Life in the city

Beijing restaurant battlefield

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

A long list

As a well-known food vlogger in Beijing I go around a lot and see the scene as a Beijing restaurant battlefield. Many locations open and then close. Rather few survive for a long time. There are many reasons, often the rent being increased dramatically, quality not kept up to standards, poor marketing and promotion, lack of appeal.

Beijing has seen many starting to make Belgian waffles, most went bust, except for Morel’s Restaurant that has them on the menu and Bewaffle, a small outlet close to O’Steak near Chunxiu Lu, Maison Manneke started with a lot of fanfare, they also joined Belgian embassy events. I tried it a few times but the location in SOHO Sanlitun did not have enough turnover. Sadly very few Belgians supported it. It is now a Chinese restaurant.

I liked a lot the cozy American style restaurant in Chunxiu Lu, food was good but it closed recently for reasons not clear. It is now a noodles restaurant.

Cartahge Restaurant was on Dongzhimenwai, operated by our friend Adele – he has gone through some failed restaurant, It was supposed to be North African cuisine like couscous and other. I tried it a few times. Now gone and replaced by some Pakistani restaurant.

East End was a small restaurant and delicatessen place, very nice and good food, that still stayed some time after its related restaurant Apollo next door vanished, a very nice restaurant that seemed to be doing well. We miss both Apolla and East End,

Orbit was a very nice bar restaurant in front of the Workers Stadium, with impressive decoration and wine selection. But it did not attract customers and it is now a Chongqing Hotpot restaurant “Chunying”.

Next to my home, Julong Garden, there has been an endless series of shops and restaurants in the same location. Seems it has bad karma because nothing seemed to survive for long. Last victim was a Xinjiang Restaurant, Ayisha, pretty good, no idea why it closed. It is now Jiangxi restaurant.

I could go on and on as the list of failed restaurants is endless. A restaurant like Morel’s that has been in operation for 25 years is really an exception.

Pushkin Literature Restaurant

As a last example, this Russian restaurant near Morel’s Restaurant was very popular at some point. They also had Russian staff. With COVID the Russians disappeared, Here some media articles.
Thebeijinger: Pushkin Literary Restaurant, a Throwback Hit? We’re Putin Our Money on It. Borscht, breaded pies, blinis and other Russian classics are available at the Yoolee Plaza restaurant.
CGTN:: Russian cuisine brings Russian literature to Beijin
Global Times:  Russian Alexander Pushkin restaurant gains popularity in China, but not just for food.

I visited several times: 10 June 2021, 27 January 2019, 11 February 2019, 6 March 2019. And one day it closed without much explanation.

 

 

Old China Hands Lunch 6 June

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

After the Dragon Boat Festival

The Old China Hands Lunch 6 June had a turnout of 25, with many members unable to attend due to travel and workload. As usual lively conversation.

See the menu, most dishes in the pictures:

  • ham salad andalouse OR puff pastry with chicken curry Indian style OR fresh daily soup
  • veal sausage with curry sauce served with salad and Belgian fries OR sliced roast beef with gravy served with cauliflower and pan fried potatoes OR pan-fried snapper Meunière served with daily vegetables and boiled potatoes
  • daily desert

Next lunch Friday 4 July.

Renaat Morel, the Chef

Morel’s Restaurant and Café has become a real institution in Beijing, the only real Belgian restaurant and with a solid track record of 25 years.
My first visit to the restaurant was in February 2000, just after returning to Beijing after nearly five years in Shanghai.

Renaat is an incredible story teller with an impressive memory. But writing is not his strong point, so I help him time to time to play secretary and to record bits and pieces of his past.
Renaat has an imposing career and I still record new facts about his memorable adventures as a top chef.
See here my latest update: Renaat Chef
Before landing in China, Renaat worked in major five-star hotels in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Holland such as:

  • Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo – Monaco
  • Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes and Sporting Club of Cannes
  • InterContinental Carlton Cannes – Cannes
  • Le Cap Estel – Eze Bord de Mer (between Nice and Monaco)

He served an impressive list of famous people, see the PDF.
On top of his 3 Michelin Stars he accumulated an endless list of titles and awards and he has been interviewed by many Chinese and foreign media.
Before setting up his restaurant in Beijing Renaat was executive chef in Beijing Air Catering Company, Crown Plaza Xiamen Seascape, Henan Zhongzhou Crown Plaza Hotel and Beijing Kunlun Hotel.

Old China Hands Lunch 9 May

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

May 1 holidays

As the first Friday was 2 May, the Old China Hands Lunch 9 May was a week later to avoid the overbooking in Morel’s Restaurant. Still, many of our members were on the road or tight up in meetings. Anyway the 22 participants were happy as always, despite the rainy day. We also had the honor of having our Belgian ambassador joining us.

See the menu, most dishes in the pictures:

  • ham salad andalouse OR puff pastry with chicken curry Indian style OR fresh daily soup
  • veal sausage with curry sauce served with salad and Belgian fries OR sliced roast beef with gravy served with cauliflower and pan fried potatoes OR pan-fried snapper Meunière served with daily vegetables and boiled potatoes
  • daily desert

Next lunch Friday 6 June.

Gilbert, a rising star in the Chinese media

It all started not long ago when I tried to post my restaurant videos as a food vlogger on WeChat Channels, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu (Red Book). The feedback was better than expected and many people I meet talk about my videos.
Just recently I also started posting on TikTok and Douyin. I am also active on Dianping, the famous platform for restaurants, where I am Level 7, one of the highest.
I love food and exploring the cosmopolitan food scene of Beijing is fascinating.
But a very few days ago we had a shock. A new post became a huge hit.

I made a short video about the story of my four “Green Cards”, and a look back to earlier documents for foreigners in China. Posted on Douyin (Chinese Tiktok), WeChat channels and other, the results were astonishing. As for now way over 200,000 hits on Douyin and way over 70,000 on WeChat, and growing. See the impressive progress over time. Hundreds of comments on Douyin, many praising my track record, many digging up stuff about me and posting it. Comments on WeChat were mixed, a bit more silly and many asking me to help to get the Green Card, now officially called the Five Star Card. And none clever enough to identify me. If interested, you can watch the video on TikTok.

Some people ask me, why I do it. Not for money, I refuse payments from the restaurants.
Many are asking to post more about my China stories. I started to make some videos, tried to post on Douyin but all got censured. Welcome to China. The videos cannot mention the names of high Chinese officials, cannot mention the word “Chinese government”, and so on. As such Douyin and Deepseek share the same automatic draconian censorship. I cannot say “This is Beijing Mayor XXXXX giving me the Great Wall Friendship Award. And of course I cannot show his picture.
So sad. The video could not be used. I plan to upload it to TikTok and YouTube. We started making “cleaned up videos”. Self-censorship.
King Kwesi interviewed me in my office with me showing the pictures. That is not allowed on Chinese media. This is the link to the office video.

Boogie Boy China Tour 2025

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

 

Boogie Boy is back

Boogie Boy China Tour 2025 stopped in Beijing.
We had already met Boogie Boy last year, we went to his concert in a small bar in the hutongs on 6 May 2024. We were a very small audience. Boogie Boy is an old friend of Renaat Morel, they go back 60 years!. Before the concert we had dinner in a traditional local restaurant nearby.

On 7 May 2024 he had lunch in Morel’s along with Tobias.

Concert in the Belgian embassy in Beijing

Boogie Boy is on a major China Tour, going from city to city:

On 7 April 2025 the Belgian embassy opened its doors to near 100 people for an evening of food, Belgian beers, wine and yes a concert by Boogie Boy that was a success.
The food was sponsored by Renaat Morel, I helped Renaat for the food.

It was a great evening, thanks go to the Belgian ambassador and Max from the embassy who took care of the logistics.
See on Vimeo a short clip of his performance.

Embassy report

See the full report here.

At the heart of the band is Boogie Boy, a Belgian music legend whose dynamic presence and boundless energy have captivated audiences around the world. With a lifetime dedicated to performance, he transforms every stage into a celebration of music, inviting listeners to be part of an electrifying, joyful atmosphere.
Carrying forward this legacy is N8N, an acclaimed Belgian singer, and DJ, whose work bridges classic influences with fresh, modern sounds. His international career spans collaborations with music icons and performances at prestigious venues, making him a leading figure in Belgium’s vibrant music scene.
Joining them are two outstanding musicians: Sherry Xie, a gifted bassist and vocalist from Shanghai; and Tobias Le Compte, a talented Belgian multi-instrumentalist and industry professional.
Together, Boogie Boy & N8N embody the spirit of artistic collaboration and cultural connection — a meeting of generations, styles, and international talent.
Guests were treated to a taste of Belgium with delicious bites curated by Morel’s, paired with a selection of authentic Belgian beers, and even Belgian chocolates. Good vibes, great weather, and even better company, it is safe to say the night hit all the right notes.

 

Old China Hands Lunch 4 April

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Qingming holiday

Our Old China Hands Lunch 4 April was on the first day of the Qingming holiday, so the attendance of 24 was still pretty good.
The menu:

  • tomato stuffed with North Sea fish salad OR poached eggs with Delirium beer sauce OR fresh daily soup
  • chicken schnitzel with mixed salad and potato salad OR spaghetti bolognaise OR waterzooi of fish with boiled potatoes
  • daily desert

The following lunch will be on Friday 9 May, due to the May 1 holidays, as the restaurant expects another overbooking…

The restaurant was totally overbooked and we asked to leave by 2 pm, for the next round of guests. Thanks to all for cooperating! Some decided to continue their chats outside,! While we lose members leaving Beijing, new members receive a warm welcome.

Our star: Peter Ritzen

Peter Ritzen is a Flemish pianist composer and conductor. He is a close friend and attends our lunches regularly.
Peter studied piano and chamber music at the Royal Conservatory of his native city Ghent. He continued his training at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He graduated with the Diplôme Supérieure d’Exécution for Piano from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris ‘Alfred Cortot’. As a concert pianist, Ritzen has played throughout Europe, Asia and the US. He cooperated as a soloist with many well-known orchestras and ensembles. He is an acclaimed interpreter of Franz Liszt & Theodor Leschetizky. His contact with the Chinese Culture resulted in a whole repertoire of own China related compositions.
He has conducted all over China, while residing In Beijing and Chongqing.
He also performed in the Belgian embassy during the visit of Belgian PM De Croo,

240111 PeterRitzen_anthem

He is also a foreign member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. Some pictures from 2023, 2024 and 2025 showing his concerts and more.:

Peter Ritzen ON YOUTUBE: Chinese Rhapsody
Peter Ritzen: Chinese Rhapsody Love for the Motherland, Chongqing Festival Orchestra, Fan Jingma, tenor, Peter Ritzen, conductor.
More about Peter: see Wikipedia. The article needs updates.