Beijing Boyce

Bar and restaurant owners in Sanlitun North are preparing for what they hope - or perhaps a better word is “expect” - to be a major Olympics payoff this summer.

Among other developments, some of those copycat bars on the main strip have been or are being renovated, a massive China Doll will reportedly open in 3.3 Building, and, next door, the new Nali Studios will see about a dozen F&B spots launch, including Ciro’s, Muse, and Saddle.

The bigger picture sees the opening of more than a dozen buildings designed to upgrade Sanlitun - if you define upgrade as endless retail space and architecture that includes a building studded with what appear to be cargo containers.

I have far greater faith in evolving bar and restaurant scenes than in Frankenstein-like ones, which is what seems to be emerging in Sanlitun. In other words, an area that slowly builds up a presence based on consumer wants as opposed to a complex, street or bar area, often based on a “concept” from London, New York, Hong Kong or Shanghai, suddenly thrust on our - intricately sauced, of course - plates.

Even so, a one-off deal like the Olympics is unprecedented in Beijing and thus makes it difficult to predict what will happen in Sanlitun, or the general bar scene, in terms of who cashes in. Not least of all is the question of what the government will do.

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One issue is the size of the customer base. Visitors to Beijing who peruse their city guides in search of a place to drink will find no shortage of references to Sanlitun, but they will also have other nightlife options, such as corporate parties, hotel bars and restaurants, alternative drinking spots (Houhai, the Olympic stadium area, etc), and tourist activities, such as watching Peking opera or acrobats spinning plates on sticks. The degree to which locals patronize Western bars and restaurants is difficult to say, as is the impact of likely traffic restrictions versus the opening of a new subway stop at Gongti North.

It seems safe to say that the number of potential Olympics customers for Sanlitun is substantial. It also seems to me - and I write as a consumer, not as an industry insider - that the size of the payoff depends on numerous “whether or not” scenarios, such as:

• Whether or not bars and clubs in Tongli Studio and its environs, just west of the main Sanlitun strip, remain open. Numerous Tongli bars faced short-term closures this year, with fire safety code violations being the usual reason given. The area in the nearby streets is associated in many people’s minds with seediness. And a few months ago, a heavy-handed police action saw the rounding-up of blacks, including tourists and the son of an ambassador. If the Olympics are Beijing’s “coming out” party, then Sanlitun, or at least parts of it, might be seen as the uncouth cousin who crashes it. (By the way, despite its reputation, Tongli and environs include venues such as Cheers, The Tree and Kokomo, among others, that would offer interesting experiences for visitors.)

• Whether or not the strip of mostly copy-cat bars on the east side of Sanlitun’s main strip will be open. This is where wandering male visitors hear “lady bar, sexy girl”, almost everyone hears “DVD, DVD” (from touts) and “money, money” (from beggars), and the average spot features chairs out front, a live band inside, and what I consider overpriced beer. Even so, this strip has traditionally been popular with tourists, those freelance peddlers can be sent on vacation for a month, and some bars are renovating, thus suggesting they expect to continue business.

• Whether or not new establishments are open and ready to go - many places in the new Nali Studio, beside the 3.3 Building, are behind schedule. This ranges from Ciro’s, which was supposed to open last year, to Project H20, which predicted opening one floor by last week, but is far from doing so. Add in an employment scene that sees a surplus of establishments and a deficit of qualified people, as well as the learning curve in getting things smoothly running, and many challenges lie ahead. I expect that locking down Olympic events or corporate sponsorships is in the minds of many owners.

• Whether or not a makeshift bar area will open. A common comment among those doing business in China is that as soon as you are making money, someone better connected will find a way to get a share. The Olympics is big money. Is it possible that some massive beer tent area could arise in the Sanlitun area and siphon bar-goers? It’s certainly in the realm of possibilities.

• Whether or not the government controls entry to Sanlitun. Does anyone remember if the drinking scene was good in Athens, Sydney or Atlanta? What matters is that the Games themselves are successful. Again, it’s not hard to imagine access being restricted to Sanlitun. After all, streets get closed for visiting officials or major events, car use is restricted during important Beijing gatherings, and bars have been closed down before.

None of these events may come to pass, but that’s the whole thing - while change is a constant in the Beijing scene, there is an additional level of uncertainty this year.

Frankly, bars and restaurants might find their golden opportunities in the months leading up to the Games, as journalists, technicians, sponsors and other people pour into the city.

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Note: I focused on Sanlitun because it is in my neighborhood. I would love to hear what other people think, not only about the Sanlitun scenario, but about other areas of town.

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- By Jim Boyce

Tenacious taster Thompson (J. Fallows)

The mention of Chinese wine often brings smirks, mock gagging, or jokes such as “leaded or unleaded?” Given this, I enjoy getting together for a tasting of the local drop with people who express open-mindedness about it. Last Friday was such a time. Our party:

• Lawrence Osborne, New York-based author of The Accidental Connoisseur
• James Fallows, Beijing-based writer for The Atlantic Monthly and among the few buying, trying and writing about Chinese wine from a consumer standpoint
• Campbell Thompson, Beijing-based wine guy, former marketing director of ASC Fine Wines, and current Master of Wine Marketing student
• Me, consumer

We did our taste test at Dishes of Mao Zedong Hometown restaurant, behind the Hilton. I had hoped to dine at the hotel, but explaining that our patronage would bring revenue and possible coverage did not suffice to get the corkage fee waived for our eight bottles. Fair enough, but it was worth a try.

So, we headed down the street and, after Thompson explained to restaurant staff our need to open that many bottles, did our tasting in puny glasses amid vapors of meat, garlic and hot peppers. Not ideal tasting conditions, but real-world ones.

The notes are mine and, as often mentioned, I come at this as a consumer. The quotations are not attributed and meant to give some thoughts of others around the table.

Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (the only bottle we bought at the restaurant).

Some fruity though feeble aromas with a hint of cough syrup, and a limp body with a slight berry / cherry flavor; this one came off as fairly close to grape juice.

The table: “Palatable, but not too pleasant”; “The fruits are played out”

Suntime Red NV (RMB 28)

Dull red with a slight orange tinge, with a touch of wood and some (but too weak) black fruit; pretty much no finish (note: I’ve heard good things about Suntime from readers, so I’ll give the higher-priced bottles a try soon.)

The table: “I’m glad it’s not more than 28 kuai.”

Catai Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (~RMB 45)

A light fruit (black cherry) nose; the body had some dark fruit, jamminess and a hint of spice

The table: “Some varietal definition, but a bit thin”
Grace Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (RMB 60)

The nose had light and pleasant fruit, with the fruit and tannin working well together, though the color made it seem as though it were an older vintage.

The table: “Tastes like a perfectly American wine”; “It’s a step up from Catai”; “They’re trying to achieve something restrained.”

Chateau Bolongbao Grand Vin 2005 (~RMB 195)

There is a lot of wood (sawdust?) on the nose, a bit much for the dark fruit jamminess below; the same with the body

The table: “The wood is weird and heavy,” “like a carpentry shop”, “like pine resin”; “I like this: interesting wood and fruit flavors to savor”; “you could find people who love this and who hate it”

Taillan Rose 2005 (RMB 60)

Orange-pink, with a mushroom-y nose and some fruit (peach? light red fruit?) beneath; similar fruit in the mouth; if you plan to try this one, it’s best to do so now rather than later

“It’s struggling against adversity - it’s an honorable effort”

Huadong Dry White (Riesling) 2002 (RMB 76)

Very ripe, almost fermented, apples on the nose; slightly sour, with some tropical fruit (pineapple?), but lacking adequate acid and finish

“There’s no acidity to it, no core - you can’t make Riesling like that”; “It’s past its time”; “It doesn’t finish clean”

Grace Chardonnay 2006 (RMB 60)

Some toasty aromas on the nose; the body has oak and green apple, though it tastes slightly unripe

“It’s disjointed,” “the acidity is out of balance”, “it doesn’t have any delicacy”

Sino-French Demonstration Vineyard Chardonnay 2005 (sampled provided during a winery visit)

Light, creamy and with some freshness; subtle light fruit in the body, though not much finish

“It doesn’t have that buttery angle,” “it isn’t overly commercial,” “that’s the only wine so far that I think you could pass off as a foreign wine”

On the whole, the Grace Cabernet Sauvignon, Bolongbao, and Sino-French Chardonnay fared best. In any case, as always, it was good fun to work our way through these wines.

Lined up and ready to go (J. Fallows)

Thanks to a large backpack, I trucked the nine bottles home, where I later met Palette Vino’s Stefan Fleischer, and we went through the wines again, this time sans the odor of garlic and hot peppers. I’ll have his evaluation soon.

Note: Bottles of Sino-French and Bolongbao wines are available from the winery. The other brands are available in spots such as Carrefour, Jenny Lou’s or April Gourmet, though I have been picking up Chinese wines of late in the gourmet shop in the basement back of 3.3 building.

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