A pair of entries for the “value lunch” category:
Pekotan (Central Park complex) has an RMB28 deal that includes your choice of three deli items (from about 20 selections) and rice. The choices include mozzarella and tomato salad, mixed green salad (the lettuce is cut into bite-sized pieces), pepper-rubbed pastrami with bell peppers, and potato salad. Diners can grab a drink from the shelves (club soda is RMB5) or bread from the bakery (a roll is RMB6) to complete their meals. Dining companion Shake n’ Bake says, “This place has some of the freshest bread I’ve had in Beijing.”
Pekotan also stocks a full range of wines from Palette as well as a decent alcohol selection, including Patron tequila, Baker’s bourbon, and single malts from Bowmore, Balvenie, and Laphroig, among others.
Meanwhile, the RMB45 lunch special at The Den includes a choice of 28 items, including pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches, and a drink (soda with refill / coffee). The chef’s salad is a meal, with decent portions of ham, chicken, and beef. The staff at The Den is efficient and friendly – when I returned a week later and ordered another chef’s salad, they remembered that I don’t like dressing. This place also offers ood wireless.
Three things that make me irritated at Pekotan:
1. They don’t let you include the salmon in the box lunch, even if you offer to add more money. They act like it’s physically impossible. So why is it sitting there?
2. If you choose shrimps as one of the sides, you get only two (they also PICK for sizes so that it doesn’t go over an unwritten ‘standard volume’). Adding more money is not allowed.
3. The setup of displaying the sides, and staff taking them out to the back to fill your box, is very very inefficient. For some of the sides, they also weigh the serving on a balance, and stick it into the microwave before placing in the box. Why not display warm sides in a heat-conserving container? Very time-consuming.
Their fresh-baked goods are yummy though.
I found the food at The Den to be amongst the worst I’ve had in BJ, but then I am very fussy. On the other hand the beer is amongst the best. Liquid lunch spot.
@ MH,
Agree on the inefficiency – watching them lift those bins in and out is annoying.
Cheers, Boyce
@ James,
To each his or her own, I guess. I think The Den does a good four-cheese pizza, a good hamburger, above-average fries, and a nice chef’s salad, but some people do find this stuff a bit on heavy side.
Cheers, Boyce
Boycey,
What is ood wireless, can you get by the firewalls with this?
Good night last night by the way I never realised how bad a pool player you are!!!