Maison Boulud a Pekin

On Monday, Mike and I went to Maison Boulud a Pekin to celebrate my birthday. After hearing so much hype about this place, we were excited to give this restaurant a try.

For those of you who don't know, Maison Boulud is renowned chef Daniel Boulud's Beijing outpost. Opened right before the 2008 Olympics, MB, along with a few other high-end Western restaurants, were meant to take Beijing's restaurant scene to the international level. Designed by the Parisian firm Gilles & Boissier, the restaurant is also known for its decor, and it's located in the former US embassy during the Qing Dynasty, in 23 Qianmen. There's actually a lot of history involved with 23 Qianmen (also known as Legation Quarter), which I'll have to fill you in next time.

For appetizers, I started off with a chilled artichoke soup with fried croutons and sauteed onions. I thought the soup was nicely done - it had the right consistency - not too heavy, not too light. The onions also added a boost of flavor to the soup.

Chilled artichoke soup

Mike ordered the foie gras with rhubarb compote and spiced pistachios.

Foie gras

My entree was a poached Boston lobster with artichokes, potato, and pearlsof zucchini. After not eating much seafood for 9 months (Beijing is a landlocked city), it was refreshing to taste a fresh piece of lobster. However, when I saw the dish, I thought it resembled a typical Chinese dish rather than French.

Poached Boston Lobster

For his entree, Mike ordered the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs and Meyer Lemon Crusted Lamb Chop with Stewed Favas and Spring Radish.

Braised Short Ribs and Lamb

After finishing our meals, we both ordered desserts. I ordered a warm centered chocolate cake with Earl Grey ganache, tea gelée, and chocolate ice cream. Mike got the red fruit sorbet, madagascar vanilla ice cream and crisp meringue. Both were very yummy!

Our desserts

To top off our dinner, the waiters gave us a basket of madelines. Warm and soft, these were probably the favorite part of my meal!

Madelines!

So what did I think of Maison Boulud? Well, for starters, I thought the food was very good. I wouldn't necessarily compare it to a Michelin star restaurant, but it was definitely one of the better meals I've had in China, and it certainly qualifies as fine dining. Of all the high-end restaurants, I would say my meal at Maison Boulud was one of the more memorable ones, and definitely better than the Jean Georges in Shanghai. The service was also flawless, and one of the best I've seen in China. The verdict? I would certainly return to this restaurant if I feel the need to splurge or want to treat guests to a fine dining experience. Maison Boulud is going on my list of Beijing favorites!