Beijing Boyce

Following four fun-filled hours spent watching beach volleyball in Chaoyang Park, I headed to Solana last night. My first mission: to meet Pierre Cardin at Maxim’s. My second: to check out All Star - after all the hype about this place, I ended up somewhat disappointed. I then considered going to Bling (see recent review), where three stretch limos were parked, but instead headed west and checked out two other places.

Nashville: It’s been ages since I last visited and I always wonder why I don’t go more often. I like the earthy feel, the live band (on Saturday nights, Phonograph, which played songs ranging from “Start Me Up” to “Like a Rolling Stone”), and decent beer selection (including some nice Belgian choices). They also have a growing single malt collection - I counted around 70 bottles.

Suzie Wong: This is my number one stop when I have guests in town. I like the combination of sweaty throbbing club, laid back lounge (with elements of traditional Chinese décor), and sedate deck. Last night all saw not a table left in any of the three. Good times.

Tonight, I will catch the U.S.-China basketball game and aim to visit at least two sports bars in the Gongti-Sanlitun area (both Paddy O’Shea’s, The Rickshaw and Room 101 have confirmed they will show the game and I imagine it will be staple viewing at most other places).

Four signs that All Star, which spent thousands of dollars marketing itself as a sports bar, feels nothing of the sort:

1. The place has dozens of flat screens, but the décor holds virtually no link to sports - the white counters, ash trim, and black and aqua touches make it look like a neo-modernistic diner / lounge. Or maybe this is a minimalist approach to sports bars - you know, avoid any literal references, such as equipment, posters, or framed rugby shirts. By the way, from my vantage point, EVERY screen played the SAME channel last night. They might want to mix things up a bit, or take the “s” off “sports.”

2. A male patron wearing a backpack in the shape of a panda, a foursome that looked like the leadership of the Morrissey fan club, a half dozen women decked out in cocktail dresses - these don’t seem like sports bar people (or return customers). More proof: None of them gave more than a glance at the TVs.

3. REM followed by the B-52s followed by U2 (”One”) - not exactly ideal music for watching two volleyball teams drive spikes at each other. Why not put on a greatest hits Bee Gees CD and save on the DJs? (To All Star’s credit, they did play a cool version of the Batman theme song.)

4. I asked a member of management when the China-U.S. basketball game would air today. Given this is one of the biggest match-ups of The Games, such a person should 1) know that the game will be on, 2) know the time or, 3) be able to find out quickly so those asking will come back and spend more money. This guy didn’t, didn’t, and didn’t. The place had only a few dozen customers, so I don’t think being too busy was a factor.

Given the heavy sports focus in the ads, All Star might have done better spending some cash on creating such an atmosphere. Instead, this feels like a “hype over substance” place - that might work for the next month or so, but I doubt it is sustainable post-Games. My guess is All Star will soon be - if it is not already in essence - a glorified lounge in which patrons from the club Bling upstairs can eat and chill out. The design even evokes Bling, especially the stainless steel and white. Call it the Solana version of The Den, but with newer furniture and much higher prices.

Now, for the food and drinks: Weeks before the place opened, City Weekend claimed it to have the juiciest burger in town. The verdict: the cheeseburger (RMB65) was moist, not juicy, but tasty nonetheless; the fries were adequate; the coleslaw was limp.

There is a decent choice of international beers, including Kingfisher, Amstel Light, and Newcastle (all RMB40), while a small Budweiser draft runs RMB30. High rollers will find Johnnie Walker King George V (RMB9500 / bottle), Cristal (RMB4500 for 1999), and the like, as well as the common pours, such as Chivas (RMB60) and Crown Royal (RMB50). There are eight single malts, starting at RMB65 for Glenmorangie.

Finally, the staff is generally friendly - they even took my burger away and kept it warm when I ended up on the phone outside - though payment took ages.

From Monday, All Star will operate 24 hours a day.

Regular contributor Fletch suggested I create a “Celebrity Watch” page so we can, you know, post about celebrities we see during the Olympics and any unintentional comedy that ensues from meeting them. here’s the latest:

• Pierre Cardin - Maxim’s (the 08-08-08 Olympics are a perfect spot for this octogenarian)
• Oliver Robinson - Beach Volleyball (I saw him carry three cups of beer up the stairs without spilling a drop)
• George Bush - Beach Volleyball
• Rubert Murdoch, Wendy Deng, Quincy Jones, Jared Leto - Commune by the Wall
• Original Cui Jian guitarist Eddie - Nashville (the Saturday night band rocks)
• Pop singer Zya - All Star
• Tom Brokaw, Matt Lauer - Olympic village
• Stanley Ho - Financial Street (where else would he be?)

Beijing Olympics Celebrity Watch: August 7

(Thanks to NC, TVG, Fletch, RCR)

Blue Frog recently opened its long-awaited Sanlitun branch in the so-called “village” (third floor, near the Apple store). The Shanghai-based chain offers two decks but given the sultry afternoon TVG and I headed inside for lunch. This branch is fairly airy and comfortable, with a sports bar feel, several screens, and solid pub furniture.

I tried the “Santa Fe” grilled chicken sandwich (RMB75), which included juicy chicken, creamy mayo, and nicely cooked bacon. The side salsa served as a good condiment. The accompanying fries were a bit heavy and the ice tea is pricey (RMB30 / no refill). When I declined a second glass, the staff brought over ice water, which was a nice touch.

TVG like the seating and the screens, and that “the music was not obtrusive.”

Blue Frog is offering a limited menu for the time being, with three appetizers (including 10 wings for RMB30), three salads (starting from RMB65 for Frog Caeser salad), five burgers and sandwiches, and two desserts (cheese cake and brownies).

Thanks to PA for the photos. His take on Blue Frog: “A nice place, but pricey for basic food like burgers and sandwiches. Does the décor warrant the extra cost? Maybe, if you have just finished a hard day’s haggling in Ya Xiu, but why go past a dozen similar places just to eat there?”

Opening nearby will be Peppes Pizza and Herbal Café (both under construction). Element Fresh, which seats about 160 and has a nice deck facing east, is set to open September 1, said a manager. He added that there are plans to open three more Element Fresh branches in Beijing by year’s end. Element Fresh has a drinks outlet on the top floor of the Adidas building. See below for a list of venues.

I teamed up with photographer Nicholas Carre on Friday night for a seven-hour pub crawl in Beijing that started at Paddy O’Shea’s at 8 PM and wound through Sanlitun North, Workers Stadium East, The Place, Nanluoguoxiang and Houhai. We made it as far as Salud by ceremony’s end - here were the busiest spots up to that point:

1. The Sanlitun bar strip: This collection of touristy neon-lit copycat bars was jam-packed with patrons, both inside and outside, forcing . At some points, it became so crowded that we had to walk on the street.

2. The Sanlitun “Village”: The huge video screen drew by my estimate upwards of a thousand people. Lots of cheers went up as various teams marched in.

3. The Den and Hooters both saw dense crowds, as did Paddy O’Shea’s, The Saddle Cantina, and The Rickshaw.

4. The Nanluoguxiang strip: About half of the places were full, while the other half saw decent crowds. Salud was standing room only on the main floor and balcony.

The major disappointment: The Place. The spotty service at Enoteca saw us leave before ordering, while the deck at CJW looked rather placid, but the key bummer was that the huge sky screen showed only scrolling Coca-Cola logos. I had hoped to see something more sporting.

Anyway, I’ll soon have a full time line, with photos, of last night’s seven-hour journey as well as an update on Celebrity Watch.