Beijing Boyce

Yikes, that’s Beijing announces the winners of its bars and clubs awards tomorrow and I’ve yet to come out with any picks. What can I say, I’ve been busy.

Joining perennial candidates such as Suzie Wong, Centro and The Den in the hunt are newcomers Face, China Doll, Rickshaw and Lan, all open for less than a year, and Q Bar, just over the hump. Newcomers such as Kokomo and Zeta also received multiple nominations.

I’ll sit down tonight and come up with some quick picks…

Speaking of voting… why not go here, scroll to Beijing Boyce, and click the “+” sign til it turns green. I can’t think of a better way to spend a few minutes of work time than by making a (somewhat) young bar reviewer’s day brighter.

Birdwatchers might have noticed the grey-spotted owl in the Workers’ Stadium area. Yes, folks, the signs are up for Hooters, as one of America’s favorite restaurants will open as early as August. A controversial establishment stateside, let’s see how it fares nearby The Den, which until Maggie’s moved to Ritan Park was kind of an unofficial Hooters in Beijing…

By the way, “hooters beijing” ranks behind only “maggies beijing” as a search term on this blog this month. Rounding out the top ten:

- vics beijing
- cowboy hats beijing
- kokomo beijing
- tim’s texas bbq beijing
- maggie’s beijing
- capone’s beijing
- tim’s texas roadhouse beijing
- john bull pub beijing

(They say nice guys finish last. Help me avoid that fate, and save yourself a lifetime of gnawing guilt, by going here, scrolling to Beijing Boyce, and clicking the “+” sign until it turns green. Then, relax in the knowledge you’ve made a (somewhat) young bar reviewer’s day brighter.)

I just found out I’m a contender in the 2007 Blog Awards on Chinalyst. I also found out I’m kind of far behind, as in it’s midnight and I’m four Bourbons behind Eddie O behind, as in I aimed to lose three kilos of beer belly this summer and I’m FIVE kilos behind, as in… well, you get the idea.

Thus, what more worthwhile way to spend a few moments of your work time than by going here, and clicking the “+” sign until it turns green?

It won’t cost you a kuai.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that if you don’t do it, and forward this post to ten friends and ask them to do it, you’re doomed to a lifetime of bad luck followed by an eternity in that hell where you eat nothing but cardboard-stuffed steamed buns and drink fake booze distilled from window cleaner, while the sound of a thousand expectorating strollers surrounds you 24/7.

No pressure, it’s your choice.

(As Al Capone said, and as Eddie O is fond of repeating, “vote early and vote often.”)

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Yours truly has lived in Asia for a dozen years and eaten foods he never imagined, but dirty cardboard masquerading as tofu inside steamed buns - that gets me, er, steamed.

Isn’t it enough that a night on the town can mean washing down fake yangrou chuan’r with fake booze, then rehydrating with fake water?

Can’t the criminals leave our buns alone? Seriously, if we are what we eat (and drink), I guess we’re a bunch of poseurs.

And yes, before someone advises me to stop crying over my spilled (fake) milk, fakes are not limited to China.

(By the way, how long before these  are being served up in restaurants? Maybe it’s time to get back to the land.)

M-Dawg witnessed two major brawls on Saturday night in what he calls ”the Sanlitun cesspool.” One was a five-on-five scrap spilling out of Poachers, the other a “three-way, multinational catfight in front of Shooters that left tufts of hair on the ground in its wake.” (Those video cameras in Sanlitun sure are acting as a deterrent…)

The excitement didn’t end there, as Sanlitun hosted a contest featuring domestic and international entrants in which one lucky lady was crowned “best pole dancer” — her family must be proud (thanks to The Crow for the link).

If only the drug dealers, absent for some two months, were around to see it. (Maybe those video cameras are working).

In any case, yours truly spent the evening elsewhere – at Cafe Europa and Pepper (write-up coming), where the only danger was the staff making flaming drinks (the human blowtorch thing is just plain dumb). I only made it to China Doll late, though in time to witness a pair of desperate guys on each of the main bar’s corners ogling the ladies. That’s right, fellows, set an example for those fighters in Poachers – make love, not war…

(By the way, despite the attractiveness of Sanlitun – yes, that’s sarcasm – expect more reports on the city’s wine scene as I get my www.grapewallofchina.com site going.)

Expect a flood of blogs and books about Beijing in the next six months, including many covering the food and beverage scene. If the emails I get from writers - who ask about everything from what I consider Beijing’s ten best bars (okay) to “borrowing” material from this site (not okay) - are an indication, then a half-dozen or more such guides are in the works. Timeout has one out, and National Geographic and that’s Beijing have them in the queue. Zagat is also eyeing the market.

As for blogs, expect a few focused on wine, including by Edward Ragg and Fongyee Walker, who have brought a wealth of wine knowledge since relocating to Beijing less than a year ago – Edward has notes on 3,000 wines alone. Word has it that several of the local English-language magazines will also add blogs to their sites.

Café Europa is doing all-you-can-eat BBQ every Saturday from about 6 PM onward (160 kuai per person). This two-floor spot in Jianwai Soho (Building 11) has a deck at the side and sublime it was on the weekend as I enjoyed a bottle of Wallace Shiraz and other wines with Sir Campbell Thompson and friends (the visit was long overdue, my first since the one-year anniversary party).

Café Europa offers a modest but interesting wine list – with about a dozen available by the glass – and you couldn’t ask for friendlier owners than Joseph and Li.

I went to Summergate‘s wine tasting at the Hilton last week and it was a big mistake. I tried four wines from Dr. Loosen – a Pinot Noir and three Rieslings – and talked to the man – Dr. Ernst Loosen – himself. I found the wines interesting and took lots of notes. And I chatted with wine-lovers-about-town Fongyee Walker, Edward Ragg and Gabriel Suk.

So, why a mistake? Because as I left the tasting in Zeta, I saw the ensuing wine dinner in One East on Third under way, and it dawned on me that I had missed a chance to hang out with Decanter’s Man of the Year for 2005. Duh!

I was kicking myself the next morning, though not too hard, as I’m losing my flexibility to age…

Loosen spoke briefly at the tasting, stressing that his wines are not only fruit-driven, but also low in alcohol, thus, “it’s best to drink two or three bottles, or, if you’re with a friend, four.” I chatted with him after that, the exchange going roughly like this:

BB: Do you think China’s market has huge potential?

EL: People get drunk on this idea. They are besoffen.

You mean the idea of selling a billion glasses of wine?

Yes, it’s such a childish view.

By the way, what does besoffen mean?

It’s German for “drunk.”

Oh. Liebe das guten Leben (that’s German for “live the good life” and pretty much exhausts half my knowledge of that language.)

Here are my notes on the wines:

Villa Wolf Pinot Noir, Pfalz 2004: It smelled better than it tasted, with some toast and cherry. I found it too tart.

“Dr L” Riesling 2006: Peach and lychee, with hints of grapefruit soda. The literature called it “bursting” and that seemed apt.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr (Sundial) Riesling Kabinett 2005: Petrol on the nose. Peach and honey, but not too sweet. A nice mouth feel. (It seemed a bit unripe to me, but maybe that’s the lemon mentioned in the notes.)

Urziger Wurzgarten (Spice Garden) Riesling Spatlese 2003: Petrol on the nose here, too, but this one was crisper. Peach, lychees and some sweetness, with a very good mouth feel.

After a visit to Cheers that included numerous shots, i.e. of Wild Turkey, of a drink called The Flag (courtesy of owner Leo) and on the pool table (thanks to the two Danes who tolerated my game), Eddie O and I went to China Doll next door for its Patriotism Is Sexy party last Wednesday, July 4. Not much of a shocker, given the party’s theme…

Eddie O and I stuck to Jack Daniels and the pours were decent, though you’d think they’d top them up even more given that we were celebrating the Home of the Free. China Doll got into the American spirit by displaying flags everywhere. Oh, and by playing a compilation of sex scenes from popular U.S. movies, over and over again, on the club’s many screens. What would George Washington say?

By the way, I ran into Jeremy H, who regularly entertained friends and strangers alike by doing “the worm” outside Taipei clubs a half-dozen years ago. With ex-break dancing legend The Crow living in Beijing as well, it might be time for a “worm off.”

Frank Siegel poured five “new world” sparkling wines at his last Friday night tasting and I popped in to give them a try. While 15 people signed up for the event, some 30-plus came through the doors, which is good in terms of showing that event’s popularity, but can make it tough for the organizers in terms of knowing how much wine and food to prepare (to get on Frank’s sign-up list, email him at frank.siegel@gmail.com).

Luckily, Frank is no fan of effervescence, so his share could be donated to the collective good. Here’s how the bubbles came up for me, ranked from first to fifth…

Miguel Torres Pinot Noir Bruite (Chile): It smelled toasty, and slightly of yeast and nuts. It was tart – sour apple – and I could imagine getting a stomachache after a few glasses of this (fifth place).

Norton Cosecha Especial Extra Dry (Argentina): The nose is light and peachy, with a faint toastiness. I found it bit rough going down. “I’m not enjoying number two” say my notes which kind of says it all (fourth place).

Redbank – Emily, Pinot Noir Chardonnay (Australia): Very little nose; some toast and slight nuttiness; nice creamy bubbles and a light apple and citrus taste; this one I liked (first place).

Bridgewater Mill Brut (Australia): Some petrol and toast on the nose; a bit tart, not as smooth as number 3 (third place).

Chateua Ste. Michelle Brut (Washington State): Dry, reliable, I can live with it, though it does seem to be missing some oomph (second place).

We also tried two Hungarian wines from the previous week’s tasting. My notetaking is a bit spotty, but I can say that both were tasty and a fitting finale to a fun night.

I hoped to be in Shanghai tonight for the International Wine Challenge. Instead, I was in the office – as an atypically blue Beijing sky darkened to black – facing a question that someone somewhere must find more fascinating than which of six Bordeaux is best.

Who delivers hotdogs in our area?

I’m working on a publication, see, and needed a photo of a hotdog – it’s totally legit, none of this pay-site stuff. Just a standard wiener and bun, with a well-placed squirt of ketchup on top… a frank, a red hot, a weenie… what H.L. Mencken called “a cartridge filled with the sweepings of abattoirs.”

It sounded easy enough. (Plus, it gave people a chance to make the obligatory Maggie’s joke – hey, that place does have a fantastic hotdog cart out front.)

I headed to our building’s lobby, where Starbuck’s used to sell a hotdog-like product – maeyo! – but now has horribly dry 18-kuai tuna fish sandwiches and good but pricey 28-kuai chicken Focaccia. The mom-and-pop shop down the hall had a stock of pre-made burgers – with what I’d guess is a 5,000-year-old shelf life – but nothing tubular.

It was time to head upstairs and get out the heavy artillery – our office’s ammo dump of take-out menus. Tim’s Texas BBQ – they have the sausage, they have not the wiener. Steak & Eggs – it’s a dog-less home. [Ed: Wait, they have a JUMBO hotdog but we needed a regular weenie.] Sequoia Cafe – not even a bone. Chimo Cafe – grrr!

Finally, we hit pay dirt, so to speak. Grandma’s Kitchen – the place had dogs. And, in hindsight, why wouldn’t it? After all, they’re Grandpa’s best friends.

We ordered two – one for the lead role, one as understudy. With the total bill below the 50-kuai minimum order, we tacked on a four-cheese pizza. In less than an hour, one happy hotdog was getting its 15 minutes of fame – posing, preening, and showing off its carefully applied ketchup squirt.

Every dog has its day, as they say, and this one surely did. But with the shoot over, and with a little more ketchup, we then had our dogs.

Yugong Yishan goes out with a bang, and some twang, and lots of bass and guitar licks, courtesy of some local bands – upcoming shows include shaka rock on July 14, which marks France’s national day (as the poster below puts it, “Don’t lose your head”), and blues outfit Black Cat Bone on July 21.

“It’s our last performance at Yugong Yishan before the wrecking ball comes down,” says Black Cat Bone singer Desmond McGarry. “It’s special for us since Yugong Yishan is really where we started to play regularly as a working band.”

I recently saw Black Cat Bone play under the most trying of conditions, so – wrecking balls or not – expect these cats to put on a good show.

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.

Poor Perri Kane – an unlucky day for the Australian brand manager at Palette as she found herself sitting across from me at her company’s media tasting for winemaker Ben Glaetzer at China World‘s Aria. Of the dozen-plus people there, I knew the least about wine. Unfortunately, I lack the software that causes most people in this situation to meekly sip vino, laugh at wine-related jokes they don’t get and, when asked to opine, repeat what someone else said. Instead, I just say what I think… unfiltered… sort of the “two-buck chuck” of observers…

Anyway, you’re apparently clueless in the wine world if you don’t who Ben Glaetzer is. Heard of him I had not, though I’ve tried his Stickleback wines – good value for the money. He seems a nice (and patient) bloke and answered a long-standing question of mine: What wine goes with kangaroo? (See details below.)

Some notes on the four wines, which included a few grape combinations I’d never tried:

Viognier Pinot Gris 2006: The nose was balanced and fresh, like towels newly out of a lemon-scented wash. The mouth had peach and some citrus zing.

Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein 2005: The nose was slightly medicinal, with spice and dark fruit lurking. Hard to describe, the best I could do was, “smooth yet mysterious –and velvety in the mouth.”

(At this point, Palette’s Stefan Fleisher noted two things re Glaetzer’s wines: 1. The temperature is important since too much alcohol comes off them if warm, and 2. “The reds all benefit very much from decanting.”)

Heartland Shiraz 2005 : Deep, consistent fruit (plum and blackberry) on the nose, and more so after it opened up. It had a lovely mouth feel and went superbly with the beef, courtesy of guest chef Joe Vargetto, who usually cooks up a storm, so to speak, in Melbourne.

(At this point, I posed my kangaroo food/wine pairing question. “What’s unique about kangaroo is that unless it’s medium rare, it gets a bit tough,” said Glaetzer. “It needs a wine that is big and acidic, as it can get oily.” The Shiraz would work nicely. I saved my second query – about what Ben does with kangaroos that wander onto the winery’s premises – for later.)

We finished up with a Glaetzer Wallace, a Shiraz Grenache blend. Wow! This had a vibrant nose that smelled earthy, gassy and vegetal – in other words, a bit rank (or, as company literature put it, a mix of “sweet cherry, toffee and earthy characters”). Food and Wine’s Arcy Yin found it interesting and said it had some mineral tastes. I liked it, and it’s also a favorite of P. Wong and of Beijing Wine Club guy / Timeout wine writer Gabriel Suk, who called it, “the perfect blend of Shiraz and Grenache”, just before he headed to Aria’s bar for Coopers (no beer could have a better name for a wine lover).

Notes: Aria GM Danny Kane will head to Shanghai to be a judge in the International Wine Challenge there. Perri Kane says Glaetzer’s Amon-ra and Godolphin wines are available in Beijing only in Aria. Vargetto hails from Oyster Little Bourke in Melbourne. Meat and Livestock Australia supported this event. Aria uses long and narrow plates – think bowling alley dimensions – that define “form over function”. Despite there being at least a half-dozen Aussies involved in this event, nary one said “mate”.)

Woah and double woah – I got props in not one, but two, of the local English-language lifestyle mags.

First, the May 24 City Weekend mentioned me twice in its “News You Can Use” section, right across from ad for “DJ Curse” (which somehow took away a bit of my glory).

Then, the July Beijing Talk mentioned me in its “Nice to Know” section.

Plus that’s Beijing includes a paragraph of info from my blog every week in its “7 days” newsletter.

Much appreciated all around.

By the way, when I come across a table loaded with the city’s English-language mags, I pick up Beijing Talk first. I love the adventures of Jonathan “Cao Cao” Kos-Read (“Jonathan has played the token white guy in over 50 Chinese films and sitcoms. Not surprisingly, he has more than a few tales to tell about his experience”) and enjoy the “Rupert Pupkin” colulmn on the same page. The best one-two punch out there…

Tim’s Texas Roadhouse, sequel to Tim’s Texas BBQ, officially opened last Sunday evening with free food and beer. The stuffed peppers were tasty, while the refried beans and enchilidas went down nicely with a pint of beer. The staff was efficient, which was good given a strong turnout. It’s more open than original Tim’s, with a stage for the weekend bands, but it has a similar feel.

By the way, Tim’s is on Super Bar Street, reportedly new home of Blockhouse, across from Pili Pili and 5:19 Bar and Grill. Is this depressing area finally waking up? Never been a fan, have I, and previously decribed it as ranking “among the more depressing strips in Beijing, if not the planet… It reminded me of a deserted and poorly refurbished fair midway. I half-expected a slightly insane, gap-toothed carnie to pop out and hawk dirty candy apples.”

Well, it’s getting slightly better (the carnie would probably have dentures). But what would really help is to get the street blocked to traffic. And throw down cobblestone. And plant some trees. And clean up that nearby pond.

Getting some decent Tex-Mex in the area is a good start.

There’s summer school and then there’s school to prepare for summer, and the latter is being offered this Wednesday and Thursday as Fongyee Walker and Edward Ragg present on Wines for Summer Drinking. These sessions run from 7 PM sharp to 8.30 PM at the Park Plaza Hotel and include a tutored tasting of eight wines that cover several different countries, regions and styles. Walker and Ragg have judged numerous wine tastings, led wine courses, written about wine and are self-professed “wine geeks”.

The RMB 250 price includes the wines, tasting sheets, advice on buying wine in Beijing, and a buffet dinner in the Park Plaza’s Bloo. To book a spot in either the Wednesday or Thursday spot, contact Fongyee Walker at fongyee@cantab.net.

You don’t see many events linking Texas and South Africa, but add one more to that short list when Beijing Wine Club holds a holding a fundraiser on July 14 at Tim’s Texas Roadhouse to benefit the HIV/AIDS programs run by Prevention through Education, a charity with which the wine club’s Gabriel Suk is involved. (Note: This event is at the new Tim’s, on Super Bar Street, across from 5:19 and Pili Pili.)

Look for five South African Western Cape Wines – three reds, two whites – and Tex-Mex food. There will be a raffle for cowboy boots, diamonds, wine and vouchers for Beijing restaurants, along with, states the invite, “Western-themed games where you can test your marksmanship skills or try your hand at lassoing a cow.”

The event is 150 kuai per person and proceeds go to a new PTE online peer counseling center. The sponsors include the South African Embassy, ASC Fine Wines, Tim’s Texas Roadhouse, SAB Miller and S.A. Michael Diamonds.

For information, contact Gabe at gabriel.suk@gmail.com / 13717871229.

Oh, how the mighty – I mean, mini - have fallen. Wonder Bar, which was Taniwha, which had been the reincarnation of that same bar from old Sanlitun South, has up and changed its name… again! The marketing geniuses behind this spot have come up with a beauty, too. It’s… [drum roll]… Taniwha!

This place has been a disaster from day one. It wasn’t long ago – late last year – that I wrote about its opening:

Eddie O and I showed up at this Tongli Studio bar last Saturday night to discover it was holding… a launch party! It was either a hide-and-seek event or an experiment in minimalist performance art, or perhaps they had already shot the patrons into outer space, because people were sparse. I hate to be mean, but Taniwha looks unfinished, there is hardly any seating, the dance floor beside the pool table ensures conflict between house music and eight ball lovers, and my drink was so-so. True, I’ve only visited once, but I have a feeling the review would be worse after a second visit, so I’ll wait and see if the place makes any changes. Given the traffic heading upstairs to Bar Blu, this location has potential for success, but the owners need to rethink its identity or, even better, get one.

In fact, for six months, it didn’t get better, and the place took on numerous names, at least in my mind – Taniwhat’swrong. Taniwhawful. Taniwhy!?

Then Roger Huong (First Cafe) jumped on board to turn the place into a jazz and cocktail bar in May. He had the bartender (Daniel), some loyalty (those who know him from his previous bars) and money for a re-design. But, it appears patience was lacking. In true Taniwha style, dance music replaced jazz within a few weeks and that meant quizzical looks on the faces of those I took there to introduce them to this “new jazz place.”

Taniwhatever…