Monthly Archives: September 2008

The Sanlitun burger battle: The Rickshaw fights back

The Rickshaw has joined the Sanlitun burger battle in what is a shining example of how quickly the scene has changed this year. In the past three months, we have…

Drop the needle: Acupuncture marks first anniversary tonight

Here’s a shout out for the first anniversary party of Acupuncture Records tonight at Star Live, even though promoter / Acupuncturess Miao Wong refused to allow my friend DJ Diaper…

Belgian brew: Fredrik Janson on Stella, Chimay, and more

Morel’s, The Tree, Beer Mania, Paddy O’Shea’s, The Den, The Rickshaw, Saddle, Tun – there is no shortage of Belgian beer in this burg, especially when you count places that…

1/5, Mesh, Tun: Over-service, two-for-one, Hendrix

After checking out the China Open on Thursday, p3wong and I headed to Sanlitun for some post-match libations. A quick summary: – 1/5 bar (1949: The Hidden City) If spots…

Top five watering holes: Badr Benjelloun

Part six of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with entrepreneur, IT specialist, and former full-time bartender Badr Benjelloun. – “Beijing has…

Element Fresh, Paris Baguette, Peter Pan at China Open: Why?

p3wong scored tickets to yesterday’s China Open where we – and “we” almost seems accurate given the light crowd – saw Ana Ivanovic beat Alize Cornet after a scrappy second…

Lace ‘em up: Goose and Duck plans to show NHL games

Remember last fall when Cafe St. Laurent (now Boheme) announced it would screen NHL hockey on Sundays, then pulled the ultimate “delay of game” and never showed a single match?…

Bits and bites: Burger battles, Pekotan, Frantoi Celletti, Tun

What’s with the RMB75+ hamburger trend in the Sanlitun area these days? Is it sustainable? Who has the patty power: Let’s Burger (RMB48+, no fries), Blue Frog (RMB75), and Union…

Cafe Europa: Refreshed wine list, Parker points program

Jianwai Soho restaurant CafĂ© Europa launched its new wine list on September 18 with a by-the-glass tasting. I sipped through eight of the dozen samples before being stopped by the…

As the Kro flies: RMB50 lunch special

Those looking to bulk up for the winter should check out the lunch special at Kro’s Nest near Workers Stadium: RMB50 gets you a soda, a salad, and a small…

Brunch buddy: Goodbye Cafe St. Laurent, hello Boheme

One of the more interesting bar scene transformations last year saw sweaty eighties night headquarters Alfa change its covered patio into a sedate weekend brunch spot called Cafe St. Laurent…

Alba: Cocktail surprise

The last thing I expected to find at Alba, the new Italian joint behind fellow eatery Bella in China View, were good cocktails. (That’s not exactly true: The last thing…