Beijing Boyce

The race is on for a slew of bars and restaurants to open in Beijing.

Sanlitun boutique hotel The Opposite House is slated to open Mesh (August 11), Punk (August 20), and its food outlets in the next two weeks. Expect to melt into the low sofas at Mesh, a Zen-like space that features a nice combination of dark leather, wood, and metal. Given the location and atmosphere, Mesh has potential as a regular stop if it can deliver on the cocktails (basic drinks from RMB50, martinis from RMB60).

Like Mesh, Punk club downstairs can hold about 100 people, but offers a much different decor – call it one part goth, one part metal, and one part Mad Max. Expect heavier music than at your typical club – music like, well, punk.

Meanwhile, the management at blue frog says its still plans to open its Sanlitun Village branch before the Olympics. The Shunyi branch is already up and running. The same building will supposedly house another Hatsune and a Chinese restaurant called Karaiya, while a Cold Stone Creamery looks about to open on the village’s west side, facing Yashow.

Let’s Burger looks close to finished in Nali Studio. Operating under the tag line, “Probably the finest burger served in Beijing,” this long narrow tile-floor restaurant has an extensive counter on one side and tables and lounge chairs on the other. Around the corner, the new Muse has looked ready to open for some time. The word is still out on Project H, which would take the fifth floor and deck on the south side.

In China View, Alba Italian restaurant has opened in back, beneath Purple Haze, while a large sports bar is in the works. (Nearby City Hotel has erected a massive banner for its first-floor club Paw Paw.)

Revelations, which closed a few weeks ago, has a sign saying it will be under construction for 14 days. A peak inside found the place deserted. Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, 1/5, the bar component of 1949: The Hidden City, is now open.

And as a follow-up to this post, high-end Japanese joint Makoto has opened in China Central Place, though it will be RSVP-only until August 15. Here’s a photo, from my always (un)reliable phone camera, of my favorite dish from last Friday’s tasting – sea scallop on pork belly and potato puree, with cubes of spiced apple.

I’ll post soon on other planned openings, including about a dozen places in Solana, just north of Chaoyang Park – Crobar, hip hop club Bling (slated opening: August 7), and sports bar All Star (slated opening: August 8).

A pair of entries for the “value lunch” category:

Pekotan (Central Park complex) has an RMB28 deal that includes your choice of three deli items (from about 20 selections) and rice. The choices include mozzarella and tomato salad, mixed green salad (the lettuce is cut into bite-sized pieces), pepper-rubbed pastrami with bell peppers, and potato salad. Diners can grab a drink from the shelves (club soda is RMB5) or bread from the bakery (a roll is RMB6) to complete their meals. Dining companion Shake n’ Bake says, “This place has some of the freshest bread I’ve had in Beijing.”

Pekotan also stocks a full range of wines from Palette as well as a decent alcohol selection, including Patron tequila, Baker’s bourbon, and single malts from Bowmore, Balvenie, and Laphroig, among others.

Meanwhile, the RMB45 lunch special at The Den includes a choice of 28 items, including pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches, and a drink (soda with refill / coffee). The chef’s salad is a meal, with decent portions of ham, chicken, and beef. The staff at The Den is efficient and friendly – when I returned a week later and ordered another chef’s salad, they remembered that I don’t like dressing. This place also offers ood wireless.

Best known for his guitar-strumming feats, Rob L (bottom right) gnawed his way through a half-kilogram of spicy chicken wings last night at The Rickshaw to take home the crown in a contest that one might describe as “clucking great” and hope becomes a regular event.

The six contestants had three minutes to scarf down as many spicy wings as possible while a crowd cheered them on. Rickshaw officials then weighed both the bones and the uneaten wings to determine just how much meat went down each gullet.

I had little doubt Rob L would emerge as the winner, given his use of the “bite and scrape” technique and the deftness with which his fingers handled the wings, no doubt an added benefit of playing guitar. He received a certificate of achievement and an armful of prizes, while each and every participant took home the most important thing – the glory.

(Photos: The Rickshaw)

I met Mikey D on Sunday night, not only because it had been months since we last had a drink together, but also because I sensed he was depressed that his favorite sport, curling, is not part of the Summer Olympics (at least I know what to get him for his birthday). Anyway, the itinerary:

Face: This is a nice place to relax, whether inside the arty bar and lounge or outside on the tranquil deck where a wall of bamboo nicely cuts off the world. Happy hour is from 5:30-8 PM, with 50 percent off house drinks and Carlsberg – that translates into RMB27.5 for an OK Gin Tonic. Seven PM on Sunday saw a light crowd.

Centro: A light crowd here, too, though the place bustled by the time we left about 10:30 PM. I had a glass of red wine, Mikey D had a Gin Tonic, and we got the cheapest cigars on the menu at RMB100 (this is the first combustible material I’ve had in my mouth in months and, given how queasy I got near the end of it, likely the last for a while). The five-man band played upbeat tunes at a volume that made talking possible.

Q Bar: I’ve been ending up here a lot of late. I had a Horse Neck (Bourbon, ginger ale, lemon), while TVG joined us and had a Gin Tonic. The place looked moderately full, but a head count of the inside area and the deck revealed 64 patrons. Sixty-four patrons each paying RMB50 or more per drink on a Sunday night – tell me this place isn’t printing money. By the way, Q Bar has added RMB5 to RMB10 to the price of its drinks.

The Den: We all felt the need to strap on a feedbag and headed for the longstanding home of late-night fuel. Hamburgers topped with fried eggs did the trick – for the carb conscious, this isn’t a bad choice if you drop the bun and those oh-so-tasty fries. By the way, The Den also has a RMB45 lunch special that includes your choice of more than a dozen main courses and a drink. The chef’s salad offers good value.

See also:
Weekend Wrap 1
Weekend Wrap II

The Rickshaw is holding a hot wing eating contest tonight. The only question is: what took so long?! Seriously, can’t this be a quarterly event? Can’t TUMS and Handiwipes be sponsors? Can’t the winner be slathered in hot sauce and carried in a palanquin to The Saddle Cantina and there hosed off with ice-cold Stella?

Anyway, it starts at 9 PM. To register as a contestant, email beijingrickshaw@gmail.com. And doomed be ye contestants if chili-eating king / Insider’s Guide guy Gabriel Monroe shows up (see right – if you can bear the intensity of his stare).

Note: It’s the medium wings, not the hot ones, at The Rickshaw that with their marriage of pungent to piquant make the flavors dance on one’s tongue like fairies made of fire.

(Photo: thebeijinger.com)

Sequoia Cafe / John Bull Pub have long been the home of Tuesday night brainteasing, but owner and quiz master Frank Siegel has moved the popular weekly event to Schindlers (6463-1108) in Sanlitun, starting tonight at 8 PM.

“Steffen Schindler has a great room on the second floor that has its own bar, overhead and plenty of space,” writes Siegel. “The prices are reasonable and Steffen is going to put on a great buffet for the evening.”

True, but a quiz in a German restaurant? I mean, what intellectuals has that country given us besides Einstein, Hasselhoff, and Munchausen (to be confirmed). In any case, Siegel will lead tonight’s quiz, which makes me think the move is just an attempt for him to enjoy a cold German beer while toying with the minds of patrons.

Quick quiz: What’s another name for a hot dog? Answer: A Frank.

I decided to “party hearty” on Saturday night ahead of the supposed “no-fun Olympics.” I went to the max and ate outdoors, hung out on a rooftop, listened to a live band, and drank in a bar with black people. I have to admit, I’m no rebel – I saw hundreds of people doing the same. Here’s a lowdown of things seen, heard, and consumed with fellow beverage researcher The Village Grouch:

Hotel G: We planned to have a drink and a burger at this Workers Stadium West venue, but it turns out none of the food and beverage outlets are open. Gee.

Destinations: No-fun alert – signs in the club proclaim that flip flops are banned as of August 1. How gay is that?*

Sam’s: Just north of Destinations, it has the equivalent of a mini-Jenny Lou’s downstairs and a 20-seat wine bar upstairs. Patrons can choose from more than 100 wines from six distributors. The bottles are displayed in racks and start at less than RMB100. Buy some food downstairs, buy some bottles upstairs, and you have a tasting party – it’s on my list of things to do.

Red Rose: A light crowd for a Saturday night. We work through several plates of lamb and enjoy the live band.

Tongli Studio area: After a post-dinner walk through The Village, we find most places in the Tongli area busy. The street fronting Kai Club and Butterfly is already picking up and even Ciro’s has a good-sized crowd.

The Saddle Cantina: The deck is packed, the interior is moderately populated, and Margaritas are calling. I spot DJ Blackie who tells me something about having to play ABBA records. Frankly, I shut down after he says “Mama Mia.”

Kokomo: Yesterday, I noted my shock at finding The Smugglers full. Today’s surprise (besides Ciro’s): more than two dozen patrons on the normally empty main floor of Kokomo. I soon understand why: the deck is crammed with sticky patrons. TVG and I down two original Maitais apiece, sweat five pounds, and head off.

Sanlitun North strip: As we taxi past the copycat bars on the Sanlitun North strip, we notice most places have outdoor seating, good crowds, and entertainment that ranges from live bands to a dancing woman in a silver bikini and a cowboy hat.

Q Bar: This place is hopping, although unlike Saturday night, I can make my way to the bar. A couple of  Alfonso Specials nicely finishes the night.

* This isn’t meant to be offensive – I know how sensitive flip-flop wearers can be. By the way, where do Crocs rank?

See also: Weekend Wrap 1

Although closed since March, Maggie’s still ranked as the second most popular search on this blog over the past month. (And I’m long overdue in mentioning this Newsweek post that provides an interesting look at what led to the bar closing and this post on China Expat that states it will re-open in September.)

Taking top spot is Klubb Rouge and, narrowly edged out by Maggie’s, is Duck de Chine. Why people come here to get information about a relatively new duck restaurant is beyond me.

Rounding out the top ten – Legation Quarter, Maison Boulud, Suzie Wong, Saddle, Block 8, 1949: The Hidden City, and Face.

Oh, it doesn’t matter what they say in the papers
‘Cause it’s always been the same old scene
There’s a new band in town
But you can’t get the sound
From a story in a magazine…

Billy Joel, It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me

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“The Smugglers is packed.” Never did I think those words would appear on my blog, but such was the state of affairs in Sanlitun on Friday night. I kicked off the evening with a tasting at soon-to-open Japanese restaurant Makoto (thanks to Miao Wang for the invite) and a visit to 1/5 bar, the newest component of 1949: The Hidden City. But first, the lowdown on Sanlitun less than two weeks ahead of The Olympics.

Not only was The Smugglers full but the street out front – bordered by Kai, Butterfly, and Shooters – seethed with hundreds of punters. The street at nearby Tongli Studio, where outdoor seating has been removed, saw lighter traffic although Luga’s was packed as usual.

Meanwhile, China Doll had a busy lounge, a crowded bar and dance floor, and a lineup, even before the witching hour had struck. This place has been a quick hit. By the way: 1) Expect a pat down by China Doll security at both the upstairs and downstairs entrances; 2) the place has a “no shorts or flip flops” rule; and 3) the RMB60 Gin Tonic continues to be weak, though this may soon change.

Finally, most bars on the main Sanlitun North bar strip had outdoor seating and solid crowds. Again, not one “lady bar” solicitation as I walked that strip.

On the south side, Q Bar had the atmosphere of a sauna, but I guess patrons found it tolerable given how tightly they were jammed into the place. Meanwhile, the street fronting Nanjie held hundreds of nightlife lovers, with the second-floor wraparound balcony the busiest I have seen it since the opening party.

I ended up at Tun, which had the lightest turnout of the night. I’m liking this place: the cavernous space, the high ceilings, the hutong touches, the Great Wall of China DJ booth, and, last but not least, the theme – “One World, One Drink.” Tun has excellent potential as an events venue.

Even better, its Friday night ten-kuai drink special makes “I’ll buy the next round” hard to resist, so I parked with music scene acquaintances RT and DM. The latter expounded on the need for “a great dive bar” in Beijing, what he describes as a “lowdown, last call, no hope place.” With its rough and ready fixtures, signs proclaiming “ignorance is strength” and “protect your daughters,” and a diverse and sometimes dubious clientele, the former Sunset Bar & Grill once served that niche, says he. I am hoping he takes up my offer to expand, in writing, on the “great dive bar” theme.

Anyway, I started the night at Japanese restaurant Makoto, which will open in China Central Place on Tuesday (RSVP-only until August 15). Some items I sampled might be too subtle for my rough tastes – these include “cucumber mint ‘noodle’ salad’” and “tomato tartare with bean salad.” But others I did like, including: the tempura (the prawns remained juicy inside); the sea scallop on pork belly and potato puree, with cubes of spiced apple around the sides (an interesting mix of tastes and textures; and the fresh ginger. Makoto is large, with seating at both tables and at cooking stations, and a lounge that looks nearly finished.

As for 1/5, I now know what 1949: The Hidden City considers to be “old school” music – The Stones, The Beatles, and Billy Joel (hence the quote above). The building was formerly a factory for making the blades on meat-slicing machines. Now the first floor is dominated by an island bar – with a soft arm rest – about ten meters long. Expect dark wood, leather, and cream paint, and what feels a bit like a hotel bar but with the added luxury of views of a pleasant courtyard. The upper floor includes private areas and two dancing poles. RMB39 and up for beer, RMB49 and up for drinks; expect a friendly but aggressive staff.

Note: I’ll soon have the Saturday and Sunday night parts of the weekend wrap and will also begin running my Olympics bar picks this week.

Someone spiked the Kool-Aid at City Weekend again if this review of the sports bar / hip hop club duo of All Star / Bling is any indication:

… All Star serves up excellent pub grub, including some of the juiciest burgers in Beijing, so you won’t go hungry during your total sports immersion. There’s even a hip-hop club upstairs, Bling, so you can get down with some beautiful people after the last event wraps. Maintaining top-notch service and quality…

What’s the problem?

That it’s pretty hard to review burgers, service, or pretty much anything besides the amount of sawdust on the floor given THESE PLACES HAVE NOT YET OPENED. Well, unless you have a crystal ball*.

Incredibly, even as the magazine raves, it notes an opening date of August 1. Fortunately, this issue is otherwise useful, with a comprehensive list of places that do exist for people to enjoy and a handy Olympics events schedule.

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Meanwhile, Time Out, which had its print edition shelved because it lacked a publishing license, is putting out a double issue, with the editor justifying the move because there won’t be enough material for two editions.

I hope that’s a misquotation, because a large number of restaurants and bars continue to open in Beijing, because Solana and The Village in Sanlitun are cranking out retail shops, and because… hang on… there was something else… what was it… oh, yeah… because BEIJING IS HOLDING THE OLYMPICS!

Not enough material? The photo ops from VIP parties alone would fill a magazine, not to mention that it would be useful to take the lessons learned from the Olympics in August and package them for regular readers and tourists alike when Beijing holds the Paralympics in September. I’m guessing Time Out London won’t reduce its publishing schedule when the English capital holds the Summer Games in 2012.

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With Time Out doubling up, I guess more readers will depend on the new that’s Beijing, which coughed out a hairball of a first edition last month. How would you like to be among the former employees, who now all work at The Beijinger, and see your labor of love redefine the concept “white space”? Seriously, you usually don’t see layout that poor or holes that big even at draft stage, even if you use Microsoft Word. Add a stark cover titled “The wolf comes at midnight” (and no hint at what it means) and a story about foreigners’ “stench”, and the optimist in me says this magazine is going to get better.

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Meanwhile, The Beijinger looks and reads almost the same as the old that’s Beijing – I’ll leave it up to you to decide if that’s good, that’s bad, or that’s just the way it is.

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Last but not least, look for the magazine racks to get even more crowded. Local Noodles, an online resource for restaurant, bar, and other reviews in Beijing, will join the fray when it launches a print edition early next month.

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* And I do. I bought it at Yashow for 10 kuai. Let me use it to review a future issue of City Weekend. Okay, I’m rubbing it, I’m getting a good vibe, I’m starting to see things…

The magazine will spend too much time promoting the Web site, “City Seen” will have photos from Block 8, and the cover will have a headline with a big number, like “88 places to spay your poodle in Peking!” The cliché quotient will cause weeping and gnashing of teeth, intelligent writers will tend to end up sounding like hopped-up cheerleaders, and someone will again cause the naughty to grin by referring to the Olympics as “the big O.”

Seriously, I know some smart writers at City Weekend, and at all of the free magazines for that matter, but it sometimes feels like the format doesn’t let their abilities come through.

Have you heard this one? An Irish chef, a Canadian blogger, and a Chinese waitress are in the kitchen. The chef gives the blogger a plastic bag of chocolate mousse, the waitress says, “put it in your mouth and pop it,” and the blogger says…

Hey, wait a minute. That actually isn’t a joke – it’s part of a night spent with chef Brian McKenna of the Shangri-la Hotel’s Blu Lobster restaurant. Acquaintances have (mostly) love it and (sometimes) hate it reactions to McKenna’s cuisine, while my sole experience came under trying circumstances – he catered the Robert Parker dinner on the Great Wall. So, after meeting him in person at an event about six weeks ago and later getting an invite to sit at the ‘chef’s table‘, I took him up on the offer.

Here’s the lowdown on a night that included a test tube, a toothbrush, and a Gin Tonic. (Note: All photos are from my crappy phone camera, although I lost my shots of the first half-dozen or so dishes.)

6:53 Despite the rain and traffic, I arrive at Blu Lobster seven minutes early, grab a cozy chair out front, and wait for The Long Walk to the kitchen.

7:02 The chef’s table is squeezed into a corner near the door, with a wall full of spice jars on one side, a vista of cooking stations on the other, and a mini chandelier above. Assistant sommelier Alex pours Duval-Leroy Champagne. Nice way to start!

7:08 The palate cleanser is a “gin tonic“: a crispy slice of lemon topped with a cube of tonic water jelly and lemon sorbet. McKenna sprays on Hendrick’s Gin from what looks like a cologne bottle. (It’s the perfect scent for a night at Q Bar.) The GT is creative and refreshing.

7:13 Next up: “soup” served in a test tube and made of pureed lettuce and coconut foam (reminds me of split pea); a chunk of foie gras on caramelized rice (interesting contrast, but means an overly sticky caramel candy effect); and an oyster with lime and star anise (this one tingles with a “pop rocks” candy effect – imagine miniature fireworks in your mouth).

7:18 I had expected cooks to utter profanities, flames to leap from a dozen burners, and an entire staff blinded by sweat to race against time. But the kitchen is cool, clean, and quiet. Where’s my Kitchen Confidential experience!? Actually, McKenna loses his temper at one point. I’ll intersperse four McKenna Meltdowns in this write-up – see if you can guess which is real.

7:19 McKenna Meltdown I: A waiter rushes in and gasps that a group of 20 people have arrived unannounced. McKenna runs his fingers through his hair and gives a controlled scream. This elicits no response from the staff. With a maniacal laugh, he says “seat them in the bathroom” and crashes through the swinging kitchen doors.

Note: Because this post is so long, I have given it a special page. Find out about further McKenna meltdown scenarios, the toothbrush, and more by clicking here.

You rarely see wine from Xinjiang’s Les Champs D’Or or Hebei’s Chateau Bolongbao in retail shops, but Lohao in the Central Park complex has both. The shop offers four kinds of Les Champs D’Or, starting at RMB128 for table wine, while Bordeaux-style Chateau Bolongbao is RMB260.

(Oh! Marco wine shop near Financial Street stocks Bolongbao, too.)

By the way, Central Park is no slouch when it comes to wine, given that residents have plenty of options at Top Cellar, Pekotan (where Palette Wines has space), and Madam He.

Lohan’s also offers a nifty selection of beer, including some Russian, German and Japanese brews as well as Old Speckled Hen, Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA, Greene King IPA, and the like.

After wrapping up my last two China Radio International pieces last week in Aria bar with Mark “Dapper Dude” Rybchuk, who sadly is leaving the station, I marked the occasion by walking five meters to the Grey Goose L’Orange launch party. That defines convenience. Eight cocktails – featuring orange-flavored vodka, of course – were up for grabs. Here are the four I sampled, listed worst to first, with fellow beverage researchers DD and NC.

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4. Phoenix (orange vodka, passion fruit vodka, Benedictine, watermelon liqueur, watermelon puree, fresh lychee, lemon juice)

Phoenixes rise from the flames; this cocktail went down in them. It sounds like something high school students might whip up while raiding their parents’ liquor cabinet. Descriptions by patrons included: A-535, watermelon, pine, milky, melons, and “too much alcohol.”

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3. Aria Signature (vodka, lemon, orange, rose water)

“Bland,” “too dry” and “not very refreshing” were the comments. This drink lacked body, but it could also have suffered due to comparisons with the next two cocktails.

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1 (tie). Perfect Cosmopolitan (vodka, orange liqurer, cranberry juice, lime juice)

Fresh, tart, and with some punch, this drink will perk you up quick. Both NC and MR liked it.

1 (tie). L’Orange Espresso (orange vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso)

Creamy and well-balanced, an excellent though rich drink.

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These cocktails list at RMB110 at Aria.

By the way, I hope Aria’s Johnson Ren and Bacardi’s Joop Shen noticed I broke out my ten-dollar bright orange polo shirt for the occasion.

Part 4 of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with beverage quality control expert Paul Adkins.

First an honourable mention to Havana Bar. It has the potential to be a great little bar, once people discover it. Nicely decorated, with an excellent selection of drinks, along with some slick music from the house band, The Eleventh Commandment. Management just needs to hang in there and get some marketing happening. But don’t rush – sometimes it’s nice to have the place to myself.

Coming in at number 5, Cheers in Tongli. Cheap beer, great Xinjiang music. But the feature that most attracts me (not the art) is the world’s worst pool table. It’s the pool equivalent to crazy golf, but it evens up the scoring, so that’s OK by me.

Aria takes spot number 4. Maybe because I am Australian, and my usual Aria outing is Friday nights. It’s always great to get back to the tribal roots, say “g’day” to mates, and talk about the important things in life – cricket, footy and sheilas. Aria would have got a higher rating, but the AustCham Kooka Pub organisers have been kicked out for the Olympics.

Sequoia Café is in many ways the inverse of Aria. Where Aria offers the tribal roots, Sequoia gives me a chance to meet friends from all over the world. Any time I go there, I am likely to meet acquaintances from Slovenia, France, USA, Ireland, Germany – Frank even lets Canadians in. Frank’s Friday night wine tastings are usually a magical mystery tour – wines from parts of the world that I have never tried before. Frank and Jennifer are always friendly and take the time to say hello, which is nice.

Second prize goes to Saddle Cantina. I love the music, the burritos, the drinks list and the deck. Their pool table is too new yet, with a true surface – so I tend to lose more often.

Top place however goes to a private little place. It’s well-stocked with everything I like to drink, and music that I can choose according to how I feel. It’s a spot where I can sit quietly and veg out or enjoy the company of friends. It’s an oasis – but it’s my bar at home, and it’s where I go when I am not out on the town. Not only that, but the bartender there makes the best margaritas in town.

Finally, I want to put down a ghost vote for Maggie’s. Why this dead den of iniquity? Because my girlfriend and I used to love going along and bopping to the music. A couple of hours on the dance floor there was a night well-spent. Sure it got a bit sleazy when the “ladies of the night” arrived, but they never went anywhere near the dancers.

We are looking forward to seeing it re-open after the Olympics.

Previously:
Chandler Jurinka, Local Noodles
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba

Courtesy of some foreign media in Beijing, welcome to the trend of the week- the ‘no fun’ Olympics (just Google the phrase and you’ll see). I’ll post something detailed on why I think some reports are inaccurate, but here are some talking points I wrote for interviews with, ironically, the media.

“No fun” for whom?
Most media reports do not distinguish between local residents, foreign residents, local tourists, foreign tourists, corporate guests, and so on. It feels like they are talking in good part about what foreign residents consider fun and, given many of the reporters live here, thus about themselves.

What do they mean “no fun”?
It seems they mean things like: 1) a half-dozen venues closed at the entrance to Workers’ Stadium*, 2) a handful of venues banned from hosting live music outside, and 3) ID checks by police. They also disproportionately cite people who have been personally and negatively impacted by these measures, hardly the kind to be objective about “fun.”  Please note that at the time of writing, hundreds of spots – thousands if you are open to more localized venues – are still slated to be open.

What do they mean by “fun”?
They mean nightlife. But they should consider, for example, that foreign tourists might prefer to not spend all their time in bars and instead watch events, eat Beijing duck and scorpions on a stick, visit the Great Wall and Forbidden City, shop, try some Mandarin on the locals, and ogle the size of the city, all things they will find fun.

The thing is, we don’t know if the Olympics will be fun, because we don’t know what other measures the government might take or, in terms of nightlife, exactly how many people will be out and about (due to corporate parties and, what I consider the biggest factor, visa issues). But my guess is that those who do come will define fun as more than nightlife, that if they do hit the bars they will find most of them open, , and that many residents – including foreign journalists – will end up having a good time.

I’ll have a more detailed post either later today or tomorrow morning.

Note: Interestingly, numerous long-term foreign residents in Beijing say some of their best partying came amidst the doom and gloom of SARS. I wonder if they’ll find the same during the “no fun” Olympics.

* These venues are a stone’s throw from Workers Stadium, which will host some soccer matches. The media portrays their closing as part of the “no fun” Olympics. But if they had remained open, and some major security breach occurred, the media would then have portrayed it as part of the “no security” Olympics. Sometimes you just can’t win.

Yet another update on the SCMP article that claims, “Beijing authorities are secretly planning to ban black people and others it considers social undesirables from entering the city’s bars during the Olympic Games” (or even sooner, given the comments of one bar owner quoted in a follow-up story). From the SCMP:

The Foreign Ministry yesterday denied reports that bars in a popular entertainment area in Beijing had been ordered not to serve black people and Mongolians. “The report was without any foundation,” spokesman Liu Jianchao was quoted as saying by China News Service. Beijing’s Public Security Bureau said officers from its station at Sanlitun – one of the capital’s prime bar districts – never told bar owners not to serve guests from any particular country or territory, Mr Liu said. All bars in Sanlitun were serving foreigners as usual, he added. Last week the South China Morning Post quoted bar owners in the area as saying they had been forced to sign an agreement that they would not serve black-skinned people. Bar owners near the Workers’ Stadium said they had been warned not to admit black people and others considered social undesirables. The sources were reluctant to go on the record. The Post also reported that the Sanlitun police had denied they were conducting a racist campaign ahead of the Games.

So, here’s the scorecard.

SCMP: There is a plan.

The government: There is no plan.

As noted in several posts (see bottom), I found little evidence to back the SCMP claim. As several readers point out, this does not disprove the newspaper’s claim or mean Beijing has a rosy history of bar scene race relations, not with prejudice toward blacks, friction caused by black drug dealers, and a significant police action last fall. But as other media are not revealing supporting evidence for the SCMP claim, this suggests the newspaper might have gotten off to – in sporting terms – a false start.

By the way, Isn’t it just like Sanlitun to be the midst of yet another heartwarming story?

Previously:

• Sanlitun Saturday night: Blacks enjoy drinks, play pool, apparently wait ban
• Um, really? Update on SCMP story II
• Um, really? Update on SCMP story
• Um, really? SCMP claims Beijing to ban blacks, Mongolians at bars

Note: I’m now on Twitter. To track my account, go here and click the “Follow” button in the top left corner.

1/5 bar opened on Friday and joined Duck de Chine, Sugar, Noodle Bar, and 1/5 Taverna in 1949: The Hidden City. Happy hour will run 5 to 8 PM, Monday to Sunday, with standard booze, beer, house wine, and juices at two-for one prices, says Malcolm McLauchlan, GM of 1949. “The music is ‘old school’,” he says. “No ‘boom boom’.”

Maxim’s opened its second restaurant in Beijing yesterday. The first outlet opened in… 1983! Focused on traditional French cuisine, the Solana-based establishment can handle 90 diners upstairs and 50 more in the brasserie below. Expect a decor that, as described on Maxim’s site, “has as its central theme the image of fauna and flora married to feminine charm.” I talked to GM / sommelier Nicholas Carre last week about China’s wine scene and will soon post about this on sibling blog Grape Wall of China.

Fellow food and drink researcher The Village Grouch announced yesterday that “the Iced Tea Triangle is complete.” Sampling this summertime drink on the deck at OT Lounge, he confirmed it as the third of three points that include nearby iced tea havens TGI Friday’s and Peter’s Tex-Mex. “Peter’s has the best iced tea I have ever had,” he added.

Regular tip-provider 8 Songs tells me the first afternoon concert held on the patio outside the Grand Millennium Hotel’s Havana Bar ended on a sour note. “The hotel stopped the proceedings mid-way through the afternoon,” says he.

“Havana Bar, a cozy alternative to its neighbour Centro, had been promising its outdoor concerts since it opened its doors in May. Yesterday a small but enthusiastic crowd gathered for the first Sunday special, with a BBQ, champagne and some slick music from the house band, ‘The Eleventh Commandment‘. About 4 PM, while the band was having a break, black-suited managers appeared from everywhere and held hushed debates, pointing to the patrons and the settings. “

The end result: “Finally a manager came over and explained that apparently someone had complained to the police about the noise.”

“It’s an all-or-nothing world. There was no choice about maybe turning the amplifier down. The band was positioned behind a wall facing away from the street. The only residential area nearby (apart from the hotel rooms in the Grand Millennium) is Fortune Plaza, but without checking personally, I would be very surprised if you could hear anything from there.”

“The hotel manager expressed hope that they would be able to find a space inside the hotel restaurant, but that is no solution. Havana is aptly named. Like Cuba it is closed to the outside.”

All I can say is that if the authorities seek noise violations, the should leave The Eleventh Commandment alone and instead follow me to coffee shops where they can taser dozens of patrons who talk into their mobile phones at ear-shattering volumes.

Black partiers descended on Sanlitun last night to enjoy a bar scene from which the South China Morning Post says they will soon be banned. In an update, SCMP cited another owner yesterday to bolster its claim that Beijing is telling bars to ban blacks and Mongolians during the Olympics. The owner is cited as saying the measures “will all happen in 24 hours.” SCMP ends its update with an attempt to define the word “anticlimactic”:

Tony Perkins, an African-American sports presenter for China Central Television, said he had not experienced any racism during his six months in China while working for the state TV station, but he said he was concerned by the bar owners’ complaints.

“If this is policy, then it is a very bad policy – more so for a country holding an Olympics,” he said.

I don’t know if Tony is a reader, but it might ease his mind to know I talked to three Sanlitun bar owners yesterday who said the police did not tell them to ban blacks. To be fair, SCMP acknowledges the dearth of evidence – and even posits a reason: “Further investigation found that not all bars in the newly revamped area known for its nightlife had been ordered to refuse black customers, suggesting police are targeting specific bars.” Apparently the policy is so secret that the police are keeping it from all but a few bar owners who can be trusted to reveal it to foreign journalists.

Here are my notes from a pub crawl last night that covered Sanlitun north and south. To maintain the sensationalism, I bold the name of each bar where I saw black patrons. (An asterisk denotes a bar in which I looked in but did not stay, mostly because it was too crowded.)

The North Side

Luga’s: Since that two-day shutdown a few weeks back, this place is busy, busy, busy. The staff pumps out comfort food, beer, and margaritas to a ravenous crowd. I see black people eat burritos.

Cheers: Though traffic is lighter than usual, the Xinjiang band rocks the joint as always. Black people play pool.

Kokomo: Partiers are shank to flank on the rooftop and it’s a struggle to reach the bar. Black people enjoy beverages.

The Saddle: The deck holds a good-sized crowd, though there are only a few patrons inside. I see black people upstairs and downstairs, including an acquaintance from the bar business who says the media is calling him with interview requests. (The obvious question: How do you plan to ban yourself?)

Second Floor: There is not one black person to be found! Then again, there are only four patrons. Sample size is too small …

Poachers*: The place seethes with dancers, including… you got it… black people.

Shooters*: The street outside is curb to curb partiers and there is barely breathing room in Shooters. It wins tonight’s “first place I heard ‘Hips Don’t Lie’” award. It ain’t 2008 Sanlitun if you don’t hear Shakira.

The South Side

Nanjie*: What can I say – the partiers are out in force tonight. This place is full and dozens of patrons – including black ones – spill into the street.

Salsa Caribe*: Black people hang out in the entranceway.

The mom-and-pop shop near Caribe *: Black people enjoy beverages (again!)

Tun: The place has a light crowd, but the vibe is OK. It needs to clean the beer lines or change the Stella keg, because my draft is off.

Final results: 10 bars checked, 8 bars with blacks. I also saw black patrons pretty much everywhere I walked. In fact, while I stood with my black friend in front of Tongli Studio, I saw black people go by, which is observing blacks to the second degree. (Unfortunately, my friend wasn’t in the spirit of my research, given that the contestants for a Club China Doll bikini contest were pouring out of the building.)

What I didn’t see, and this is a first, is any lady bar or DVD touts as I walked along that strip of copycat bars on Sanlitun North proper (I usually get more than a dozen “offers”). In fact, the only proposition I received was on the south side, at the corner linking The Rickshaw and The Bookworm, from a stranger – people will ask so, yes, he was black – who approached me and mumbled, “Hey man, do you smoke?” I got a feeling he wasn’t talking about cigarettes.

Finally, if groups are to be banned from the bars during the Olympics, I think patrons should have a say. My vote goes to drunken frat boys wearing backwards baseball caps.

Because I am now able to simultaneously drink beer, read email, hum Teresa Deng songs and ride a stationary bicycle*, regular blog contributor The Villlage Grouch decided I should further boost my multitasking capabilities and join Twitter.

I did and will post about nightlife in Beijing, including bar openings and closings, reviews, wine events, and, for the next month, The Olympics. If that interests you, then follow my account:

https://twitter.com/beijingboyce

* If this combination were an Olympic event, I would take home the gold.