is a common find at Chinese restaurants. Meimingr Shengjian’s version features petals of lily bulbs (RMB 6). Lightly sweet with a floral hint, this rice porridge with chunks of pumpkin is a pleasing way to end a meal after getting up close and personal with their pan-fried buns (生煎包 shengjian bao). For a sweet porridge that is essentially a pumpkin puree, try the free bowl of viscous amber that serves as an appetizer at Korean barbecue restaurants like Tantan Dalu or Huoluhuo. Fair warning: The Wangjing branch of Huoluhuo keeps it pretty pure while the Wudaokou location’s thinner version dilutes the pumpkin’s good name. Winner: Savory pumpkin soup takes this round. Imagine a steamy bowl warming dem bones during the autumn chill – it’s enough to make you throw on a scarf and go jump in some leaves. Nangua bing vs. pumpkin pasta Chinese-style pumpkin pastries (南 瓜饼 nangua bing), made from deepfried sticky rice, are relatively easy to find at restaurants. The version at the T6 hotpot chain is respectable (RMB 8.6), though my favorite is the one from the sassily named chain Hot & Spicy Bar (RMB 18 per order). Fried, puffy and coated with flaky bread crumbs and sugar, it’s an airy thing of wonder. This isn’t an exact match, but the pumpkin and parmesan ravioli with a butter sage sauce at Eatalia (RMB 24-42) has a similar shape and concept to a pumpkin cake. While pumpkin and sage go very well together, those flavors in ravioli end up a bit flat. Texturally, the pasta also isn’t quite as satisfying to bite into. While we’re on the subject of pasta, Blue Frog offers a penne tossed with roasted pumpkin, feta, garlic and lemon juice and topped with pine nuts (RMB 75). It might not be as manly a choice as their Montana burger, but it does have clean flavors that brighten up the earthiness of the pumpkin.
it out. If you feel like sharing with a crowd, Pantry’s Best (the bakery formerly known as Pie House) offers a more substantial nine-inch pie for RMB 200. The filling tends to be on the darker side and the crust is thicker and not as sweet. If you’re feeling a bit less traditional, Pantry ’s Best makes an intriguing salted caramel pumpkin mousse cake that uses “pearlized” pumpkin juice; it starts at RMB 189 for six inches. Lollipop Bakery offers a seasonal pumpkin spice cupcake during the autumn months. A dozen will set you back RMB 250. If you want your pumpkin on a savory pie, head back to La Pizza for its rich pumpkin and ricotta pizza (small RMB 78, large RMB 188), or turn to Gung Ho for its earthy pumpkin and sweet potato pizza (small RMB 63, large RMB 80) with rosemary, spinach and pine nuts. Winner: The old-fashioned hermit in me wants to give the points to sweet pumpkin pie on this one, but La Pizza’s ricotta pumpkin pizza really is a remarkable achievement, so I’ll have to vote savory.
Winner: Nangua bing. I’ll probably take some heat for this, but I’d take a freshly fried pumpkin cake over pasta most days of the week. Granted, if you let it sit, it will get soggy, but that’s not a problem I’m in the habit of having.
Honorable mentions Savory won out two-to-one in our three (totally arbitrary) rounds. Since most of us can only take so much dessert, let’s take a look at a few more hearty pumpkin dishes: Wagas has a special affinity for this orange squash. Pumpkin shows up in the Wagas salad (RMB 48) and a curry chicken wrap (RMB 50). It also features in a Turkish panini (RMB 48) with sprigs of cilantro, almonds and Gouda. When those ingredients are in proportion, it makes for roundflavored bites, though the caramel flavor of the roast pumpkin can overpower the other components. If you’re staying healthy this fall, Obentos makes a guilt-free pumpkin tofu salad (small RMB 28, large RMB 48) in which the gingery accents of its dressing counter the natural sugars of the pumpkin. Finally, the award for M ost Ambitious Pumpkin Dish should go to Southern Barbarian for its whole steamed pumpkin stuffed with truffle-studded minced pork (RMB 108). I have yet to try it, but I’m having a hard time imagining how this could be anything short of awesome.
Pumpkin pie vs. pumpkin pie Fall simply isn’t complete without a slice of pumpkin pie. The Bridge Cafe in Wudaokou has one of my favorites at RMB 22 a slice. The crust is sweet, almost like a sugar cookie, but the restrained filling balances
Hail to the King It’s time to crown the pumpkin king … and I’m going to give it to you, the eater. After all, these multifarious pumpkin dishes would just go to waste without you – so rise, Your Highness. Go forth and eat.
November 2012
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