Beijing Boyce

It is easier than ever to go bottomless in Swire Sanlitun Village. Although 3F restaurant Union Bar & Grille has long offered unlimited drip coffee refills (RMB22; RMB20 with a meal), now kitty-corner steakhouse Flamme is doing the same (RMB20).

The three-kilo burger at Butcher Steakhouse is free if you finish it within three hours and RMB138 if you don’t. But what if you are really hungry? Now the place has a four-kilo monster for RMB238 and will give RMB1000 to anyone who can eat it.  You’ll need that money, too, to replace the pants you just stretched beyond repair (which is why you  should always wear a toga for these things).

The first floor of Tongli Studio bar Kokomo is blocked by a plastic tarp due to ongoing renovations but patrons can still skirt by and head upstairs to enjoy a Maitai and the last few weeks of rooftop weather. The lower level is slated to reopen in November.

While Acupuncture saw its B1 club Lantern close in Sanlitun, the electronic music outfit will soon be back in action as it is teaming up with The House at Workers Stadium North. Look for project to be unveiled in the first half of October.

Looks like Jason’s is opening in Tongli Studio just in time for Halloween. Oops, wrong Jason*, although Tongli Studio does have a bit of a horror story angle as a chunk of its facade fell into the street last week and the building is crisscrossed with scaffolding.

Anyway, it looks like the place that is opening is called Jaison’s, with an “i”, in the space that formerly housed White Rabbit and before that Club China Doll and before that China Doll. Tonight, I found the lights on, walked in for literally a minute, and found a small party–with snacks and all–going on. If I get any info on the place, I will post it here.

* Though it would be a good theme for Halloween.

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See also: House party: Jaison’s to open in Tongli with ‘loft’ theme

Kura Kura is on the Sanlitun strip between Swire’s North Village and The Butcher Steakhouse. (If you somehow miss the sign, you will likely spot the bright interior though the arched doorway.) Some first impressions of this offshoot of seven-year-old whiskey and cocktail haven Ichikura*:

• Kura Kura is long and narrow and has a patio, a front room with space for fourteen patrons, including eight at a dogleg bar, and two rooms in back that can fit about a dozen customers each.
• The lighting and red chairs combine to make Kura Kura brighter than Ichikura (this extends to the glossy-red bathroom). Expect a simple design–save for the deja vu-invoking Lan-like chandeliers that hail from another (and former) Ichikura offshoot, Third Cellar–and a cozy feel. The place is open from lunch through 1 AM.
• The floor on spirits is RMB50, even for entry-level drops such as Johnnie Walker Red and Jim Beam (you can upgrade to Johnnie Walker Black for RMB5 more). While there is a decent array of single malts, there are fewer options than at Ichikura though the menu is a work in progress, says manager Koji Kuroki. (Price examples: Laphroig 10-year-old, Aberfeldy 12-year-old, and Bowmore 12-year-old are RMB80 each.)
• The cocktails start at RMB50. I tried a gin martini and found it a bit rough, though an acquaintance liked the one he got on another day. The Moscow Mule, made with ginger-infused vodka, and a Maitai ordered by a friend were fine. The beer is expensive: a bottle of Stella is RMB50.
• There is also a food menu. It appears the hot dog craze is not fully tapped as Kura Kura offers both regular and curry options (RMB28; RMB38 for a double dog). Other selections include burgers (RMB45), a range of curry rice options (from RMB38), and “homemade” desserts (from RMB15).

What ultimately made the visit worthwhile: the atmosphere. Like Ichikura, this is a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and I enjoyed relaxing and talking at the bar. Even better, this is a place where you can meet your neighbors: by closing time, we had chatted with the three other groups of patrons in Kura Kura.

* I still hold that Ichikura needs to open a place called Scratchikura. Simpsons fans, back me up on this!

Two Beijing bar legends have come together as John Harkness of Goose and Duck has taken over Frank’s Place. He plans to rename it Johnny Duck’s. Often cited as kick-starting the non-hotel Beijing bar scene when it opened in 1990 near Workers Stadium, Frank’s Place moved to Lido about five years ago. About the same time, the Goose and Duck, opened in 1996, relocated from its original Chaoyang Park location to Green Lake Place. The fate of the two has now come together with this  purchase by Harkness. He says he plans to:

- Fine-tune the menus and lower the prices of both the food and the drinks and to operate 24 hours per day.

- Create a Frank’s Place space that includes photos and other memorabilia to document the history of the bar.

- Create an events space and comedy club called Chukles in the lower level, currently site of The Dog House. He says it will open in late October.

- Extend the deck to the sidewalk and widen it to cover the entire facade of Frank’s Place, and to make it usable during the winter.

- Add a special food item called Vish and Chips (hmmm, I wonder if this has something to do with manager Lamba Vishal).

Harkness says the current Goose and Duck will remain open. I’m guessing fans of the original Goose and Duck will find this new venue more inviting than the current one.

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If you don’t have the cash or time to take a vacation this fall, you can always travel the world of beer here in Beijing. Distributor Dxcel and magazine City Weekend are about to pop the cap on the second annual Beer Jing Festival. Expect a similar itinerary as last year: get a copy of the Beer Jing passport, go to one of the 12 participating establishments (see list below), buy one of the dozens of kinds of beer involved (see list below), and get the staff to stamp your passport. Repeat. Be one of the first 20 people to get stamps from at least eight places and to send a scan or hard copy of your passport to City Weekend, and you will receive an invite to the Beer Jing party on November 12. If it is anything like last year’s party, it’ll include more beers than you can shake a bottle opener at. The event gets under way later this week and more details will soon be available on the City Weekend site.

Here are the 12 participating establishments in Beer Jing 2010:

• Argana (map)
• Beer Mania (map)
• Bookworm (map)
• Frank’s Place (map)
• Fubar (map)
• Kro’s Nest at Workers Stadium (map)
• Ned’s (map)
• Nola (map)
• Paddy O’Shea’s (map)
• Stumble Inn (map)
• Tim’s Texas BBQ (map)
• Unconditional Love Coffee (map)

And here are the beer options (not all beers are available at all locations):

• Australia: VB, Crown Lager, Redback Wheat, Cascade Lager, Foster’s Lager, James Boag’s Lager
• Canada: Moosehead India Lager / Pale Ale
• Japan: Coedo Shiro / Beniaka / Kyara / Shikkoku / Ruri
• Philippines: San Miguel
• Spain: Etrella Damm Lager / Inedit
• UK: Well’s Bombardier Bitter, Marston’s Pedigree Ale, Cains Export Lager, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout,
• US: Rogue Dead Guy Ale / Amber Ale, Red Seal Ale, Blue Star Wheat, Acme Pale Ale, Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, Sam Adams Lager, Old No. 38 Stout, Scrimshaw Pilsner, Saranac Adirondack Lager / Pale Ale / Pomegranate Wheat, Utica Club Pilsner

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About a third of the street in front of Tongli Studio is blocked by sheet metal barricades. The reason? Last Wednesday, part of the facade fell off, specifically the top right corner that surrounds the Kokomo sign. Fortunately, it appears no one was hurt as the bricks and mortar landed in the empty area where Cosmo Lounge used to stand.

While work crews are apparently making things safe–the building is now fronted by scaffolding and netting–it is still possible to enter the building through the covered approaches to the entrances. Thus, after being closed for a few days, places such as Biteapitta and Le Petit Gourmand are accessible, good news for the schawarma melt and croque monsieur crowds.

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After more than two years at The Place, wine bar Enoteca has moved to the fourth floor of Nali Studio in Sanlitun and will open this Thursday at 6 PM, with a formal party slated for October 9. The airy decor includes a bar and a large communal table that can double as a group tasting area. The spacious rooftop area will be opened in the spring, says operations director Tomaz Hladnik. Enoteca will offer a 20 percent discount on all bottled wine through October 8, with the options starting at RMB98. Also notable is that unlike at the old venue, where patrons had to wobble through the mall to, um, recycle their wine, the new one has toilets.

Think pink come mid-October.

Fans of The Big Bite Burger–also known as Two Hundred and Fifty Grams of Beef and Pork on a Bun–have only a few weeks left to get one at the Nali Studio branch of Kiosk as it will permanently close in mid-October, says gregarious owner Sasha Unkovic. Sad news for those who enjoy Kiosk’s reasonably priced burgers, fries, and barley pops while chilling in the alley that also includes Jazz-Ya and Alameda. Fortunately, the newer pink Kiosk opposite Workers Stadium North will remain open, though it is closed Mondays.

Vegemite Triangle bar Mao Mao Chong will hold an AFL Grand Final pre-party this Friday from 8 PM.

Wait, you ask, didn’t the Australian Football League hold its Grand Final last Saturday? Yes, but since it ended in a tie–known in Australia as a double dingo down under draw with a tickety boo twist*–the teams will play again this Saturday, a kind of final final, the first since 1977. (The extra game also means an extra 20 million Aussie dollars for the league, thank you very much.)

In any case, Stephen Rocard, who is co-owner of Mao Mao Chong and an Australian, says his place will hold a pre-party this Friday with RMB20 brew (James Boag’s and Cascade), RMB25 Bundaberg rum and Coke, and RMB45 Aussie pizzas (translation: it comes with a fried egg in the center). Rocard adds that Collingwood supports who wear the club’s colors will receive a free beer upon entry.

To get to Mao Mao Chong, see this map or take the alley beside Passby Bar and walk about 300 meters. You can also stock up on Cherry Ripe, Violet Crumble, and Vegemite here.

Finally, Frank’s Place hosted last week’s AFL party organized by AusCham and The Beijing Bombers. I expect quite a few of the more than 200 attendees will return for the rematch.

* Still confirming accuracy of this term.

Many might consider it impossible for Irish bar Paddy O’Shea’s to upstage its recent Night with the San Diego Chargers Cheerleaders, but the lads and lasses there are going to give it a go on Thursday night by celebrating Arthur Guinness Day. The festivities will include a giveaway of 100 pints of Guinness as well as the musical magic of Robbie Hennebry. The party starts at 7:30 PM…

Photo courtesy of Migas

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Top-floor Nali Patio restaurant Migas now offers a three-course lunch special for RMB85. Patrons have a choice of starters, mains, and desserts, with the menu to change on a daily basis, says PR manager Mai Quant.

As an example, yesterday’s menu included:

• Starters: zucchini soup and shrimps/ grilled vegetables / salad with tomato and sesame chicken
• Mains: fish with cauliflower cream and smoked eggplant / steak with roasted potatoes, roasted peppers and pesto “alioli / mushroom risotto with duck breast
• Desserts: Catalan cream / fruit salad

Lunch is available from noon to 3 PM.

Also, there are only a few more weeks to enjoy Migas’ rooftop, which offers a chill layout with plenty of semi-private areas, a good view of Sanlitun and the surrounding area, and some nice wine choices.

The Beijing branch of Shanghai-based Enoteca wine bar chain will hold its closing party tomorrow from 6 PM at The Place with a 20 percent discount on bottled wine. Enoteca is slated to reopen a two-floor venue on September 30 just above Mosto on the fourth floor of Nali Patio. While Enoteca has its fans and won numerous awards since opening in June 2008, the lack of toilet facilities and the difficulty of getting taxis at The Place made it a tough go for me. Looking forward to seeing what the team behind the place comes up with in Sanlitun…

See also:

• Enoteca: Set to pour wine all over The Place

• Beijing Olympics picks: Wine bars

• Top five Beijing bar: Brandon Chemers

• Enoteca wine bar: Now (finally) with beer and 50% off food

• Enoteca: Wine flights, two-for-one, live jazz, the mother of all monitors

• Top five Beijing bars: Tom O’Malley

From the tasty cocktails and ten-kuai PBR to the chicken burritos and donkey pizza, from the cool music and flicks to the small patio out front and wall-to-wall chalkboards upstairs, Ryan and Cici Feng Johnston have made The Brick into the neighborhood drinking hole in all-too-dry Shuangjing in just over a year.  Now change is in the air as Lee Mitchell will soon take over. Mitchell managed the Sanlitun branch of Blue Frog until late last year and has since had stints with Luga’s, Parkside, and The Stumble Inn—he plans to continue as a consultant at the latter. He says he will maintain the name The Brick and the prices though he plans to add a few more cocktails and dishes to the menu. More details soon…

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I don’t write about tech stuff but I keep running into Frank Yu all over town so I thought would pass on this info about a cool bamboo case he is making for iPads. You can get more details here or by emailing hello (at) dragonmoss.com. (Another guy I keep running into is Bjorn Stabbel of Happy Latte, which makes the games High Noon and Pee Monkey. More info here.)

By the way, someone told me told they were able to walk into the Apple store and pick up an iPad today in less than five minutes. Guess that lineup isn’t as long as a lot of us expected….

The annual Taste of Nations event by Torres is one of my five favorite events and among the top ones for value. Torres not only has 150 wines available for sampling but also includes many of its better brands–I spent a lot of time at the Aussie table last year given the chance to try the likes of Henschke, Bass Philip, and others notables. This year’s event will be held this Saturday at the Yi House and includes an afternoon of free-flow wines for RMB228 (RMB208 if you buy a ticket in advance). See the poster below for more details.

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Three cheers for newly opened Modo for installing Beijing’s first card-based wine machines:

Cheer 1 because open wine can be stored in the machines for up to three weeks, thus making it less risky to include unusual and expensive options on the by-the-glass list. (Typically, bars and restaurants are only able to store wine for a few days and will thus go for relatively inexpensive fast-selling options.) The initial lineup of 16 wines at Modo bears this out as it includes atypical options such as Albarino from Spain, Gamay Noir from New Zealand, Malbec from Argentina, Gruner Veltliner from Austria, Pinotage from South Africa, Vermentino from Italy, and Zinfandel from the United States. Alex Molina, who manages Modo and sibling restaurant Mosto, says customers are more likely to buy a bottle of a lesser-known wine if they can sample it first.

Cheer 2 for the range of pour sizes. Insert your card and you have three options for each wine–15 ml, 75 ml, and 150 ml. (A full glass at a bar is usually 125 ml to 150 ml.) A 25 ml pour is small but enough for a few mouthfuls to see if you like the wine and want to splurge on a full glass. And the small pours start at RMB11, with full glasses from RMB60.

Cheer 3 for letting consumers try wine in peace. Wine is intimidating for many people and while there are many friendly and helpful wine experts in Beijing, there are also some condescending and tiresome ones. I like the idea of having a DIY space where I can go with friends to try some unusual wines in a laid-back setting.

Wine drinkers in Shanghai and Hong Kong already have access to these machines and it is good to see them showing up here. I hope they catch on and that someday I’ll be able to find one with a bunch vintages of the same wine, another with Pinot Noir from six continents, and other fun mixes.

Fans of The Side Saddle will have to wait a few weeks for their next round of build-your-own burritos. The shop, on the south side of Nali Patio, closed a few days ago but co-owner Kris Ryan says it will reopen on the ground floor of sibling establishment The Saddle Cantina a few meters away. (I always thought this a better spot since it would mean having a margarita or two with my burrito.) Look for the The Side Saddle to reopen around the end of this month.

The 2009 vintage of the “Symphony Series‘ muscat that Shanxi-based Grace Vineyard makes in collaboration with Torres winery of Spain is out (available here). Grace has been at the leading edge of quality wine making in China for much of the past decade and its products can be found in Beijing from The Ritz Carlton Hotel to Maison Boulud to Tun to Jenny Lou’s. A Beijing launch party with Grace CEO Judy Leissner was held this month at Hua’s Restaurant near Ghost Street. Along with the muscat, it included the release of three 2008 wines–Chairman’s Reserve, Deep Blue, and Tasya’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

I stopped by LM Club,  the new Central Park cafe by Massimo Masili of Italian restaurant L’Isola, late last week and the place is already a big draw. A friend at Central Park says it has been packed near every day. The menu includes pastas as well as tasty sandwiches from ~RMB30, A cappuccino / croissant combo for RMB20, and there is a selection of mostly Italian wines. Though the seating is tight and some soft surfaces would help reduce noise, LM Club is cozy and a good spot to grab a light meal and a coffee.

Update: Andy Bright of Union Bar & Grille chose DJ Man Boobs as the winner of the contest. For the draw, the names of all participants were included, and the winner is Balaz2ta. Each winner will receive a bottle of Mumm’s Champagne.

Panama: Scientifically proven to be the best video ever.

Not many places in Beijing show videos like Duran Duran’s “Electric Barbarella“, Bronski Beat’s “Hit That Perfect Beat“, or Lipps Inc’s horrific “Funky Town“. In fact, I can only think of one: Union Bar & Grille.

In the spirit of eighties and nineties videos, both the good and (mostly) bad, Union is donating two bottles of Mumm’s Champagne for a contest. Participating is easy: Leave a comment and tell us what you think is the best video of the eighties and nineties and why. If you can’t decide on one video, feel free to leave a few extra comments. The deadline is Friday at 2 PM.

Andy Bright of Union will award a bottle of Mumm’s to the person he judges to have left the best comment. The other bottle will be given out via a draw that includes the names of everyone who leaves a comment. Bright plans to gather 20 videos from the comment section and play them during happy hour at Union for a week.

If you told me two years ago I would be writing about an excellent night of food, drink, and  music on the top floor of a mall, I would have been a wee bit skeptical. But such is the case given what is on offer tonight at Sanlitun Village:

Blue Frog: The longstanding two-for-one “burger burger” deal continues, with happy hour from 4 PM to 8 PM. Given the weather, expect the deck to be crowded.

Flamme: All-you-can-drink Stella and Hoegaarden for RMB50. If you regularly drink Hoegaarden, you know a price of RMB70 or RMB80 per pint is not unusual, thus making this among the best booze deals in Beijing.

Stumble Inn: Not only is it all-day happy hour–which means a selection of bottled beers at RMB15, discounted draft (Guinness is RMB40), and RMB20 mixed drinks–but also blues outfit Black Cat Bone will be rocking the joint from 9 PM.

A Monday night mini-tour that includes burgers, brews, and blues looks appealing at those prices…

Paddy O’Shea’s will switch from its slate of EPL, rugby, and hurling (the sport) to American football on Sunday as it teams with NFL China and the San Diego Cheerleaders for two hours of fun, from 7 PM to 9 PM. The evening will include dancing and mingling, a replay of the opening game of the NFL season, and beer specials–six Coors Light for RMB100 or six Sol or Tsigntao for RMB90.

Sequoia Cafe will close its Guanghua Road branch for walk-in business as of Friday, though it will still make deliveries, says an email from the operation. This follows on the heels of Garden Books recently closing upstairs. The building has also housed Culinary Capers (now in 798), Tim Texas BBQ (now near the Silk Market) and John Bull Pub (RIP) over the past five years. Look for a Brazilian theme–Sequoia is across from the Brazil embassy–to replace it, complete with a BBQ joint. As of next, those who want to enjoy Sequoia’s organic coffee and turkey-berry sandwiches on site can head to the branch in B1 Kerry Centre.

Fubar has canceled its monthly one-kuai drink event after an employee-customer tussle last Wednesday affirmed the truism that near-free Australian Margaritas are always fun until someone gets a boot to the head (fortunately, no serious injury resulted). The night also saw Fubar unveil its new design, which includes a balcony above the L-shaped bar. Meanwhile, now that DJ Chunky has left our fair city, debate rages over his Saturday night replacement. Apparently the man goes by the name DJ Johnny Hutong while the masses cry out for the moniker DJ Mega Chuanr. Will the people prevail?

Finally, Nanluoguxiang’s 12SQM, once positioned as the city’s smallest bar but now all grown up at 45 square meters, celebrated its third birthday with RMB15 Coopers beers and other drink specials on Saturday night.