Savour simple and tasty regional Chinese favourites

Slim Taste, a Chinese restaurant serving a collection of regional favourites, is the latest reasonably priced and casual restaurant in The Village. Located in a clean, casual space on the third floor, the restaurant aims for a healthy look, with lots of glass, wood and green. Both the service and food are uncomplicated and light, with the dishes taking it easy on the oil but not scrimping on flavour.

Steamed mixed vegetable dumplings (16RMB) have spinach-flavoured skins covering a rich mix of mushroom, bean sprouts and spinach.

The spicy chillis in the Sichuan hot shredded chicken (25RMB) erupts with flavour, while the braised noodles with dried shrimp and spring onion (25RMB) are excellent: simple, slippery and smokey sweet, with a sweet and pungent aroma.

The Hangzhou Iced Beancurd (18RMB) shows the diversity of the menu, with sweet pork floss and plum sauce creating an unusual yet pleasing flavor.

The more filling dishes also work well. The honey pork chop in purple rice noodle soup (19RMB) is tasty, with sweet and tender fried pork, while the pork wonton in soup (19RMB) manages to be light but filling.

All-in-all, Slim Taste isn’t doing much new, but it offers a simple and tasty Chinese alternative when you’re shopping at The Village.

Slim Taste S9-32, Tower S9, The Village at Sanlitun, 19 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang district (6415 9699). Open 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm (hours will expand in the next few weeks). Meal for two around 90RMB. 朝阳区三里屯19号VILLAGE南区S9-32单元。

http://www.timeout.com/cn/en/beijing/restaurants/feature/6542/slim-taste-noodles-bar.html