The Naked Cow
Sharpen your teeth

No. 2, Lane 66 Danshui Lu Tel: 021 6385 8123

This new American steakhouse, nestled inside a park just outside the retail mayhem of Huaihai Lu, is comfortable, casual and perfect for a big business get-together. The Cow's specialty is steak, and the menu features several delicious cuts of beef. The superstar is the one-kilogram Porterhouse, served sliced on a chopping block - enough to feed the whole family. If you're not in a carnivorous mood, try some of their delightful tapas. And of course they've got all the trimmings (for the uninitiated, that means mashed potatoes, creamed spinach. In addition to its cheerful, wood-paneled dining room, the Naked Cow also boasts one of the best spots for outdoor eating in the city: its own backyard terrace, which overlooks the park. A perfect place to sit with a glass of their homemade sangria, now that the weather has warmed up. - Gerard Oak.

Beijing

Mirch Masala
Dehli-cious

60 Nanluogu Xiang Dongcheng Tel: 010 6406 4347

Indian restaurants are a relatively new phenomenon in Beijing. Judging by the similar, though less sudden, proliferation of Russian restaurants in the capital, an ever-affluent China is increasingly curious about its large neighbour's cuisine. Quaint Nanluogu Xiang, where Mirch Masala opened two months ago, is similarly en vogue among Beijingers these days. There are some odd choices: The long chair backs here twist away into tree branches, not a great match for the sharper black-and-white theme in the rest of the furnishing and dishware. The cooking, however, is more precisely coordinated. Baked pineapple ananas pharda (RMB20) and Aloo Firdosi (RMB16) were great to start along with a selection of vegetable samosas (RMB6-12). Sweet mango lassi to drink and garlic naan were good accompaniments before the hearty main courses. Rogan josh, accompanied by orange-red pilao rice, was a delicate mix of beef and peppers which suggested a compromise with Chinese cuisine. But moghula chicken was positively Indian, a finely calibrated yellow curry which alas proved too mild beside the rogan josh. Appropriate for lunch or dinner, cooking this good can only add to the increasingly better understanding and exchanges between Beijing and Delhi. - Mark Godfrey