Beijing Boyce

A marathon session with our company’s annual report last week has the “YES, we’ve seen progress, BUT the following needs to happen” attitude oozing from my pores. In that vein, here’s part three in my three-part “yes, but” series on Beijing.

YES, not so long ago, you couldn’t get non-instant coffee, disposable razors, Froot Loops or frozen French fries in Beijing. Now, we have an ever-growing range of imported food and drink at April Gourmet and Jenny Lou’s, BUT why, when I’m throwing down some major coin on these goods, is it so hard to get an official local receipt?

“We don’t have any today, come back tomorrow,” comes the tired refrain. What happens when you do return the next day? Sometimes, you get the same old excuse. (At least the taxi driver taking you there has a receipt.)

My worst experiences have been at the April Gourmet shop near Gongti North Road, where this sorry line has been rolled out more than a half-dozen times or, in other words, every time I’ve asked for a receipt. If these places can keep pita bread, Corn Flakes and green olives stocked, surely they can have a receipt booklet, so the customers don’t have to shoulder the store’s tax obligations.

I stood my ground at that April Gourmet last year. After hearing the “no receipt” line yet again, I told the cashier that either: a) he gave me a receipt; or b) I was going to complain to the authorities. The result was a 15-minute exchange during which he proclaimed everything from embarrassment at lacking receipts to haughty outrage at my stance. My approach was simpler: I stuck to outrage.

The highlight? When he pulled out a fapiao booklet and waved it in front of the growing line of customers. He flipped through the pages with flamboyant gesticulations to show how every receipt had been used, how he was an innocent little lamb at the hands of an overly demanding customer. (If filmed, this scene might have won China’s first Academy Award for best actor.)

Finally, a woman stepped out of line, announced she was a lawyer and negotiated a truce. April Gourmet’s position: I could come back the next day for a receipt. My position: That was fine, but the store should compensate me for the additional time and taxi fares this would incur. The resolution: April Gourmet agreed to (and did) deliver the receipt to my office. Yes, it took this much trouble to get a paper to which I am legally entitled from an establishment that gives me absolutely no problems while I’m handing over cash for their goods.

April Gourmet is by no means alone. Jenny Lou’s on Sanlitun North is also notorious for its dearth of fapiao. Again, the shelves are fully stocked with everything from soup to nuts, but when it comes to providing a receipt - oh, gosh - they always seem to be out! And again, standing your ground brings results. I find that hanging around near the cash register - complaining and refusing to leave - can inspire the staff to magically find that, indeed, they do have one last fapiao on hand…

A marathon session with our company’s annual report last week has the “YES, we’ve seen progress, BUT the following needs to happen” attitude oozing from my pores. In that vein, here’s part two in a three-part “yes, but” series on Beijing (check back here tomorrow for part three: “Yes, but I want a fapiao with my fries.”)

Eddie O: First He Brought The Bird, Then He Brought the Bun

YES, I suppose it’s absolutely fabulous that our city’s high-end eateries offer such fare as Roasted Marjoram-scented Medallions of Black Angus Tenderloin or Lightly Seared Foie Gras with Carmelized Apple and Teardrops of Clarified Chodofu Jus Misted with Essence of Maple Syrup and Dijon Mustard (I made up that tofu part, though chefs of Beijing are free to borrow). BUT, there seems to be a major gap between such lofty fare and your average roadside chuan’r stand. In other words, why is it so hard to find a decent burger?

True, you can find a burger at Kiosk, American Cafe or dozens of other places about town, but how about a spot where they’re made with flair, akin to those plump Beijing ducks cooked over red-hot coals? Imagine sliding a grill into that oven, slapping down a few burgers and cooking them medium rare (with a few duck drippings to boot)? Now, that would be something.

The best Beijing burgers I’ve had were those of ex-Mexican Wave guy Trevor Kuchar, who with his colleague Kenn put on some most excellent BBQs, on the Q Bar deck, last summer. Trevor got his meat from “the German butcher”, marinades it overnight, then cooks up burgers to perfection. Unfortunately, those BBQs are rare.

Given this, sometimes customers need to take matters into their own hands. There was a time when a certain Beijing bar figure named Eddie O liked the live music at Cheers, but loathed the bar’s lack of The Bird (Wild Turkey). This was easily solved — he bought the place a bottle and, when that was empty, another.

Eddie O has turned his attention to food. Last Friday, at high-end Italian joint Capone’s, he proclaimed his desire for a burger, an item absent from the menu. All evidence points to an animated discussion in which he promised to provide the bar, this coming Friday, with a bottle of Knob Creek Bourbon in exchange for the chef, Marco, putting aside the squid ink for a few minutes and making a burger. Eddie also offered to bring his own bun.

I called Eddie to investigate and he said, “I’ll be there with the bun at seven. I don’t care if they take steak tartar and turn into a burger, but I want something on that bread.”

Being the diligent sort, I visited Capone’s tonight (last night) and learned that, indeed, “Wild Turkey Man” had raved about burgers. This inspired the staff members to reflect: one noted the dearth of good burgers in Beijing, another drooled as he created an image for us of a patty topped with cheddar cheese slightly melted by fried mushrooms and onions, and yet another said that he makes the best hand-packed, three-quarter-inch-thick patties you could imagine. Given that Capone’s was fairly empty, I imagined the place full of people enjoying 65-kuai “gourmet” burgers and washing them down with plenty of drink.

In any case, on Friday night, Eddie shall appear there with his Knob Creek and his bun, and we shall see if this man, against all odds, can somehow bridge the gap between high-end eateries and that most basic, but nearly impossible to find in Beijing, of foods — the burger.

Note: The reference in the title to “corn-fed songbirds” comes from the “Today’s Special” chapter of David Sedaris’ book, “Me Talk Pretty One Day”:

[New York’s SoHo] is where the world’s brightest young talents come to braise carmelized racks of corn-fed songbirds or offer up their famous knuckle of flash-seared crappie served with a collar of chided ginger and cornered by a tribe of kiln-roasted Chilean toadstools, teased with a warm spray of clarified musk oil… What I really want is a cigarette, and I’m always searching the menu in the hope that some courageous chef has finally recognized tobacco as a vegetable. Bake it, steam it, grill it, or stuff it into littleneck clams, I just need something familiar that I can hold on to.

A marathon session with our company’s annual report last week has the ”YES, we’ve seen progress, BUT the following needs to happen” attitude oozing from my pores. In that vein, here’s part one in a three-part “yes, but” series on Beijing (check back here tomorrow for part 2: “Yes, but I don’t feel like corn-fed songbirds today”.)

YES, sports bars such as The Pavillion, Frank’s Place and The Pomegranate have been nice additions to the scene over the past 18 months. They provide even more places in which to view rugby, cricket and that mesmerizing pursuit known as Formula 1 (zoom! zoooooooom! zoom! zoom!). BUT why is there nary a bar for North America league sports? I’m talking National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Football League (NFL).

Really, Beijing doesn’t have enough Americans, Canadians or people in general who like these sports to keep a bar, especially one that makes a decent burger, in business? Not enough people to turn the NCAA basketball tournament into a cash cow that brings in three months of revenue in a few weeks? Really, a place couldn’t survive by sponsoring the local ice and grid dogs, and being a hangout for beer, pub grub and replays of classic games?

Take Saturday tonight: I desperately wanted to see the opening game of the Toronto Raptors-New Jersey Nets series, as: 1) it’s Toronto’s first playoff game in years; 2) New Jersey’s star player used to be Toronto’s star player until, many fans believe, he stopped trying and forced a trade, after which he returned to his winning ways (the fiend!); 3) it pits a group of upstarts against a team with three stars; and 4) I generally cheer for any team with a player named Bosh, especially if he looks a bit like the mascot (in this case, a dinosaur). Thus, I loaded my wallet for three hours of massive food and beverage intake, but where to go?

First, I called 5:19. Owner Dave had a group just finishing with a Premier League game and they were interested in more soccer. Fair enough.

Then, I called Goose and Duck. “Are you showing the NBA tonight?” I asked. “We can put it on,” came the answer. I arrived just after midnight and three minutes before tipoff only to discover they couldn’t get the game. The staff was friendly and did their best, but even better had they checked the schedule before I took the 20-minute cab ride there.

With the clock ticking, I went to The Pavillion. Every TV featured cricket: that’s what was advertised, said a guy behind the bar. I noted a TV, next to the door, that NO ONE was watching. “How about basketball on that one?” I asked. Nope, he said, if he switches the channel on that TV it also switches the channel on another one at the bar. NO ONE was watching that other TV either, I further noted. Nope, he said, Pavillion advertised cricket and - I guess - even if NO ONE was watching it, that’s what The Pavillion would play.

So, I gave up. I went to my office and watched the game online. Instead of Beijing’s sports bars, I guess my NBA playoffs budget will be split between re-heated Pizza Buona (the best delivered pizza in town, IMHO) and 7-ELEVEN.

I wonder how many other Toronto Raptors as well as Boston Red Sox, Seattle Seahawks, Edmonton Oilers, LA Lakers, Houston Astros, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Penguins and myriad other NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB fans have has this experience. Really, with four leagues comprising more 100 total teams with seasons that overlap, thus meaning there is virtually a game every day, a sports bar couldn’t make money out of this? Until then, the number for Pizza Buona, on Gongti West Road, is 6551-3518.

The all-male crowd seems to have abandoned Q Bar as its Thursday night watering hole. The place was lightly populated tonight (last night), which meant peace and quiet as I sipped my Horse Neck (Bourbon, ginger ale and lemon) and chatted with bartenders-owners George and Echo. The Q will add frozen dragon fruit margaritas to the menu tomorrow night (tonight), a drink Echo and I first made during my only foray behind the bar in Beijing, at a birthday party last year. They’ll go for 55 kuai.

I walked to Q from The Rickshaw, which opens tomorrow night (tonight). Patrons of the spot’s former bar, Midnight, are in for a surprise - co-owner Kris Ryan has stripped the place down, to the cement floor at some points, and replaced the unbearable heaviness of the sofas with light furniture and open space. With a pool table, several flat-panel TVs and a balcony that offers views up and down Sanlitun South, the place has a new vibe - an unpretentious spot that fits the BJ psyche.

In the pigeonhole game, The Rickshaw hints at The Den, The Goose and Duck, and, of course, COX and Saddle (same owners), with a splash of old Sanlitun South, though it quickly enough it’ll find its own identity. Qingdao draft is 15 kuai a pint (10 kuai during happy hour) and the kitchen will open soon, if not tomorrow night. Patrons now have a new spot to get COX-style wings and Saddle-style burritos, as well as mini pizzas, while avoiding Sanlitun North’s roving gangs of teenagers, beggars and substance sellers. That alone is reason enough for me to go; we’ll see if others feel the same. (For more on The Rickshaw, check out this interview of Kris.)

I dropped into The Rickshaw on my way home from Torres China’s tenth-anniversary celebration at the Ritz Carlton. The party was from 6 to 10 PM, and I managed to squeeze in at 9:52 PM - yep, it’s been one of those work weeks. That left enough time to chat with Torres North China GM Galia Stern (among the first people I met when I arrived in Beijing way back when), have a glass of wine, and meet Miguel Torres, who ranks among the world’s bigwigs of wine. Congratulations to Torres and good luck on the company’s anniversary party in Shanghai this weekend.

It sounds like a great job - hey, what’s not fun about making drinks and small talk - but bartenders find precious little satisfaction in their work, at least stateside, according to  this article (thanks to M-Dawg for the link). 

Bartending ranked among the 10 least gratifying jobs, with only 26 percent of mixologists surveyed reporting the job as “very satisfying” (laborers, except construction, ranked as the least satisfied, at 21 percent, while clergy and firefighters were at the opposite end of the spectrum, at 87 and 80 percent respectively).

In a way, I guess it’s not surprising that bartenders might be dissatisfied as they have to: 1) listen to many patrons gripe about their jobs and thus start to wonder about their own, 2) handle mafan people like me and my friends, and 3) watch as bar-goers add Sprite to a 100-dollar bottle of wine. Wait, I think I’m getting my countries confused here….

I’d heard from several sources that Beijing bar legend Henry Li (Neo Lounge, Vogue, and Public Space) was looking to sell his latest spot, Rui Fu, and move on to other projects. I ran into Henry at Centro on Tuesday and indeed it is true: the cavernous bar that mixes historical digs with what I once dorkily penned as the combined spirt of a “plush karaoke, generic hotel casino, and modernized opium den” is up for sale. (Incidentally, my review of Rui Fu inspired this angry letter). Although I had early reservations about the place, it was a regular stop for about two months, until the neverending theme parties scared me off — honestly, how many times can I dress up as a schoolgirl? Even so, of Rui Fu there will always be the memories…

Open less than six months, Tim’s Texas BBQ (formerly John Bull Pub) is already looking to rustle up more business. Another branch of the restaurant, which has a loyal following among smoked-meat lovers, will open on Super Bar Street. I emailed Tim, who said he hopes to have the new spot ready by late May / early June. No doubt, there’ll be some more BBQ lovers in the area when the new U.S. Embassy opens nearby. (Thanks to DM for the tip.)

Fresh from her UFO, a female alien speaking fluent English, bearing the physique of a comely woman of our own species (with glowing green skin and cute antenae to boot), and holding two still-steaming seven-layer burritos from Taco Bell flown in at supersonic speeds from the U.S. - even that (almost) would have been a less delightful surprise than what I discovered on my doorstep as I arrived at home tonight (last night).

Call it a watershed moment, but it’s not every Beijing day that one receives a 16-page booklet titled “2007 Spring Wine Fair.” This one’s from Carrefour and has deals on wines from 12 countries from six continents. Instead of just listing the wines and their prices, this booklet includes:

- An icon for each wine that suggests whether it would pair best with meat, fish, spicy foods or “desert & sweat” (obviously “desserts and sweets” is meant).

- Write-ups on some of the wines (it’s pretty much the info on the back label, but that’s better than nothing) and a small section called “How to drink Rose wines?”

- Volume deals: buy six bottles of Ruffino Chianti 2004 for 540 kuai and one of them is free.

- A sale on wine glasses, corkscrews and bottle stoppers (although glasses at the flower market are a better value).

This is an excellent way to market wine to customers who might be shy about perusing the hypermarket shelves. Most of the more than 100 wines included in the booklet are entry level, which provides a lot of choice at reasonable prices for beginners. And for those into bubbles, there’s Veuve Clicquot at 388 kuai and the budget friendly magnum (1.5 liters) of Changyu sparkling cider at 22.8 kuai (which attendees at my latest blind tasting of Chinese wines easily polished off).

(By the way, I had no idea that Carrefour was selling wines such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Latour - RMB 3800 and up.)

I’m as overloaded as a Long Island Iced Tea with two extra shots of vodka, as a first-time drinker who has decided to run the menu at Shooters, as a businessperson new to China and going one-against-ten with Chinese clients at a baiju drinking party, as… well, you get the idea.

It’s a rather heavy period at work, so apologies for shorter-than-usual posts, the longest delay in my newsletter’s history (I aim to have one out by week’s end), and the dearth of events by BRAWL - The Bourbon, Rye and Whisk(e)y League.

About the only thing I’ve managed lately is part two of my blind tasting of Chinese wines series, and even that was a month behind schedule. (But worth it - details to come.)

Things will get better. The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar. So don’t give up on old BB - hang in there, stick together, and keep your chins up (and out of that medium wing sauce at Cox). Remember that if the price of that cocktail is too good to be true, then its contents are too cheap to be real; that you’re doing your body a favor when you match a glass of water with every alcoholic drink; and that by my observations about 50 percent of men don’t wash their hands after using the toilet - so be careful with whom you share those communal peanuts at the bar.

Finally, as Elvis (Costello) put it…

Sometimes I wonder if we’re livin’ in the same land,
Why d’you wanna be my friend,
When I feel like a juggler running out of hands?

Welcome to the workin’ week.
Oh I know it don’t thrill you, I hope it don’t kill you.
Welcome to the workin’ week.
You gotta do it till you’re through it so you better get to it.

I read in The Pomegranate’s weekly e-newsletter that this Shunyi bar is opening a cellar under its side-room. Intrigued, I figured it might be the makings of a new wine hangout. Instead, the recently discovered cellar has been renovated and, says P-granate’s Mike, “We’re now using it to store wine and drinks, etc, and embarking on building a wood-fired pizza oven area in the space above.” That works, too.

The Pomegranate is rare not only because it’s a bar in Shunyi, but also because it’s one of the few places with a mix of Beamish Irish Stout on tap, a 42-inch flat panel screen, wireless, a weekly pub quiz (Wednesdays), and South African biltong*, citronella candles and bundles of firewood on sale (they deliver).

Sounds like a place worth a visit.

By the way, the bar will hold its annual “Rynostock” music festival on May 19. The newsletter says more than a dozen bands played last year and raised money for charity. Those wishing to play at this year’s festival should Mike at 13801-103-933.

To receive the bar’s newsletter, send a message to the_pomegranate@yahoo.com with the word “subscribe” in the subject line.

* That’d be South African beef jerky.

You can teach monkeys many things, but I doubt that making booze is among them. It’s something they need to discover on their own.

(By the way, who wants to bet how long it will be before a local scientist claims that the monkeys in China were doing this at least a thousand years before those in Borneo?)

Shangri-La’s Blu Lobster will celebrate its opening by pairing Haut-Brion wine with a six-course dinner by the restaurant’s chef, Brian McKenna. Expect to leave heavier in the mid-section but lighter in the wallet as this dinner will pinch (bad lobster reference) you for RMB3998 — net (another one, ouch!). The event starts at 7 PM on April 18. To RSVP, call 6841-2211, extension 6702. Apparently, a 20-percent discount can be had by calling Myra Mu at 8882-6501. ASC distributes Haut-Brion.

Yesterday, I emailed Grace Vineyards President Judy Leissner with five quick queries and the answers were back faster than it takes for a bottle of wine to breath. I’ve been a fan of Grace since trying the Cabernet Sauvignon at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Beijing last fall. It fared well in my first blind tasting of Chinese wine - we’ll soon see how well it does against Dragon Seal, Huadong and others.

The interview… 

BB: I understand demand for Grace wines is growing faster than what the vineyard can produce, so grapes are being brought in from outside. If so, how does Grace balance quantity and quality?

JL: First of all, the percentage of grapes purchased from nearby vineyards is quite small. Secondly, the vineyards are relatively close to our existing premise. As a result, we can monitor the development and check the vineyards prior to harvest. Finally, the grapes are selected and only those that meet our standard would be purchased.

BB: Why did Grace locate in Shanxi?

JL: We believe that only places above the Yellow River are suitable for growing grapes. The east coast is far too humid and, as a result, the sugar [in the grapes] is pretty low. The far west is high in sugar, but low in acidity. So, it’s logical deduction that Ningxi, Shanx and Shaanxi would be the best provinces. Of course, we also hired French professor D. Boubals, the teacher of Miguel Torres, to come to China, and he picked Shanxi over the other provinces.

BB: What is your vision for where Grace should be in 20 years?

JL: I see Grace continuing to be a relatively small operation, but we will have several small wineries across China. Each will have its own unique style and grow different varieties. I also hope we can find a place to grow Pinot Noir in China (ha ha… personal preference). Lastly, I hope we are able to find the most suitable variety for China, similar to Shiraz for Australia, Malbec for Argentina, and so on.

BB: How do I know a wine is truly made with 100-percent Chinese wine, i.e. are there such rules re labeling and, if so, are they enforced?

JL: Ha ha, please ask our government.

BB: What are your three favorite Grace wines?

JL: I think my taste has evolved over time. For example, I used to like our entry-level Chardonnay very much, but now, I prefer our Tasya’s Reserve Chardonnay. Of course, it’s also affected by the food and the company. Right now, I like our premium unfiltered Pinot Noir (ok, it’s not the best, but I enjoy it), our Chenic Blanc (very acidic and fresh, it goes very well with Cantonese food) and finally our Deep Blue (which is a similar but younger blend of Chairman’s Reserve). We haven’t launched Deep Blue yet, but have been drinking it constantly. That’s the nice thing about having a winery, isn’t it?

Note: Grace wines are available in Beijing from Torres.

In an exercise typical of the sometimes painfully cliquish blogosphere, speed typers in China recently raced to list their favorite “thinking blogs,” with the all-too-predictable result that people usually nominated those blogs that nominated them. Yawn. Needless to say, yours truly was not involved. Why would I want to waste my brain cells thinking about other blogs, or making people think about mine, when I can easily waste them at work and be paid for it? Hey, who’s the thinker now, bloggers!?

With that silliness done, let’s turn to a serious topic - China drinking blogs. Frankly, they are as rare as a Beijing cab driver with minty-fresh breath. But some sites at least touch on the topic…

Im@ge-Thief: You know him as PR guy by day, blogger by night and photographer of sea turtles, dolphins and other delicious seafood by vacation. What few realize is that he has a deep understanding of drink and drinking. My two favorite posts are How to Survive a Chinese Drinking Party, which advises toasting weak drinks against strong ones, feigning unconsciousness, and watering down booze, and Unforgivable Bartending Sins, which looks at a pub that fatefully fell between the high and low ends in Beijing. These posts are particularly funny to me because I once witnessed I-Thief stand on his head and guzzle a bottle of rose sparkling wine while wearing nothing but a strategically placed piece of duct tape and a pair of Pikachu slippers. Actually, that hasn’t happened yet, which reminds me - I need to book a plane ticket to Shanghai and pick up a bottle of pink Champagne on the way to the airport…

China Law Blog: Blogger Dan is busy being a legal beagle across six dozen sectors, while regularly reminding us time and again that although he and his partner have over 5,000 years of combined China law practice experience, they STILL will never understand the local culture as well as the, um, locals (which ought to save him a few baijiu headaches, if nothing else). He also regularly covers the world of wine, whiskey and beer. In February, he posted on how whiskey consumption in China was going up. That same month, he posted on getting involved in China’s wine business, which was a nice follow-up to a lengthier October piece, Get Thee to a Winery, Part 1 and Part 2. And in January, he posted about positioning Budweiser as a premium brand (with a shout to the People’s Republic of Blog). Someone buy this man a drink!

Big Trouble in Little China: This story from the Qingdao beer festival is a classic, even if it makes me feel old and the opening is a bit over the top. The site also gets some points for having the Web address, “Whiskey Dragon.” I’m pretty sure this same guy is featured in that’s Beijing’s Closet Freak column and, if so, we might have to call in Kurt Russell - not the one in Big Trouble in Little China, the one in Universal Soldier - to wrestle that tiger tooth away.

Richard Spencer in Beijing: Yes, he writes on some pretty heavy stuff - censorship, North Korea, organ transplants and Gong Li - but amidst all the misery, which is enough to drive a person to drink, he provided a eulogy of sorts for one of Beijing’s longest standing drinking establishments, the John Bull Pub.

And here are some people who should have blogs…

Winopete: His terse, witty newsletter kept Taipei bars-goers up-to-date on the city’s drinking scene years ago and now he’s doing the same for Shanghai. Catch snippets of his newsletter here, here and here.

Frank Li Speaking: Actually, his last name isn’t Li, it’s Siegel, but he’s been in the bar and restaurant business (Frank’s Place, John Bull Pub, Sequoia Cafe, Tim’s Texan BBQ) longer than pretty much anyone else in town and now he’s giving wine a go. If that isn’t enough material for 3,000 words of week, I’ll gladly accept a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir and call it even. Then again, perhaps we can team him up with the “Li” of Henry Li fame (Neo Lounge, Vogue, Public Spaces, Rui Fu). It’d be like Guinness meets Flaming Lamborghini - who wouldn’t read a blog by two such mismatched, intriguing bar icons!

Miss Mojito: This blog would see our mint master, Agent Red Wolf, go from naming a mere eight bars with quality Mojitos to creating a master list of more than 200.

The Honorable Wine Blog of Sir Campbell Thompson: Yet another vino site, this one courtesy of Thompson, former ASC hit man and current Master’s of Wine Marketing candidate, who will share tales not only of sneaking about town to observe the wine-buying habits of Chinese customers, but also how to get more value from a bottle of Champagne by drinking it through a straw (all in the name of his thesis, of course).

On my way across town from a business meeting last week, I popped into The Pavillion at about 10 PM. I was mildly surprised to find it bustling - and on a Thursday night no less. One of the proprietors is Russell Probert, active in Beijing’s expat golf scene and a former co-owner of the original legendary bar Frank’s Place. Thus, one might expect the place to be home to the city’s long-term expats (and I have nothing against such people, so put those nine irons back in the bags, boys, and no one - particularly me - gets hurt). True to form, it does attract some “old China hands” as well as a good number of younger and newer residents of Beijing, a diversity I’ve noticed on previous visits. This place has also seen several additions since it opened 18 months ago — from the large patio out back to the recent glassed-in area to the east, which gives the bar more depth.

The Pavillion’s pros include decent service (though a handful of readers reported gruff treatment during the World Cup last summer), reasonably priced wine, huge and comfy chairs, and an excellent patio. Cons include fairly pricey beer and sometimes conflicting crowds - for example, a group vocally cheering their favorite rugby team versus a couple (trying to) quietly enjoy a bottle of wine. All in all, though, The Pavillion has step by step been finding a niche and ranks among the more pleasant surprises on the drinking scene over the past year.

Note 1: Russell says that The Pavillion will hold the annual Orange Ball on April 28 and thus the bar will be closed to regular business.

Note 2: TRIO, home of the reincarnated Frank’s, announced - with blinding red highlight and multiple exclamation marks, no less - that a shuttle bus will stop Fridays at Workers’ Stadium North Gate (9 PM), opposite Yashow Market (9:15 PM), and at Chaoyang Park West Gate (9:30 PM) to pick up punters and save them the taxi fare to the Lido area establishment. Hmmm, does this mean we’ll see a Pavillion bus touring the streets near TRIO and picking up bar-goers looking to come downtown?

I did my bit for global 3.5 X 2 inch paper trading (translation: handing out name cards) last Thursday at InterContinental’s X Change bar, where people from the hotel, travel, media and finance sectors were invited for the monthly “night of networking.” I’ve now attended two such events at X Change and they’re making me reconsider my attitude toward going west for drinks in Beijing.

I’d long harbored an apprehension of making that CBD-Financial Street jaunt, given the horror stories that it can take well over an hour, but my two trips to X Change clocked in at less than 25 minutes (that’s when leaving the office at 7:15, from near The Friendship Store). I can live with this, given a chance to meet business contacts while enjoying half-price drinks (30 kuai for a Manhattan), a live band and the bar’s subdued ambience. I’m not ready to go out there every weekend, but it’s now another option for having a drink.

By the way, I popped into Pavillion on my way home: I’ll have more on that tomorrow…

The spot that used to hold Midnight bar and Grappa restaurant, and that is being taken over by Kris Ryan of Saddle and Cox fame, now has a name - The Rickshaw.

While the opening was planned for Friday, April 13, it’s now going to be delayed at least a week. The Rickshaw is aiming to offer fish bowl drinks, pizza by the slice, 4 AM breakfast, and more. For more on Kris and his bars, see this interview I did with him.

Torres is marking its 10 years in China with a party at the Ritz-Carlton on April 19 (6-10 PM). Company president / general manager Miguel A. Torres will attend the event, which is to include tapas by Spanish Chef Guillermo Trullas, Flamenco guitar, and Torres wines from three continents - the company has operations in Spain, Chile and the United States (California).

The event costs 288 kuai per person. To RSVP, call Sophie at 5165-5519, extension 208.

Congrats to the company for wheeling and dealing, wining and dining for a decade in this very tough market.

It took a while to get them uploaded, but for those who want to relive the magic, here are some videos of the fireworks during Chinese New Year’s Eve in Beijing. The first follows the skyline and shows dozens of fireworks displays going off around midnight. The oval structure to the right is Workers’ Stadium. For bargoers, this video basically sweeps from Gongti North (Vics, Mix), across the park (The Pavillion and Babyface et al are on the far side) to Yabao Lu (the so-called Russian zone). (Click picture for video)

The second video is “up close and personal”, with fireworks exploding about five meters in front of my apartment’s windows. The clip is a bit long, but then again, the fireworks are unrelenting, and it gives you an idea of the evening’s intensity. (Click picture for video)

Drink of choice that night: Taillan Armagnac and Taillan Cognac. Food of choice that night: vegetarian dumplings and microwave popcorn.

Fancy a job that includes visiting bars? City Weekend is seeking an entertainment editor for its Beijing weekend section. From City Weekend’s ad:

“Editors are responsible for managing venue, people and event contacts to produce a range of entertainment stories and reviews for arguably one of the most exciting cities on the planet, Beijing, China. To succeed in the position, you must work well with others, speak conversational Chinese with ease and sophistication, be able to multi-task, handle simultaneous deadlines and craft a story from editorial planning to final design. Successful editors develop a coveted group of magazine production skills (particularly in new media) and an extensive network of contacts to build off in the future. The salary is competitive, includes international health care and full legal and visa coverage.”

To apply or for more information, contact Collin Crowell at collin@ringierasia.com.