Blue Note jazzes up menu for spring

The Stanley Clarke Band performs at Blue Note in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

If you're heading to Beijing's Qianmen area this weekend for a jazzy night at one of Chick Corea's shows, it's also a good time to try Blue Note's new spring menu while you are there.

A good start: crispy soft-shell crab with avocado panna cotta, apple salad, passion fruit and chili sauce, a soft and delicate appetizer with a spicy edge.

"We vary our menu based on seasonal ingredients," says chef Han Guodong.

The pickled mackerel with mackerel ice cream layers the frozen sweetness with a slightly sour taste, which is enhanced with crisp rye bread crumbs. Acidic pickle juice is mixed in the ice cream as well.

"The fish meat has to be marinated for at least a week," the chef says.

Sweet Maine shrimp coats a halibut fillet from Iceland, and orange peel elevates the overall taste. Seasonal crushed fava bean and onion confit complement the meat.