Beijing Boyce

We have over a dozen entries in the contest for a turkey dinner for six, courtesy of Culinary Capers, which is cooking this year’s Thanksgiving meal at Sequoia Cafe, and a bottle of Yering Station Pinot Noir, courtesy of The Wine Republic. To get in the draw, go here and tell us one thing you are thankful for in Beijing. The deadline for entries is tomorrow at 3 PM. See here for more details on the contest and the Sequoia dinner. I’m also working on a post about places that offer Thanksgiving dinner specials – running a bit behind this week!

I consider the annual Hilton Food & Wine Experience a “must attend” event because I can pick and choose among hundreds of wines, chat with fellow wine consumers and talk to experts, indulge myself at the buffet, and generally have a superb time for a reasonable price (RMB230). But each year, as the clock winds down on a fun afternoon, I wish I didn’t have to leave.

This year, one lucky reader will stay – overnight – as the Hilton is upping the experience with a prize package for this November 29 event. The package includes:

- Two tickets to the eleventh Food & Wine Experience, which includes a wide range of foods and wines to sample.

- A deluxe room, including wine and cheese upon arrival.

- Breakfast for two the next morning at Elements, to ensure recovery from your gastronomic adventure.

To enter the draw, simply go to the comments section and answer this question: If you could share a bottle of wine with anyone in the world, who would it be, and why? (Hmm, isn’t Kylie Minogue in town that weekend?).

Two pairs of tickets to the Hilton Food & Wine Experience are up for grabs as runner-up prizes.

For more information on this event, see here and here.

Note: The deadlines for entries is next Tuesday, November 25 at 3 PM.

Look for the Beida branch of pizza joint Kro’s Nest to quadruple to nearly 600 square meters over the next few months. The place will add pool tables and a DJ booth to give students especially a bigger place to party.

Look also for some changes to the menu, with a new wings list and something Kro describe as as Brie baozi.

Olas Tapas and Cafe, a spin-off of Mare, is open in Sanlitun Village: You’ll find it on the west side facing Yashow and near Stone Cold Creamery.

Expect the same tapas choices and prices as at Mare as well as mix and match pastas and sauces (RMB55) and a build your own salad option (RMB28 for the base, RMB10 for each extra item). Those ordering a bottle of wine (from RMB178) can have it converted to Sangria for RMB38. Beer is reasonably priced, with Tsingtao at RMB15 and Mahou, Corona, Heineken, and Carlsberg at RMB20. Coffee starts at RMB20.

The layout is from the Element Fresh school of design, though Olas is smaller. One half consists of a long bar, with about 20 seats, and five tables for four. The other is dedicated to table and bench seating, with space for about 50. The decor is heavy on oranges (the pillows, seat covers, place mats, and abstract art) and creams, with touches of marble and mirrors. The place comes off as a bit cold, but should become warmer as it acquires character.

I stopped for coffee and to do a bit of work today. I found the wireless signal strong, the coffee decent, and the ambiance pleasant, though the more sensitive among the laptop crowd will want to bring an iPod given that this cafe is bound to draw noisy shoppers from Yashow.

The major drawback: No toilet. You’ll need to go outside, around the corner, and hoof it to the second floor.

Midnight marked the official release of this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau and a slew of related events is slated for the next few days – see my list from earlier this week (even Beer Mania is getting in on the act and will hold a party tonight from 8:30 PM). The next week will also see a wine dinner at Aria with legend Angelo Gaja and a Zinfandel tasting at Sequoia Cafe. Here’s the lineup. (For the Beaujolais Nouveau events or a longer-term schedule, see this events page.)

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Friday, November 21, St. Regis, 7 PM, RMB650
China Food and Wine Tour; northern Chinese cuisines with Beringer wines; with Jerry Comfort, food and wine educator from Beringer; by ASC; RSVP with Helen Lu at eventsbj@asc-wines.com / 6587-3803.

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Friday, November 21, 6:30 PM, Sequoia Cafe, RMB120
Zinfindel tasting, with five wines, including one Primitivo; RSVP via E-vite; to get on the list, call Frank Siegel at 13701-178-073.

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Saturday, November 22, 5-6 PM, Pinotage, RMB60
Weekly tasting; by WineLink; RSVP with Chris at 13611-207-396 / chrisb@winelink.com.cn.

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Monday, November 24, 7 PM, Aria (China World), RMB4888
Gaja Wine Dinner, with winemaker Angelo Gaja and 10 wines; by ASC; RSVP with Helen Lu at eventsbj@asc-wines.com / 6587-3803.

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Note: If you intend to attend any of the above events, it is best to confirm the details with the venue ahead of time. To get a wine event listed, send event info to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.