We are shameless Japanese food lovers, no matter whether it's a fancy ten-course kaiseki-style banquet, authentic sushi, yakitori, casual California-style rice rolls, or small dishes with drinks at an izakaya. Qingjiu, on the second floor of Paradise or FX Hotel along the Liangma River, is one of the lower-key places with high-quality food in an area home to a dozen different Japanese restaurants, all within a stone's throw of each other.
The inside of the restaurant is quite cozy, with a sushi bar, two tables along the floor-to-ceiling window, and several private dining rooms for groups of people, separated by wood and paper screens. They tell us that name Qingjiu comes from the homophone of sake, which also means "longstanding and healthy" to represent the balance between the cuisines and drinks, as well as between humans and the environment.
The menu is quite thick, ranging from sashimi and tempura to grilled seafood and sukiyaki. Some special fish dishes are delivered several times a week from Nagasaki, to ensure all the menu's items are made fresh as possible. Appetizers include pumpkin pudding, fish paste cake, and preserved small fish wrapped with kombu (dried seaweed). We loved the Bluefin tuna platter (RMB 380), which was a showcase of the classic dishes here, the sashimi cut thick, its color testament to its freshness.
The signature sea urchin hot pot (RMB 298) was the star, featuring a box of sea urchin, thin-cut fish, mushrooms, and spinach. The broth was the secret weapon: It's made of sea urchin with kombu providing an intense flavor of umami and a creamy texture. After finishing all your meats and vegetables, you can dump rice into the rich broth to make a heartwarming sea urchin porridge.
Braised beef tongue (RMB 55) was served in a pretty bowl brought from Japan by the chef. The sliced tongue was sautéed to perfect tenderness and seasoned well with just a hint of sweetness. We were impressed by the beef tongue sushi, which was heated by gas torch in front of us, seasoned with black pepper, and yuzu sauce to make it spicy, peppery, sweet, and rich. Aside from the a la carte menu, you can book a kaiseki (set menu, RMB380/580/980) if you would like to have a banquet-style dinner or to experience the masterful chef’s understanding of seasonal ingredients.
The sake menu is not a thick book like the food menu, but is instead made up of a few carefully selected bottles, with a bunch of quality Daiginjo-shu (at least 50% of the rice polished away during production) from Dassai and Born. They also offer lunch sets (RMB 58-168) for the office workers nearby, the most popular ones being eel with rice (RMB 158), sushi set (RMB 168), and salmon rice set (RMB 98), which are all served with a side dish, salad, egg custard, soup, and dessert. The place was quite packed during our visit on a weekday in the midst of the lunch peak, but was still relaxing enough for people to enjoy their time with a satisfying meal before dashing back to work.
Qingjiu
Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10pm. 2/F, Paradise (FX Hotel), 39 Maizidian Xijie, Chaoyang District (8595 2527)
青久日料：朝阳区麦子店西街39号部落方舟2层
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Photos: Tracy Wang