The bulgogi steak, cooked with South Korean barbecue sauce, is a signature dish at VIPS Steak& Salad Bar in Beijing. (Photo by Liu Zhihua/China Daily)
Not every restaurant would be comfortable describing one of its leading menu offerings as "stone steak". But VIPS Steak & Salad Bar, a popular South Korean restaurant chain owned by that nation's CJ Group, does so with pride.
Of course, that name doesn't mean you get a piece of meat that's hard as a rock. "Stone steak" is a Korean specialty: medium-rare steak presented on a hot stone slate, which diners can take and pan-fry at the table themselves to the level of doneness they like.
Chinese customers are often allured by lifestyles shown in South Korea soap operas and movies. The owners at CJ Group, which has business ranging from film, K-pop and food, have taken advantage of their cultural appeal and extended the company's success to China with two branches. The original customer base was South Korean expats, but now more than half are Chinese, says head chef Tian Yulong.
On my visit to the original branch on Jiangtai Road in Chaoyang district in Beijing, which opened in 2012 (the Solana-area restaurant opened in 2013) for a Tuesday lunch, I found the restaurant almost packed with diners.
Most customers come to enjoy meals with families and friends, and on weekends, it's advisable to book a table in advance, I'm told.
The restaurant's appeal seems rooted in its delicious and distinctive steaks, which are cuts of rib-eye, filet, sirloin and porterhouse are imported from Australia.
Some steaks follow original Western recipes to produce authentic flavors, while some, like the "stone steaks", are prepared with a South Korean twist.
I tried two recommended specialties, the bulgogi steak and "New York strip yum stone steak".
The bulgogi steak is previously marinated with the restaurant's version of South Korea's signature barbecue sauce, which is made with Korean soybean, pepper, fresh fruits and other ingredients in secret proportions, according to Tian.
While cooking the steaks, chefs also brush the sauce onto the meat repeatedly, which is quite different from the traditional method, and gives the steak a special flavor of the sauce, Tian says.
When served at table, the steak was covered with chopped shallot, and was a visual treat. The mixed aroma of the steak and shallot was so pleasant and appealing that I found my mouth watering.
The medium-well steak I ordered was extremely tender and juicy, and had a gratifying salty, sweet taste. The side of pinkish, crystal-like pickles was a great balance to the steak, both for the palate and for the eyes.
The stone steak was also very tasty, and I especially enjoyed the side of grilled onions, which were still a bit crunchy and slightly sweet.
The buffet is another reason not to miss the restaurant, which provides diners a variety of Western and Asian options, and is free to diners who order from the steak menu. It is updated with new delicacies every three months.
The restaurant hopes to provide steaks and other delicacies that Asian people would desire, and updates the a la carte menu regularly, Tian says. VIPS keeps popular classics, but also replaces less-popular dishes with new ones, he says.
There are also homemade Italian pizzas, pastas, Vietnamese rice noodles, sashimi and South Korean delicacies, including fried rice cake and bibimbap.
I was lucky to taste the latest buffet menu during my visit, including zucchini apple salad and lentil soup.
There are more than 10 kinds of salad, which are made with about 100 ingredients, I'm told.
My favorite salad is "iceberg blueberry salad", which innovatively combines lettuce, blue berries, croutons, and blue-cheese dressing.
The harmonious blend looks like a small iceberg, and tastes refreshing.
All the other dishes I tried, including several salads and soups, were very savory.
The name VIPS is an abbreviation for "Very Important Person's Society", and the company says it strives to "treat each and every customer as a VIP guest".
