Beijing Boyce

Sanlitun restaurants Mosto and Modo are teaming up with seven wine distributors — China Wine & Spirits (CWS), East Meets West (EMW), Moet Hennessy, Montrose, Summergate, Torres, and The Wine Republic — next Wednesday to raise funds for survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Mosto will have a five-course dinner paired with wine at RMB490 per person. Modo will serve seven small plates for sharing with free-flow wine, both red and white, at RMB390 per person.

One hundred percent of the revenue will go to WFP (United Nations World Food Program) and CFPA (China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation), says PR director Christina Riglet.

There are a lot of charity events in Beijing and posting about all of them is beyond the scope of this blog, but if these two dinners next Wednesday are anything like this one at Mosto last year that raised nearly RMB36,000 for Haiti relief, they will be among the best.

You can reserve a space by calling Modo (6415-7207) or Mosto at (5208-6030). The meals are available from 6 PM to 10:30 PM.

This is part twenty-two in the Must Tries Series that asks people in the Beijing bar, restaurant, and wine business to give us their recommendations. Last week, manager Alex Molina and chef Daniel Urdaneta talked about Modo and this time they talk about their first place — Mosto.

Urdaneta and Molina

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What is the “must try” appetizer and main at Mosto?

Urdaneta: Our starter Blue Crab & Avocado Causa (rmb95) brings your palette right into the heart of traditional Peruvian cuisine: it’s definitely a must try! As for the mains, a must order dish for our regulars is the Argentinean Matambre (rmb185).

What is the “must try” drink at Mosto?

Molina: The Mojito Martini (rmb60) that I created as a classy and feminine alternative to the original one… and it will not leave you with mint leaves between your teeth!

What are three “must try” items at other venues in Beijing?

Urdaneta: Jordi’s Bogavante Rice is irresistable at Agua! I also love the Terrines of Maison Boulud. And for my sweet teeth, Capital M’s Pavlova is the best.

View from the second floor

Look for Modo, the second establishment headed by Daniel Urdaneta and Alex Molina of Mosto in Nali Patio, to open in about a week in Sanlitun Village. The team is doing a series of food tastings to fine-tune the menu. Modo has an arty-industrial vibe, accentuated by the high ceiling, exposed pipes, seats at the bar, and half-floor above. The main floor includes an open kitchen while the second has several wine-preservation machines and a long table that can accommodate about 16 diners.

Looking west

High ceiling

A heads up for fans of Mosto: the third-floor Nali Patio restaurant will close for renovations for a week, from Sunday, August 1 to Monday, August 9. Meanwhile, the team is aiming to open the second establishment, Modo, on the third floor of Sanlitun Village in early August. Says Oscar Teran, who is handling the PR for the two places, the furniture is in place and the menu is nearly finished.

Co-owners Daniel Urdaneta and Alex Molina of restaurant Mosto in Nali Patio plan to launch a project called Modo in August on the third floor of nearby Sanlitun Village. Meaning “mode” or “manner” in Spanish, Modo will have seating for ~70 people on the main floor, mezzanine, and deck, its nearest neighbors being Toni & Guy, Karaiya Spice House, Element Fresh, and Hatsune.

Modo will include an open kitchen and focus on “wholesome gourmet plates… to be enjoyed in an open space with communal seating and a wine bar,” says an email from the Mosto team, which adds that the food menu will change each season. The wine list will include 18 by the glass and 80 by the bottle to go along with cocktails and craft beers. Joining the kitchen as chef will be Beijing newcomer Juan Mateus, who has worked in Argentina and Colombia.

The operating hours will be 11:30 AM to 10 PM daily. The menu will be in English, Chinese, and Japanese.

Mosto has gained a strong following since opening two summers ago in Nali Studio, led by manager Molina, whose resume includes stints in Beijing at wine distributor Torres China and the former restaurant Garden of Delights, and chef Urdaneta, who worked at Salt.

The summer will be a busy one in this area, with Modo, Russian restaurant Queen’s Konditorei, grill Flamme, and Stumble Inn slated to open on the third floor of Sanlitun Village, nearby projects by Enoteca, Agua, and Salt, the latter opening Terra in the former Rickshaw space, and progress being made in Sanlitun North.

Going up is Flamme.

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Plenty of projects in the works on the third floor of Sanlitun Village, already home to Blue Frog, Union Bar & Grille, Oriental Kitchen, Ganges, and Hatsune, among others. They include:

• The new Mosto project, which will be in the space just south of Element Fresh. On the beverage side, expect a focus on wines by the glass.
• The new Stumble Inn, which will take over the two floors vacated by Double Coffee. The project has faced a few delays but word is it will open around mid-July. The team includes Glenn Phelan and Shane O’Neill from the former Stumble Inn on Lucky Street.
• Queen’s Konditorei (see this post), a massive  two-floor Russian joint that covers that includes a bar, wine area, dining spaces on two levels, and a café.

Another project, one that is slated to open this month, is Flamme in the former Peppe’s Pizza space. The first floor will hold the main dining area, with the second floor dedicated to event space. According to a source at Flamme, the team putting it together includes Jeffrey Powell, who had been involved with The Orchard, Tube Station, Kro’s Nest, and Element Fresh, among others, and, Paul Mathew, who is consulting on the drinks (click here for his five favorite bars in Beijing). Dev Raturi, formerly of Meat & Wine Company, will manage the restaurant, says the source.

Kudos to Mosto for raising RMB35,575 on Wednesday night by holding a charity dinner for Haiti. The money will reach Haiti via UNICEF. I liked this event because:

1. Every RMB from the night went to charity, which meant both Mosto and the five companies that gave wine — The Wine Republic, Torres, East Meets West, Summergate, and ASC — also acted as donors. On top of this, Mosto is a popular restaurant, so it gave up some of its regular traffic to hold this dinner.
2. The money went to UNICEF. This is a well-known organization for which I have done volunteer work, so I felt comfortable with it as a choice, which is not to say other groups are not worthy. A common question about charity events, and one I received numerous times this week, is:  ”How do I know my money actually gets to the people in need?” I feel confident in this case, especially since Mosto informed me that they would be willing to scan the receipt from UNICEF when the donation is processed.
3. The food was excellent. I have been satisfied with my previous meals at Mosto, but this is the first time I have done five courses here and it turned out to be among the best meals I have had in the past 12 months. From the shrimp Napoleon with avocado tartar (I would have been happy to have this five times) to the red wine risotto with its tangy parmesan edge to the tenderloin cooked perfectly to my liking t0–on the intriguing side–the Sichuan peppercorn ice cream paired with chocolate souffle, it was all tasty. On top of this, we had six different wines, including a couple of less common ones in Beijing — a Gruner Veltliner and a Nero d’Avola — and the pours were generous.

I attended the dinner with six acquaintances and I can safely say we all had our fill and, at least my case, a bit more. Once again, an excellent meal and an excellent initiative, so big props to Alex, Daniel, Eva, and the team at Mosto.

… as the most-searched-for bar or restaurant on this blog.

(Short intermission as I duck shoes, books, beer cans, mustard bottles, and other objects hurled by those who pine for a return of their favorite hot dog joint, closed since March.)

After being knocked out of top spot by China View dance spot Klubb Rouge a couple of times this summer, Maggie’s headed the search charts in September. The top five is rounded out by Legation Quarter, Maison Boulod, Mosto, and Element Fresh.

Maggie’s, which holds a dual identity as a spot with good music, people-watching, and hot dogs and as a place where, uh, joint ventures can be negotiated, must soon be reopening, no?

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See also:
The search continues: Maggie’s gone, but not forgotten

The food scene at Nali Studio is starting to drift upstairs as Mosto just opened on the third floor. The team includes head chef Daniel Urdaneta, who until recently headed the kitchen at SALT, and restaurant manager Alex Molina, formerly with Torres, who back in 2006 used to make great Mojito Martinis at Garden of Delights.

Mosto seats about 50, including space for eight at the bar, and describes its food as modern with Latin influences. The a la carte menu includes about a dozen starters, including shrimp bisque, seared foie gras, and Mesclum salad, at RMB40-RMB75, and eight main courses, ranging from pan-seared sea bass to truffled red wine risotto from RMB115. The lunch special is RMB70 for two courses, RMB80 for three courses, with a choice of three starters, three mains and two desserts (the plan is to change the menu weekly). The photo shows the staff of Mosto with some Olympic gold-medal winning athletes from Australia.

I’ll have a full write-up soon.