Beijing Boyce

New Zealanders Jade Gray, known for his role in Pyro Pizza in Wudaokou, and John O’Loghlen, whose resume includes a stint with Domino’s Pizza, are teaming up to launch Gung Ho Pizza in the China View complex on Workers Stadium East Road.

Gung Ho is slated to open July 8 in the former Alba Italian restaurant space with a month-long buy one, get one free promotion. Given the modest amount of seating, look for delivery to drive this business, with a dozen electric vehicles already on site and decorated with the Gung Ho brand. Large pizzas will range in price from RMB55 to RMB95 on a menu that will include pastas and salads.

According to an email from Rich Akers, who is handling marketing, we can expect, “a delivery experience offering 10 signature gourmet pizzas, available with plain and whole-meal bases, using the freshest ingredients, a bunch of New Zealand mozzarella, and offering a handful of homemade spinach pastas and knock-out salads. Throw in some classic New Zealand red and white vino, micro brews and a range of freshly squeezed fruit juices and you have Gung Ho Pizza.”

The email describes how Gray and O’Loghlen went on a quest to the eastern U.S., the Mediterranean, and even Sweden “in search of the perfect pizza“, and eventually found it only after a return home: “They wound up on Waiheke pretty happy with the Pinot Gris and oysters and had a Gung Ho Moment… Artisanal food, simple ingredients, cheeky fusion, use what you’ve got, keep it healthy and hearty; they had found their perfect slice at a ‘Pizzeria Shack‘ on the side of the road next to another idyllic Kiwi beach.”

Back in Beijing, they worked with ex-Orchard, Element Fresh, Kro’s Nest, etc chef Jeffrey Powell on the recipes and nine months later the place is almost ready to go. Local pie competitors include specialists The Tree, La Pizza, and The Kro’s Nest, as well as spots such as The Den, Danger Doyle’s, L’Isola, and Bella.

George’s will have its formal opening tonight in the southwestern corner of Workers Stadium across from Le Quai. The bar is the newest project of George Zhou, former co-owner of Q Bar, and will offer a select menu of free drinks tonight, including rum cokes, gin tonics, mango mashes, passion fruit mojitos, sparkling wine, and a shooter apparently called the G Shot, from 8:30 PM to midnight. This place is dangerously close to my apartment and I have already visited a handful of times to enjoy the blend of tasty drinks, comfy seats, and calming decor.

DJ Chunky, apparently answering to DJ Socceroo during the World Cup, made the rounds last night as four crucial games kicked off. Here is his wrap up…

“Paddy O’Shea’s: Jam packed inside; a lot of England jerseys on display with about 30 people out front.

“Luga’s: Big crowd out front enjoying the England game with the U.S. game on inside with a sizable following. No sign of Luga but with that many people around you’d need a search party to track down the diminutive guv’nor.

“3.3: They have set up back-to-back screens on the sidewalk and had a good number enjoying both matches, probably at the expense of Poachers, which had a handful indoors watching the England game

“Saddle Cantina: Big crowd with the U.S. game projected on the Nali Patio wall. As with the Olympics, this venue offers the best screen in town for watching major events on a deck with a frozen drink in your hand.

“Nali Patio: Yep, they too had the game on a big screen in the central arcade, with a light crowd. If you want to get a table outdoors with a good view of the action during big games, this is your best bet. You also have your pick of a range of decent dining options.

“Union: Packed with a big U.S. crowd. Andy the manager is a happy camper now that England made the cut.

“Tun: Empty with a few people on the patio.

“Nanjie: Also empty and with the game on indoors as well.

“The Den: Packed with the usual suspects.

“Hooters: Busy with a local crowd and the U.S. game on most of the tellys. At least the customers knew where to look for a change.

“Danger Doyles: Empty downstairs. This place has all the right stuff to be a top sports venue but it hasn’t built the necessary following that its neighbor The Den has.

“George’s: Still in soft open mode so it is under the radar for now. U.S. game on a big screen with a light crowd. Definitely a new venue worth checking out, it’s about three doors down from Fubar, with the same emphasis on quality drinks and service.

Venues that have a big US and UK following, like Paddy’s, Union, and Luga’s, will be happy with last night’s results. Sadly for the Beijing Billabong, Australia’s run has ended, so it’s time to throw our lot in with the Old Dart (if the Kiwis don’t prevail tonight that is, of course). And yes, they have the Ashes and yes they populated our country with all its undesirables back in the day, but how nice would it be if they stopped whinging?

After today, I should have a list of some good inexpensive wines available in Beijing. I’m spending most of it at Maison Boulud, helping with the Grape Wall Challenge, an annual wine tasting organized by contributors to sibling blog Grape Wall of China.

The idea is to let Chinese consumers participate as wine judges, both to provide insights into their preferences and to give them confidence in tasting, since many people are intimidated by wine. Like most wine sold in China, all of the bottles in the challenge retail for less than RMB100. They are tasted blind, with the labels only revealed afterwards, and the judges  only have four scoring options: “I love it,” “I like it,” “I don’t like it”, and “I hate it”.

This year, the challenge has 39 wines, including 21 red wines and 18 white wines, and they come from the biggest distributors to smaller operations: ASC, Aussino, CMP (Chateau Medoc Paris), DT Asia, East Meets West, Enoteca, French Wine Paradox, Globus, Links, Sea & Sun, Summergate, Top Cellar, and Torres. The wines are from seven countries, including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa, and Spain, and cover nearly 20 kinds of grapes, from Merlot to Malbec, Chardonnay to Viognier, Chenin Blanc to Tempranillo.

I’ll soon have details on which wines the judges liked and where you can get them.

Yeah, these updates come from Sunday, but if the French team can skip practice and mope on a bus, then I can take some time off, no? Places visited…

Pre-game

Souk: What do you want first, the bad news or the good news? Let’s go with the bad news. It looks like more than two-thirds of the dozens of bottled beers listed on the menu are no longer available. There was no Yanjing dark draft. And Corona has been replaced by Sol at five kuai more per bottle – doesn’t it usually work the other way around? The menus themselves are beat up, with running text, and the sofa we used sagged and creaked as if it were on the point of collapse.

The good news: The patio near the door looks like a good spot to catch a match or two, though if you want to save the frustration of hearing “we don’t have that” you best stick to common brew such as Heineken and Tiger or to Tsingtao pints at RMB20. And the place does have two large screens and several smaller ones inside, a certain rough charm, and a staff that seems nice enough if not particularly efficient.

Paraguay 2, Slovakia 0

Parkside Bar & Grill: A light crowd inside, a heavier one outside. Matches come with English-language commentary that, similar to other places, was about a half-dozen seconds behind the video. There are several large screens inside and an even bigger one on the deck.

I caught the tail end of happy hour: Samual Adams is RMB20 per bottle. And I tried the club sandwich (RMB48): Tasty, though it looked diminutive on that big plate (maybe a garnish would help). I found the fries too heavy and that tiny bowl of ketchup far from enough. And the ghost of poor service seems to be following chef Zach Lewison, who recently came from Union, where the staff have long seemed averse to providing silverware. The Parkside staff forgot it, too.

Pine Hill: Next door to Parkside, it has Korean-language commentary for the World Cup games, just in case you like Hangul with your bibimbap.

Rosedale Hotel: The beer garden has brew from RMB13, plus chuar and other typical drinking fare.

Between games

Frank’s Place: About a dozen people on hand, though it was between games. Manager Vish said a large group of Brazilians were booked for the late game.

Lido Hotel: What distinguishes this beer garden from the one at Rosedale Hotel? For one thing, the fruit plates on display are much fancier.

New Zealand 1, Italy 1

Eudora Station: Again, the biggest draw in Lido with 100-plus people on the patio watching the matches (Chinese-language commentary), more than all of the other none beer-garden spots I visited put together. About 20 to 30 people camped inside to take advantage of the air-con.

Irish Volunteer: About a dozen people on hand, meaning it was almost half-full.

Café Del Mar: The Tsingtao is RMB15, apparently the Filipino band is good, the food passing by looked OK, there were three screens showing the World Cup, and, this may be a downside or an upside depending on how you view such things, a couple of women seemed intent that I would “spend some time” with them.

Aperitivo: As expected, the Italians were out in force to watch their team manage a draw against New Zealand, a disappointment especially since the team laundry bill will be massive given how much time the players spent rolling about. This place has a decent Sicilian red (Nero D’Avola) at RMB38 per glass, though it looked like most people were content with the Aperol-based cocktails.

… that every open mic night and every gig by a singer/guitarist has to include this song? Yes, it is a nice tune and it does make the singer look deep / sensitive and thus perhaps increase the odds of later action. But it is starting to seem mandatory, with only a few people in recent memory defying what feels like orders from above. I mean, can’t someone do “Mr Roboto“ once in a while, or, if it is to be Leonard Cohen, a song — and I know it wouldn’t be easy solo — such as “Closing Time“?

Update: Parkside informs that the two screens inside can be split between games as well.

Several people have asked where they can simultaneously watch two World Cup matches in Beijing. For example, both the crucial Slovenia-England and United States-Algeria matches are at 10 PM on Wednesday. One place that will provide dual coverage is Paddy O’Shea’s, which will be able to show the Slovenia-England match, with commentary, on its handful of screens downstairs, with one screen dedicated to the United States-Algeria match, and then do the opposite upstairs. I will provide an update if I learn of other places doing this.

-

The China Doll story continues on Wednesday night in Sanlitun’s 3.3 Building as Ai Wan reprises her leading role. The fourth and latest installment comes on the heels of:

• China Doll 1.0 in Tongli Studio, which opened in late December 2006 in the space that is now home to The Apartment, Bananafish, Bambu, and, until it closed on Saturday night, White Rabbit, and which saw Ai Wan leave less than a year later;
• China Doll 2.0, which marked her return when it opened just ahead of the Olympics on the fifth floor of the 3.3 building, only to see her again leave — and the place close, for that matter — less than a year later;
• China Doll 2.1, which then opened in about half that previous 3.3 space, was kind of grungy, and didn’t last long, closing last year.

What makes the fourth installment somewhat a surprise is that relations between Ai Wan and at least some investors have been at times far from cordial (think Megan Fox-Michael Bay). On the other hand, it is hard to see how this brand could rise again without her involvement.

The newest China Doll includes both that fifth floor space and a rooftop deck I would estimate at more than one thousand square meters. Last night, the downstairs looked almost ready to go — expect the slightly risque edge of previous China Dolls — while up top workers were busy nailing floorboards and the beginnings of a four-sided bar could be seen. The latter might not seem to bode well for a mid-week launch, then again, George’s had no flooring, furniture, or booze four days before its recent opening, and somehow the job got done.

There is some kind of VIP thing at 8 PM, with the place open to everyone at 9 PM, which might make this a good stop for those down in Sanlitun for that superb lineup of Wednesday night World Cup matches.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in coming months. I imagine China Doll will grab some customers from Punk and, if the deck is nice enough, Q Bar, among others, but enough to fill that much space? Tough call in an increasingly crowded Sanlitun field. But one thing I hope is that the crappy drinks, at least post Tongli, at this place are a thing of the past.

-

See also: She’s back: China Doll to reopen with rooftop deck

I gave the World Cup a red card after the Japan-Cameroon game for boring the life out of me. After a few days off, I got back to watching matches this weekend. Places visited…

Friday night

Serbia 1, Germany 0

Kiosk: Standing-room only crowd that included citizens not only of Serbia, the homeland of gregarious owner Sasha, but also a half-dozen other nations. Watched most of the first half here while waving away cigar smoke, enjoying a “big bite” burger, and watching DJ Chunky scarf down a chicken sandwich. The food is excellent value.

United States 3 2, Slovenia 2

George’s: Not a sports bar, but with a big screen, a cozy chair, some blues and jazz, and a well-made dirty martini, I was happy. The comeback by the United States rekindled my interest in the World Cup though that nonsensical decision to disallow the third American goal with five minutes left showed why I will probably never be a long-term fan of this sport. It’s nice to have such epiphanies while getting plastered on quality cocktails.

Saturday night

Ghana 1, Australia 1

Ned’s: In the annals of Australian history, I am sure numerous citizens of that country have at one time said “I probably shouldn’t have another beer” and am sure few have decided to follow through on the sentiment. Certainly no one appeared to do so at Ned’s last night. No doubt due in part to an earlier rugby game that saw England edge Australia by a point, many Aussies here were nine sheets to the wind and I half-expected a VB bottle to be hurled through the screen during tenser moments. On the other hand, this is the type of camaraderie that sees people hold up a mate so he can funnel that ‘another’ beer down his throat.  Summary: Rowdy crowd packed into a hot bar and armed with ice-cold beer.

12SQM: What would have been a rather sedate post-game experience at this Aussie-managed bar became entertaining when the guy sitting – wedged? – in the window frame decided to share his views on The French, Beijing restaurants, and other topics. Much more entertaining than debating whether or not the dingo stole the gravy.

Denmark 2, Cameroon 1

1F: Busy as usual even at 2:30 AM though the furniture arrangement makes it difficult to get to the toilets. Wouldn’t some kind of waist-high room divider(s) help funnel people? (More peeing equals more drinking equals more earnings.) Anyway, screens inside and outside, a very good beer selection, and a couple sloppily making out on the patio. (If you ever read of two people dying from swallowing one another’s tongues, it will likely be them.)

Aperitivo: Cute Italian girls drinking Aperol cocktails and kind of watching the World Cup. This should be a fun spot to watch the Italy-New Zealand game tonight. By the way, that replica of the World Cup that owner Stefano mounted on the wall after Italy won in 2006 is missing. Is it in storage? Is it hidden behind the bar? Was it stolen? (In that case, my guess would be the Slovenians took it.) A mystery in Sanlitun…

-

George’s opens tonight in the southeastern corner of Workers Stadium barely three months after the man in question, George Zhou, left as a co-owner of Q Bar a few blocks away. Last night, about 50 people were on hand to “soft open” this spot, just across from Le Quai, and while the menu only listed about a dozen items, the staff competently fulfilled other drink requests, including one for an Alfonso Special. The main area is open and airy, with a long bar, long ledge, and two long tables, and is conducive to communal drinking or for those on a solo mission — if it turns out to have anything like the vibe of the former First Cafe, where Zhou previously worked, you will end up making friends with your neighbors. George’s also includes lounge areas up front, where the doors slide open wide, and on a smaller second level. The menu last night saw drinks priced from RMB30 to RMB45, with the World Cup games being shown on the big screen. I’ll have more on this place soon…

Some stuff going on this weekend. Let’s do this backward.

Saturday

This night features the most anticipated World Cup match yet. See my earlier post here.

George’s, the new bar by George Zhou, opens almost three months to the night of his departure from Q Bar. Hard to believe a week ago this place had no floors or furniture and hardly any equipment but last night it looked ready to go. Expect a shortened cocktail menu, with the full list coming soon, and prices of ~RMB35 for mixed drinks and ~RMB50 for martinis. George’s is about 20 meters south of Stadium Dog in the southeastern corner of Workers Stadium.

Saturday will see electronic music fans say goodbye to White Rabbit, which will end its rather short run in Tongli Studio. Look for DJ Blackie and others from The Syndicate to provide the music and consoling group hugs. No word yet as to where the next Bai Tu will appear.

Friday

The second week of the World Cup kicks off tonight with Serbia vs Germany. No shortage of places to catch the match if you are a Germany fan (Paulaner, Drei Kronen 1308, Hopfenstube, and more), but if you cheer for Serbia, try Kiosk across from the north gate of Workers Stadium. If you cross the street from Gongti, go to the alley farthest to the right and look for the pink building (map). And try the 250-gram Big Bite burger. You won’t have to eat for the rest of the weekend.

Also tonight, Yugong Yishan will hold a big music mash to mark World Refugee Day. The bands include Black Cat Bone, Afrokoko Roots, Kite, and The Verse, from 9 PM, plus DJs later and a screening of documentary Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars at 7:30 PM (RMB50). If you want to merge music and football, 2 Kolegas is showing matches outside and hosting the launch of the first Wu and the Side Effects inside album. And Chunqiu is doing a two-hour show — half unplugged, half manic metal — at Mako.

And just because it is a good deal and this is a place I really need to frequent more, Scarlett is holding its regular TGIF special from 6 PM to 10 PM, with standard drinks at RMB25.

But can he save The World Cup? Unlikely...

-

Saturday night will feature the most anticipated World Cup match yet — Australia vs Ghana.

Can the Koala Kissers from Down Under beat the Black Stars? Given that Ghana’s best player is out, I suppose a slight possibility now exists that those prawn-barbecuing, Tim Tam-munching, vegemite-spreading oi oi oi-ers could win this one.

That makes it a good time for Aussie fans to head to Nanluoguxiang and patronize the Beijing Billabong / Vegemite Triangle. Both Ned’s and 12SQM will show the match, while at Mao Mao Chong they can eat Cherry Ripe to their Les Patterson-loving, platypus-poking, Bundaberg-guzzling hearts’ content. (I could add something about dingos, but I think my point has been made.)*

In case it isn’t obvious, I will be cheering for Ghana. And I will be wearing a GongTees shirt with the crest of that nation, a shirt I bought on Wednesday night at Paddy O’Shea’s with a 100-kuai note that looked like I blew my nose into but in reality only suffered from pocket sweat. Memorable moment. Anyway, click here for info about how to get your own shirt…

-

* For the record, I like prawns, Les Patterson, and Tim Tam, have never seen let alone touched a platypus, think Bundaberg Rum would be useful for unclogging toilets, and believe the best use of Vegemite is to plug that oil-gushing hole in the Gulf of Mexico.

The World Cup has been a nice diversion but now it is time to get serious about sports as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics face off in game seven of the NBA finals, with tipoff tomorrow at 9 AM. If, at season’s start, I had to pick two teams I didn’t want to see in the finals, these would have been them. But sometimes life pokes you in the eye, and sometimes when you want fish and chips, you have to settle for kibbles and bits, or however that famous British saying goes.

Where to watch? I’ll be at The Den. This is a tough call, given Tim’s Texas BBQ and Paddy O’Shea’s have far better coffee, but The Den is reliable, the breakfast is pretty good, and there should be a crowd. In addition to Tim’s and O’Shea’s, which should still have a few drunk French fans after tonight’s 2 AM World Cup game, especially since the place is catering to them, I imagine Goose and Duck and The Irish Volunteer will show it, but call ahead to make sure…

Pyro: A branch of this Wudaokou staple has been planned for the Sanlitun area and the pizza joint set to open early next month in the old Alba restaurant spot in China View is or isn’t it, depending on who you talk to. It is if two sources, including one involved with another China View establishment, are right. It isn’t if the guy doing pizza testing there last week is right. Anyway, if it is the new Pyro and they do want to keep it secret, they might want to cover the windows so the hundreds of people trooping by each day cannot see inside. Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to more pie in the neighborhood.

Tryst: Freelance bartender Pat D will neither be unleashing his creative forces, nor making those massive Woodford Reserve Old-Fashioneds, on Tuesdays at this tiny bar near Alameda. He supposedly has something more important called “education” to do.

12SQM: No more being the only one in the group who is right, no more arguing with dumb teammates, and even no more having to find those dumb teammates now that this place has started an individual quiz. Don’t play well with others? Then play alone! This is a four-round contest, slated for the second Tuesday of each month, with the winner getting a RMB100 bar tab and bragging rights.

Blue Frog: At the Sanlitun Village branch, Greg Dover, formerly of Room Beijing and Bar Blu, takes over from Troy Roberts, reportedly now back in Hong Kong, who took over from Lee Mitchell, who left and after a stint at Luga’s is consulting on Parkside Bar & Grill in Lido and the upcoming Stumble Inn meters away from Blue Frog, is the third manager of this place in about six months.

-

A fixture on the scene after more than five years in Sanlitun South, first with the former First Cafe and Midnight Cafe, then as a co-owner at Q Bar, George Zhou plans to open his new spot, George’s, within the next two weeks. With the painting and flooring finished during the past few days, and the furniture and most equipment installed, it is matter of fine-tuning and training at this point.

Given Zhou’s history, the focus will not surprisingly be on cocktails. The place is stylish and airy, with dark wood and cobalt blues and grays dominating, including in the lounge area on the smaller second level. My first thought is this place might appeal to those who find venues such as Apothecary and D Lounge in nearby Sanlitun too exclusive  and/or pretentious.  In any case, this is a quick turnaround from Zhou after he and former partners Echo Sun and Ralph Ziegenhorn parted ways in less than friendly circumstances almost three months to today.

-

See also:

• Q Bar deal done: Echo Sun, Ralph Ziegenhorn buy George Zhou’s share

• Bar closed (For one night) ((So far))

• Q Bar: Echo and George III

My fleeting interest in football / soccer was put to the test by the mind-numbing Japan-Cameroon match. I might even have to miss a day or two because of it. In any case, spots visited on night four…

Netherlands 2, Denmark 0

Beer Mania: About 20 people drinking and watching the match. This place has a buy-one get-one-free draft special. By the way, C’est La Vie next door and the snack shop across the street are also showing matches. A shocker that Lovely Nails has not also set up a screen.

Tun: About 100 people here, including 30 on the new deck. I have always liked the layout here and it is better with the pool table closer to the door. There are now two foosball tables as well as drink specials pretty much every night. Games are shown outside on a big screen or via that massive projection inside on the wall behind the stage. There are about half-dozen places on the patio for groups of six to ten people. Surprised more people weren’t here…

Rock n’ Roll: This place is advertising the World Cup, but I passed by because the last time I entered, on Halloween, the guards told me it was crowded when it really only had a handful of people, including two assertive ones  “dressed up” as “ladies of the night.” Maybe I’ll stop in next time… if I’m with a half-dozen friends.

Japan 1, Algeria 0

Miss Saigon: Formerly Zhongyu Hanging Gardens, with its ponds, bridge, and grassy areas, it is a sedate — I’d say too sedate — spot to watch matches and shares the pricey menu with the lounge of the same name inside. I skipped through the menu to find beer, including Tsingtao, starting at RMB40 (they had a two-for-one deal a few weeks ago and I forgot to check if it is still in play), mixed drinks from RMB35, cocktails from RMB40, and a bottle of Moet Chandon at a prohibitive RMB980, though the wine and whiskey sections list some decent choices.

The Den: Packed again, including plenty of fans from the earlier Denmark game.

Uama Teppanyaki: Ended up parked in a plastic chair with a mug of draft again, feeling both transient and, given the sloppiness of the game, truculent. Arguably the best spot in town to hear Europeans make those always entertaining jokes about Budweiser — available at RMB20 per mug — and enjoy all-you-can-eat teppanyaki. A reliable spot since day of the tournament…

Catching up on my visits to spots showing the World Cup. Here’s a wrap for night three, which featured South Africa dribbles and Beijing drizzles…

Slovenia 1, Algeria o (Tomaz at Enoteca must be thrilled with this outcome)

Parkside Bar & Grill: Matches are shown on 55-inch screens at this Lido newcomer that offers seating in booths, at the three-sided bar, or on the patio (though the rain drove all but a few hardy patrons inside) and a somewhat intimate vibe due in part to the lighting. Re drinks prices, Carlsberg draft is RMB30, red and white wine starts at RMB38 per glass, and cocktails are ~RMB40 and up. (The best happy hour deal looks to be Samuel Adams at RMB20.) Beware the aggressive lady bar touts operating across the street in front of the Rosedale Hotel. One guy stuck his hand through the taxi window and it looked like his goal was to shove a card into my shirt pocket.

Frank’s Place: I just missed a big South Africa party but heard in person my first, and hopefully last, vuvuzela, those annoying horns that drone throughout the matches and rank right with nuclear waste, rabies, and ThunderStix as things we do not need on our planet. Anyway, lots of screens here on which to watch The World Cup, and the happy hour, from 3 PM to 8 PM, overlaps with the start of some matches, which means among other things RMB25 Stella and Kronenbourg pints, RMB20 Budweiser, Heineken, and Corona, RMB25 James Boag’s, King Fisher, and Newcastle Brown, and more.

Ghana 1, Serbia 0

Eudora Station: The largest crowd of the night, though this is also the largest venue, with fans spread about the covered deck, first and second floors, and back room. I like the layout and seating options at this place. Apparently it has RMB30 Guinness pints during happy hour.

Irish Volunteer: Some of the regulars must be tuckered out from the NHL finals as only 10 people were on hand, and most of these looked only fleetingly interested in football / soccer.

Paddy O’Shea’s: That RMB20 Sol special (RMB90 for a bucket of six) is hard to resist. My second stop, my second good time. I like the fun touches, whether it is a bagpiper playing “The Cup of Life” or the No More Bunz hot dog guys or manager Karl Long matching music to the mood (how about downloading the theme song from Team America for the next match involving the United States?). Three days in, my favorite spot so far…

“State of Origin” sounds like a Discovery Channel program, a really bad cop movie starring Dustin Diamond and one of the less famous Baldwin brothers, or a Chinglish-y entry on some form, while in fact it is an annual best-of-three rugby series in Australia that sees teams from Queensland and New South Wales beat the crap out of each other. Consider if a refreshing change from the World Cup or a way for NHL fans to ease into the summer. In any case, several readers asked where to watch this rugby rumble: You can set it at 5:30 PM tonight at Aussie hangout Ned’s (map) and I hear that Union Bar & Grille (map) and The Den (map) will also show the match. (Hat tip to MB)

Need a bar fridge, hot water tank, pizza and bread oven, microwave, or sofa, a set of high tables and stools, or even some DJ equipment and four speakers? These items and more are up for grabs as former Houhai bar Le Baie des Anges sells off its stuff. If you are interested in any of these items, email to Oliver at six.olivier (at) gmail.com.

A few notes from bars visited during night two of the World Cup…

Argentina 1, Nigeria 0

George’s: I helped test the projection screen and speaker system with former Q Bar co-owner George Zhou at his soon-to-open place in the base of Workers Stadium. All systems go as far as watching football is concerned. With the floor finished and furniture set up today, this place should be open within two weeks.

Danger Doyle’s, Drei Kronen 1308, Uama Teppanyaki: A walk-by found decent crowds at all three.

The Den: Both upstairs and downstairs, it was standing room only, and I hear the place remained packed right through the England-United States match.  The Den could use a dumb waiter at such times in order to save the employees from weaving through patrons upstairs, squeezing down the stairs, and then weaving more to deliver the food. Look for plenty of Danish fans at “The DenMark” tonight for the game against The Netherlands. (I hear Dutch fans will gather at Blue Frog.) Love the fries with The Den burger.

United States 1, England 1

The general rule in Sanlitun — and I’m talking mainly about the Tongli area — is that the proportion of jackasses on the street steadily increases as the night wears on. Saturday night did not provide an exception. (That ‘s not to say a lot of people cause problems, only that a significant minority is affected by too much booze, ego, testosterone, or who knows what else.)

Union: About 30 people on hand at a place that gets high marks for comfort, with that three-sided bar among the better elbow rests in town. FYI: This place will only be open for post-midnight games after the knockout round starts. Best to call ahead. And best value is to go on Tuesday when happy hour prices are in affect all day.

Blue Frog: Already wrapped up for the night, though new manager Greg Dover says this place, too, will be open  for late games as the tournament gets into the knockout round. You can catch earlier games inside or on the big screen on the deck.

Cheers: Only a handful deciding to stay inside and take advantage of the RMB5 drafts.

Aperitivo: Not sure if people were there to drink or to catch the match, but expect more of the latter for Italy matches.

1F: This place is usually pretty busy of late, so nothing new here. A fairly intense crew watching the game on the patio.

Red Club: That parking space out front had one of the biggest crowds of the night as it attracted people heading back and forth along the Tongli strip. Enjoy the unpredictably of highly boozed students in the red light district-like glow of the club’s signage. For those who want to enhance the experience from any “stuff” they might have taken, you might want to watch the warped image that comes through on the back of the projection screen.

Poachers: Modest crowd watching the game on a big screen. Could be a decent option in rainy weather.

Saddle: I did a walk-by and found the deck closed with a modestly sized group of people inside.

Luga’s Villa: The patio, balcony, and street out front was full. Rowdy. But at least one patron was unhappy as she says the place did not, as advertised, give her a free drink for wearing team colors.

Overall, most places pulled good crowds. To experience the squeeze of humanity, try Luga’s Villa or The Den, for comfort, go with Union or Blue Frog, and for a combo of football, beer, and people watching, 1F works.