other parts of the hotel. The design is a sleek and simple contemporary design with dark woods, deep reds and a few crystal chandeliers, which is a lovely combination but also clashes with the traditional, timeless and opulent design Ritz hotels are known for.
While it's a modern take on design, I still feel like I'm in a hotel whenever I dine at Barolo. They don't even make any effort to try to distinguish themselves and give the illusion that you've escaped into an authentic part of Italy, but sitting in the main dining room or even one of their private rooms, it's apparent that you're just in another standard 5 star international hotel restaurant.
LumDimSum Snapshots of Barolo in the Ritz Carlton:
Open Kitchen with Top Chef Gianluca Visani
Private Dining Room Enclosed in Wine Cellar
Barolo's Main Dining Room
Barolo's Private Dining Room
Barolo's venue design may beg for more imagination and originality, but there is hardly anything I can say about its food quality and presentation. It's rather flawless and I'd just be grasping at straws to find something to criticize. There's a reason why Barolo has such a loyal following of dedicated foodies and it's not because of it's design, atmosphere or service.
Thanks to Chef Visani, Barolo serves up exceptional dishes that I can't stop praising. Each dish actually tastes even better than it looks and that's saying something considering the presentation of each dish was beautiful.
LumDimSum Snapshots of Barolo's Dishes:
Complimentary Bread with Olive Oil & Vinegar Dip
The complimentary bread served on a wooden cutting board was served toasty and delicious but near impossible to resist devouring instantaneously and trying to strategically save room in your tummy for what's coming.
Amuse Bouche – Truffle Mushroom Tempura
Similarly to the complimentary bread, their Amuse Bouche was phenomenal – long mushrooms tempura fried and sprinkled in truffle salt, you really can't go wrong with truffle on everything, an ingredient that makes my tastebuds dance.
Crab Salad, Avocado Mousse, Gazpacho Dressing, "Crystal" Lobster Bisque (RMB 158)
My starter dish had a lot of layers of goodness from crab salad to avocado and various seafood dressings. Although it was delicious, I had expected the lobster bisque would have been warm but actually the entire dish is served chilled.
Rich Tomato Soup (Vegetarian Option) (RMB 108)
It says a lot that my vegetarian friend thinks that Barolo is the best thing ever especially considering that he can't eat most of the menu that features high quality steaks and plenty of exotic seafood options.
This tomato soup may seem like such an ordinary, boring soup, but it was anything but ordinary. One spoonful and we were "ahh"-ing and "ohhh!" -ing until there was nothing left in the soup bowl.
Tagliolini, Sea Urchin, Spicy Zucchini (RMB 168)
The pastas are all homemade gourmet pastas.
My Tagliolini was actually spaghetti and quite spicy but I liked the strong infusions and distinct flavors of sea urchins.
Fettuccine with Truffles (Vegetarian Option)
Made with truffles, anything is a million times better with truffle scent and taste all throughout.
Wagyu Beef Cheek, Creamy Celeriac, Crunchy Vegetables (RMB 238)
According to Chef Gianluca Visani, the beef cheek is slow cooked 6 hours at 180 degrees and marinated 24 hours in wine and fruit. You don't need a knife as the meat is so tender, it breaks apart at the tug of your fork. While the top chunk of cheek melted in my mouth, the bottom slab was a bit more tough. The chef explained that they are different parts of the cheek.
Potato Tortelloni with Basil Pesto Crunchy French Bean, Cherry Tomato Comfit (Vegetarian Option) (RMB 148)
The potato gnocchi doesn't have any oil. It's 100% made with pure pesto with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.
Complimentary Dessert Bites
Pistachio & Chocolate Parfait, Orange & Raspberry Sauce (RMB 88)
Flan Caramel (Dessert of the Day) RMB 88
Molten Lava Milk Chocolate Cake, Hazelnut Crust & Vanilla Ice Cream (RMB 118)
All three desserts were fantastic and very unique. I really wanted to try the molten lava cake and I was curious to also taste their Creme Caramel, but the Chef insisted that we also try his Pistachio parfait which was accompanied by the most delectable orange and raspberry sauce made from fresh orange juice reduced and caramelized with fresh berries. This sauce totally made the dessert to die for and was really glad we went out on a limb and tried something truly unique.
The Creme Caramel was made from Chef Gianluca Visani's 100 year old recipe passed down in his family for generations. He admits that the secret to success in this particular dessert is all about the color and texture of the caramel.
The chocolate lava cake is made in a batch from a recipe combining milk chocolate, dark chocolate, eggs, flour and butter. The homemade vanilla ice cream with cookie crumbles is just icing on top.
Hats off to our Chef – the very talented Gianluca Visani
I realize dinner at Barolo is not a place many people can frequent on a regular basis even though it's a really lovely restaurant with fantastic high-end Italian food.
But this is a dining destination that you can save up for and plan in advance to go as this is a real treat for your taste buds.
Review of Barolo Italian Restaurant: 2nd Floor of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, China Central Place, 83A Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District, 朝阳区建国路甲83, Tel: 5908 8151; Open Daily, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Best Part:
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High-end, classic Italian cuisine with modern twist. High quality ingredients and beautifully presented dishes.
- Chef Gianluca Visani has previously worked alongside Michelin-starred chef Marco Torri while in Milan.
- The atmosphere and interior design is elegant and contemporary chic.
- Strong wine list to pair with your meal.
- Friendly and professional service.
- Great option for vegetarians who love authentic Italian food. Almost all menu dishes can be customized as a customer requests.
- They have a 3-course lunch deal for RMB 178 + 15% service charge
- Barolo recently started up a Sunday family meal featuring exquisite antipasto, a wide selection of handcrafted pasta with paring sauce, traditional risotto, authentic dessert and unlimited fine Italian wines that will be on display for a total of RMB 388 + 15% service charge per person. Details here.
- It's one of the best Italian restaurants in the city but also one of the priciest.
- Design is sleek but also nothing unique or special. Pretty much similar to any other 5-star hotel lounge or restaurant in Beijing.
- Chef Gianluca Visani is a fantastic chef who really proves his capabilities , but all good things must eventually come to an end and he will be moving some place else after his contracted time in Beijing (which I assume doesn't last that much longer).
Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)
- Food: 7
- Atmosphere: 8
- Service: 6
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Overall Experience: 7
Other Reviews of Barolo:
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