Beijing Boyce

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Billed as a “pan Pacific grill“, Tongli Studio’s BananaFish opened last week and I had my first taste of the food last night. It came after a horrible day that included having a computer crash, nearly losing my passport, getting a number of confusing phone calls, and, to start it all, waking to the sound of jackhammers courtesy of my neighbors upstairs. I figured following up on an invitation to a taste test would be a good way to put the day behind me and I figured right.

BananaFish can seat ~90 people, either at tables or along a counter. The center piece is a waist-high platform covered in sand in the middle of which is a wastebasket-sized thick-barred container of hot coals. Veggies and meats are skewered and the sticks then anchored in the sand a few inches from the coals. BananaFish’s Helen Cho explained that this style of cooking is called Robata.  In any case, I enjoyed watching the cook at work as he grilled everything from flounder to shrimp to ginkgo. It felt somewhat primal. The only downside: burning oil from the kebabs often sent out plumes of greasy smoke — you might want to avoid the far side of the counter until the ventilation is adjusted.

A recap of some items tasted with Cho:

• Sashimi: Six pieces, two each containing tuna, salmon, and avocado. Not the most delicate blend of flavors but OK value at RMB38.
• San Francisco salad with grilled shrimp, mango, greens, and avocado. I found the mango clashed a bit with the balsamic vinegar, though the ingredients were fresh. RMB28.
• Grilled fish (mackerel, I think): Tender and juicy inside, crispy on the outside — delicious. RMB18 for an entire fish  is good value. (A flounder, much bigger, is RMB58).
• Pork ribs: Two four-rib slabs with a side of baby potatoes, broccoli, and more. Very tender. Again, at RMB38, this is good value.

We also tried some lamb kebab. Tasty, but at RMB5 per stick, you are better off with the seafood.

As for drinks, there are some signature cocktails and about a dozen wines on the list (starting from RMB40 per glass, I believe), but I stuck to the beer, which included Pacific Rim brews from Australia, New Zealand, California, and Oregon, including Blue Star Wheat Beer, at RMB35 a pop.

I later joined Ksquare and Crystal who were there for dinner and both were impressed with the food. Ksquare, a picky eater, ordered a second plate of ribs and also found the flounder to be particularly good. Several other readers also gave me good comments about this place.

If this visit is any indication, BananaFish will be a good spot to relax,  share food with friends tapas-style, and get your fill without emptying your billfold — I’ll be back soon to give it another try (I will likely stick with the “beach” theme by also heading upstairs to Kokomo for a few rum-based drinks). An added bonus: there are five toilets and they are clean. You don’t see that very often in Sanlitun.

Finally, BananaFish opened by offering a 50 percent discount and has gradually reduced it to 20 percent, where it will remain for the rest of the month. This is refreshing policy in a town where too many places hold “soft openings“, complete with sub-par service and food, but charge hard opening prices.

BananaFish is open from 11 AM to 11 PM on weekdays, 11 AM to 1 AM on the weekend. Bambu, a Korean-style BBQ using flavors from southeast Asia, is also soft opening next door.

(Re the post title, the name of this restaurant reminds me of this J.D. Salinger story.)