Down menu, color and texture continue to come together as smoothly as do local and imported ingredients, without a fussy sense of fusion. Our eagerly shared duck was a rosy delight on a beetroot nest and potato cream. A perfectly seared chunk of mackerel could have been at home on either continent, and the beef hit of the night was a hot-pink slab of Australian tenderloin with sea salt, snuggled up against a smoked sweet-potato puree and festoons of shaved-fennel salad. A cheeseboard beckons as an option, featuring locally made cheeses such as Beijing Blue.
"Things were done to cauliflower we have never seen before," one published review says with such naughty nuance that we had to try it. Indeed. Menu listings are simple to the point of Spartan: "grilled parsnip－squid－black garlic", for example, or "baked black halibut－malt－potato". That stoicism invites questions, and the waitstaff is right there to pleasantly fill in the blanks, but even so the presentation will be a charming surprise.
If the dining experience is not art enough, ask to go upstairs for a peek at the Jensen gallery, a showcase for the crafts of the century-old brand, which radiate the Art Nouveau lines of Jensen's day as well as his sensual appreciation of nature, from hollowware to jewelry. Among the goodies in store is a new collaboration: Limited to an edition of 10, the Marc Newson-designed tea service is described as Georg Jensen's first significant partnership with a contemporary artist in 25 years.
If you go
Open for dinner 6-10:30 pm, Tuesday to Saturday. 45 Dongbu Yaqiao Hutong (at Di'Anmen East Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. thegeorg.com; 010-8408-5300.
