Beijing Boyce

According to clubzone.cn, Bling (map) will hold a different kind of ladies night on May 8 and 9 when it hosts “Playboy go-go dancers” at the club. Promising to bring “a Real Taste of L.A.” – hmm, I always thought that was a hot dog from Dodgers Stadium, but I digress – it appears the event will feature Liza Kaye, Thai Cali, Sasha Singleton, and Amber Scott breaking out their best bikinis for some Beijing booty shaking. Hmm, I may have to don my Speedo for this one. In any case, the event is sponsored by Pommery Champagne and there is a RMB50 cover charge.

By the way, the poster notes that the dancers are “real.” I didn’t realize there were hordes of fake Playboy dancers out there…

(Hat tip to Andrew “The Beijing Hugh Hefner” S.)

Mondays nights should mean a relaxing meal, perhaps a drink or two, and turning in early. Unless you end up with  DJ Chunky, Dr Doom, Mr Brau, and B-Daze. Then it means shooting the shit, shooting homemade rum,  and shooting down any hopes of getting home before the wee hours of the morning. Places visited…

Lugar (map): With the pool table eliminated downstairs, this place now has a slight Le Petit Gourmand feel, one that would be strengthened if those empty shelves end up lined with books. I could see myself popping in to check my email or read a book, then sampling some of the signature cocktails or dozens of single malts. The rooftop offers views of the surrounding hutongs and sports new furniture,  including patio-style chairs and tables, although sitting atop the glass floor is a bit unnerving.

The food menu has shifted from Vietnamese and Taiwanese snacks to salads, sandwiches, pastas, and the like. One patron found the lasagna tasty, while I thought the bread used for my sandwich too dry. Finally, the service could be better. The staff is friendly, but the two dozen people gathered on the roof for a “tweet-up” – a gathering of Twitter users – too often found themselves with empty bottles and glasses, to the point that people had to go downstairs to refresh their drinks.

Salud (map) (also known as e.a.t.): We sauntered down Nanluoguxiang and found that places either had a decent crowd (Reef Bar, Guitar Bar, Salud, etc) or were pretty much empty. We parked at Salud and did a few rounds of the homemade infused rums. I liked the Salud special, with its spicy aromas (cumin, cloves, etc) and strong cinnamon finish. The orange and clove would be better with added citrus power to balance the spices (add more rinds to the recipe?).

Chocolate (map): DJ Chunky, Mr Brau, and I figured this would be the one place with a solid crowd and we were right.

Maggie’s (map): The previous venue on Workers Stadium East had an earthy atmosphere that the newer spot on Ritan Park has been unable to evoke. The place is well-designed, with the traditional painted ceiling beams exposed, the bar nicely lit, and seating options that include lounge areas, a square bar, and space near the dance floor. And the service is quick and professional. It simply misses the vibe of the old place.

The Den (map): A final pit stop for fuel. As always, a late night at The Den draws a clientele almost as diverse as that at the Star Wars Cantina. I went for the least healthy item on the menu – The Den combo – which includes deep-fried mushrooms, potatoes, spring rolls, and two or three other items. There is no faster way to end a night than to put yourself into a food coma…

Out on a weekday in Beijing and looking for a late-night option? Check out Chocolate (map), which offers an over-the-top decor, a fun atmosphere, good service, and reasonably priced food and drinks. Even better, this place seems to be rocking every night of the week:

- Monday: Mr Brau, DJ Chunky and I arrived to find the dance floor packed with a mix of men and women, locals and expats. We ordered a bottle of Russian Standard vodka, an excellent deal at RMB238 per bottle. (Mixers are RMB20 per can, for those who don’t like their spirits straight up.) DJ Chunky, with the confidence meter cranked to high, approached two tables of ladies and got people at both up to dance.

- Wednesday: I went with a group of journos, including P-Jimmy, and found the place even busier. Not a table nor a seat at the long bar near the entrance was to be had, so we parked at the smaller bar. We passed on vodka and stuck to Corona (RMB30). Again, a good atmosphere, a packed dance floor, and a fun Russian band.

- Sunday: Two readers tell me they visited Chocolate and happily found the place busy and fun.

As Mr Brau says, “This place continues to impress. There are very few bars in this town that can deliver on a Monday night. And it delivers night in, night out.”

One criticism: On Wednesday, we ordered and paid for three beers and the staff only brought two. Later, I ordered and paid for a Corona, waited 15 minutes for the beer, then asked the staff for my drink. One of the bar employees suggested I had already consumed it – she pointed at the several empty bottles on the bar. They eventually gave me a beer. I found these incidents strange as I had not one problem with service on my previous dozen or so visits to Chocolate.

Last Thursday night at The Bookworm, the Beijing Entrepreneurs Organization organized an event titled, “An Evening with Three Influential Beijing Restaurant Entrepreneurs.” Thanks to Shane Crombie, public relations guy, online advertising expert, and co-organizer of the “First Thursday” monthly ad industry event, for providing this write-up:

“We learned that Gaby Alves (SALT) was once a pro volleyball player in Brazil and sold bread from the back of a motorcycle, that Fred Lin (Bellagio) grew up in the Pacific island of Guam, worked for his family’s furniture and lighting business, then heard the call of big city life and joined a small restaurant business in China that now has more than 1000 employees, and that Bob Boyce (Blue Frog), who studied Mandarin in the mid-1990s, worked for a moving company in Guangzhou and then ended up in Shanghai where he decided to tackle, on his own terms, the shortage of good Western fare there.

“Opening a restaurant is a high risk venture in any market, and each of the speakers recounted scary moments along the way. After the closing of the Shanghai street on which his first establishment was located, Bob Boyce managed to keep his place open by convincing the police that he was doing a dinner for the British High Commissioner, while Lin remembers the “chicken and egg” challenge of obtaining a business license and safety permit when one was needed to get the other. Meanwhile, Alves had to wait nine months to get her license.

“The 437-kuai question on the night was what each saw as the key to success. Alves mentioned the introduction of a set menu and a focus on quality produce, Lin talked about providing simple Chinese food that “you can’t get mad at”, and Boyce emphasized the role of service with a smile and a focus on the needs of foreigners. It sounds simple, doesnt it? Roll the dice, take a few knocks, and hey, presto, you are a big success. Not so fast.

“What each speaker had in common was a recognition of the overarching role that staff development and training plays  in each of their businesses. From Alves providing accommodation for her staff to Lin building a dedicated employee training centre to Boyce developing a phone book-sized training manual, each has invested significant working capital in empowering their employees to succeed. If you want to emulate the success of these culinary pioneers, expect to dedicate yourself every day to the recruitment and retention of great people.

“PS:  In case you were wondering, the waittresses at Bellagio have those short haircuts for hygeine reasons, and this extends to the kitchen, where the policy first began, and cleaning staff.

Whenever I go for a post-work drink with the Canadian guys from China Radio International, the likelihood of a late night is high (are they all issued with an extra liver?). Add Mr Brau to the mix and it is guaranteed. Places visited Friday night…

Purple Haze (Workers Stadium North): I stopped here with DJ Chunky, P-Jimmy, and his friend that I will simply call The Swede on Speed. Beijing draft is RMB15 and appears within a minute or two of ordering. Even better, the staff asks if you want a new beer about three sips before you finish your current one. The good atmosphere and service explains at least in part why every table was taken.

Danger Doyle’s: Lads outnumbered lasses more than two to one on this place’s inaugural ladies night, prompting a friend to declare it a “sausage fest” (the main floor was somewhat busy, with a few people upstairs and the deck empty due to weather). On top of this, the staff struggled: An employee took our order, another approached a few minutes later to confirm it, someone brought our change a few minutes after that, and finally, after another five mnutes, a waittress delivered our drinks (unfortunately the service led one patron to go over-the-top in chastising the staff). Possibly the worst ladies night I have attended this past year, though it has potential if DD’s can a) attract more ladies, who booze free from 8 to 11:30 PM, and b) provide better service for the gents paying for drinks.

(Note: As I walked home Saturday night, I returned to DD’s and was happily surprised to find the NBA playoffs on. That beer fridge, stocked with more than 70 different kinds of brew, looked very enticing.)

Super Bar Street: I arrived with Mr Brau and KZ after midnight to find most establishments closed and very few people in the area, making the place seem even bleaker than usual ahead of its slated destruction. We stopped at Shamba, which had one table of patrons, an unfortunate situation given the place has an attractive decor (black and burgundy laquered tables, comfortable bar stools, etc) and layout (seating inside arranged for intimacy, a deck out back that faces a pond and its croaking frogs, etc), and Tim’s Texas BBQ, which had about a half-dozen patrons.

Club Juicy Spot: With the second floor closed (ongoing renovations?), we headed upstairs to find a light crowd of about 20 people. I like the earthy atmosphere, the airiness, and the high sloped ceiling, but this place needs to find a niche (a new option for the salsa crowd?)

Black Sun Bar: A good turnout at this Chaoyang Park old-timer, with groups of four to eight people parked around tables and chatting, drinking, and having fun. If I lived closer to Black Sun, I would make it one of my regular chill-out spots.

TUN: As usual on Friday, insanely busy during ladies night, with a door charge (huh?) even at 3 AM. The crowd tends to get younger as the night wears on, which makes me tend to feel more and more like a chaperone (hmm, do I know the parents of anyone here?). By the way, here is a list of five songs played in order:

• Grease Lightning
• Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice? -   The Beach Boys
• Queen (forgot which song)
• Let’s Get It Started – Black Eyed Peas

This sounds like the lineup you might get from pressing “random” on an iPod. That people danced to it says less about their musical taste and more about their blood-alcohol levels, which makes them willing to get down to anything, be it – I am guessing – Yanni remixes, CDs of mating whale sounds, or a 40-minute version of Tub Thumbing.

Nanjie: Upstairs full, downstairs half-full, quick service, cheap drinks, eclectic crowd… in other words, the Nanjie I have come to know and tolerate.

Super Bar Street will have its concrete and neon tossed in the dustbin of history in as little as two months, according to several sources, including two managers of restaurants there. While Super Bar Street does have its fans, I am not among them, nor are many other people given the light traffic I always find there. It is not so much the bars and restaurants: Shamba, for example, is a cozy spot with lacquered tables, comfy lounge chairs, and a nice deck; Tim’s Texas Roadhouse is a decent stop for a burger and a few beers; and so on. It is the atmosphere or the street itself. As I wrote more than two years ago:

Super Bar Street… ranks among the more depressing strips in Beijing, if not the planet. I’ve seen cement processing plants with as much charm as this scruffy, plant-less, concrete- and neon-lined stretch. It reminded me of a deserted and poorly refurbished fair midway. I half-expected a slightly insane, gap-toothed carnie to pop out and hawk dirty candy apples.

My opinion has not changed and I have often wondered why nothing was done to cobblestone the street, add some greenery, take advantage of that small pond, and – yes, I know this was highly unlikely – close part of it to motorized traffic, at least on weekend nights. Perhaps the location would still have been unattractive for many nightlife fans, but at least the added charm would have given it more of a fighting chance.

In any case, I headed to Super Bar Street last Friday night and will soon post notes on spots visited there as well as at Chaoyang Park West and in the Workers Stadium area.

Note: Mr Brau kind of predicted the demise in this “Beijing bar death watch” post in January. Meanwhile, on Twitter, poster Kindermusik_BJ writes that a friend who owns a restaurant on Super Bar Street says the area is set to be chai’d on June 13. Also on Twitter, Imagethief notes that this situation, in the context of the destruction of the old Sanlitun South bar street,  is hardly tragic, though I would miss Bite-a-pita if it were to go. To follow this blog on Twitter, click here.

A massive restaurant and club complex called Guigongfu opened (re-launched) in central Beijing last night with a fashion show, an “air” erhu performance, and a courtyard meal for 250 people. According to press materials, the brother of Empress Cixi once owned the 7000-square-meter site. It retains historical touches, from the layout to the weathered window frames, and offers a pricey respite in downtown Beijing. Guigongfu includes several large banquet halls and courtyards, eighteen private rooms with seating for four to sixteen people, and a 2000-square-meter members area called Phoenix House Club. It is a sprawling complex made intimate by long hallways, nooks and crannies, and small dining rooms. The culinary highpoint is the King of Kings duck restaurant, though Guigongfu will offer everything from Cantonese cuisine to a cigar lounge.

At a cost…

While the venue has areas open to the public, VIP cards will come in sums of RMB500,000, RMB300,000, and RMB100,000. For example, a RMB500,000 card allows you to spend RMB574,824.8 at Guigongfu. You’d think they’d  round that up to the nearest kuai – or even thousand kuai – wouldn’t you?

The burger story in the Sanlitun area this past year has focused on the merits and demerits of pricey places such as Let’s Burger, Blue Frog, and Union Bar & Grille, you know, spots where where a patty, bun, and fries set you back ~RMB70 or more. Less discussed is an old favorite, Kiosk (map), beside Jazz-Ya in the old Nali Studio, where a 250-gram “big bite” burger lightens your billfold by RMB28.

Good news for Kiosk fans: owner Sasha, recently described by one magazine as a “gregarious” Serb, will soon open a second establishment, with a similar menu, a bit farther west and toward the northeast corner of Workers Stadium. Hoping it won’t be called “Nearby the Kiosk.” More details soon…

- See also: The Sanlitun Burger Battle: A quesadilla twist Big Mac attack: The 24-hour McDonald’s in Sanlitun Village Monday walk about: Let’s Burger, Saddle, LPG, Burger King The Big Bite is back: Kiosk reopens The Beijing burger battle rages on: 8 songs on CJW Luga’s Villa: Bumping up burger prices Sanlitun burger battle: The Rickshaw fights back Today’s beef: Union Bar & Grill Let’s Burger: A bit too saucy Bits and bites: Burger battles et al.

Seeking something more mentally stimulating than the city’s quiz nights? Hone your math and daubing skills every Thursday at The Rickshaw bingo bonanza. The event coincides with a five-kuai Tsingtao draft special, and thus will separate those who can bingo with beer goggles and those who cannot. The fun and games are from 5 PM to 10 PM: a round is held every 40 minutes, with each table getting a card, the winners earning shots, and everyone giggling when “69″ is pulled.

UPDATE: Mr. Brau notes that at seniors’ bingo night back home, whenever the host calls “B4″, the crowd responds “and after.” Never a dull moment when he is around.

The Carrefour wine fair, held twice per year, ranks among the best free public tastings in Beijing. True, most of the wine is entry-level and often leans toward brands with cute animals on their labels. On other hand, the event gives consumers a chance sample from among hundreds of wines and thus try before they buy. Last Friday saw a strong turnout, though lighter than at the fall edition, and consumers enjoyed a 20 percent discount on buys. Here are a few notes about the event and some of the 30 or 40 wines I tried.

1. While customers could taste wine for free Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the poster sent by Carrefour to me – and I assume to everyone else – only mentioned Friday. This annoyed more than a few distributors, who saw smaller crowds over the weekend.

2. At the fall fair, the organizers ran out of glasses two hours into the event. This time, we had a steady flow of stemware throughout the night. (I decided to forgo those four-ounce “egg cups” and instead brought four 22-ounce Bordeaux glasses from home that I shared with three other tasters.) The lack of spittoons is still an issue.

3. I discovered on the way to the event that my camera battery was dead. You will thus have to visualize the dozens of red-faced Chinese imbibers, the three French guys enjoying a half-eaten wheel of Brie and three loaves of bread placed on a case of wine in their shopping cart as they sampled the offerings, and the steady parade of smokers heading to the Carrefour deck for a puff or two (nothing cleans the palate like a Zhongnanhai 0.8).

4. Some distributors would sell more wine if their employees spent less time idly standing in front of or leaning against the tables and thus preventing consumers from seeing the bottles. Just saying….

At the fall event, Chamarre Jurancon ranked as my runaway favorite wine. This year, here are some of the wines that I – or my tasting buddies – enjoyed…

Foot of Africa Pinotage 2006 (Torres): The top choice of the consumer panel in our Grape Wall Challenge, this wine has lively red fruit with a touch of spice and earthiness. A juicy and decently balanced wine for under RMB100.

Foot of Africa Chenin Blanc 2007 (Torres): Fellow taster DJ Chunky described this one as “crisp and clean. This is nice”, while NC said he smelled white blossoms and apricots, but found the body fresh but too light.”

Monastier Pinot Noir 2007 (DT Asia): Fresh and light, with a simple fruity, almost syrupy, nose that has a touch of earthiness. Take it or leave it…

Chamarre Grenache-Syrah Rose 2006 (French Wine Paradox): A light nose, with aromas of apricots and flowers; this one is easy to drink and I imagine it will be “love it or hate it” for most people (that alone makes it worth trying).

Saltram Maker’s Table Shiraz 2005 (ASC): With blueberry, cherry, and floral aromas, this wine has a lighter body than expected, but plenty of berry power for those seeking such a taste.

I also tried the Oyster Bay wines (Wine Culture) and found the Chardonnay interesting among these New Zealanders. It was light and creamy, with some mild tropical fruit, though be forewarned that I had already sampled about three dozens bottles at this point.

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See also:
By / buy the case: Carrefour 2008 April Wine Fair
Carrefour wine fair picks: Southern exposure

Plenty of end-of-week drink deals about town, from the two-for-one drinks special on Thursday at Mesh (map) to ladies night on Friday at TUN (map). Here are a few newcomers:

Club Juicy Spot (map) replays last Friday’s opening night special with free Sangria from 9 PM to 2 AM tonight.

The Saddle Cantina (map) holds Boozecham tonight, with an Aussie BBQ (what does that mean? Shrimp Prawns on the barbie?) from 5 PM to 10 PM. Aussie beers Crown Lager, James Boags, VB, and XXXX, American micro brew, and vodka cruisers for RMB20.

Danger Doyle’s (map) is holding “Femme Fatele” on Friday night, with free cocktails for the ladies from 8 PM to 11:30 PM.

For those seeking fun in our sibling city of Tianjian this weekend, The Parrot is celebrating its tenth anniversary on  Friday night. Owner Blair Hopps, among the first people to sign up for the newsletter that preceded this blog, has been pulling pints and cranking out burgers in our sibling city for a decade. The party starst at 5PM and includes a pig roast, fireworks, and lucky draw. RMB178 gets you food and free-flow Yanjing beer.

Note: The Parrot is in TEDA (Tianjian Economic Development Zone). On Huanghai Avenue, go two blocks north of Third Avenue, turn right at the Amway building (before the overpass), and go about 100 meters. Or just get in a taxi and call the place: 022-6620-1663.

A hard-core group of Vancouver Canucks fans has been meeting at The Irish Volunteer (map) to catch the team’s playoff series against the St. Louis Blues. The game is delivered via slingbox, and though the signal is choppy at times, it suffices. The place offers breakfast, sandwiches, and the like, as well as drip coffee and five kinds of draft beer. The next game is Wednesday morning at 8 AM.

The Goose and Duck (map) had been showing NHL games, but several readers told me the place had a problem with its slingbox last Saturday morning. I’ll provide an update on the situation as soon as I have more information.

(The photo above – which is about as clear as a slingbox signal – shows a classic moment in Vancouver Canucks history.)

China Doll 3.3 (map), which ranked among the places to be during the Olympics and then closed about three months later, is set to reopen next Friday. Expect a smaller dollhouse this time around: the venue will comprise the private room and the lounge up front, but not the dance, bar, and seating areas in back. A source at China Doll 3.3 says the lounge is being refitted with a dance floor, a less colorful decor, and new chairs and tables, while the music will tend toward house. The opening party this Friday will feature free Piper Champagne between 8 PM and 10 PM and I expect it will create some competition for Punk next door in the Opposite House.

By the way, I had good times at China Doll during the Olympics but would be happy with some changes. Here are two: 1) better beverages (I gave up on getting even a decent standard mixed drink there, let alone a more complicated cocktail); 2) better security (the former crew had some confrontational members who tended to cause more problems than they solved).

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See also:
China Doll 3.3: Hibernating for the winter

Quick notes on the opening of Club Juicy Spot last night…

I love the top floor with its heavy emphasis on wood and brick, its sloped high ceiling decorated only with a row of lights, two fans, and two disco balls, and an open space surrounded by a long bar on one side and sofas and tables on two others. It leads into a large but unfinished deck with a good view, though I suspect some flow issues will arise since getting from there to the toilets requires going through a bottleneck at the door, then the dancing area, then another bottleneck. (By the way, the toilet, at least in the men’s room, is a squatter). A solid crowd turned out on the top floor, with a half-dozen couples dancing salsa, while others chilled out and enjoyed free Sangria or other drinks (beer is RMB15, mixed drinks RMB25).

The second floor, which is dedicated to hip hop, was another story. Few people grabbed a seat here and the general consensus was that the layout seems too tight and the lighting too low.

Given its prices, Club Juicy Spot would seem to be a good stop for those looking to dance or continue the night after a visit to Black Sun Bar up the street. It would also do well to capture that section of the salsa crowd that is looking for something more intimate than, say, Salsa Caribe. It might also help to have a more prominent sign – the club name’s is etched into unlit concrete and not easy to spot if you are taking a taxi.

Quick notes on the opening of the new Hatsune (map) last night…

Almost as crowded as a Tokyo subway car during rush hour, the newest branch of Hatsune, in Sanlitun Village, opened with a private party last night. The place offers a substantial L-shaped space with high ceilings and a decor that The Village Grouch and I compromised on describing as “industrial nouveau aquatic” (think open space, a massive fish mobile, etc). One patron said he would have preferred a layout similar to that of Haiku, in Block 8, which sports a long bar, but what Hatsune instead offers is an airier environment with table, bar, and private room seating.

The place had a mixed restaurant and club as the drinks flowed, the music pumped, and some patrons danced. The staff did an excellent job of circulating food and I packed away more than a dozen sushi rolls. As a fan of sesame oil and avocado, I didn’t leave disappointed, though I found the drinks ho-hum – granted, it is hard to pursue quality with that many people seeking to booze it up.

The big question is to what degree patrons who frequent the original branch will shift their business to this one, and whether enough new customers can be found to fill both, though the increasing traffic in The Sanlitun Village seems to bode well. I’ll be back soon with a review of the place on a “normal” night.

Books is learning and learning means Teacher's.

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You wouldn’t expect a place that serves as bookshop and lending library, seminar spot and gift shop, restaurant and café to have dozens of whiskies, but The Bookworm does (map). The bar typically stocks more than 30 whiskeys, ranging from basic bourbons and scotches to pricier single malts, and includes one from Wales. And given the place has everything from restaurant-style seating to sofas to high chairs, you can pretty much enjoy them in any position, including, I suppose, while spread out in the rooftop garden. Standard whiskies such as Famous Grouse, Jameson, Johnnie Walker Black and Jim Beam start at RMB25 to RMB30, with single malts – including Macallan and Glenfiddich – at a reasonable RMB35.

See also:

Massive private collection and 1938 single malt tasting

Ben Shaw and the ’small world’ of single malts

Whiskey week: Q Bar, single malts, and cocktails

Can I make a request? No? OK...

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Reggae fans in Beijing have more to groove to with the addition of two regular events – one new and one restarted – as well as an upcoming gig. Here is a reggae lineup for the next four nights:

Thursday
New Sanlitun Studio joint Kick holds its weekly “Reggae Vibration” from 9 PM with Meiwenti Sound. Entry is free.

Friday
Longstanding reggae bar Together (map) has, well, reggae every day.

Saturday
Afrokoko Roots plays at Ginkgo (map), the music including, according to the poster, “reggae classics with Fela Kuti style.” From 10 PM – entry is free.

Sunday
Obiwan (map) restarts its “Rooftop Reggae Sunday” – 5 PM to midnight, with Meiwenti Sound. Includes a BBQ – while food lasts. Held the first and third Sundays of each month.

“There hasn’t been an opening this big since the Olympics,” opined Mr. Brau a few moments ago as he mulled over the launch of Club Juicy Spot (map) tonight. Well, that might be going a bit too far, but this place – in the former Pepper venue on Chaoyang West – has a memorable name, an earthy interior that features old wood and bricks, a decent deck, and a stated focus on hip hop, at least downstairs – sounds a bit like TUN meets Bling. The party starts at 9 PM and features free Sangria until 2 AM. (Click here for some pre-opening pics of the club as well as for the worst rap song ever written.)

The long-awaited Sanlitun Village branch of Hatsune (map) opens to the public on Friday. Japanese food fans can find it beside Element Fresh and behind Union Bar & Grille.

The annual Carrefour spring wine fair kicks off Friday night in the Shuangjing branch (map). The opening night provides customers the chance to try hundreds of mostly entry-level wines from 6 PM to midnight and to take home bottles at a 20 percent discount. It is arguably the best free public tasting of wine in Beijing, though given what happened at the last one, I hope they have the glass, spittoon, and pricing issues figured out.

See also:
By / buy the case: Carrefour 2008 April Wine Fair
Carrefour wine fair picks: Southern exposure

After beefing up for the cold Beijing winter, I need to add just a few more pounds to fill out the back of my Speedo when I hit the beach this summer, so good news that City Weekend is holding Gourmet Month. The magazine has arranged deals at dozens of restaurants, including many high-end spots about town.

If you have yet to visit Chi’enmen 23, formerly known as The Legation Quarter, this is a good opportunity. Maison Boulud (map) has a four-course meal – with choice of spring pea soup or pate selection, nine-herb ravioli or “Katafi” crusted salmon, braised lamb shoulder or Coq au Vin, and apple tart or chocolate trio – for RMB250. Next door, Italian restaurant Sadler (map) has a three-course menu – with choice of spaghetti with sea urchin and ricotta or lasagna with duck ragout, braised beef cheek or turbot, and lemon tart spicy chocolate cake – for RMB250. And Agua (map) has a four-course meal – with appetizer, daily catch, braised beef check, and dessert – again, for RMB250.

Gourmet Month also features a four-course meal at Brasserie Flo (map) for RMB150, a choice of three-course meals at Cafe Sambal (map) for RMB99, or a three-course set menu, including matching wines, at L’Isola (map) for RMB150.  See here for all of the deals.