Red Capital Club
One of the pioneers in Beijing's culinary renaissance was American
entrepreneur Lawrence Brahm. In 1999, the long-time Beijing lawyer
launched the popular Red Capital Club in an old courtyard home.
But don't be put off by the exclusive sounding name. There are
no members to this club. "Anyone can be a Red Capitalist,"
says Mr. Brahm. "We have a very proletarian approach."
The beautifully restored 200-year-old courtyard house, with its
post-liberation theme bar and Qing-style dining room, was an immediate
ht. The chefs are said to be veterans of the kitchens of Zhongnanhai,
headquarters of former top Communist officials.
The" Marshal's Favorite," hot green peppers stuffed
with shrimp, pork and bean curd, is thus named because several
of China's old marshals were natives of the pepper-growing provinces
of Sichuan and Hunan and liked fiery dishes. "South of the
Clouds," a filleted fish covered with scallions and spices
and baked between two pieces of bamboo netting, was a favorite
of another marshal who first tried it when the Red Army was fighting
its way across Yunnan during the civil war. The delicious "Deng's
Chicken" is decorated with two small black and white cats
,one carved out of a beet and the other from a turnip. The reason
? Former leader Deng Xiaoping once stated: " It doesn't matter
whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice."
In the center of the courtyard is a square cover that opens to
the bomb shelter, built during the 1960s when Sino=Soviet relations
were at an all-time low. Guests are welcome to twist and wind
themselves down the narrow steps for a look at what is now the
wine cellar.
