Lido is that stylishly ragtag individual of Beijing; it wears a nice tailored jacket up top, and a pair of comfy slacks below.  Thankfully Big Mama knows how to dress itself properly, albeit the funky vibe comes out of the closet with striking yellow highlights against dark furniture settings, and pink fluorescent signage bouncing phrases to patrons.

Walk through its door and be greeted with a ‘Yep, We’re Open’ at the entrance, and an even bolder ‘Good Morning Folks’ flashing on the wall of the stair landing. Their insignia, a set of cartoonish fists clutching a fork and knife, can be found as zany sculptural pieces near the entry. Climb to the top and have your choice of two rooms, one close to the kitchen, and the other more suitable for those with beverages in mind.

It was a famously grey Beijing afternoon when I sat down at Big Mama’s at a table overlooking the street below, but I quickly forgot the dreariness outside while I perused their menu. The styled food photography and careful choice of typography found inside their menu distracted me from the gloom outside, and made looking at each page a small enjoyable experience of itself. A simple breakdown of different dishes with highlighted ingredients against appropriately colored pages is a rare design consideration I don’t often see coming from Chinese design agencies. This care echoed out against the walls with poetic notions of ‘Buy, Beauty’ flashing from an overhead sign and ‘Be Lazy Is Your Right’ boldly shouting its typically grammatically-errant statement to the world outside.

Prices do lean towards being slightly excessive for the individual, but the arrangement of comfy couches and chairs scattered about the space suggests the idea that you should round up a group of people and re-enact your own retro version of the sitcom ‘Friends’. Take advantage of their midnight snack menu: guacamole (RMB 88) makes a rare appearance, to which I say indulge your avocado cravings.

If you are passing through Lido solo, the duck with mango wrap (RMB 68) is an experiment in haute street food; a textural experience with delicately soft mango mellowing the tang of crunchy preserved vegetables and gently warmed, yet a little tough to cut through, duck slices. Drinks are pretty standard with cocktails ranging from RMB 48 – 58 and coffees starting at RMB 28 for a punchy Americano.

With popularity predicted to increase, Big Mama is going to throw the Lido café scene a Bezier curve ball as to what quirky design, backed with strong food foundations, can achieve.

Big Mama
(Mon-Fri 11am-midnight, Sat-Sun 9am-midnight), 5 Jiang Tai Road Commercial Street (Close to Sunrise Ramen), Chaoyang District (5842 9007)
朝阳区将台路商业街5号2楼

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Photos: Erin Strong