If there's only one French restaurant in the whole of Beijing, there's no doubt that you should go to TRB. TRB's owner, Ignace Lecleir, was part of the elite team of top celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, who was the manager of Daniel Boulud in New York, an American gastronomic landmark, and led the team of Maison Boulud, a high-end French restaurant in Beijing. TRB, which started from scratch, had a reputation before its old club closed, and after the disappearance of the Palazzo Bleu, it was firmly at the top of Beijing's Western food scene. TRB currently has two restaurants: TRB Hutong, the main store in Zhizhu Temple, and TRB Forbidden City, which is located outside the Donghua Gate.

The huge list of awards is the best illustration of TRB Hutong's position of strength. TRB Hutong has been ranked No. 1 among restaurants in China and 20th among the world's top 25 fine-end restaurants in TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice by TripAdvisor. TRB Hutong always wins the top prizes in various annual awards from food media such as The Beijinger, Time Out Beijing, Food & Wine, etc.

TRB's current Executive Chef is Frenchman Johnny Pham, who has worked at Le pavillon Ledoyen, one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, with three Michelin stars, including the Auberge de Fond Rose in Lyon, Cheval Blanc in Courchevelle, La résidence de la Pinède in Saint-Tropez, and many more. It is worth noting that, in addition to the fixed chef menu, TRB is also known for its frequent guest chef programmes, with TRB Hutong and TRB Forbidden City attracting several Michelin-starred chefs from Europe every year. When the guest chef arrives, the back of the house will be in charge and the restaurant will present a completely different cuisine.

TRB Forbidden City (formerly known as TRB Bite) originally existed as a secondary brand of TRB, but the menus of TRB Hutong and TRB Forbidden City are now fully identical. In addition to the à la carte, the menu provides customers with two sets of classic menus for 588 yuan and 1288 yuan, as well as a seasonal menu of 688 yuan, with an additional charge for wine pairing. The three-course lunch is as low as 198 yuan, which is an affordable choice and suitable for trying. Each meal comes with a large number of snacks before and after the meal, such as cheese corners, Parmesan cheese puffs, foie gras mousse, marshmallows, raw chocolate, etc. The basket is filled with a variety of meal packs from time to time.

The apple foie gras appetizer is undoubtedly TRB's signature dish, and it has remained unchanged in many years on the frequently changing menu. The foie gras is shaped into a ball, the green apple sauce is covered with a thin layer of sugar coating on the outside of the foie gras pie, and the boiled apple puree and fresh-cut green apple segments are underneath, and a matching lasagna roll is torn off when eating, and the foie gras, fruit puree and apple shreds are smeared, which is sweet and not greasy. The fly in the ointment is that the purity of the foie gras pie is relatively average, the entrance is dry, and the taste is fishy and hard. Marinated salmon is also a classic on the appetizer, where the whole salmon is served and served with eggs, capers, shallots and horseradish cream. Salmon is of excellent quality, oily, firm in flesh, salty and sour in salt. The soft texture and creamy aroma of horseradish cream smooth out the texture of the salmon, and the combination of the warmth of the eggs, the bright saltiness of the capers and the slight stimulation of the shallots makes the combination of pickled salmon quite outstanding. Lobster and sea urchin are also classics in the appetizer, and the production is decent.

For main courses, seafood and fish were lackluster; The meat dishes are best beef, beef ribs, filet and Wagyu beef, the taste is good, among which Wagyu beef is the best quality, with carrot puree and crispy carpaccio, the beef is crispy and charred on the surface, the cut is crimson, and the inside is tender and juicy. There is not much room for choice for the finishing desserts, such as pears, plums, chocolates and hazelnuts. It is worth mentioning that TRB Hutong's wine list has the strength of the country, and TRB Hutong has appeared in the Best Wine List and Best Champagne List at the China Wine List Awards in previous years, the Wine Spectator's Annual Excellence Award, and the Global Best Wine List of World Wine Magazine.

Compared to the production, TRB's service is definitely a plus. The service of both TRB stores can be described as impeccable, with top-notch waiters, fully barrier-free communication in Chinese and English, and a high standard of Fine Dining professionalism and "Haidilao-style" enthusiasm; Quick and detailed, from the moment you step into the restaurant to the last step out of the restaurant, there are countless pairs of eyes watching you, while maintaining a professional sense of proportion, leaving enough privacy for guests. If I had to find a flaw, the restaurant occasionally has a dull-eyed and helpless intern at the Paris Catering School, whose service is distinctly rusty and youthful. TRB dining is slower-paced, a meal lasts about two to three hours, and the overall experience is comfortable, with a 15% service charge. In terms of service alone, TRB deserves to be the first in the city.

Tucked away in the 600-year-old temple Zhizhu Temple, TRB Hutong is even more unique. Through the ancient glazed tile red wall and large arch of the temple, the layout of the restaurant slowly unfolds, the French plane tree in the courtyard, the half-squatting humanoid sculpture on the ground, the modern and elegant western restaurant on the left hand side and the wing room gallery on the right hand side, the combination of Chinese and Western, the two complement each other. Designed by Australian architecture firm Hassel, the interior of the restaurant is decorated in warm grey tones, with wide and tall pillars, floor-to-ceiling windows, and bronze metal wine shelves that are subtle in texture, full of light and subtle interpretations of lines. The contrast between the modern and the ancient inside and outside the hall is fascinating. TRB Forbidden City is also a good environment, adjacent to the Donghua Gate and across the water from the Forbidden City, showing the charm of the ancient capital. However, the stunning view of TRB Forbidden City can only be enjoyed from the window of a few tables, and diners can only be advised to book as early as possible.

Overall, TRB is a great choice for dating in Beijing because of its environment and service. The menu is relatively unwelcoming in terms of environment and service, so the frequent guest menu is worth looking forward to, and customers can pay attention to it through TRB's official channels. In 2018, TRB will also open a new store "Hulu" in Taikoo Li, which is also worth looking forward to.