Zach Lewison, pre-tear...
Call me psychic, but when I saw a single tear trickle down the left cheek of Zach “The Knife” Lewison of Union Bar & Grille at last week’s Beijinger magazine restaurant awards, I sensed that maybe, just maybe, something was wrong. Perhaps, I thought, he cried that single tear — not two, not three, but one — because Union didn’t win anything for which is was nominated despite Lewison giving us some of the city’s tastiest American eats over the past year. Then again, maybe it was because a piece of that free cheese went down the wrong pipe. Whatever the case, and despite the humble status of this blog, I want to give him recognition in eight categories:
- Sandwiches: His Reuben ranks among the best sandwiches in Beijing (Lewsion should also get a nod from the world’s dairy boards for the amount of butter he uses).
- Chicken wings: Best buffalo sauce (that butter again).
- Brunch: Best eggs Benedict (since he uses Canadian bacon, can we rename them Ehggs Benedict?).
- Flexibility: Outstanding effort, after patron complained coffee was too weak, to make two batches of stronger brew and conduct taste test. Responded to customer suggestion to create a “kung pao chicken wings thingy” by whipping up several batches. Tests new bar snacks on customers, then fine-tunes the recipes, before they go on the menu. Etc.
- IT: Special award for emerging from the kitchen dozens of times to reset the wireless when it malfunctioned and, in one case, phoning HQ in Hong Kong several times when the satellite signal went down and management was not on hand that day–all of this is “above and beyond” effort that keeps customers happy.
- Customer relations: Good interaction with patrons, aided by having the best repository of stories about the Chicken Koop in Jacksonville, Florida.
- Facial hair: Ranks in top five among Beijing chefs for Miami Vice-like stubble.
- Overall: Special mention for good attitude, hard work, sense of humor, pouring coffee and taking orders when service staff are nowhere to be found, and dispensing an impressive amount of knowledge about U.S. microbreweries.
Handy with all kinds of drumsticks
Union was my new favorite restaurant in Beijing before this post and still is. Thank you for bringing balance to the force.
Amen Mr. Boyce , I am damn glad to have Chef Zach playing for our team , well done!~
I don’t know Boyce, I have been to Union a few times now and with the exception of the eggs benny, I have not been impressed. They were tasty but were small by portion and I felt I needed to order a side of sausage to feel full.
I tried the Reuben and I thought it was bland and soggy. My wife had pancakes I think and she was not really impressed either. Each to their own for sure but I don’t get the hype. Union is expensive for the mediocre food. Service was fine though. I was not wowed by it but its a good sign that I didn’t notice it either way.. like a good stay at home defensemen.
@ Charles,
And it got even better for sports fans with all those screens.
Cheers, boyce
@Boyce
I didn’t even know the place existed before I saw the glow of those screens. “New” for me is a relative term in this case.
Tried the reuben the other day. Is good. And they seated me at about 10 minutes before close, which I was grateful for. Three Thumbs Up!
I have eaten there once a week for over a year, even pre cooking with gas, and had almost everything on the menu more than once- I have also eaten plenty of american food in America and for me this is the best American food in Beijing, if that still makes sense.
Some of the better hotels can put on a good spread but then your paying more plus that ridiculous 15% along with the atmosphere of a funeral (unless your into muzak & waterfalls)
American food is seen as being comfort food with is basic in nature-we can all make a toasted sandwich, cheezburger or an omelette. Bit like Italian food. The challenge is to make each dish authentically 365 days a year. It’s this attention to detail & consistent execution that seperates this place from Grandmas Kitchen and Annies (which are not authentic American menus)
GUSH !!
Jim you seem besmitten of this guy!
The chef who never spends any time in his kitchen and seems to spend most of his time hanging out at the bar gazing dolefully into your eyes.
Knowing Zach extremely well, I can say watch out. He is a perfectionist and enjoys his art in a highly professional manner as well as in the pure fun he derives from people really enjoying the experience. Plus, he is an exceptional team player and will create a dynamic staff with time. They will share equally with his success as a result. He and they will constantly work on correcting less than desireable results. So for now, a job very well started in less than two years running. See you soon…Uncle Chip
@ Jeremy,
Besmitten? I simply like *some* of the food at Union — wings, eggs b, reuben — and am happy that, especially in the early days before the full staff was on board, someone was willing to fix the wireless. That’s key for me, because I usually hang out for a while after lunch to do some work and need that connection.
Cheers, Boyce