Beijing Boyce

Update: The Goose and Duck (map) will also show the Canada-US Olympic gold medal hockey game tonight / this morning at 4 AM, says a staff member there. I couldn’t really understand what The Den was telling me over the phone, but it sounded like they would show a replay of the game later in the morning. I am still waiting to hear if Paddy O’Shea’s will show the game. And for those who would rather stay home, T-Metz reports that CCTV will be showing the game live. <– Trying to double-confirm this. <– Very unclear if CCTV5 is showing part or all of the game, or highlights, given its program listings. Best bet is to head to the Irish Volunteer or Goose and Duck.

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Olympic hockey fans: Good times at The Irish Volunteer (map) today with all four men’s quarterfinal hockey games, though the various slingbox feeds meant French commentary at some times, English commentary at others. There were about 30 people for the Canada-Russia game, most of them hailing from The Great White North and thus happy with the 7-3 score that prevented the entire nation from having to go into therapy. Clear signal, good vibe, breakfast for RMB35. Here are upcoming games that will be shown (I’ll add any updates to this post).

Women’s gold medal game
Canada-United States, Friday, 7:30 AM

Men’s semifinal game
Canada-Slovakia, Saturday, 10:30 AM

Men’s gold medal game
Teams to be determined, Monday, 4 AM

While the growing choice of single malts, vodkas, and gins is evident in Beijing, it is also interesting to see more rum brands — Ichikura and Q Bar are among those with modest but decent selections. Two other rums recently spotted:

Moleca, which is carried by wine importer and distributor East Meets West. Yes, I know this is cachaca, but I am including it here anyway.

Tonga Island Rum, at Q Bar and Fubar, among other spots. This is pricey stuff and, in a quick taste test at Fubar, I thought the Havana 3-year-old rum tasted better. Nice bottle, though, which is not surprising since it comes from Branded Spirits, the same company behind Ice Fox vodka, Corralego tequila, Hana gin (so perfumed you might want to dab some behind your ears), and other alcohols popping up around town.

It’s margarita madness every Monday at the Saddle Cantina, with a handful of flavors–lime, strawberry, mango, and more–at half-price. The same deal applies to the fajitas.

If you haven’t tried it yet, the “Mexican pizza”, created by chef Luis and recommended by manager Gordon, is a decent Tex-Mex option at RMB45–try it with the Chipotle sauce.

Look for Saddle Cantina to soon launch a RMB33 lunch special.

Just a quick note that Paddy O’Shea’s will show the Canada-United States hockey game tomorrow morning. The puck drops at 8:40 AM. Proprietor Karl “Who’s Your Paddy?” Long says the doors will open at 8 AM and breakfast will be available after 9 AM. The Irish Volunteer will also be showing the game, with the doors open at 8 AM, according to an SMS from co-owner George “Hat Trick” Smith.

Union of the shake: Ready-to-mix cocktails

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Remember about a year ago when you could go Union Bar & Grille for brunch and plop down at your favorite table for a few hours of nibbling eggs Benedict and guzzling bottomless iced tea? These days, you are lucky to get your favorite table, or sometimes any table, the most recent example being last night when all of them were occupied. The consistently tasty food (I’m a big fan of the chicken wings and Reuben sandwich), new TV system (about 70 people plunked down RMB120 for breakfast during the Super Bowl alone), happy hour (you won’t find a cheaper pint of Guinness than the RMB25 one here), and cozy atmosphere have made this place increasingly busy, though the service still needs some work.

In any case, look for a few new additions. The southern fried chicken special will return in March, says chef Zach Lewison. That month will also see the launch of a new bar snacks menu, including several kinds of pizza and a huge nachos platter. And bar man Andy Bright is already working on some signature cocktails for when the weather gets warmer — all of them will be layered. “You mix them together for the perfect union,” he says.

The list of reasons for going to Houhai is pretty short: it includes to go skating in the winter, to go for a boat ride in the summer, to hang out in bars that instill appreciation for what we have elsewhere in the city, and to buy a laser pointer — the touts will demonstrate it by shining the light into your eyes free of charge and before you even ask.

Among the positive items: to head up one of the side streets to visit La Baie des Anges (map). I have always enjoyed this modest spot and its cozy seating, friendly staff and owners, decent wine list, and generally fun clientele. I’ll also remember it for refueling Nicolas Carre and me five hours into our Olympic opening ceremony pub crawl.

Now, word has it this place, just up from Hutong Pizza, is for sale.  La Baie des Anges has been closed for the past few weeks, but do not despair if you hope to squeeze in some visits before it is sold — it will reopen at the start of March.

See also this interview I did last year with La Baie des Anges co-owner Olivier Six.

Fueled up and ready to go.

A colorful view for diners at Room.

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Progress continues on Room, the Brian McKenna project in the Yintai Centre, slated to open at the end of March. The layout is finished and most of the kitchen equipment installed. I visited last week to see the mural-in-progress designed by Hugo Dalton: it will extend from the dining room to the entrance. The idea is to merge organic and industrial themes.

Room also plans to have three rotating artists — one from China, one from the rest of Asia, and one from the rest of the world — to create art work in other areas. The photos below were taken late last week during a tour with PR head Shannon Aitken.

Plant stem meets cable snaps...

The annual fireworks show at Workers Stadium looked like a no-go last night. Clubs along the stadium fringe usually regularly launch rockets for hours but last night the bulk of explosions came during the hour surrounding midnight when the place went ballistic. Here are a few shots — and, yeah, I realize they are a bit blurry.

The view west across Workers Stadium near midnight. The club zone is on the right and shelled out to entertain the Chivas and green tea crowd.

Another shot west: the fireworks at left come courtesy of building management, which bounces fragments off our windows each year.

The view toward Workers Stadium North. The green spotlight is at the new ice rink in front of A-Hotel, with relatively new club Hei Hei in the background.

They seem unable to fix our building's door but give these guys credit for blowing stuff up, though I didn't seeing anyone playing "let's see who can hang on to a lit firecracker the longest" this year.

That white line is a firework hurtling sideways because, well, I'm not sure, but maybe a box of exploding rockets got knocked over. It looks like it might make it to Buffalo or, with a good wind, Stadium Dog.

Happy New Year!

Two days I very much enjoy in Beijing are Halloween and the first night of Chinese New Year. The only thing to surpass it would be a night where people dressed like idiots and blew stuff up. In any case, for those who can’t get out tonight or who are off on holidays, click the photo below for a two-minute fireworks display that plays out across the Beijing skyline. (Um, I just realized that I put this on Youtube last year, when the site was available, so you will need a VPN. I’ll migrate this video to another hosting site later — I’m off to have some fun.)

See also: Let the fireworks begin (2007); I got your Olympics opening act! (2006)

Better than you think...

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I tried the Baiju Cocktail at laid-back Sanlitun hangout Second Floor last week, have introduced it to a half-dozen friends, and found the general verdict is: not bad. I mean, the (literal) gut reaction to the word “baijiu” is typically not positive, but bar man Ah Jian has subdued the more intense flavors and smells of this spirit by blending erguotou with Amarula, Kahlua, Bols Brown Cacao, and cream. The baijiu only comes through near the finish, at the back of your throat, something I consider a built-in warning signal to go easy on this one.

Also of note, bartender Pat is shaking and stirring on Tuesdays at Tryst. (He learned the craft while a student at Edinborough.) We enjoyed several of his  concoctions, including a French Martini, an Espresso Martini, and an Old-Fashioned. I also tried an unnamed one that included a muddled kiwi, lemon and apple juice, sugar, and Bourbon: suh-mooth.

Bourbons such as Maker’s Mark and Woodford Reserve are  relatively rare in the Sanlitun North bar street area but tiny Tryst bar has both. Excellent tipples if you plan to leave some wit and/or wisdom on the bar-top typewriter — owner Shaun already has dozens of pages of patron key-punching and is not averse to giving a reading of the better stuff. He adds that Tuesday is the best night to visit for cocktail fans. As for the Bourbon, it’s RMB40 per serving for Maker’s and RMB60 for the Woodford.

Socket to me...

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So, I just bought a new cord for my computer and one of the prongs is round and that generally makes it harder to find an outlet at restaurants, cafes, and bars. Just how hard is it? Less a matter of hardware and more a matter of the staff making an effort…

Goose and Duck: The waitress looked at my plug, then at the nearest outlet. No fit. She looked at the outlets on either side of that initial outlet. No fit. Her verdict: They had no outlets that could fit my plug. I then walked around the bar and within one minute found an extension cord with two outlets that fit. (The waitress otherwise did a good job.)

Kro’s Nest: Pretty much the same process. A waiter looked at my plug, then at a few outlets, and told me they had none that fit. I looked around and could not find any, either. Then I mentioned that on my last visit, there was an extension cord. He said he didn’t know where it was. I  kept mentioning the extension cord and he eventually reached beneath the counter, felt around, and brought out a box that contained several adapters, including one that fit my plug. (The staff otherwise made its usual near-minimal effort.)

Salud: I wanted to quickly check my email and saw that none of the outlets nearby would fit my plug. The guy behind the bar — Ah Hui — and I looked around to no avail. Then he checked near the DJ booth and found a socket that worked. I had to move my computer near the door so the cord would reach the outlet, but it didn’t matter since I only needed to use it for a few minutes.

The result: The staff at all three places could have found an outlet that fit, but only one guy–and the one at the place where people are least likely to pull out a laptop–made that little bit of extra effort to do so. And that’s usually all it takes: A little bit of extra effort.

Yes, those pompoms are real.

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I heard many people wonder this past week whether Luga’s Villa would — as advertised — have NFL cheerleaders at its Super Bowl party. Not just cheerleaders, mind you, but 100-percent real live genuine authentic NFL ones issued with ISO-9000 approved pompoms. It did.

The interesting thing is the cheerleaders wore little and were attractive but — contrary to a week’s worth of wink-wink comments — they and their routine came off less as sexy and more as wholesome. Good fun. As one person said, “This feels so apple pie.” As another added, “Forget the beer, give me a glass of milk.” Then again, looking at those abs, I best pass on the pie and milk for crunchies. Perhaps while watching “Bring It On“…

Give me an L-U-G-A!

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From NFL cheerleaders to padlocks, from buffet breakfasts to lost signals, this year’s Super Bowl party lineup had no shortage of ups and down. Even better, it drew a much larger turnout than last year. A quick look at spots visited…

Touchdowns

The Den: Good crowds upstairs and downstairs, a solid RMB50 breakfast buffet, and efficient drink delivery made it a winner again. RMB25 for Aussie beers like James Boag’s is one of the better regular prices in town.

Goose and Duck: A good, if lighter, turnout than last year, with a breakfast buffet early on and a BBQ outside. This place gets grungier by the month, but still delivers for sports fans, though there were complaints about the coffee (solution: drink beer).

Paddy O’Shea’s: Almost every table full for the biggest event on Ireland’s annual sports schedule.

Surprise plays

Luga’s Villa: Who dat in Luga’s? Four New England Patriots cheerleaders. This might seem like a somewhat grungy spot for the American Chamber of Commerce to do its Super Bowl party but the combination of NFL China, the cheerleaders, and more than 150 attendees made it work.

Union: Despite having the priciest breakfast, at RMB120, Union drew about 70 people and showed off the new TV system. Another stride toward it becoming a good high-end spot to catch sports.

Field goals

Hooters: A modest crowd, with about 30 people at 7:40 AM. With waitresses that double as cheerleaders, this was a decent choice for those who wanted Chinese commentary.

Fumbles

Blue Frog: Problems with its signal in the second quarter. Been there, done that; you just have to move on and get it right next time.

Pavillion: This place is a comfy spot to watch a game, but a turnout of less than a dozen patrons suggests more marketing is needed.

Missed the team bus

Danger Doyle’s: Just like last year, when it went by the name Stadium, the doors were locked. Despite a year that saw it gain credibility, the departure of Glenn Phelan seems to have the place back to square one or, to use football terminology, stuck deep in its own end.

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Some notes from people who watched the game at other bars:

All-Star: “Small crowd and limited food” said EP in an SMS.

Tim’s: The first floor was packed, said D. Lish.

Irish Volunteer: About 15 people, said KL, which means “half full.”

The Super What?

The Den: two-thirds full downstairs (and almost full upstairs, says one fan on 2F), with buffet breakfast at RMB50; unsophisticated “tagging” procedure involves writing on your hand in magic marker to show you paid (doesn’t the fact that I got by the guard evidence of that)
Hooters: Modest crowd, Chinese commentary
Danger Doyle’s: Just like last year, this place is closed. Despite its brief blooming, the marketing efforts have come full circle.
Pavillion: Light crowd, English commentary
Union: The Village Grouch said there were already ~50 people there are 7:50
Goose n Duck: China Sports Today’s M. Rauch says there is a decent crowd; free breakfast, pricey coffee
Tim’s: D. L. says there are “quite a few” people

The snap closing of The Rickshaw last weekend sans farewell party has me thinking that perhaps I can kill two birds with one stone patronize two places with one drink. Today is the monthly Cinco de Drinko event at The Saddle Cantina, which means half-price beverages until midnight, and since that bottom floor looks a lot like The Rickshaw, this might be a good way to hoist a few and say goodbye to a spot  for which many bar-goers have fond memories.

Biteapitta fans: your wait is nearly over. Among the restaurants that closed when Super Bar Street got super chai’d last summer, Biteapitta will open in Tongli Studio next Wednesday, says owner Avi Shabtai. He gave me a quick tour of  his new place on the second floor, next to Cheers and a floor below Le Petit Gourmand. The kitchen is finished and the chairs and tables will arrive tomorrow, he says, though the finishing touches will come after Chinese New Year since some of the construction workers are already on vacation. Fair enough: I want my hummus, baba ganoush, and falafel sooner rather than later.

Expect to find a light and airy space–think white and blond woods–with seating for about 60. This includes about 15 spaces at a countertop along the windows–there are a dozen sockets spaced evenly along this strip for those who want to bring a laptop, grab something to eat and drink, and do some work with a view of Sanlitun below.

Ich bin ein Saluder...

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If you are among the small but growing number of people using foursquare.com in Beijing, you know that the basic idea is to “check in” to bars and restaurants to let people on your “friends” list know where you are. Thinking of going to Mao Mao Chong? Maybe knowing three friends are there might help to make up your mind. On top of this, the person who checks in the most times at a given spot is deemed to be its foursquare “mayor”.

This is irrelevant to most bars and restaurants because, at this early stage, they do not know what foursquare is about. But what if they did? What if we lived in a  world of lollipop smiles and rainbow hugs, and they not only knew about foursquare, but they cared. In that case, since I am the mayor of 28 places, I would make the following motions that…

• Aperitivo discover iTunes and stop repeatedly playing those free Suzie Wong CDs;
• Apothecary drop its 5 percent service charge and, if it wants to reward its employees, simply give them a cut of revenue even if it means raising prices;
• Blue Frog do something to “lighten up” the fries — maybe it is just me, but I find them a bit heavy;
• Cafe Europa fix its wireless system — good food, good wine, but if I want to get online, this place becomes a no-go;
• D Lounge bury that glass-enclosed skeletal “art” — I don’t want to look at exposed eyeballs while sipping an olive-garnished martini;
• Dalyan Turkish Restaurant consider whether one belly dancer is really enough;
• Danger Doyle’s drop its prices on bottled Aussie beer by at least half — not a good business model to charge RMB65 for a VB when I can get one for RMB25 at a bar 100 meters away;
• Double Coffee Sanlitun, well, this place is closed, so let it rest in peace;
• Grandmas Kitchen in SOHO install a decibel meter that goes off when the sometimes noisy kitchen staff hits a certain volume;
• Hao Shi Lai Bakery make more items that do not include meat floss or sausage-looking substances;
• Ibn Battouta Moroccan Restaurant get some beer from the homeland — I hear Dxcel will soon start to import a Moroccan brew;
• Le Petit Gourmand increase its temperature, even if that means getting some oil drums and starting fires in them, because it’s bloody cold in this place.
• Le Zazou put proper pours in its mixed drinks;
• Luga’s Villa spruce up its toilets;
• McDonald’s Sanlitun Village tape the biligual menus to the counter so I can think about what I want to order while I’m in line and thus save time for everyone;
• Olas de Mare fix its wireless sytem — “use Cold Stone’s” is not a long-term solution;
• Q Bar drop the price of its martinis and margaritas to RMB50 — yes, two-for-one martini Wednesday is nice but it would be nice to have something to look forward to on any given day;
• Salud Sanlitun add coat hooks below the bar lip;
• SPR Coffee on Sanlitun South start selling sandwiches;
• Stadium Dog pull the weenies off the cooker when they get dehydrated enough to look like chew toys;
• Starbucks at Sanlitun Village, well, actually I meant to check in at The Village;
• The Bookworm taser any patron who holds long loud phone conversations or cranks laptop volume while watching a video;
• The Den never ever try to charge separately for gin and for tonic when someone orders a gin AND tonic;
• Time Cafe opens a branch in Sanlitun;
• Tour Les Jours changes the Korean music video rotation more frequently;
• Tun also spruce up its toilets;
• Union Bar and Grille open earlier next year for Monday Night Football games;
• Vineyard Wine Experience have a wine fair of all the grape varieties they have available.

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What makes a strong drink at Twilight so appealing is that you truly need one after navigating that SNAFU known as Jianwai Soho to get there. The continued lack of prominent signage at Chez Legoland amazes me, especially since the powers-that-be decided it smart to have a villa number 5 and a building number five — the bar is in the former. But take it from me:  forget finding a method to this madness and instead look for the Jenny Lou’s. Twilight is directly across from it, on the third floor.

Twilight encircles a stairwell and provides 360 degrees of drinking space with eight small tables, a bar that seats ten, and a private room. The decor is done in chocolate and off-white, giving it a pleasant subdued vibe —  it is brighter than spots such as Glen and Ichikura, dimmer than Apothecary.

I had a Smoky Martini which includes absinthe and single malt (Laphroig, I believe), and an olive stuffed with anchovies, Italian sausage, onions, and spices that had been stir-fried and then marinated in herb-infused brine — fancy stuff. This potent drink has an aroma of smoke and iodine, so much so it should come with a bandage as garnish (drum roll). I liked it.

I next tried a Saigon Mistress, a cocktail that includes Hendrick’s gin, green Chartreuse, ginger ale, and cucumber. My notes say, “refreshingly herbal” and “tastes like green,” and that Mr Hao said, “smells summer-y.” Frankly, I think I was still feeling that Smoky Martini.

Mr Hao and Ms Hao gave thumbs ups to the Sazerac, Apricot Old-Fashioned, and other drinks they tried.

Most of the drinks cost RMB60, though it is RMB20 off during happy hour, from 6 PM and 8 PM. And unlike some cocktail joints in town, there is neither service charge nor sitdown fee. Given the difficulty of getting a taxi immediately after work in Jianwai Soho, this is a decent option to relieve a long day of stress.

By the way, Twilight has eight kinds of pizza, including one with potato, at ~RMB60, and about a half-dozen bar snacks. The figs with whisky syrup and Camembert (RMB30) are a rich treat, though I wonder if a more pungent cheese might work better.

Twilight is open 11:30 AM to 2 PM and 6 PM to 2 AM daily, except for Sunday.

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I had insomnia last night, which is good, because I caught up on some work, and bad, because I needed extra juice today and that meant coffee. Unfortunately, the city seemed to conspire against my mission to have both caffeine and wireless, thus the journey to java took an all-too-long route…

Union Bar & Grille: When the history of twenty-first century Beijing is written, this place may end up with a special mention for the biggest gap between service on one hand and atmosphere, comfort, and quality food on the other — a kind of “the valley is low, the mountain is high” thing.*

I walked in, plunked down beside an acquaintance, plugged in the laptop, and, after waiting ten minutes, wondered if anyone would ever come over and take my order. My acquaintance had finished his coffee and needed a refill.

In the interest of research, we decided to wait it out. Fifteen minutes: nope. Twenty minutes: nope. I mean, there were employees present, on the other side of the restaurant– polishing glasses, having hushed discussions, gazing out the window–but it seemed as though our side was off limits. After twenty-five minutes, I decided, free refills or no free refills, it was best to move on to…

Blue Frog: Which I discovered was closed today until 5:30 PM for a special event. Fair enough. Since Double Coffee is now closed, and had spotty wireless during its last weeks anyway, I headed to…

Muse: “Hi, do you have coffee?” I asked as I entered. “Yes,” said a woman  I took to be a manager as she pointed toward where I might sit. “Great,” I said. Not seeing any outlets, I asked, “Is there any place I can plug in my laptop?” “No,” said a waittress. “Really? There isn’t one plug in this whole place?” I asked. “No,” confirmed the manager. Maybe that helps why the place was empty. Anyway, I next headed to…

Le Petit Gourmand:  I walked in, plunked down across from an acquintance, plugged in the laptop, and, after waiting ten minutes… wait, this sounds familiar. Except this time, the staff gave me a menu, I ordered a coffee, and a few minutes had my first sip. Even though we had to endure a visit from “The Whistler” — this is a guy that sometimes comes to LPG where he proceeds to whistle off-key to every song and on occasion pound the table as though it were a pair of bongo drums–I had my earphones and, more importantly, at long last a coffee…

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*People ask why I keep frequenting Union given I often write about the spotty service. It is because I like the seating, the food (especially the wings, Reuben, and eggs Benedict), the new TV screens, the free coffee and iced tea refills, and talking to Andy at the bar. I also like the employees in general–I simply wish they would take my order and bring me cutlery.