Archive for the 'Paul Mathew' Category
Must tries: Paul Mathew and Jeff Powell at Flamme
This is part six in the “must tries” series that asks people in the Beijing bar and restaurant business to give us their top food and beverage picks. This time: Paul Mathew and Jeff Powell of Flamme: The Ultimate Steakhouse. Mathew is a bartender and co-owner of the Hide Bar in London. Powell is a chef and has been involved in places such as The Orchard, Element Fresh, and Gung Ho! Frankly, Mathew and Powell sounds like a law firm, though one where they sue your ass off then give you a martini and a steak to ease the pain.
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Mathew and Powell
What is the ‘must try’ beverage at Flamme?
Mathew: I would have said the Burnt Brandy and Peach Sour, but as good peaches are hard to come by at the moment, we’re making a Burnt Apple and Rum Sour (RMB50; RMB25 during happy hour). We caramelize apples by burning with dark rum in a pan, then shake up the resulting soft fruit with more rums, maple syrup, and fresh lemon juice. Having said that, we sell more Martinis than anything. There’s something about a Martini followed by a steak and a glass of red that just works well!
What is the ‘must try’ food at Flamme?
Powell: Aside from the obvious house steaks at Flamme, my must try would be any of the potato dishes. We grow a specific variety of potato from seed potatoes imported from Idaho a.k.a. “the potato state”. These potatoes are available nowhere else in China, or even in Asia, other than Flamme. I feel it is the care and attention paid to the basics that is what sets us apart.
What are three ‘must try’ items at other venues in Beijing?
Powell: The pork ribs at Yu Xin Cuan Cai.
The Tandoori chicken wrap at Element Fresh.
The fried chicken on Sundays at Apothecary.
Paul: Dealer’s choice at Twilight. They have so many great products behind the bar and they know what to do with them.
A whiskey at Atmosphere for the view looking out over the city.
A baijiu cocktail in the Bomb Shelter Bar of the Red Capital Residence for communist kitsch.
(See previous Must Tries here.)
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