A lot has changed in Beijing since SALT opened in Lido in the pre-Olympics era back in 2007. Options for Western-style casual dining have proliferated, food trends have come and gone, and the dining scene as a whole has matured somewhat. Sort of. Maybe. Perhaps. It's definitly grown, that's for sure. Throught it all SALT has always been there; It's a solid option for some decadent grilled meats and offers up a fairly dependable stream of monthly events. They've managed to secure a crowd of regulars and consistently satisfy expectations, and for that they enjoy one of the better reputations in Beijing for Western restaurants. Just last week SALT celebrated their five-year anniversary, and opportune was the moment to revisit one of Beijing’s dining mainstays. This reviewer felt, in their early years, not one meal disappointed at SALT, but never was one so remarkable as to instigate an immediate return. Expectations were satisfied but never really exceeded. Nothing was all that suprising. SALT was SALT was SALT. But I was eager to give it another shot -- five years of good business is no small achievement for a restaurant in Beijing. They must be doing something right. And just to make it more interesting I brought a vegetarian foodie along, known in her family as the ‘truffle pig’ for sniffing out the best eats. I could start with how the receptionist was cordial when I booked a table or how attentive the service was throughout the evening -- all was great as it should be after five years -- but let’s skip all the gush and get right into the food. I will mention, however, the comedy of the menus; they use magnets to fix the paper in place and they're Magneto-strong, lifting the cutlery from the table every time I wanted a closer look. A bit strange that. Anyways... To start I ordered the pressed suckling pig served with a creamy green herb polenta and a dollop of whole-grain mustard. Each bite of fork-tender baby pig evaporated on my tongue and interrupted whatever conversation we were having. But truly singing with arresting flavors was the button mushroom-chestnut foam -- white truffle fontina-cheese tortellini sprinkled with parmesan crumble. Really delicious. The suckling pig was perfect all on its own, but the seductive flavor oozing out of every packet of mushroom and cheese could convert carnivores. Really fantastic dish. But if there were was any intention of becoming a vegetarian, it ended abruptly with the arrival of the premium angus rib-eye, weighing more than a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey, seeking absolution from a stack of mixed greens tossed in a cabernet sauvignon vinaigrette. And there was something though about the hollandaise sauce, something irresistible -- ah, it was truffled! The serrated knives though are no help while trying to cut into medium-rare flesh (again with the comedy of cutlery). While relishing my rib-eye, I tried what my vegetarian dining partner ordered and felt my faith in steak sorely tested. The goat cheese gnocchi slathered within a porcini mushroom fricassee then topped with black truffle-pine nut crumbs and pecorino was playing dirty -- what are the financial ramifications of frequenting this restaurant for this dish until truffles are out of season? Finally, we ordered dessert and I’d have to say my order of the chocolate fondant was far superior to her deconstructed tiramisu. It just didn’t taste like a tiramisu anymore and was a bit of a disappointment. But the yielding, hot chocolate fondant with hazelnut crisp and puddles of salt caramel, lemon, and rich zacapa rum custard tasted supreme as all fondants should but very rarely do. It was perhaps overkill that I ordered the suckling pig and then a rib eye and she ordered a white truffle tortellini and then a black truffle gnocchi, but I'd argue traveling out to SALT, all the way in Lido, is best executed as an excercize is excess and indulgence. Just bring your wallet, all your plastic, and see how far you can push it. Even better to dine with a companion whose tastes challenge your own (vegetarian or not). And so, SALT is SALT is SALT. Five years in and dealing in enough integrity and suprise to convert this reviewer to a return dinner -- a memorable meal at a restaurant whose vaunted reputation in this city is well-deserved. SALT is located at 2/F, 9 Jiangtai Xilu, Chaoyang District. Venue listing right here.