The 2015 YES! Food Fest stopped in Beijing over the weekend at Today Art Museum, giving visitors a taste of the art of living and gastronomy.
One of the latest exhibitions at the Today Art Museum is a life-size indoor market complete with grocers, bakers and flower shops.
Art patrons, expats and gourmets throng the 2,000-square meter gallery, which features fine and exotic food from around the world. Most of the products on offer are all-natural, organic or fair-trade, reflecting the public demand for cleaner and safer food.
1949 is a new-concept Japanese restaurant in Beijing with an emphasis on healthy living. Max Levy is the owner and chef. He puts a lot of care into selecting ingredients that are fresh and natural, and sources pork from remote villages in Southwest Guizhou province.
"We focus on finding really good ingredients throughout China, but mostly by small producers who take a lot of care in producing the things they do, whether it's pigs or cows, vegetables. And we try to produce them into processed products so that we can have them here in Beijing, so that people can enjoy really good hand-crafted products that are not imported, that are made locally, that are safe, and also with a really good mindset when they're made," Levy said.
What is a food festival without an authentic Italian vendor? Haute-cuisine restaurant Opera Bombana brought a cornucopia of freshly baked breads, while V+H Living Art Laboratory, which specializes in Japanese-style raw processed dark chocolates, have just what it takes to satisfy those with a sweet-tooth.
As well as traditional restaurant vendors and grocers, the festival also features clothing designers, bookshops, breweries, and even a furniture shop. Pop-Up Beijing's co-founder Glenn Shuitman says he sees that people today are returning to antiques and things that are real.
"Our business, our brand, our story is about lifestyle. We're a furniture shop, we have antiques, we have ceramics, we have a whole range of European and Chinese pieces. But we believe these pieces actually enhance lifestyle. So we look at ourselves as a brand that is bigger than just furniture. And we want to connect ourselves to food, lifestyle, beverage, things that bring joy to people's lives," Shuitman said.
The first YES! Food Fest was held in Shanghai last year. Tickets for this year were sold out even before the event started.
