Beijing Boyce

Renovations finished at Fubar last night and just in time since this Workers Stadium joint will mark its sixth one-kuai drinks special tonight. Held the first day of each month, the special runs from 6 PM to 8 PM and this month will feature pints of Tasmanian Devil Margaritas for RMB1. And because people always ask: Yes, the drinks are full strength, or at least have been at the other one-kuai events I attended.

In terms of renovations, the original bar has been replaced and extended along the far wall to create an L-shape. A balcony area has been added above it.

What’s your favorite Italian restaurant? When I ask my Italian friends, many respond L’Isola–in the Pacific Century Building –due to the combination of food, service, and price. Good news for those who live close to Central Park: L’Isola’s Massimo Masili will soon open LM Club near the Top Cellar wine shop.

LM Club is long and narrow and offers a simple decor, with a handful of chairs along a coffee counter and seating for about 20 people at four tables. Masili says it will open for breakfast–think croissants and cappuccinos and fruit–and serve customers throughout the day and evening. He will have a lunch special for ~RMB60 and says pastas will be available a la carte for RMB30 to RMB40.

LM Club includes a wine room with a table that can seat ten. Masili says that while the wine selection will favor Italian bottles, there will be a decent selection from other countries, and he plans to hold some tasting events.

Look for LM Club to open next month; I’ll provide a firm date when I hear one.

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[If I could figure out how to download photos from the camera I have today, this space would contain a shot of a small bar with a sign featuring a moose and Canadian flag. You'll just have to imagine it.]

The Box is the name of: (a) a Canadian band, (b) a Canadian destination for naughty hockey players, or (c) a Canadian bar in Beijing. The answer is (d) all three, but given this blog’s theme, I’ll focus on (c), although the song “Closer Together” gives me flashbacks. I have written about the Aussie-backed bars in Beijing–notably those in the Vegemite Triangle–that draw a heavy Australian crowd (Ned’s), provide Down Under drinks such as Coopers and Bundaberg rum (12SQM), or have food–pizzas–inspired by the homeland (Mao Mao Chong). So what is “Canadian” about The Box?

• The two Canadian flags on display
• The moose and yet another Canadian flag on the sign
• The Canadian ownership
• A food menu that includes poutine
• A drink menu that includes Canadian beer Moosehead (RMB28) and whiskies Canadian Club (RMB25) and Crown Royal (RMB30)
• A white dog with pink ears that no doubt symbolizes the Canadian flag and its white field flanked by two red fields
• The patrons watching a Russell Peters video
• That most patrons were Canadian when I arrived, though by the time I left the crowd was mostly English and included one comedian who, looking at the handful of Canucks, made that never-tiresome “It looks like the entire population of Canada is here” joke.*

In terms of design, The Box lies somewhere between a garage converted to a bar and a common living room on the back forty (as opposed to the “good” living room where the sofas are covered in plastic). In terms of Beijing bars, in reminds me of Ned’s and The Irish Volunteer in spirit. Let’s call it “extreme casual.”

The lights are bright, the furniture consists of six wooden tables and chairs (aka a euchre tournament waiting to happen), there is a large screen TV on which to watch Canadian content, and apparently the walls will soon be adorned with Canadiana. The pub grub ranges from burgers (RMB35) to chicken wings (RMB30) –several people have told me the latter are tasty and I’ll soon give them a try.

The Box is directly across from Café Sambal and features five-kuai pints of Tsingtao this month, which gives you a few more days to indulge.

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* Two can play that game: What do we do in Canada when we have a forest fire the size of England? Get out the marshmallows.

PDM just sent me an email me re some happenings in Wudaokou and it reminded me that I’m very much overdue for a visit there. I’ll try to head north in the next two weeks. In the meantime, here is some info courtesy of PDM:

“Student hangout Helen’s Cafe is doubling their space as a result of taking over the space next door. Construction starts this week, according to manager Benny…. Propaganda took over the storefront next door: ‘Solutions‘ is set to be a casual bar (not yet open, still under construction), while upstairs, a new cafe called “Laowai‘s Lounge” looks open for business.”

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Like the gossamer threads of a spider web with a finite space in which it is suspended yet an infinite number of ways in which it might be woven, Fubar is again in its limited confines spinning itself a new design, again adding stitches to the booze-filled tales that emblazon its spiritual tapestry, again knitting itself… um… maybe six coffees in just over two hours today was a bad idea…

Anyway, Fubar will reopen tonight after two days of renovations. Expect to find a new dog-leg bar where the old one stood and along the far wall. And expect changes in about two weeks with an expansion of the upper floor and the removal of that mother ship of all wall lights.

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Remember this post from early July? That promise to give us Beijing’s biggest burger has been fulfilled with last Sunday’s opening of The Butcher Steakhouse at the north end of Sanlitun bar street (former Cappuccino space). This burger is a meaty beast with a kilo of Australian beef and two more of bun and toppings. I mean, look at the size of that thing! That’s a virtual planetoid! Has its own weather system! If you finish it by yourself, it is free. If you can’t, or you decide to share it with friends, it will cost RMB138.

The Butcher Steakhouse is run by three Danish butchers: the manager, Kenneth Arrild, has done everything from owning butcher shops in Copenhagen to running a steakhouse in Shanghai. It includes a restaurant that seats about 100, a bar with three beers on a tap and plenty of wine choices, and a patio with space for 50 that provides views of the street and leafy embassy area. The Butcher Steakhouse is also a deli, with sausages and steaks and sauces and salads all done on premise using about a dozen pieces of machinery that ranges from sausage makers to vacuum packers.

Some items from the menu:

• All-day Butcher’s breakfast, with sausages, smoked ham and pate, eggs, bread, and coffee, tea, or juice (RMB88)
• Brazilian rib-eye steak with mixed vegetables (200 grams for RMB98; 400 grams for RMB198)
• Australian Angus beef “New York strip” (500 grams for RMB348)
• Sausage selection with roasted onions, mustard, and bread (RMB98)

The menu also lists five-desserts, including grilled bananas, from RMB58;  five kids menu items, including burgers and wings, from RMB38; and eight lunch sandwich options (pork loin, meat ball, etc), with fries, soda or juice, and ice cream with caramel sauce, at RMB58. (If you like your sandwiches a bit sloppy, you’ll like the meat ball.)

I’ll post a review when I get some friends together and give that burger a try…

It's like a planetoid (photo: AC)

With a kilo of Australian beef and two kilos of bun and toppings, the massive Butcher’s Burger adds up to nearly six pounds of food  fun.*

But what if it had two patties?

So far, that is a beefy beast with no name, so The Butcher’s Steakhouse (see writeup here) has agreed to team up for a contest to give it one. Go to the comments section and suggest a name for this super sandwich–I’m going with “The Calf-o-Lanche“–and you could win one (with fries and four Cokes).

In fact, The Butcher Steakhouse has agreed to give away two of these burgers. One will be decided by a draw that will include the name of everyone who submits a legitimate suggestion. The other will be decided on merit, probably by three men in bloodstained aprons (don’t even think of disputing their decision).

Your name will only be entered in the draw once, though you are welcome to make as many suggestions as you like. The deadline is Tuesday at 2 PM.

* Notice how I’m mixing metric and imperial measures. Just trying to maintain peace in this crazy, crazy world.

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GM Kenneth Arrild with the [insert burger name here

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Pabst Blue Ribbon “tall boys” for RMB10. You don’t see that every day in Beijing but such is life at The Brick (map) during its happy hour. And one of many things I enjoyed during a six-hour visit to this Shuangjing bar on Saturday night. Nine more:

• Pub grub: The donkey meat pizza (RMB15) is a small crispy tasty six-inch pie (you can alternatively get your donkey in a grilled cheese). I also tried the Tommy Gun chicken burrito with nachos (I liked the paprika) and salsa (RMB40). Good filler.
• Beer: About two dozen choices, including Strongbow Cider, from the aforementioned PBR at RMB15 to big bottles of Franziskaner at RMB45.
• Cocktails: The President Mao–gin, tonic, grenadine–is pleasant. My mates tried the Hard Lemon (good), Nuclear Blue (OK), Jack Coke (g00d), and something with a 151 float (went from “smells like gasoline” to “I like it” over the duration of the drink). Most of the cocktails are ~RMB40.
• Shots: We tried the RMB5 Skittle-infused vodka ones. You know what, I really think my Skittle-infused vodka shot days are behind me…
• Menu: Ample choice in terms of beer, cocktails, and food, but not so much so that you spend half an hour reading the menu. Plus some of the neatest chalkboard writing you will find.
• Layout and decor: Speaking of chalkboards, the second floor has a small school’s worth as well as a pool table. Downstairs is a stand-up bar and several “lounge” seats, with a few tables out front.  The faux brick bar facade is a bit meh but the place is comfy enough, has some personal touches (check out the stuff glued to the ceiling), and is clean.
• Video: On Saturday, The Brick screened The Life Aquatic with the sound on, then Fight Club and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly with sub-titles. That doubles the number of movies I’ve seen this year though I suspect that will soon change given that DJ Chunky left me his DVD player. The music was good.
• Wireless: Being fixed when I arrived, working by the time I left.
• Customers: The kind of place where you can sit by yourself and nurse a beer, strike up a conversation with your neighbor, or get together with friends and get sloppy.

The Brick is run by Ryan and Cici Feng Johnston, bills itself as a neighborhood bar, and lives up to it. As with Mao Mao Chong, I’d spend a lot more time at this place if only I lived closer. I’ll be back soon to try the grilled cheese…

The Brick is open daily from 5 PM to 2 AM. Happy hour, which includes discounts on draft and RMB20 well drinks, is from 5 PM to 8 PM.

(I went to The Brick after spending a full day in Shuangjing, starting with a 9 AM meeting, and will have posts on other spots visited, including Lily’s and Unconditional Love.)

(Thanks to Mr Hao for the photo)

There is a saying in euchre: go high or go home. New steakhouse Flamme on Sanlitun Village 3F is doing the former with some hard-to-resist specials. Numerous people have already told me they consider the steaks here good value, so they should be even happier with the two-for-one deal on Tuesdays as well as decent drink specials during the rest of the week. Here is how it shapes up.

Monday
All-you-can-drink Stella and Hoegaarden for RMB50. Given a pint of Stella tends to be RMB35 to RMB40 around Beijing, the average punter should be able to squeeze some value out of this one (and it ought to go well with the super salty zucchini chips).

Tuesday
Two-for-one house steaks. Again, these Aussie slabs are already good value–and very rich if the one I had is any indication–so this stands to be a popular special.

Wednesday
First cocktail is free for ladies.*

Thursday-Sunday
Buy one, get one free drinks from 2 PM to closing (not including bottled wine and beer). This should be of interest to cocktail fans given that Paul Mathew put together the menu and it includes cocktails with local twists.

With these specials, Flamme is is both seeking to pump up its patron numbers and putting the heat on its third-floor neighbors.

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* See: It takes a Village: Beijing’s biggest ladies night ever?

Leaf and Flamme, Queen’s and Stumble Inn, the past month has seen a spate of places open on Sanlitun Village 3F, and now one more is coming: Modo. The second establishment headed of Daniel Urdaneta and Alex Molina of Mosto in Nali Patio, the place has an arty-industrial feel, the first–as far as I know–card-based enomatic machine, and a menu focused on “small plates“. Modo opens at 6 PM on Sunday. It is located near Element Fresh and Karaiya Spice House, and will have daily hours of 11 AM to 10 PM.

BJ Foodies and Room restaurant are teaming up to raise funds for Compassion for Migrant Children (CMC) this Sunday. The charity meal includes starter, main, dessert, and two glasses of wine for RMB150, which is not only a good deal, but also helps a good cause. A reservation is essential. Contact Xixi Cheng at bjfoodies@gmail.com by noon tomorrow to book a spot. This event marks the second anniversary of BJ Foodies, which has organized more than a dozen charity events around town (see this post) and is headed by Cheng, who works in the wine sector for Summergate.

If I had one kuai for every time someone said that someone should start a bar in Shuangjing, I could buy a shot of that 1950 Macallan at Aria. So a slow clap for Ryan Johnston, who opened The Brick, built a loyal following, has more chalkboard per square meter than any other place in the city, and last week celebrated his first year of business. By the way, The Brick holds Big Lebowski night every Tuesday: White Russians are RMB25.

The latest Spirit It cocktail class will be held from 7:30 PM to 9 PM this Saturday at Fubar and focus on coffee. The class is limited to 20 people, costs RMB160 per person, and will use the Nespress0 coffee machine. To reserve a spot or for more info, contact Bob Louison at bobspirit.it (at) gmail.com.

The Middle Kingdom’s fickle music fans won’t have Down Under’s DJ Chunky to kick around no more as he has packed his vinyl collection and shipped it to San Francisco, with said Aussie to soon follow. I’ll post a tribute to Chunky that can be sung to the tune of David Bowie’s Major Tom, a song that–despite hundreds of request–he never ever ever played. In the meantime, Fubar patrons can expect a change in music this weekend, with DJ BB Deng slated for Friday night and Canuck John on Saturday.

Speaking of Canucks, how ‘bout that Moosehead, eh? It’s going down faster than a barrel of beavers over Niagara Falls, says Simon Pendergast of distributor Dxcel, who adds that this Canadian icon is off to the quickest start of any of his beers. I’ve done some quality control by sampling about a dozen bottles and find the pale ale slightly more palatable than the lager. You can find Moosehead at Union, Fubar, Parkside, and The Stumble Inn.

Speaking of The Stumble Inn, I tried the “Bambi” venison burger yesterday and will soon have a report on it and my other visits to this newcomer in Sanlitun Village. For now, I recommend the “Jenga” fries, which rank among the city’s tastiest tater products.

Nanluoguxiang bar 12SQM will celebrate its third birthday party on September 4 with discounts on drinks and specials on Aussie beers, including Coopers  and VB at RMB15 and James Boags at RMB20. Even bigger news: 12SQM is for sale. After building up an established clientele, expanding the bar to 45 square meters, and adding a toilet, Joseph Kornides says he and wife Li Mei have decided it is time for a change and are seeking a buyer. Interested parties should inquire with Joseph at the bar.

Protein and carbohydrates are key to a full enjoyment of life and Cafe Europa is providing both with an all-you-can-eat-consume special each of the next four Saturdays. The eats: steaks, lamb chops, chicken legs, and sausages off the BBQ as well as salad. The drinks: four imported beers – Estrella lager from Spain, Moosehead lager from Canada, and Marston Pedigree ale and Bombardier bitter from the UK. The price: RMB148 per person (RMB88 for children under 12)

This event is from 6 PM on August 21 and 28 and September 04 and 11. Call Joseph at 5869-5663 to reserve a spot.

Charly Kusagsizoglu

Yesterday, I posted photos here and here from Atmosphere and Lounge, which both opened on the eightieth floor of China World Summit Wing. Here are six more photos, including a couple from Grill 79 one floor below, as well as ten thoughts about the opening of the year in Beijing.

1. View: A 360-degree view of the city that takes in everything from The Forbidden City to The Bird’s Nest, the CCTV Tower to the shell of the Mandarin Oriental, and will inspire a billion “yeah, but you can only see them three days a year” jokes  that will quickly become as tiresome as the ones about the waitresses at Hooters. Anyway, the place stands to be a must stop for first-time visitors to Beijing–on those three clear days, of course.

2. Drinks: The 50 ml pour in the Old-Fashioned is a good sign and patrons can expect to find plenty of classic cocktails from barman Charly Kusagsizoglu. There were a few glitches–for example, CF’s Old-Fashioned came with a cherry, while one I had earlier did not–but things went well for a first night, at least up to when we left at ~8 PM. CF, SM, and I considered our drinks “good” and hope for even more on return visits. The prices are also good, with most cocktails at RMB65. And Atmosphere will be open until 4 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, giving us a decent (literally) high-end place for late-night drinks.

3. Wine: There are abbreviated menus for the bar and lounge as well as a main menu put together by Koen Masschelein that includes hundreds of wines, from the familiar to the unique, from about RMB200 to more than RMB40000 per bottle. Those who want to try Chinese wines will find about 20 reds and whites from Grace Vineyard, Silver Heights, and Helan Mountain. The prices are excellent: a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is RMB375; the by-the-glass list starts at RMB42 for a 150 ml pour of Grace.

4. Spirits: This place has sourced spirits you are unlikely to find elsewhere in the city. As for single malts, it has a wide selection, including several 30-year-old whiskeys. Though it does not carry the older vintages found at the Ritz-Carlton and at Aria or the niche whiskeys found in the city’s Japanese-styled bars, there is enough choice to keep the vast majority of patrons satisfied.

5. Beer: Not considered a priority, as the menu only includes five bottles–Tsingtao is RMB35, Guinness is RMB45–and no draft.

6. Food: I had the New York burger for lunch with ksquare in the Lounge. The quality of the ingredients, notably the beef, was high, though we found the patty slightly overcooked and the bun crumbly.  I would also have preferred fries, or ksquare’s suggestion of sweet potato fries, to the accompanying batter sticks. The RMB89 price tag is more than fair for a place such as this given that is about what you would pay at numerous places in Sanlitun. So is RMB35 for a coffee. As for steakhouse Grill 79, it seats ~100, and has three private rooms, one semi-private area, and a bar near the entrance. I’ll have more on this place soon.

7. Decor: Plenty of eye candy due to the wide range of colors, with a nice mix of cool and warm ones, and lots of wood, leather, and shiny stuff to provide balance. The seating, lighting, and candles mean there are places for intimacy, while the bar will likely appeal to the more gregarious. (Speaking of patrons, most showed up at night wearing at least “smart casual“.) The things that struck me as off were the red glow from the band area and the rectangular glass plates hanging above and that someone compared to (ghostly) graham crackers. But overall, I think most people will be impressed.

8. Service: Given it was opening day, the staff showed a high degree of competence and professionalism, with the only issues being a few language ones. The staff did well on the “my laptop is out of battery and I can’t find a plug” test: An employee offered to find an extension cord and when unable to used a plug near the coffee station. (The wireless is free.) They also did a good job of checking on us, deftly walking that fine line between being over-attentive and ignoring the customer.

9. Service charge: There isn’t one.

10: Overall: The biggest problems for this place would seem to be ones over which it has little control, from air quality affecting the view to a lack of taxis in this area at night. But when it comes to overall value–the range of beverages, the size of the drinks, the quality of the decor and the view, the vibe and the prices–this place came out a winner on day one.

Grill 79

Look for former Legation Quarter restaurant Agua and head chef Jordi Valles to return to the Beijing dining scene in October, says a press release from the company. The new Agua will be on the fourth floor of Nali Patio and focus on the contemporary Spanish cuisine that saw Valles emerge as one of the city’s best-known chefs. It will be one flight above Mosto, Apothecary, and fellow Spanish restaurant Niajo, and is among several upcoming openings in Nali, including wine bar Enoteca, expected to open in about a month’s time, and yet another Spanish operation, Migas, which should be open any day now and will take over the top floor and excellent rooftop patio that was once expected to be home to Project H. Add in the Taste of Spain shop on the first floor and Carmen in the freestanding building just to the north, and fans of Spanish food and wine should be happy with the growing number of choices.

I will have a longer writeup soon about Atmosphere and Lounge, which opened today on the eightieth floor of China World Summit Wing, but for now I will limit myself to saying the prices are right (case in point: an Old Fashioned with 50 ML pour for RMB65, no service charge), the service today has been good, and, once again, the views are excellent. Her are nine more pics…

The entrance to Atmosphere bar

Some of Atmosphere's hard-to-find spirits

Another view of the city

Atmosphere bar, chill out area Lounge, and steakhouse Grill 79 are opening atop the China World Executive Wing aka Tower Three today and the view is spectacular as advertised. (Of course, it will not be spectacular when the weather is poor or the pollution level is high, but such is life in Beijing.) I’ll have more soon on this place, including its excellent prices on drinks. For now, here are three photos taken from the eightieth floor…

Looking toward CCTV

Looking toward Tiananmen

Looking toward Workers Stadium / Sanlitun

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Beijing goes through crazes for “Western” foods, from pizzas to burritos to burgers, and it looks like cupcakes are the new hot dogs.

Carol Chow’s CC Sweets and Lexie Morris’ Lollipop Bakery have been selling these treats for months and now the former has a small cafe in clothing shop Brand New China, backed by celebrity Hong Huang, in Sanlitun Village North. (The shop is below the Rolex outlet and should be open for business Wednesday, with a soft opening held today.) Look for CC Sweets to also open a shop in Central Park this month. I have tried cupcakes from both and the main difference is that CC Sweets’ are milder, and I would say more suited to Chinese tastes, while Lollipop Bakery’s are sweeter, and more akin to what you would find back home, though both made me hyper.

Meanwhile, word is the Opposite House plans to sell cupcakes and perhaps we will also see them at Queen’s Cafe in Sanlitun Village South when its bakery opens in a month or so.

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See also:

• The Sanlitun Burger battle: A quesadilla twist
• Wienerama: The Beijing hot dog scene heats up again
  
• The burrito battle: New project from Saddle-Rickshaw gang opens
• The Beijinger: Beijing welcomes the cupcakes craze
• City Weekend: The Lollipop Bkaery brings cupcakes to Beijing

The Brick celebrates its first anniversary this Sunday, when it’ll be two-for-one free Tsingtaos, RMB20 mixed drinks, and happy hour prices on draft from 5 PM at this Shuangjing watering hole. Have a beverage and scribble some congratulations on those second-floor chalkboards.

The Central Park strip that includes coffee shop Jamaica Blue and restaurant Navena–previously known as Nava, before an unhappy split between the partners–will soon be joined by fifty-seat Italian restaurant La Gioia.

Manager Robbie Hennebry (ex-Danger Doyle’s) and chef Zach Lewison (ex-Union) have left the Parkside Bar & Grill in Lido.

Robin Howlett, best known for his days at Souk, says he will soon open a new place. He isn’t divulging whether it will be big or small, expensive or cheap, one floor or two, contemporary or classic, smoking or nonsmoking, thong or non-thong, aimed at the general public or those who enjoy a good mystery. But when asked if will be in Beijing, he hesitantly answered, “Yes.” So there you go.

And as noted here, Atmosphere opens Monday evening on the eightieth floor of China World tower three. About the only places to grab a martini at a higher altitude in our fair city are a hot air balloon, helicopter, or UFO. Also opening in tower three on Monday is Lounge, on the same floor, and steakhouse Grill 79, one floor down.