At a recent tasting at Da Dong Peking Roast Duck Restaurant's Jinbao Place branch, GM Dong Zhenxiang announced that sea cucumber, not Peking roast duck, was the best-selling dish at this high-end eatery.

Indeed, many industry insiders believe chef Dong's braised sea cucumber is the best in Beijing. The sea cucumber has a good reputation with traditional Chinese doctors, who believe it is a nutritious food that replenishes the yin factor in the body, exactly what many busy people need to

relieve their tension.

The braised sea cucumber was impeccable, full of flavor, at this recent tasting of winter specialties at Da Dong. Even the menu is beautifully designed, with plum blossoms on the front and a freehand Chinese painting on the back. Each course has a line of poetry, following the dish's name. Sea cucumber (pictured below) and a chocolate made with liquid nitrogen were prepared on the spot.

Dishes at Da Dong Jinbao Place are a combination of good Chinese flavors, modern presentation and often a show of molecular gastronomy. The "superlean" roast duck had a crisp, almost lean skin. Salmon avocado roll was a great appetizer. Steamed Alaskan king crab with Shaoxing yellow rice wine was a tasty winner. The following hawthorn fruit sorbet, and tender green pea and ham were great, too.

Two innovative new dishes were persimmon capsules made with molecular gastronomy, and chocolate land mine, a tiny bag of chocolate that bursts in one's mouth after one bites it. A piece of chocolate "fried" with liquid nitrogen was also impressive. Arriving in a solid state, it disappears on the tongue, and one can blow out the smoke from your mouth. It was an interesting dish, to say the least!

Daily 11am-10pm. 5/F Jinbao Place, 8 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng district. 8522-1111