Beijing Boyce

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 witnessed new places such as Blue Frog (RMB75), Union Bar & Grill (RMB86), and Let’s Burger (RMB68) push up burger and fries prices, other newcomers such as Luga’s Villa (RMB35) take the budget route, and longer-term spots such as The Den and The Rickshaw dig in as things suddenly became very competitive.

The Rickshaw, which annoyed some regulars during the Olympics with a 15-percent surcharge that has since been rescinded, is upping its game. It has introduced three burgers and a sandwich, all priced at RMB55 and including thick-cut fries. Nick Ma gave me a taste test of the quartet on Sunday.

The two beef burgers include The Americano, which Ma says is made with local organic meat and served on a poppy seed bun, and the Oz, a “classic Australian burger.” The latter includes a flame-broiled bun, cheddar cheese, and sliced canned beetroot topped with a hamburger patty topped with a pineapple ring cooked together with egg topped with bacon, lettuce and tomato. As the toppings indicate, the portion is substantial.

The Steak Rambo Sambo is a steak sandwich served with rocket lettuce on sour dough bread, while The China Special is chicken breast marinated in spices, and topped with sautéed onions, green peppers, and gong bao chicken sauce. Ma says crushed peanuts are embedded in the chicken before flame-broiling.

So, how do they taste? Here are my rankings:

1. Oz burger: Besides including the “bacon factor”, the pineapple, egg, tomato et al make for an interesting blend of flavors and textures, though I found the bun too sweet (I suggest keeping the poppy seeds and reducing the sugar).
2. China Special: The chicken is tender and juicy, and the spices leave a nice tingly aftertaste.
3. Steak sandwich: Sour dough bread, mmm, though a bit higher meat-to-bun ration would be nice.
4. Americano burger: For a stripped-down burger such as this, the bun is simply too sweet.

By the way, The Rickshaw has added new wing flavors, though the medium Buffalo style and others will remain. They include apple vinegar, cream cheese and tomato, maple syrup and chili, and Brandy Dijon.

Finally, here are a few pictures courtesy of my K-Touch, which is most excellent as a phone and most frustrating as a camera. Just imagine these burgers look about twice as good as the photos.

The Americano Burger

The Rickshaw Oz Burger

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 to perform.*

Tickets are RMB70 ahead of time and RMB100 at the door (see details here). Given that 230 people have confirmed attendance on Facebook alone, this looks to be a major bash. Expect about a DJ per hour, from 9 PM to 5 PM, with the following lineup:

09 PM – DJ Xiao Feng
10 PM – DJ Pancake Lee
11 PM – DJ Elvis T. and Terry Tu
12 AM – DJ Huang Weiwei
01 AM – DJ Weng Weng
03 AM – DJ XLF
04 AM – DJ Gao Hu
05 AM – DJ Diaper

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* He rose to fame during the “Damp and Nasty” tour with his 24-hour sets sans toilet breaks. True story. Or it might have been a weird dream after one too many Absinthe martinis. It’s your call, but even without DJ Diaper, tonight’s party should be a good one.

(Image: Acupuncture Records)

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 pour Stella and Hoegaarden. I drafted a few questions for the man who helps distribute this beer – Fredrik Janson, brand manager for Vandergeeten Beijing.

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I can find a bigger selection of Belgian beers in Beijing than beers from any other country. Why is that?

Belgium is a country with a strong beer culture. Not many countries in the world can offer such a variety of beer. At the moment, over 450 different beers are being brewed in Belgium, and I think that is why people love them – there is a brand for everybody. In Beijing we are offering around 30 different kinds of Belgian beers which can be tried at various venues across town. Our most popular Belgian beers are Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Chimay, and Lindemans.

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That ice-covered beer tap at The Saddle Cantina makes a big difference with the draft. What’s the history behind that tap and how many are there in Beijing?

At the moment there is only one ice-tap in Beijing serving Stella Artois and Hoegaarden. We are working on setting up some more installations which you will be able to find in bars around town soon.

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Stella seems to be increasingly popular in Beijing. How have sales developed?

You are correct, the number of bars and restaurants serving Stella Artois have increased during this year. I think that one of the reasons why Stella Artois is doing well is that the customers always know what to expect as we import all Stella Artois sold here from the brewery in Leuven, Belgium.

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Your company has sponsored a lot of events over the past year. What have been some of the highlights?

We have had great cooperation with The Beijinger and their Restaurant Awards and Bars & Clubs Awards parties. We also had the opportunity to sponsor some charity events after the Sichuan earthquake. You and all other beer drinkers will see more and more of Stella Artois in Beijing.

Stella Artois is doing a lot of work on quality assurance, from brewing to pouring. For example, this year China will for the first time enter the World Draught Master, a competition held in the hometown of Stella Artois – Leuven, Belgium. At the pre-competition, held in Shanghai on September 24, the best bartenders from Beijing and Shanghai competed to represent China. In Belgium, competitors from all over the world compete by pouring and serving Stella Artois and Hoegaarden from the tap and Leffe from the bottle.

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When you want to relax, what beers do you drink, and when you want to have wine or cocktails instead of beer, where do you go?

I have had the pleasure to try quite a few Belgian beers and I prefer to drink a beer with more flavor when I relax after work, for example, a Leffe Brown. Apart from beers, I also enjoy red wine. Since I spend much of my time in bars and restaurants working, I prefer enjoying to be at home with my wife. If I am up for a well-made cocktail, I like to go to Q Bar.