New sizzle at Blue Frog

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Unlike traditional mapo sauce that is quite spicy, Lin's version grinds pepper and star anise to mingle with bean sauce, so as to enrich the mapo flavor but keep it mildly spicy so it doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the beef.

I also liked M5-grade wagyu beef rib-eye steak for its good taste and nutrition.

People in northern China have a tradition of eating nutritious food in early fall to "tie qiubiao", literally meaning to gain weight in the season, perhaps to make the cold winter easier to bear. The wagyu beef is a perfect choice for the purpose.

The steak was melt-in-my-mouth tender with a savory beef flavor. It was a large piece of meat, piled with grilled baby potatoes and green beans, which together provided a balance of high protein, vitamins, dietary fiber and trace elements.

I also liked the seafood salad and fried chicken, both very tasty and bringing out the full flavors of the main ingredients.

The plate of seafood fajitas, inspired by Mexican fare, arrives at the table as a sizzling mass of grilled prawns, mussels, sole fillet and calamari, accompanied by vegetables, french fries, bread and spicy mayonnaise.

Grilling is said to be one of best methods to keep the nutrients from being damaged during cooking, and Lin says the dish is among the most popular dishes in the restaurant chain since it was launched earlier this month.

The restaurants also offer a wide variety of cocktails, liquors and wines. From 4 to 8 pm every day, there are buy-one-get-one-free drinks, while after 4 pm on Mondays, all burgers are priced two-for-one.

If you go

10 am to midnight, Sunday to Thursday; 10 am to 1 am, Friday to Saturday.

S2-30, Level 3, S2 Tower, Taikooli, No 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6417-4030.