You have been traveling around for weeks or maybe months… You have tried every single mysterious dish and chewy meat imaginable. You have had the sneaking suspicion that every tasty morsel of food you have eaten is laden with MSG and way too much cooking oil. Or maybe you simply need a break from Chinese food and need something familiar, fresh, and good.

If you are lucky enough to be trudging through the “big cities” in China at some point and want some of the best Western food China has to offer, look no further than Element Fresh. This hip young professional hangout might seem like a bit of a splurge to the backpacker, but sometimes this is a very necessary step after force-feeding yourself pork dumplings and Xinjiang noodles for weeks on end. While dumplings and noodles are filling, tasty, and generally reliable as staple foods and cheap as peanuts in China, sometimes you feel the need for some deliciously fresh squeezed carrot juice with spirulina.

Photo: Nina Bina

Prepare yourself and feed your weary eyes with a dazzling menu with pictures that make you seriously want to order everything on the menu, several times. If the tangy hummus doesn’t seem like enough, try one of their deliciously mouth watering panini like the Middle Eastern fresh grilled chicken and vegetables sandwich. If you want something filling but are craving a salad, try the laffa bread salad, which is virtually impossible to finish, seasoned to perfection, and will satisfy with juicy grilled chicken and crisp greens drizzled with a tangy yoghurt lemon dressing.

The juices alone are enough reason to check this place out. Nowhere else will you find such an assortment of thirst quenching revitalizing juices made of any fruit or vegetable you can imagine. Try the carrot orange and ginger one to spice up your afternoon and leave you feeling healthy again after that 32-hour train ride.

Photo: donut_p

For when you need to splurge on something that's worth the extra money, Element Fresh should be your first choice. Element Fresh is located in Beijing and Shanghai only; check their website for more information:

Shanghai
4/F, Kwah Restaurant Centre, 1028 Huaihai Zhong Lu, Huaihai Zhong Lu near Xiangyang Lu, Metro Line 1 Shaanxi Nan Lu Station
淮海中路1028号嘉华中心4楼近襄阳路, 地铁1号线陕西南路站
5403-8865

Beijing
S8-31, The VILLAGE at Sanlitun, 19 South Sanlitun Road,Sanlitun Near by subway line 10, Tuanjiehu Station
三里屯19号, 三里屯Village南区8号楼8-3-3单元
6417-1318

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