Beijing Boyce

…landlord issues? That seems to be the case and, if so, would make Tribute North the latest casualty in – at least from this observer’s point of view – an unprecedented string of closings that happen on short notice and at the whim of property owners. Maybe it’s all just a plot, in the leadup to October 1, to remind the populace of one of the reasons for the events of sixty years ago. Well, maybe not…

In any case, Frank Sun, the brains behind Tribute North, says he is looking at two separate venues and expects to reopen in a few months. And it appears that the Tribute North space will continue as a restaurant…

(Hat tip to Dr Doom.)

UPDATE: A group email sent today by Frank Sun states, in part, “About two weeks ago, Tribute North was approach by the owners of our present location… that they were selling their property…. On this past Monday, the very same owners informed Tribute North that the new management company would take over our restaurant premises by September 1 (next Tuesday) and that they would operate a “café/restaurant” under another name. We have decided not to challenge this decision since it is China and that it would take a tremendous effort on our part and we may not prevail in the end.”

Look for the old Club Sandwich (map) spot to rejoin the city’s food and beverage scene on September 17 as Tube Station, backed by the man best known about town for pizza, Kro. The menu will include:

• Starters, such as vegetarian spring rolls (RMB20) and the intriguing “beef and peaches“, which includes air-dried beef, peaches, balsamic vinegrette, and chrysanthemum leaves (RMB20).
• Salads, such as Greek pasta (RMB35), which I will have to test out on Sneaky Pete, and watermelon and watercress (RMB28).
• Sandwiches and panini, from Philly cheese steak (RMB39) to “Birkenstock“, for those seeking a healthy option (RMB48).
• Pizza, including Milano Salami (RMB36) and – watch out Michelin-star chefs – Himalayan black truffle pies.

Smoothies and juices will set you back RMB25.

(Hat tip to PJ.)

Update: Photo for September 8 pre-opening event

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Years ending in “9″ seem to be the trend for M restaurant launches: Capital M, the third project by the team behind M at the Fringe in Hong Kong, opened in 1989, and M on the Bund in Shanghai, opened in 1999, is slated to formally open in Beijing on September 15. Bookings for the inaugural lunch will be taken from September 1.

Originally expected to open before last year’s Olympics, Capital M will, according to the company’s Web site, include a dining room, lounge, bar, and terrace. It further states that, “Capital M is located on #2 Qianmen Dajie, Beijing’s most celebrated shopping street for over 600 years,” and will offer views of Qianmen Gate, Tian’anmen Square, and the entrance to the Forbidden City. The focus will be on “modern European food.”

For more on M on the Bund, see this page.

Update: See here for Wall Street Journal video and photos of the destruction.

A team of backhoes moseyed on over last Thursday to Tim’s Texas Roadhouse, the last establishment standing on the former Super Bar Street, and reduced it to chunks no bigger than a tumbleweed. While I took photos from a distance, namely, on the other side of the fence surrounding the former bar street area, I have been unable to get them uploaded. I guess you will have to imagine a building being converted to rubble. Not exactly a rarity in Beijing…

See also:

• Tim’s Texas ‘Nailhouse’: Wall Street Journal reports on Super Bar Street travesty in Beijing
• Hilbert’s last stand: Tim’s Texas Roadhouse among two holdouts on Super Bar Street
• Guest photos: Giorgio Magistrelli and Super Bar Street
• Super Re(Bar) Street: Cranes and concrete, trucks and toilets
• Live blogging: The Super Bar Street countdown…
• Photos: Super Bar Street countdown…
• Super Bar Street countdown: A night at Tim’s Texas Roadhouse
• End of an error: Super Bar Street to meet the wrecking ball?

As the PRC prepares for its sixtieth birthday, look for some venues on the Workers Stadium block to close in a similar if shorter replay of what happened with last year’s Olympics. Last night, the management at Fubar (map) told me that this newcomer to the scene would shut its doors from September 17 to October 2. Meanwhile, Kro’s Nest (map) will also see downtime, though I am waiting to hear the dates involved.

Some items pulled from my inbox. All events are slated for this Saturday…

12sqm (map), a bar that consistently punches above its weight, will mark its second anniversary with RMB15 Coopers and other drink deals from 5 PM to midnight.

Aussino will hold its first “World Wine Festival” at the JW Marriott (map). The flyer states that more than 1000 wines from 200 wineries in 12 countries will be available for tasting, from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM. A good deal given the fee is RMB150. Wine lectures are available for RMB200, while those attending the gala dinner – for RMB1080 – get the tasting and lectures included. RSVP at 6461-2072, x123.

Zeta Bar (map) at the Hilton Hotel is holding a 007-themed night titled “For Your Eyes Only.” Dress as your favorite James Bond character, sip martinis, and save the world dance the night away. Fifty percent discount on drinks before 10:30 PM.

Spirit It will hold its 21st cocktail class, this one focused on Chinese Valentine’s Day, at 6 PM in Kokomo (map). The cocktails include the Bee’s Kiss, with raspberry puree and and cherry liquor, and one the organizer say ice cream fans will love. Twenty spaces available; RMB150. RSVP with Bob at bobariels@gmail.com / 15010-352-077 (English) or Ariel Tang at 13811-787-292 (Chinese).

For those looking to get out of the city, The Schoolhouse (map) will host a folk song performance by members of the Pumi group, visiting from Yunnan, this Saturday from 2:30 PM.

China Wines & Spirits will team up with Aria (map) in China World Hotel for a five-course, five-wine dinner with wine maker Joseph Cattin from Alsace, France. From 7:30 PM; RMB498 per person. RSVP with fbreservations.cwh@shangri-la.com / 6505-3318.

Luga’s Villa (map) celebrates its first anniversary for three hours, from midnight on Saturday.

Cafe Europa (map) will have a Spanish tapas and wines event from 6 PM. The restaurant will offer 12 different tapas at RMB10 each as well as house wine at RMB25 per glass. Deals include five tapas and a glass of wine for RMB65. Attendees will receive a free aperitif – Tio Pepe sherry and tonic water. From 6 PM…

Juggling in Sanlitun Village...

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Many people I know had doubts Sanlitun Village would succeed in Beijing, but the spot has done well. Many restaurants on the third floor – from Blue Frog to Union to Herbal Cafe - have drawn more patrons than the cynics expected and overall foot traffic is substantial. Sanlitun Village has done well to go beyond being simply a shop and eat spot. Instead, during a given visit, you might find grafitti artists or dancers or product launches, not to mention dozens of children weaving in and out of the water fountains.

This is not to discount the negative sides of this project largely driven by the Swire Group. This includes  long delays in finishing it and the ensuing disruption this caused (a case of the “village” hurting the neighborhood), poor due diligence (numerous places, including Element Fresh, Blue Frog, and Union, inherited leaky roofs), and the presence of drug dealers in the square and the occasional hooker in McDonald’s. There is also the likelihood that Sanlitun Village will drive increasing rent hikes on neighboring bars and retail shops, and thus the area might lose its current full flavor, given the visitor can currently skip between high-end meals and cheap drinks, fancy cocktails, and street food.

In any case, the “creative” and “media” efforts of both the Sanlitun Village as well as the northern section of the project, which is expected to open by year’s end, will by handled by Euro RSCG Beijing and MPG, according to this story on Brand Republic:

Swire Properties has awarded Euro RSCG Beijing, along with Havas sister media agency MPG, the creative and media duties respectively for the expansion of retail and hotel development The Village at Sanlitun after a pitch against several independent agencies. The win comes at a time of expansion, as the second of its two sites – the Village North – is to be opened later in 2009. The Village North will house an array of creative luxury brands.

See the full post here.

(Hat tip to DJ Chunky)

Tim's Texas Roadhouse holds out in the Wild, Wild East

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The Wall Street Journal has published a story about Tim’s Texas Roadhouse, the last place standing on the former Super Bar Street, where tenants were cleared with little notice and at times under threatening conditions. From the story, found on the WSJ Web site and in its Asia paper edition [my highlights]:

China’s capital might not seem like a natural spot for a taste of the Lone Star State. But for the two years that he ran Tim’s Texas Roadhouse on a dusty strip called Super Bar Street here, Tim Hilbert says he felt right at home.

No longer. For the last three months Mr. Hilbert has been making an Alamo-like stand against local government plans to renovate the area with a big new development. Today, the Roadhouse is all that remains of Super Bar Street, alone in an expanse of dirt and cement surrounded by a barbed wire-topped wall erected by the developer. The dozens of other restaurants, bars, and shops on the once-busy stretch have been demolished, in many cases after proprietors were forced out by gangs of club-wielding thugs.

The story reports on the short notice given to tenants, the efforts of Tim’s Texas Roadhouse owner Tim Hilbert to use the legal system given that he feels he has been offered too little compensation, and his hiring of a “half dozen Chinese guards, out-of-town toughs” to protect the place.

It also describes the intimidation used against some tenants on the street that included everything from Africa-themed bars to Japanese restaurants to hair shops:

On May 12, Seven Colors [the company that serves as landlord] posted notices throughout the neighborhood saying it would be demolished, and that tenants had until May 31 to get out. “It was really a shock,” says Bai Jie, who ran the Afro Arena bar, a hotspot for African residents of Beijing. “We had no preparation at all.”

Some owners pushed back. Helen Ma, a Hong Kong woman who ran a bar called Shamba, complained to local government officials on May 16. Two days later, dozens of burly men with short haircuts showed up at her place, dragged her and several employees out, and locked the door, she says. Ms. Ma says they punched her and yanked her hair, while police simply watched.

Several other tenants said in interviews that they witnessed or experienced physical violence, from gangs of men often carrying steel pipes or wooden clubs. It’s unclear who the men worked for.

Police didn’t respond to requests for comment. Mr. Zhang of Seven Colors said that reports of physical abuse are “just rumors.” No one from Purple Dragon [the demolition company to remove the establishment] could be reached, and Mr. Zhang declined to comment about that company’s role.

In a faxed statement, the government of Jiangtai Village – the Beijing sub-district where Super Bar Street is located – said the reclamation and demolition of the area, as well as compensation procedures for the tenants, have followed the law. It said police officials had received no complaints about “public order incidents” relate to the demolition.

See the Wall Street Journal article for full details.

And as for what will replace Super Bar Street, well, that seems to be a bit of a mystery: “Among the enigmas in the case: who is developing the land, and what will they be building. The development is called the “Run Shi Center,” and local officials have said it’s a “key project.” Mr. Zhang of Seven Colors said the government of Beijing’s Chaoyang district is behind it, but declined to elaborate. Chaoyang officials didn’t respond to questions.”

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See also:

• Hilbert’s last stand: Tim’s Texas Roadhouse among two holdouts on Super Bar Street
• Super Re(Bar) Street: Cranes and concrete, trucks and toilets
• Live blogging: The Super Bar Street countdown…
• Photos: Super Bar Street countdown…
• Super Bar Street countdown: A night at Tim’s Texas Roadhouse
• End of an error: Super Bar Street to meet the wrecking ball?

Photos to come…

What restaurants and bars would I visit after leaving Turpan, a three-hour drive from Xinjiang’s capital of Urumqi, early in the morning and arriving in Beijing early in the afternoon? A question I have asked myself since childhood thousands of time hundreds of times never. But I do have an answer. Here is my itinerary for winding down after spending nine days in Ningxia and Xinjiang, most of them in the latter spot, where I found myself unable to use the Internet or SMS.

Le Petit Gourmand (map): As much as I enjoyed putting away kilo after kilo of tomatoes and potatoes, melons and grapes, noodles and lambs on the trip, I needed an old favorite: the club sandwich. While the manager is new, the sandwich, with about a dozen layers as well as sides of fries and salad, continues to offer excellent value at RMB44. So does the “American” coffee, the first non-instant java I had in almost two weeks, at RMB15. Oh, and it appears that LPG has finally added to its five-CD collection. I won’t miss hearing that CD of “My Way” remakes over and over and over again. (Note: In other Tongli area news, Cheers (map) still has that “decorate” sign in its window, while Cosmos Lounge, just around the corner from Cosmos Hot Dogs (map) in the southern entrance, has its prices listed outside.)

Union Bar & Grille (map): Iced tea. Refreshing unsweetened iced tea (RMB20; refills free). I considered ordering my favorite dish, the eggs Benedict, but decided to save it for the weekend. Instead, I went to…

Danger Doyle’s (map): Through this month and next, Wednesday means free pizza from 3 PM to 10 PM. With its wood-fired oven, this place pops out better-than-average pies, and I washed down my pepperoni version with a pint of Stella. The only downside: the table of freeloaders who ordered pizza, but no drinks, and were abusive to the staff to boot. Perhaps not only a “drink purchase required” clause is needed but also, given this is a sports bar, red and yellow cards for boorish behavior.

Purple Haze Bistro (map): A substantial crowd on hand to catch the weekly live jazz. This week’s act was No Name Trio, an outfit that features two guitars and an accordion, plays what one member describes as “French gypsy jazz”, and even slipped in some Elvis Presley. Good music, good vibe…

Fans of the former Pacific Coffee outlet in The Place, regular contributors 8 Songs and Ba Songs visited its successor, Esquires Coffee, and left less than impressed. Writes 8 Songs [my highlights]:

Esquires Coffee has opened this morning [Sunday], where Pacific Coffee used to be, at The Place.

But the man in charge is no gentleman.

We came in about 10 a.m. for a spot of breakfast. The place is laid out a little differently to Pacific, and decorated much like any other coffee shop. The New Zealand woman training the staff told me that Esquires is a Canadian company, now franchising into several countries.

As usual for new Chinese shops, the place was festooned with flowers out front, while inside, the florists were still arranging more displays.

We went to order food and drink. A staff member joined us at the counter, and took half our order. She then went off to start collecting the items, oblivious to me trying to get her attention to take the rest of our order.

The other five or six staff members behind the counter were too busy doing nothing to take any notice of me. Finally the young NZ lady noticed my distress and had the coffee added to the order.

Meantime, Ba Songs was admiring the floral display inside the shop. She pulled out her camera to take a snap, whereupon the manager rushed over and in gruff Chinese ordered her to put the camera away. Ba Songs explained she was only taking photos of the flowers, but that wasn’t good enough for this man. He yelled at her that she was not allowed to take photos. She asked what was the big deal, but this guy upped the volume and lowered the tone, using Chinese expletives to make sure she understood she wasn’t allowed to take photos.

By this time, a small crowd was gathering. But the manager didn’t care and kept repeating his directive, while Ba Songs was demanding a tiny bit of customer focus.

With nine coffee shops in the immediate vicinity, plus more opening in the Prosper Centre, this guy has no shortage of competition. We will be voting with our feet.

Please warn your readers, if they go to Esquires at The Place, don’t take their cameras – or expect reasonable customer service.

Just before posting this, I received a second opinion of Esquires Coffee, this one from p3wong. She writes [my highlights]:

I went to Esquires today and had to wait 15 to 20 minutes to get a coffee. There were three or four people behind the counter, and I saw a blond woman heat up some milk for them, but there was only one guy making coffee – and he was slow. They ran out of large cup covers. Yesterday they had soy milk, today they did not. Today they put chocolate syrup on my mocha, yesterday they did not. Obviously, the staff are not trained well enough.

True, it is early days and the place might simply be going through growing pains, but first impressions can be lasting ones, and this is a chain and thus should have a system for getting service quickly up to speed. And there is no place, at any time, for rudeness from management. I will soon check out Esquires Coffee myself and report back here. (Note: According to this story, it looks like Esquires Coffee is a New Zealand chain, though 8 Songs says he was told it is Canadian. Update: According to this site – click “Canada”, then “about”, then “history” – the company started in 1993 in Vancouver.)

See also:
Grab a java II: Pacific Coffee

Attention China: Unless you are one of my foosball students I will absolutely destroy you on my foosball table. Resistance is futile. You may as well give up now. – Fred Gower

Fred Gower last appeared here in December 2007 ahead of the China Open Table Soccer Championship held in Beijing. He left the country more than a year ago, but will soon return, to Shanghai. And maybe it’s just me, but the above quote suggests he has has picked up a *wee* bit of attitude. Anyway,  he is giving notice to foosball players in China, including Beijingers who make the trip to our sister city in the south: “Anyone who is able to beat me gets a free meal including drinks. But be warned, total humiliation on the foosball table is not fun. Mwahahahahaaaa!”

If you want to try your game against Gower, contact him at fred_ gower@yahoo.ca.

Note: I have played foosball only a few dozen times in my life, but I scored against Gower in the one game we played. Just saying…

(Photo: transbuddha.com)

6 comments

I thought *this* was as dirty as Beijing could get (taken on Workers Stadium North).

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In part because I performed “Have a Drink on Me” with a supersized cardboard guitar in front of several hundred students at a Korean women’s university a long, long, long time ago, I got excited when I heard that Dirty Deeds, our fair city’s AC/DC cover band, is going to rock Beijing for the first time in years. If you similarily seek screaming guitars and vocals, and seeing at least one man in school-boy shorts, then get yourself over to Yugong Yishan (map) on September 5 at 10 PM.

See also:

• Dirty deeds, Qingdao cheap
• Top five all-time Beijing live music venues: Dirty Deeds guitarist Kaiser Kuo

Couple about town 8 Songs and Ba Songs checked out new restaurant Mosaico (address below) during the weekend. Here is 8 Songs’ take:

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A little place in the new World City complex on Dongdaqiao, Mosaico offers a couple of tables outside, and a nicely decorated inside setting, with the tables far enough apart to allow for conversations not to be inadvertently shared.

The lighting was on the romantic, almost intimate side, which was quite nice for dinner for the two of us, but made it impossible to read the menus. Owner Raoul assured us he will be reprinting the menus, not adjusting the lighting.

Raoul told us he was born in the Canary Islands, and has been in China four years. He spoke quite good Chinese.

We stuck to a tapas meal, initially ordering four dishes, and later topping up with another two. For the two of us, that was a meal and a half. Once our eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, we were able to make out the food choices, but the wine list could only be read by going to the bar, where the lighting was brightest.

We started with garlic mushrooms. The mushrooms were perfectly “al dente“, or however it is said in Spanish, with the garlic not too overpowering. The cheese balls were naturally heavy, but full-flavoured. The Chorizo sausage arrived in Beijing inside checked-in bags directly from Spain in the last couple of days. They were served in a kind of blood sauce. The flavour wasn’t to my Chinese wife’s taste, but they reminded me of some excellent tapas I have had in my trips to Spain. The Parma ham “bruschetta” was delicious, with light freshly baked bread under some tasty ham and cheese.

Later we ordered the garlic prawns (okay, the menu said shrimp, but I refuse to use that word.) They were served in the same style as the garlic mushrooms, but the prawns were light and fresh. The chicken wings were simply delicious. We could have dined on them alone.

The meal was washed down with an excellent bottle of red. I didn’t know any of the wines. The wine list had bottles for as low as RMB138 and up to RMB900. Our bottle, a Convento Alroja, was a well-balanced, complex wine that went beautifully with the tapas. At a little over RMB300, it pushed our meal up to RMB477, but RMB28 to RMB38 for each of the tapas dishes was very good value.

Mosaico has only been open a couple of days. The owner told us he wants to get things running smoothly before he starts marketing, but based on our experience, it’s hard to see what he needs to fix. We suggested candles on the tables for an even more intimate mood; Raoul tells us they are coming. He also told us he is open for business lunches, with three courses and coffee for .

Definitely worth a try. We will be going again, next time for lunch.

(Note: You can find Mosaico at World City, No 10 Dongdaqiao / 8590-7006.)

Biteapitta, among the casualities when Super Bar Street bit the dust, is slated to reopen near the Australian and Canadian embassies in Sanlitun North. Owner Avi says the new Biteapitta, in the former A-Che (map) just down from Paddy O’Shea’s, will have a similar menu and be open in four to six weeks.

*This* is a coaster...

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This is part five in the Give a Crap series that covers what would happen in the bar scene if only people listened to me, me, me! (Previous reports are listed at bottom.)

33. Bars, clubs, and restaurants would not put paper napkins under glasses filled with cold beverages. Millions of experiments,  carried out daily by drinkers, show that such napkins stick to glasses and become an annoyance nearly equal to that of trailing a streamer of toilet paper from one’s heel. Solution? Put the glass on the table, sans napkin, or on reusable coasters with a non-stick coating – see above example from Blue Frog (map). But what if people take the coasters as souvenirs? Even better. How many places pay to get their logos into the hands of patrons? This is a cheap way of doing so…

34. People would refer to that main Sanlitun strip of neon-laden copycat bars with Chinese bands, overpriced beer, and touts out front as Erlitun, putting it a slot below the rest of Sanlitun, which is continually diversifying, with everything from fine dining to chuar on the street, from pricey cocktails to cheap shots, and plenty between. (Hat tip to The Village Grouch).

35. Le Petit Gourmand (map) would get more music. TODAY. A few days ago, I went there from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, and a CD was on its third play by the time I left. I returned from 8 PM to close, and listened to that same CD  the entire time. How can the staff not notice this? Yes, I could use headphones. Or Le Petit Gourmand could buy a clue along with a few dozen CDs. A perpetual problem – and one mentioned to me by other patrons – at a place that otherwise offers good food (both in terms of taste and value), comfortable enough seating, and ambiance. (This is on par with the banging door at The Bookworm that took more than a year to fix.)

36. Fubar (map) would fix that step right inside the “secret” door. That area is dark and, especially for newcomers, the drop off is hard to spot. I have stumbled over it, a friend has stumbled over it, and I have watched other patrons stumble over it. We already have had had a bar named Stumble Inn, we don’t need one that makes the situation literal.

37. As noted before, places such as Maison Boulud (map) and Agua (map) would drop service charges. I find it annoying to see a drink listed at, say, RMB62, and then find a RMB6.2 (10 percent) “service charge”, thereby raising the price to RMB68.2. Just list it on the menu as RMB68 or even RMB70. And for anyone who argues that the staff gets the service charge money, the establishment could simply given them 10 percent of revenue. (In any case, Maison Boulud already has a separate section on its bill for tips.)

38. If that Prima Taste / Swenson’s (map) spot that opened in the old Mare location doesn’t make it – and it has not been busy on my walks past – it would be transformed from its mall-shop-in-a-box look to, I don’t know, a tapas joint with a cozy vibe, excellent food, and a decent wine list. Oh, wait…

39. Bar employees would never, ever, in full view of patrons, clip their fingernails or hawk up loogies.

40. Not related to bars, but 7-ELEVEN would stop putting its bananas on trays with ridges. Hard edges bruise softening bananas.

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See also:
Give a Crap Report IV: Tun, Er, Hex, All-Star, Stadium, and more
Give a Crap Report III: This blog goes ballistic
Give a Crap Report II: Tun, Q, Maison Boulod, Press Club Bar, and more
Give a Crap Report I: Bookworm, Klubb Rouge, Maggie’s, All Star, Luga’s, and more

Hamming it up at The Vineyard

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I feel bad about The Vineyard Cafe (map). Not because the place is bad, but because I occasionally run into one its owners, Will Yorke, make a mental note to visit his place, and rarely make the trek to near Lama Temple to do so. Anyway, The Village Grouch is a regular, so we went yesterday for lunch. While most of my acquaintances talk about the weekend brunch, here are five other reasons I would go back.

Lunch special: The Village Grouch I both ordered the pizza-salad-drink combo for RMB60. I had a Caesar salad, which came with dressing on the side (I find some places have my lettuce swimming in the stuff), the thin-crust Parma ham and asparagus pizza (tasty but slightly too crispy for me, though The Village Grouch liked it), and a soda. Overall, decent value, and in an atmosphere that takes me away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Afternoon wireless: I parked on the sofa for several hours and had no problems with the connection. Even better, sodas and juices are priced at RMB10 and RMB12, lower than at other spots I frequent. There are also more than a dozen coffee options.

Mixed drinks: Some good value here, including Captain Morgan rum at RMB30, Bombay Sapphire gin at RMB35, Tanqueray 10 gin at RMB40, Hendrick’s gin at RMB50, and Grey Goose vodka at RMB50. The pours are 45 ml. There are also plenty of beer options, including Strong Suffolk Ale (RMB45), Leffe Blond (RMB35), Czech Budvar (RMB25), and Tsingtao (RMB18)

Wine list: It includes more than 70 choices, arranged by style (white still, red still, sparkling) and country, and prices start from Argentine Shiraz-Malbec  at RMB150, French Grenache at RMB175, and South African Chenin Blanc at RMB180. (Yorke says the best value at the moment, especially if you like Syrah, is the M. Chapoutier Les Becasses Cote-Rotie 2002 at RMB420.)

Wine promotions: An Alsace special that features Domaine Saint Remy wines started yesterday. The lineup includes a Sylvaner 2005 (RMB170 per bottle / RMB34 per glass), Pinot Blanc 2005 (RMB185 / RMB37), and Riesling 2005 (RMB195 / RMB39).

The Vineyard seating options include the main cafe area up front, a room in back that seats 20, and a courtyard in between them. This makes the place a good option for people organizing small parties or meetings.

Finally, while this spot does irk in some ways – a door that continually bangs, wooden chairs that are a bit uncomfortable, and a staff decision to clean and arrange the silverware (clang, clang, clang!) one meter from me me when I was the sole person there in the afternoon and they could have done the work elsewhere – I found it overall a pleasant place to have lunch and do some work. I’ll be back again soon, and plan to indulge in that wine list.

First up, some stops made last Wednesday night with Mr Brau:

LA Club (map): The outdoor area, with what I guess the generous might call a “beach“, sported a dozen men and two women seemingly intent on setting some kind of Guinness world record for boredom. Inside, the tightly arranged – oops, excuse me. oops, excuse me again – place held a sizable crowd, but one that seemed generally apathetic.

Scarlett wine bar at G Hotel (map): We decided to give Destinations a look, but found it closed, so we headed to Scarlett, and… found it closed. Fortunately, the barmen let us in to have two Coronas and we spent half an hour discussing with them the pros and cons of Gongti clubs and the merits of Zhongnanhai versus Derby cigarettes.  Comfy spot. (From what I remember, Scarlett has an all-you-can-eat pasta night, with wine, on Tuesdays for RMB148).

Note: As we walked to Scarlett, a ~50-year-old man – given his dress, I thought he was in the cardboard recycling sector – approached and yelled “gay sex, gay sex!” in lady bar tout style. As we walked back, we found him still there and giving the same spiel, but with a difference – he had his unit exposed and in hand. You don’t see that every day.

Workers Stadium West Gate: About 30 meters from this place, I sniffed… stinky tofu! It amazes me how few Taiwanese restaurants in Beijing lack this staple, but that you can buy a deep-fried smelly pile of it – complete with a wee too much MSG – for RMB5 here.

Latte (map): Already covered here.

More notes…

Crepanini (map): Still have not eaten here. I popped by Sunday, but apparently four minutes too late to try the “savory” side of the menu, which is not available after 11:30 PM in order to give the kitchen time to clean up. You can still get the “sweet.”

The Rickshaw (map): A visit here Sunday night reaffirmed my like of the Buffalo burger. The patty is large,the sauce is tasty, and the fries come with a sprinkle of seasoning. Decent value at RMB40. By the way, this place will be holding beer pong tournaments on Tuesdays as well as continuing its bingo nights on Thursdays.

Blue Frog (map): Visited for two-for-one burgers on Monday with The Village Grouch and he wished to opine. “They [members of the staff] smile. They are attentive. And they have a good command of English.” “The [regular] prices are still too high, which is why I stopped coming here a year ago. If they showed sports on the big screen, I would think about coming – I really enjoyed watching the Olympics here.” “The burger is very good. The burger at Union [next door] is one of the few burgers other than those at McDonald’s that I put ketchup on, usually because it’s too dry.” I had the veggie burger and found it sloppy and a bit bland, though the cilantro was a nice touch (I don’t know – maybe add more pickle to give this one more zip?).

As noted, the new branch of Tapas is open, while Kick in Tongli Studio is closed. Also, the openings along the base of Workers Stadium continue, as restaurant and bar Lux Me – at gate 23, I believe – is slated to launch sometime this week.

And notes from other bar-goers…

Fubar (map): Gal about town JP opines, “Actually not bad, but some of the drinks were a bit meh. Decent martinis but don’t order the mojitos. The hot dogs were really good.”

Xiu (map): The Village Grouch is becoming a regular here, though he had an unfortunate experience on Saturday night. In his words: “My friend ordered a Manhattan, I ordered a Tanqueray 10 and tonic. They made mine no big shakes, and it’s a very tasty drink, though they should fill the glass with tonic. I mean, how much does tonic cost? But for the price [RMB90], Fubar Tanqueray 10 and tonic at Fubar is much better value.

“My friend ordered a Manhattan, a key ingredient of which is bitters. They did not have bitters at the outdoor bar, so one bar guy goes to get it and we wait and wait and wait. The guy who went comes back and says to the other bar guy in Chinese, “We don’t have any, make the drink without it.” Both of us understand Chinese and said, “no way.” So then the second bartender goes himself and was able to find bitters. They did apologize. However, the length of time it took to make the drink resulted in it sitting in the shaker too long with the ice, so ultimately it was watery. All that for a drink that cost RMB70.” His friend – we’ll call him imagethief – described Xiu as “Black Sun service at five-star prices.”

Inn and out: Fun while it lasted...

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I can barely keep up to the changes within the limited groups of bars I frequent, let alone the scene as whole, and now comes news that The Stumble Inn is closed. Glenn Phelan, part of the duo behind the place, cites issues with the landlord as the reason. He adds that he and partner Shane O’Neill were able to get out their equipment and stock,  are looking for a new venue, and haven’t ruled out a return to Lucky Street.

Update: Well, duh. O’Neill of Stumble Inn sent out a Facebook message a day earlier announcing the closing. “Due to many unresolvable issues with our landlord, we have decided to close down the Stumble Inn for now…. Worry not, we’re already hard at work and will reopen in grand style before you know it….” I really have to clean out those 1100 messages in the in-box… (Hat tip to DM)

Tales abound of people who have had bags, laptops, cell phones, and whatnot stolen in the bars of Sanlitun, but here is one, from last night, with a twist.

I am in The Bookworm around midnight, among a handful of people left, and have my headphones on when I notice a woman who is quite upset and talking to the staff. I am in “the zone”, so I don’t clue into the conversation, and she leaves a few minutes later. Well, it happens.

Ten minutes later, she returns with a friend and several security guards. Well, *that* happens less often. I still have the headphones on but hear the word “camera” several times and figure that is what she lost / had stolen. After about ten minutes, they clear out.

More than an hour later, I leave and see the couple out front. Along with several police officers who are inspecting a car and putting tape on it. I walk down the steps, cross in front, and see damage on the trunk and one of the small windows in back has been smashed. Even someone as dense as me can sense something out of ordinary.

The couple tell me that someone broke into their car and stole a laptop. The car was locked and had an alarm. It was parked in the fairly well-lit area in front of The Bookworm. With a security guard station about 20 meters away. Apparently,  no one saw it happen. The woman told me the laptop contained a good deal of writing she had done.

I know the odds are low, but if you saw this  break-in last night and have information that would be useful, please let me know at beijingboyce (at) yahoo.com.

If you have recently visited Sanlitun Village and noticed more people than usual a) aimlessly wandering about while b) licking ice cream cones* and c) seemingly trapped in a hypnotic state that prevents them from looking directly ahead  in order to avoid ramming into fellow patrons, you might want to blame this…

As The [Sanlitun] Village Grouch said, “There goes the neighborhood.”

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* If the item in question is, as I suspect, the “vanilla reduced fat ice cream cone” as described on this page of the McDonald’s Web site, it contains the following. Ice cream: Milk, sugar, cream, nonfat milk solids, corn syrup solids, mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, dextrose, sodium citrate, artificial vanilla flavor, sodium phosphate, carrageenan, disodium phosphate, cellulose gum, vitamin A palmitate. Cone: Water, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), tapioca starch, corn starch, sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or cottonseed oil, leavening (baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate), salt, annatto (color), natural (plant source) and artificial flavor, caramel color, corn syrup, soy lecithin. And most likely a hint of limestone from the water used in the misters placed around the mall.