Tucked alongside D-Park in 798 is the Yi House boutique hotel. A surprise for both food and art lovers, the outdoor dining area is flanked by a stunning graffiti-style mural, while inside the artwork that graces the walls is curated by the owner, Shauna Liu, formerly of Hotel Cote Cour SL.

Here, Liu takes a larger leap with Fennel, a bistro that calls itself Mediterranean but offers a few tastes of Asia. With two disparate menus, dinner is the time to start with the pan-fried gruyère terrine with rucola and artichokes, a creative play on the fried bacon-wrapped cheese, with slow-roasted sweet cherry tomatoes that are a good beginning to the meal.

The clear clam broth with pistou is delicately intense and is also presented in a mini iron Staub pot on slate. Swiss-born chef Christian Hoffman, formerly of Raffles Beijing, offers rarities such as local veal chop with a creamy morel mushroom sauce that delivers beautifully. Try the tender and juicy slow-roasted spring chicken served with a rich lemon-thyme nage, that completely misses the light brothy nature of a nage; this one has a rich creamy sauce that’s heavy for summer.

With humidity playing its hand, desserts on the lunch menu are a little hit-and-miss. The lemon tart with citrus salad lacks the crisp, while the raspberry macaroon navigates a perfect balance of sweet and tart, but misses on the crunchy shield. Fennel at lunch is a bargain: two or three courses for 98RMB/108RMB and a fantastic precursor to an afternoon of exploration.

Address: 798 Art house, Yi House, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, 706 Houjie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥路2号院798艺术区706后街1号一驿酒店内(近大蓝罐)

Source: timeoutbeijing.com