Beijing Boyce

It’s a late night in the office and my domestic K-Touch phone rings (my Chinese friends haven’t heard of the brand and I can’t even find a pic of the B922 model on the Internet, but it works like a charm). It’s Stellar-G, who suggests joining her and a pal for a few at Q bar. That’s a no-brainer…

I haven’t been to Q much of late. The crowds have grown in size and ability to annoy, the wait for drinks can be long, and I’ve been more inclined to hit wine tastings. This night, though, there’s a light crowd and it’s a nice chance to talk to George and Echo, and have some quality drinks.

We work the menu — Gimlets, Martinis, Virgin Mojitos, Alfonso Specials, Long Islands — and then it seems time for something different.

“How about a martini with Southern Comfort as the liqueur?” I ask Echo.

“That would be very sweet. We should cut if with Bourbon,” she replies.

Done and done. The result is a potent yet pleasant drink, the kind to hit the spot before I hit the road…

I published issue 35 of my newsletter last week. Here’s the Opening Shots section, covering the past six weeks. To get on the newsletter mailing list (it’s free), email beijingboyce@yahoo.com with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line. 

OPENING SHOTS

Roger Houng, part of the team behind sorely missed First Cafe, has teamed up with Kang Da to open Wonder Bar (formerly Taniwha) in Tongli Studio. The original idea was to provide good seating, drinks and jazz, but the last is already relegated to week nights. [Ed: The bar has since returned to its original name.] /Look for the brains behind China Doll to open a new Lido-area establishment called Love View in the sizeable premises previously housing nhu. Speaking of China Doll, the place will look to create some Yankee hanky panky when it holds its “patriotism is sexy” party on July 4. “It’s East meets West,” says China Doll’s Ai Wan. Since it falls on ladies night, it’s free wine and cocktails for the gals, with a free drink for all U.S. guys. / Capone’s has jumped on the ladies night bandwagon by offering a free flow of sparkling wines for the city’s women, from 6 to 9 PM on Fridays. Meanwhile, p3wong (of p3wong.com fame) reports that the Lan ladies night is already a thing of the past (she’s a big fan of the Sichuan Mary). /Beer Mania has set up patio furniture in the parking lot out front, thus creating a nice spot to lounge and enjoy Belgian brew. / Sundays on Top are back at Kokomo (formerly Top Club). Hit the deck the last Sunday of each month. Speaking of which, Kokomo has limited supplies of Woodford Reserve and Booker’s Bourbon. / Both Q Bar and TRIO, which houses the reincarnation of Frank’s Place, celebrated their one-year anniversaries. Good news for those experiencing a queue at Q: plans are underway to expand the deck (see below). / At least one Beijing bartender will head to New Zealand after the 42 BELOW Cocktail World Cup qualifier, slated for July 25 at China World Hotel. / Vics reopened - see any of the free English magazines for more. / COX, which became famous for wings and recently added curry to the menu, is closed indefinitely. Will this episode see co-owner Kris Ryan (Saddle, The Rickshaw) take his business elsewhere? (Hats off to Kenn, Trevor and Nick for the tip.) / With three bars named Pure Girl as neighbors, the newest drinking hole opposite Tongli comes with significantly less chaste nomenclature - A ‘Lil High. Interesting name, since the bar is a sub-basement and comes when the dealers that normally prowl the surrounding streets have been conspicuously absent (it has been ages since anyone passed and mumbled, “Wassup man, want some stuff?”). Note: Dave M notes that police raids have cleared the dealers from Super Bar Street. / Speaking of Super Bar Street, the sequel to Tim’s Texas BBQ, named Tim’s Texas Roadhouse, had its soft opening on July 1. It’s across from Pili Pili and 5:19 Bar & Grill and will feature live music on weekends and drink and other specials during the week. Apparently, Block House is moving into new digs on the same street. / Canadian Embassy Chef Billy Kawaja has launched a new weekend brunch at Cafe St. Laurent, better known to 80s music lovers as Alfa. (My lone experience with Billy K’s cooking was at a wine dinner last fall, which inspired my weirdest, and most terrifying, write-up ever - www.beijingboyce.com/2006/12/the-dinner-and-the-door/.) Look for new takes on steaks and eggs as well as special cocktails, including the Asian Mary and the Cafe St. Laurent Shake. / Centro has been nominated in a leading 11 categories for the that’s Beijing’s annual bars and clubs awards, though it didn’t make the ‘bar of the year’ list. Other leading nominees are Suzie Wong’s (10), Face (8), China Doll (8), The Den (7), Stone Boat (6), Rickshaw (6), Q Bar (6) and Lan (6). There’s plenty of new blood as Face, China Doll, Rickshaw and Lan have been open less than a year, with Q Bar just over that hump. Other notable newcomers include Kokomo with four nominations and the Hilton’s Zeta with three. Browns, which took home top honors last year, received three nods, though not in the best bar category. / Plastered T-shirts, which celebrates Yanjing beer, gongbao jiding, 1.20 Xiali taxi rides and Beijing’s subway, handed out free beer and wine to anyone wearing the company’s clothing two Saturdays ago as several hundred people jammed into Nanluguoxiang for a “hutong catwalk.”

And on the wine front: Don St. Pierre Jr of ASC joins the world’s wine big wigs on Decanter magazine’s “2007 Power list.” He established ASC with his father, Don St. Pierre Sr, 11 years ago and ranks number 37 on the list, which considers those who are and will have the most impact on what wines the world drinks. He is the only China-based person, and only one of three in Asia, to make the top 50 (the magazine somehow overlooked yours truly). / Palette Vino celebrated its second anniversary with a wine and BBQ party on May 26. This is an excellent food and wine getaway for those in the Shunyi area. / Westin Hotel’s “Bubbly Sunday” offers a nice mix of Champagne, wine and vodka buffets, BBQ, and all usual five-star treats (see below). / Sorely missed on Beijing’s wine scene, former ASC Fine Wines Front-man Campbell Thompson has reappeared in our fair city to continue his work toward a Master’s in Wine Marketing and to study Chinese wine consumers.