Cod mania

Salmon from British fisheries is featured at feast this week.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Menu week in Beijing spotlights modern British fare

This week foodies in Beijing can enjoy a wide variety of British foods, thanks to British Menu Week, organized by the British embassy's Food Is Great initiative. Flying many ingredients in for the special events, the embassy promises to deliver tastes of modern British cuisine to China.

Beginning Monday night through Saturday, some of the capital's top restaurants and chefs will create a range of custom menus based around British meat and produce. These specially designed menus will both demonstrate the versatility of British ingredients in traditional recipes and creative fusion dishes.

Jing Yaa Tang at Opposite House will serve up British pork five ways. The British gastropub Stuff'd will offer a full English breakfast, pulled pork in pita bread, and more. Mosto in Nali Patio will serve salmon cakes, followed by roasted pork belly and winter vegetables. The high-end bar Johnny Walker House presents a menu of dishes mixing premium Scottish whiskies with UK ingredients. Feast, East hotel's airy all-day dining outlet, whips up pink meringue and more. Bistro B, the Rosewood hotel's French bistro, has offerings that include beet-cured salmon and cote de pork a la Dijonnaise. Village Cafe at the Opposite House features a warm blueberry and apple crumble.

In the first of two public special events, Shanghai chef Scott Melvin teams up on Thursday with Feast's Rob Cunningham for a British-themed Carnivore Club dinner. The special pork-themed menu, available only on Thursday night, includes twists on British classics, like a crispy pig's-ear Ploughmans, quail scotch eggs and pork tenderloin and black pudding Wellington. Trained under renowned chef Gordon Ramsey, the Scotland-born Scott is now executive chef at Table No 1 and The Commune Social in Shanghai.

On Friday night, British drinks columnist Olly Smith takes over the Mesh bar at Opposite House. Starting at 6:30 pm, Smith will serve up custom drinks and a cocktail menu based around British beer, wine and spirits. His mixes include: the English Sparkle (with hints of strawberry and rhubarb), The Earl (a high-tea tipple with a twist using quintessentially English Earl Grey gin and elderflower), a craft shandy and mulled cider.

"The UK and China have two of the most diverse culinary cultures in the world," says British Ambassador Barbara Woodward. "With more and more British products finding their way into the Chinese market, the time is right to give the Chinese people the opportunity to find out what is uniquely great about British cuisine."

If you go

Feast at East Hotel

Thursday's Carnivore Club dinner is 238 yuan plus 15 percent service charge; 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8414-9820.

Mesh at Opposite House

Friday, 6:30 pm till late; 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6410-5220.