Beijing Boyce

IN THIS ISSUE

• Opening Shots
• Be a Funky Santa
• First Impressions: Nashville; 5:19
• Twinkle, Twinkle Sparkling Wine
• Zing: The Sequel
• Maligayang Pasko!
• Kat and John Come to Town
• We Got Mail
• Final Sips.

OPENING SHOTS

Check out the Sunday buffet breakfast at The Pavillion: sausages, ham, baked beans, bread, fried potatoes, baked tomatoes, fruit and cereal; omelets made on the spot; coffee and tea (RMB68). It’s simple, hearty fare to enjoy while gazing upon the woods out back. Also, kudos to The Pavilion for installing a brass foot rail and coat hooks beneath the bar. ~ John Bull Pub now has Strongbow draft cider (RMB49 / pint) and Shanghai beer (RMB25 / pint) on tap. ~ Icehouse has “let go” its general manager. I doubt you can blame the problems there on one guy. Prime example: Icehouse is a blues bar, but first hired an Australian rock band and then Matt Roberts’ local jazz outfit. Who (and this goes beyond - and specifically above - the ex-GM) with any knowledge of music or Beijing nightlife doesn’t know that a) rock is not blues, b) Roberts specializes in jazz, and c) jazz is also not blues? Icehouse has done right by attracting events by Beijing Cheese Society and Chopschticks, and seems to have good marketers, since YPHH will hold an event there next week and describes the place as having “live entertainment from international [sic] acclaimed artist [sic]” (really? Who would those artists be?). Rumor has it that Icehouse will shut down for a month. If so, let’s see what they come up with next. ~ Stefan Fleisher (Palette Wines big wig) and Johannes Neubacher (Timeout magazine bigwig) have opened Café Pause in Dashanzi, with a focus on Mediterranean cuisine, Spanish tapes, German, Austrian and other wines, and some fusion dishes. “A good example is our trademark Jiaozi, a cooking concept that you not only find in China and Italy, but also in Russia, Germany and a number of other places,” says Stefan. ~ Midnight bar is off to a strong start, but here’s a thought: what are the odds the owners will decide they can do it all by themselves and force out the dynamic bartending duo of George and Echo, the ex-First Café bartenders who help bring in the business? (Yes, we’ve heard rumors.) By the way, the hot buttered rum at Midnight is a nice warmer-upper.

BE A FUNKY SANTA

Here’s a story in the spirit of A Christmas Carol: that’s Beijing held its annual charity funk party last Saturday to fund heart surgery for an orphan named Dang Tianyue in Ping An. Partygoers were having a funktastic time, oblivious to a Scrooge-like subplot. The club decided, at the last minute, to make the RMB100 entrance fee voluntary so that regulars and others could get in free. The funk party raised RMB20000 in years past, but this time - despite a large turnout - only made a disappointing RMB9000. I’m not going to bombard readers with pleas for charities, but this case is unique given the time of year and the organizers’ good intentions. BB reader Ro King has donated RMB1600 to the cause and another reader, Agent Gold Monkey, has given RMB700. Anyone else interested in helping should contact the GM of that’s Beijing (who was exposed in the last issue for ordering a Grand Marnier and soda - perhaps this is his punishment from the Gods). His email address is michaelwester@thatsbj.com and he promises a that’s Beijing winter hat (known as a toque in Canada) and a 2006 calendar to anyone donating RMB250 or more. No pressure people, since many out there already have their favorite charities. But if you have been wondering lately, “Gee, how can I help an orphan AND get a toque?” this is your chance. For more info, check here: http://www.thatsbj.com/blogging/blogs/index.php/2005/12/05/club_house_getting_down_for_a_good_cause.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (AND FAIR REVIEWS)

A Beijing-based chef sent me a nice email because of “the fact that you went to the Pavillion THREE TIMES BEFORE REVIEWING IT.” (I guess triple visits aren’t the norm for most writers.) It was a nice compliment although to be honest it helps that this newsletter is a hobby, I don’t have to cater to advertisers and, frankly, I like the research. That being said, I can’t always guarantee three visits. So, in cases where I pop in once to check out a new spot, I’ve created a “first impressions” section that includes a string of random observations on a given establishment. Here are two places I recently visited with Agent Red Socks (his comments in quotes):

Nashville (reincarnated after being demolished earlier this year on Sanlitun South Road). The second floor: Lots of wood and leather, with comfy chairs by the windows… “The mixture of John Cougar Mellancamp from the first floor and smooth jazz on the second is ‘interesting’”… decent pizza (RMB40, 8-inch), though the waiter stood a meter away, watched us eat and tried to remove the plates while we were holding the last slice… wall art includes Tibetan pictures, dart trophies and a Shania Twain poster… Taiwan folk music hero Luo Dayou was sitting nearby… pints of Qingdao (RMB25)… the warm colors were a nice contrast to the cold and blustery weather. Main floor: all the rough-hewn, rustic flavor of the old Nashville, and that’s a plus… even with 15 people on hand, a great vibe while the singer performed… “Luo Dayou is one of the most famous musicians from Taiwan. I can’t believe we’re sitting here and watching him playing the drums”… fans of the old Nashville are going to love this place.

5:19. Four kinds of wine from Moldova (!) (RMB40 / glass)… feels like a 1980s recreation room (where’s the Atari and Pong?)… a bit chilly given the stone block floor… still getting in gear, with the beer taps, maple syrup (for cocktails) and name cards expected soon… the dart board is right above the sofa (wear a helmet)… Four kinds of Moldova wine (!) (Sorry, had to repeat that again)… happy hour from 5:19 to 8 (PM)… bingo nights planned… owner is a former partner in the now-demolished Artifacts.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE SPARKLING WINES

A dozen of us gathered in Sequoia Café’s newly refurbished front room on December 10 to taste five sparkling wines from Torres. Company General Manager Alberto Fernandez was on hand to help guides us through: 1) Nederburg Brut from South Africa (85% Chenin Blanc, 11% Chardonnay, 4% Colombar; light; fruity nose); 2) Freixenet Negro Brut (drier and, according to the notes provided, with lemon, licorice, pear and resin aromas and canned fruit and dried flower flavors); 3) Bisol Brut Crede from Italy (”scents of wildflowers”; I found this one a bit filling); 4) Bellavista Franciacorta, also from Italy (aged 36 months in the bottle, a wine to really swirl about in your mouth; “medium bodied, creamy in texture, and very long on the palate, with aromas / flavors reminiscent of baked bread, vanilla, toast, plum and lemon”); and 5) Christian Busin from France (20% Chardonnay, 80% Pinot Noir; “The attack on the palate is clean, balanced, fat and fresh”). Fernandez thoughtfully brought out another bottle: 6) a Prosecco from Italy that apparently, smells of burned apples. Penny, sitting beside me, said she liked number five for its taste, but number six overall, because of its nose. “That’s an inviting wine,” she said. Sequoia Café owner Frank Siegel decided to put it to a vote: #2 came out on top (5.5 votes), followed by #5 (4 votes) and #4 (1.5 votes), with Penny giving a “special vote” to #6. Of the three of Frank’s wine tastings I’ve attended, this was the bubbliest yet. (Event fee: RMB150.)

ZING: THE SEQUEL

When I wrote in an earlier newsletter about service at Zing at Doodoo’s, someone told me to give the new management another chance. So I did, last Sunday, accompanied by the ever-dynamic Agent Red Wolf (RW). Let’s start with positives: The place has good hardware, with plenty of comfy seating (though the sofas are a bit low), two bars, a central area with tables and high chairs, and a nifty little dance club downstairs. (The trick will be to attract enough people upstairs to make the place lively and to maintain the dance floor between empty and overcrowded, not easy with such a limited space.) But Zing has some definite potential.

As for the food, it was okay, with the steak and cheese on baguette (RMB55) beating out the salami pizza (RMB 58), which had a leaden crust. And Agent Red Wolf liked the music. There was some negligence, such as the waiters forgetting ketchup and new plates, the lack of toilet paper in the WC, and so on, even though there were five employees and only two patrons (us). We were also charged the regular prices for drinks instead of happy hour ones. An honest mistake, perhaps, but the waiter asked us to pay full fare anyway because “the bill is already printed.” (A second waiter later explained that the guy was new, but c’mon.) Finally, the table menu advertises Boys Night Out, Girls Night Out, Ladies Night, All About Tapas, and Brunch Buffet, but the staff says these events are no longer held. Even so, although Zing has some glitches to work out, this trip was definitely better than the last and it seems like a good place for a small party (though give the place some advance warning).

MALIGAYANG PASKO!

Beijing’s Filipino community - and it really does define “community” - was out in full force last Sunday for the annual Christmas party in the Philippines Embassy. The only people that are more fun than Filipinos are… are… are… wait, I can’t think of anyone else. Filipino bands from five-star hotels, the Hard Rock Café and Blue Fox had the place hopping, and with plenty of tasty food, raffles prizes and games, it was an enjoyable afternoon. There was one game, based on musical chairs, where a group of eight women danced around a group of seven men and, when the music stopped, each tried to grab a man’s belt, with the one left beltless being eliminated from the game. Then it went down to seven women and six men, and so on. Highly entertaining. This is my second time to the party - all thanks to my Filipina pal Cherry - and I highly recommend finding someone to tag along with next year.

(Philippines footnote: My last trip to the islands was in 1999. I landed with an American friend in Manila at midnight and within minutes a Filipina-American we just met invited us to her house in Roxas, Panay Island, to visit with her family. We accepted the offer and spent two days hanging out with about 70 of her nieces and nephews - eating, drinking, eating, visiting markets, eating and, of course, singing. That’s hospitality.)

KAT AND JOHN COME TO TOWN

My old Taiwan buddies John Isacs and Kat Tao were in town last week. John is a “grape American hero” in Taipei as he writes bilingual books about wine (the newest covers 250 brands), teaches wine lessons, organizes wine dinners for corporate bigwigs and does all kinds of wine promotion via PDAs and the Internet (check www.enjoygourmet.com). Kat handles operations and cranks out a slick quarterly magazine about Taipei’s gourmet scene.

After a nice hot pot and some lamb kebabs on Ghost Street, we headed to Pavillion for two fine bottle of wine: a Garvey Amont Tio Guillermo sherry (picked by John, who was recently certified in Spain as an expert on this drink) followed by a Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2003 (ASC Big Wig Campbell Thompson informed me by email that this wine, produced by a family outfit in Sonoma, is on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines for 2005). Whiling away a few hours in the Pavillion’s big leather chairs is a comfy way to enjoy a chilly winter evening, especially as the wine is reasonably priced (even bigger ASC Big Wig Don St. Pierre said the company has sold more wine at The Pavillion in one month than it did at Frank’s Place in two years). Expect to here more from John and Kat, who are looking to expand their wine info empire into the Middle Kingdom.

WE GOT MAIL

Re My statement last issue that drinkers who mix Chivas with green tea should be executed.

Why should you have any problem with those philistines who drink mass-market blended whisky? Let them do what they want with it - you can make it any more bland or innocuous by mixing it with whatever Chinese ingredients you have lying around. That leaves the nice single malts to us! - KR

A good point, but what if those people are on a slippery slope, at the bottom of which they start mixing those nice single malts with green tea? Not a pretty situation and one that is bound to increase prices. No, best to nip this in the bud, perhaps by death by poisoning. Then again, come to think of it, maybe that’s exactly what Chivas and green tea does to people.

FINAL SIPS

Summergate Fine Wines & Spirits has moved to Han Wei Plaza (17F, 7 Guanghua Road / 6562-1800). Unfortunately, they still – and this is beyond me – have no website. ~ The Pavillion is offering patrons a chance to be a bartender for a day. Pick up the application forms at the bar. ~ I generally get good service at Centro at night; not so during the afternoons. Recently, after receiving no attention from the staff, I left my cozy chair twice and went to the bar to order my drinks and then get my bill. Plus, is there some kind of staff no-smiling rule during the afternoon? Customers paying RMB50 or more for a coffee deserve better. ~ ASC has three new mixed-case promotions. Each 13-bottle set, ranging from RMB1200 to RMB2400, includes Laurent-Perrier Champagne (if you haven’t tried it, here’s you chance) at 32% to 40% off list prices. ASC is also offering 30% off select sets of four Vinum series Riedel glasses, including Bordeaux (RMB670), Chianti Classico (RMB599) and Cuvee Prestige (RMB599). (Though I wish they wouldn’t always use that same Robert Parker quote about Riedel crystal. Mix it up a bit, guys!) ~ I met the Aussino wine company people at a party a few weeks back and they are planning some Beijing events in the New Year. I’ll keep you informed. ~ Journalist, China specialist and logician (how does he make so much sense after so many beers!?) Ralph Jennings has a crafty little blog at www.livejournal.com/users/lalaoshi ~ Plans for my rap band Bling Dynasty are coming along nicely. We’ve already got several songs in the works: Yo! Mae Yo!, Hot Mama Huhu and Mi Bad, Yu Bad, Mai Bad. I’ll keep you updated on any concert dates. ~ Last, but not least, best wishes to everyone during the holidays. Eat, drink and be merry people. Cheers! JB.