Beijing Boyce

Artist rendering (courtesy of Kro's Nest)

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Eight workers from a delivery company stand on the street and look at a pizza oven that is too big to get through the front door that it is partly blocked by scaffolding. Beijing, we have a problem. Over the course of an hour they measure the oven a dozen times and the door a dozen times. Not surprisingly, they get the same results. The choice is between turning the oven on its narrower side and potentially damaging it, in which case they are told it will be sent back, and returning it to the warehouse and coming another day. They hem and haw, measure the oven and the door once more, and decide better safe than sorry.

I watch this scene in front of what will be the new pizza restaurant by Olaf Kristoffer “Kro” Bauer. He is patient and this seems noteworthy given that he feels five years of his work went up in smoke last spring after the well-known meltdown of relations with his collaborator Yuan Jie at Kro’s Nest. I note that situation and the one last night as reasons 752 and 753 to avoid getting into the bar and restaurant business.

The new Kro’s Nest—and Bauer does plan to use that name—will be just down from Bellagio near Ladies Street. It is long and narrow and will seat about 200 people, he says. There will be an arcade up front, open kitchens so patrons can watch food being made, a long bar, a small stage, and a DJ booth. A private area will hold up to 30 people while a large room at the back includes a loft and a glassed-in tree Bauer says he didn’t want to cut down. There is a lot of orange brick. And those who griped that the Gongti location only had a squatter will be happy with the toilet options (yes, there is a sitter).

As for food, he plans to keep his super-sized pies and add some pizza spin-offs to the menu. We’ll have to wait and see, he says. After watching The Case of the Ornery Oven, we went to Bellagio for a few beers and I asked him a few random questions.

What’s the purpose of throwing pizza dough in the air?

The purpose is to get the excess flour off the dough. Flour keeps the dough from sticking but you don’t want too much. If the flour burns in the oven, it can leave a sour taste.

Which Kro’s Nest does this new place resemble?

With the arcade and the shipping container design in the front, it’ll be like Beida. With the bar in the middle, it’ll be like Gongti. And in the back, we are creating our own grown-up version of who we’ve become.

What’s been the hardest part of opening this place?

Because it is more professional, there were more people involved. Having a designer, ripping the place down, doing the electricity, water, and everything else–I learned a lot. Next time I’ll know exactly what to do.

What’s your favorite pizza?

Bell pepper, onion, and pepperoni. And garlic. You need garlic everywhere, on the top and the bottom.

Why open in this part of town?

We just happened to find a really good place that fit our portfolio. We’re looking for the same clientele as the old Kro’s, a very diverse group. Pizza should bring people together–everyone gets a slice.

There has been a lot of talk about what happened at Kro’s, that you were ripped off, that you should have been smarter, and so on. How much do you care about that now?

I care about it because it took four or five years of my life. But for now the most important thing is to get Kro’s Nest back to the people and to worry about that other stuff later.

Who makes your favorite pizzas in Beijing?

Just because it’s different from mine, I’ll go with the Vineyard Café. I just think it is all around decent.

Is Kro’s Nest going to do delivery?

Probably six to eight months after we open but hopefully faster. We want to make sure everything we do is on target and what the customer wants.

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I also asked Bauer about the location. At the Workers Stadium spot, for example, people could couple a visit to Kro’s with hitting the bars or doing some shopping in the area. He says the location near Ladies Street is good because of its proximity to a lot of residential development and the U.S. Embassy. Finally, he says he hates to put a date on the opening, because you never know what will happen, but hopes to be up and running by the end of the year.

(Follow me on Twitter at Beijing Boyce or on Facebook here.)

Now, *those* are Halloween costumes: Kris Ryan and Chad Lager as Marge and Homer at the former Rickshaw

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Every October I call Mike Wester, head of magazine The Beijinger, and ask, “Are you guys going to do a Halloween party?” Why? Because those parties were freaking fun, that’s why. (His answer is always “no”.) I attended three of them, two at Tango in 2004 and 2005 and one at Rui Fu in 2006, and they inspired one of my favorite posts, given it involves a plush monkey battling a human (see Tales of the Plush Monkey). While searching for that link, I came across my favorite Beijing Halloween party ad of all time: Show Me Your Pumpkin. And this post with some alternative ideas for Halloween theme parties.

Anyway, back to 2010. This year, the two big parties will again be Yen Fetish in 798 and Spooked by Acupuncture at Lan. If you seek fame, China Doll will give away RMB10000 in prizes for best costume while Bling will once again offer RMB5000 in cash. And Tun will have the drag queens that packed the house last year. Check this post at The Beijinger for a list of parties.

Some other options include this Halloween run by the Hash House Harriers,  two-for-one drinks all day Saturday and Sunday at Paddy O’Shea’s, and the Hipster’s Ball at Beer Mania: “DJ Damn It will play all your favorite indie anthems remixed to maximizedancibility. He’ll also play the shittiest top 40 stuff that you’re used to hearing in every club this side of Sanlitun, but remixed… NO VIP TABLES, NO CHIVAS MIXED WITH TEA, NO COVER CHARGE” (Saturday from 10 PM). <– THIS LATTER EVENT IS NOVEMBER 6.

That’s all for now. I apologize for the brevity but I’m off to The Butcher Steakhouse to pick up the meat dress for my Lady Gaga outfit…

Paired with the longstanding Monday two-for-one burger deal at Blue Frog, the relatively new Tuesday two-for-one steak deal at Flamme gives Swire Sanlitun Village an early week one-two punch. Some good news: that steak deal will continue. And some bad news: the other Flamme deals will not. This includes the RMB50 all-you-can-drink Stella and Hoegaarden on Mondays, two-for-one lunch on Wednesdays, and RMB25 cocktails available only until the end of this month.

Back to good news: Flamme has replaced them with new deals, says manager Paul Mathew. Mondays now mean all-you-can drink draft and cocktails for RMB100 (and the drinks are above-average at this place) while Thursdays feature 250 grams of prime rib for RMB188. For other deals, see this flyer.

Finally, look for Flamme chef Jeffrey Powell to launch an extensive lunch menu. By extensive I mean more than two dozen items, including seven burger options: one of them, The Yeti, will pack a pound of Australian beef.

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Gung Ho! plans to offer seasonal pizzas to the dozen or so pies already on the menu. I attended a taste test on Wednesday night and tried some of the candidates, including ones topped with Beijing duck, with chuanr, and with potato, pumpkin, and spinach, as well as a special seasoning that will be given to customers. I’ll provide an update when I hear the final decisions on the pizzas. And for those wondering about that idea of testing some recipes suggested in this blog’s recent Formula for Pie contest, it’s still in the works.

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Saturday is the last day to take advantage of the RMB20 special at cafe Refresh! in the China View Building. That gets you a wrap, a sandwich, or a salad, plus a coffee or tea. I’ve tried about a dozen items so far and he is my, um, wrap.

Salads: The rocket in the organic salad was so fresh I skipped the dressing and ate my veggies naked. I wasn’t a fan of the dressing on the Caesar salad and don’t enjoy cold pasta so won’t be ordering the spiral pasta and pesto salad again, though the ingredients in both were good. The date salad, which includes feta cheese, pine nuts, and bacon, is a touch sweet and is an intriguing combination.

Wraps: I liked the Mexican wrap for its blend of salsa, chicken, and guacamole. I found the satay peanut sauce in the Thai and Indo wraps too strong, though I know other people who enjoyed them.

Sandwiches: I liked club (with chicken and bacon) and “mozzacado” (bacon, avocado, tomato, and mozzarella), found the Cajun chicken okay, and the Iberic a bit dry. The mango, prawn, red pepper, and pesto offers an interesting combination and texture.

Refresh offers booth and table seating, decent wireless, and friendly employees though they are loud at times and punching in orders seems to take a gazillion steps. You have the option of buying your food prepackaged or having it made on the spot–the latter can take much longer and such service ends at 8 PM.

Wine distributor Links China is bringing what it calls a “dream team” to Beijing in November. The group includes former Wine Spectator senior editor James Suckling, who left the magazine this summer and will launch his own website, Michel Janneau of French winery Louis Roderer, which includes Cristal among its products, and Dave Powell of Australian winery Torbreck, who left his mark on the city’s wine scene last time around not only by sharing his wines but also by showing us this mark on his ass. The trio will sandwich a Beijing visit on November 9 and November 10 between stops in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

While Maison Boulud receives a good deal of praise as a restaurant, I have spent far more time in its bar. Ever since I tried the spicy Project 23 and refreshing Kentucky Iced Tea just over two years ago, I have enjoyed this place for its blend of history (it once served as the U.S. Embassy), ambiance (subdued and refined if a bit stale), service (generally good), and extras (you typically get a treat with your drink). The Legation Quarter is a trek but some nights I get in the mood to take a breather, “go tourist”, and drive past Tiananmen Square and other lit landmarks at night before retreating into the Legation Quarter to nurse a drink or two.

I recently visited to have lunch and meet new Maison Boulud GM Nicolas Socquet. I finally tried the burger, rich with foie gras, and truffles, and will be back for another soon. As for the drinks, I tried one of Boulud’s newest concoctions, a twist on the Manhattan: it includes 60 ml of Blanton’s Bourbon infused with figs, vanilla, and cinnamon, and 30 ml of Martini Rosso. The drink is pricey at RMB88 plus the dratted 15 percent service charge but that is a big pour and it’ll take the chill off. Even better, there is a buy two, get one free deal right now. (Print the coupon below and take it with you.)

By the way, I’ll also soon have a long overdue post on some tasty cocktails I had at The Fairmont.

For now, some more new cocktails from Maison Boulud:

• Beijing Derby: Includes Bourbon, Champagne, and fresh fig; RMB98
• Pear Side Car: Includes Xinjiang pear, Remy Martin Cognac, and fresh lime juice; RMB88
• Fa Guo Qi Shi Wu: Includes Remy Martin Cognac, Champagne, fresh lime, and sugar; RMB88

With a name sure to inspire either fashion shows or spouse-swapping parties, Shunyi’s newest drinking hole The Green Cap Bar quietly opened last weekend. Headed by former Pomegranate manager Pat Walsh, this place is cozy enough with its plank floors and faux fireplace, and includes  two screens for sports fans and seating at a small bar, at several high tables, and on two sofas. The menu includes pub grub like hot dogs and BLTs, though a more savory bread might work better, and Guinness and Carlsberg on tap. The deck overlooks the pond at Western Beijing Academy and in nice weather will be a nice place to chill out, peruse the bar’s collection of Swinger magazines, and enjoy a beverage. Walsh says he will have a formal launch party after Halloween.

Baba ganoush meets books as second-floor Tongli Studio restaurant Biteapitta now has two-shelves of Hebrew paperbacks.

Last Thursday, I attended an American Airlines event at Switch, in the old Super Ganbei space in 798, and finally got a look at this new venture by catering outfit Culinary Capers. The event saw visiting chef Sam Choy and Culinary Capers’ Billy Kawaja each cook two dishes, with attendees either watching at the open kitchen or on screens in the main area. (Switch held a team-building event for 50 executives the night before and an Australian Football League party the night before that, thus showing the quick turnaround time possible.) Two items stood out: 1) the tender lamb and 2) an appetizer Culinary Capers’ Debra Lykmarke described as a “crepe purse” — it is a small crepe folded, stuffed with four kinds of mushrooms, and tied at the top with chive. I wonder would happen if you filled these things with melted Snickers bars…

Soon he'll be pretty in pink.

The facade of Kro’s Nest at Workers Stadium is covered with tarps, the sign on that facade is gone. Though a visit this weekend found it business as usual inside, word is the change outside stems from a dispute over the pizzeria’s name which in turn stems from this dispute between former collaborators Yuan former and Olaf Kristoffer “Kro” Bauer that saw the latter forced out. Bauer is expected to soon open his own restaurant in the Lido area and says he plans to use the Kro’s Nest name. As to what happens at Workers Stadium, I only hope the next sign I see does not say Origus. [Update: SleeplessinBJ has reported on Twitter that the sign says Tube Station Pizza, that being the sibling chain of Kro's Nest. I'll try to stop by this afternoon and get some pics....]

Lee Mitchell, known for his work at Blue Frog, Parkside, Luga’s, and now The Stumble Inn, has taken over as head mason at Shuangjing bar The Brick. So far, the decor and the availability of Pabst Blue Ribbon king cans remain unchanged, though Mitchell says he plans to revamp the food menu: He’ll keep some items, including the donkey meat pizza, and add others, with bacon nachos already making an appearance. He has also created The Dude list to provide more White Rusian options, including a version with ice cream, for the Big Lebowski night each Tuesday.

Those who like to collect glassware in the shape of historical figures will be happy to know that Fubar, after selling some 3,000 of its white Buddha glasses, is ordering some pink and gold versions. The glasses come filled with booze and cost RMB100. It’s not something I’d want around the house–frankly, there’s only room for one chubby pasty white guy–but they seem popular with many customers. Look for the new glasses to show up in about a month’s time.

With The Brick and Bang! Bang! Pizza within walking distance of each other, another decent drinking hole or two would provide Shuangjing with some pub crawl potential. It looks like it might happen as soon as next month.

Fubar co-owner Chad Lager is part of a team that plans to open a bar called Grinders in late November just down from The Brick. Lager says the place will serve, well, “grinders”, also known as hoagies or submarine sandwiches. On the beverage side, the plan is to offer highballs (think Cuba Libre, Moscow Mule, and Tequila Sunrise), craft beers, a wide selection of wine, and quality coffee.

The team will include Lager and brother-in-law Trevor Metz as well as spouses Fiona Liu (previously at Aperitivo and The Rickshaw) and Jing Liu (previously at Kerry Centre). They happen to be sisters and if this isn’t the perfect setting for a reality TV show, I don’t know what is.

Lager adds that he intends to install a stripper pole. “I personally will perform once a week,” he says. “You touch, you pay.” I’m pretty sure he was joking…

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The city’s ongoing salute to names with exclamation marks continued on Saturday night as Bang! Bang! opened on the first floor of Hopson International Park in Shaungjing. The place is both pizzeria and pub, with more than a dozen seats at the bar, several high tables, a loft with three lounge areas that offer views of the main floor, and colorful art. The backers include Robin Howlett, best known as the former manager of Souk. Bang! Bang! should get a warm welcome from those Shuangjing residents who feel their part of town is under-served when it comes to Western bars and restaurants.

I tried five different kinds of pizza during the opening party and will simply say they were “tasty“, especially the one with pepperoni and the one with feta cheese. I am being general since any nuanced judgments were made impossible after an earlier visit to the home of Mr Hao and Ms Hao resulted in the consumption of a bottle of Pinotage, super-sized Manhattans with the alcohol level set to stun, and an episode of Glee. I don’t know how anyone’s brain could function after that. And it didn’t help that the fourteen ingredients in Howlett’s special Sangria at the opening party included vodka, though the food, drink, and general vibe did mean I awoke the next morning with warm if fuzzy memories.

I’m back for more soon.

(Photo: Mr Hao)

Refresh!, the new cafe in the old Tous Les Jours space in China View, has a superb deal until the end of this month.

All wraps, sandwiches, and salads are RMB20 (regular prices start from RMB25) and come with a free coffee or tea (regular prices start from RMB15). Yesterday I tried the Mexican wrap (tasty), Indo wrap (the peanut  sauce didn’t work for me), Mozzacado sandwich (my second favorite item–I liked the mix of Mozzarella, avocado, and bacon), and Caesar salad (fresh ingredients though I didn’t like the dressing). Two acquaintances gave thumbs ups to the Thai wrap and tuna wrap.

The packaging is done well, the coffee–other places, please take note–comes in a thin-lipped cup so you don’t end up dribbling it all over like a two-year-old, the place is pleasantly bright with its tangerine and lime accents, there is table and booth seating on the main floor and second level, and the wireless signal is good.

Refresh! also has paninis, baked goods, smoothies, and freshly squeezed juice. But until November 1, you can’t beat a wrap, sandwich, or salad with a coffee or tea for RMB20.

You can find it below Hooters on Workers Stadium East and find more details on the Refresh! website.

Look for pizza joint Bang Bang to hold its “soft” opening in Shuangjing tomorrow night. This place offers a range of beverages, including mixed drinks and beer, and owner Robin Howlett plans to whip up a batch of his 14-ingredient sangria for the opening.

One of a growing number of places with exclamation marks in their names, cafe Refresh! has taken over the former Tour Les Jours space and part of the second floor at China View on Workers Stadium East. It features a fruit-colored décor (lime and tangerine), a food menu of sandwiches, salads, and wraps, and a drinks menu that includes coffee from RMB18 and fresh squeezed juices at RMB35.

Le Petit Paris has bid au revoir to Sanlitun North. The space is now empty and according to a note on the window, LPP will move to Crab Island Village Resort after nine years downtown.

Meanwhile, Le Petit Gourmand is gutted as it undergoes a total revamp that looks like it will include a bank of windows on the west side. Hopefully, they keep the French fries recipe and bring back the wood-burning stove.

Bar consultant Bob Louison of Spirit It has been running cocktail classes for ages and his next topic seems timely given the weather: winter drinks. The class is RMB160, includes all ingredients and time behind the bar, and is on October 23 at Swiss Bar in Solana. To book a spot, contact Bob at bobspirit.it (at) gmail.com / 18611-183-772.

Meanwhile, Lido area restaurant Salt is pairing beer and food for the next four Fridays. Each evening will see five foods such as ceviche, linguini, and chocolate soufflé paired with five beers, including Spain’s Estrella Damm, America’s Blue Star Wheat, and Australia’s Crown Lager. The cost is RMB388.

Shunyi is a freaking long way if you are used to wining and dining downtown but this weekend looks like a good time to pack three days of supplies, hitch up the wagon, and mosey on out…

Jenny Lou’s will hold its annual birthday bash / wine fair on Saturday and that means plenty of free samples. The party is at the Pinnacle Plaza branch and includes live music, snacks, and wine, says Garry Anderson of importer and distributor Gelipu (AustralianWineClub@gmail.com). Not only that, he adds that downtown dwellers can catch buses from China World Shopping Centre (Guomao subway exit A), with the departure times including 10:15 AM and 2:10 PM (call Yosemite Villa at 8041-7118 for details). The party at Jenny Lou’s runs from 1 PM to 9 PM.

As mentioned on Monday, former Pomegranate manager Pat Walsh is making the leap to owner with the official opening of The Green Cap Bar this weekend. You can find it next to New Veranda Restaurant, near WAB.

And speaking of the Pomegranate, Karl Long says the place has undergone renovations, including a heating upgrade, and has a new menu courtesy of Chris Millward of Grill Mates. Not only that, but he is planning to add weekly karaoke nights to the events schedule.

We shall make our Crouching Malbec from this hidden terroir.

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Heard about the new wine by celebrity shoe designer Jimmy Choo? It’s called Chateau La Feet. Or the latest vintage from movie director Ang Lee? The 2009 Crouching Malbec, Hidden Tannat packs a kick. How about the upcoming wine to celebrate 200 years since the birth of Charles Dickens? It’s a limited edition called Grape Expectations.

Not likely, since I made up all those examples. But making up celebrity wines is at the heart of this year’s contest to mark the Food and Wine Experience at the Hilton Beijing on November 6 (more details here).

This year’s grand prize: two tickets to the event, a room at the Hilton Beijing that night, and breakfast the next day. The runner-up prizes include three pairs of tickets to the trade tasting.

The details:

• Leave a comment and tell us your idea for a celebrity wine.
• The grand prize winner will be picked via a draw. The three pairs of trade tasting tickets will be awarded based on merit.
• You can enter up to five times but need to submit each idea as a separate comment.
• Prizes are to be picked up the day of the event. The room is only valid on the night of November 6, the breakfast only valid on the morning of November 7.
• The deadline for entering is November 2 at noon.

In the meantime, can I offer you a glass of Giorgio Armani’s “hand-pressed” Syrah?

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(Hat tip to Mr Hao for the idea and to Mr Brau and The Wise Bartender for their input.)

Imagine this spoken slowly and in a deep gravelly voice…

It’s the story of a man and a mission that takes him as deep into China’s past as it does into his own, a man more used to knowing the answers than to finding them, a man who hacks through a forest of doubters even as his hands are covered in paper cuts, a man who… oh, screw it… it’s about Julian Fisher, best known as the weekly quiz master at Tim’s Texas BBQ, and a show of his collection of China movie posters and other printed material, all of which are on sale with prices starting at RMB200.

The posters date from 1927 silent movie Foreign Devils (the priciest poster at RMB17000) to more contemporary productions such as Chinatown, Big Trouble in Little China, and The Last Emperor. They are separated by decade into rooms and the rooms are linked by a path that doubles as a time line of key events in China movie history. The show–southwest corner of Sanlitun Soho, lower level, look for the posters out front–runs through Sunday and is open 6 PM to 9 PM on weekdays and all day on the weekend.

If you go on Thursday, you can catch a talk by Simon Fowler of Time Out about his new book, 101 Essential Chinese Movies. The talk starts at 6:30 PM.

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The artwork made this poster one of my faves.

Six weeks ago one of the guys taking over the former White Rabbit space in Tongli Studio asked to meet so he could explain his plans to transform it into a ‘loft apartment’ called Jaison’s. Now that space will officially open tomorrow as Hercules Gourmet Sandwich Manufacturing. What happened? I don’t know but here are my first two thoughts. 1) If you ask someone to write about your project (which I did in late July) but don’t provide updates when the plans change, you might want to rethink your PR strategy; 2) Given the name, I’m sure some readers will wonder if this place has links to Gung Ho Gourmet Pizza Factory. It doesn’t.

Anyway, as the name indicates, this place is focused on sandwiches and includes a two-for-one deal on Tuesdays. It also has two-for-one drinks daily from 4 PM to 8 PM and will kick off with staggered pricing, much like Bananafish and Bambu in the same building (there are links between all three of these venues). It’s 50 percent off this weekend, 30 percent off during the first week, and so on. Operating hours are 11 AM to late. See the posters for more details.

Ex-Pomegranate man-about-bar Pat Walsh will make the leap from manager to owner this week when he opens The Green Cap Bar in Shunyi. This second-floor spot is beside New Veranda Restaurant, near WAB, and features a terrace that overlooks the lake. It can seat about sixty people–half inside, half outside–and has a food menu that includes pub grub such as burgers, sandwiches, and Irish stew. There are three screens for sports fans and plenty of beverage options. The Green Cap will likely be open mid-week and is slated to officially open this weekend.

The recipes for The Formula for Pie contest rank among the most creative submissions of any contest I have organized. Before I get to the draw winners, a heads up that the guys at Gung Ho want to organize a pizza-making party to try some of the more intriguing recipes. We’ll narrow the field to a handful of candidates, contact them by email, and–for those who are interested–organize an afternoon of pizza-making. I’ll report back here on the results.

Here are the ten winners in the draw for medium pizza-small salad combos from Gung Ho:

• Mark
• Mike
• darnoc
• JK
• earth2jo
• Barbara
• Angel
• Iain
• Colin
• DJ Owally

I’ll be emailing the winners with details on how to get their prizes.

Some wine events in Beijing offer such good value that they qualify as “must go“. In terms of free tastings, the best are the twice-yearly wine fairs at Carrefour (the next one is tomorrow: see here for details). In terms of portfolio tastings, the best is the annual “Taste of Nations” organized by Torres China. And in terms of public events that bring together the city’s wine distributors, the best is the Hilton Food and Wine Experience, now in its thirteenth year. This year’s event is on November 6, lasts seven hours, and as usual will feature hundreds of wines and a buffet–for only RMB230. See the poster below for more details.

See also:

2006: The year I tasted 52 wines and lost my cell phone

• Wining about the Bejiing Hilton wine fest

2007: The year I attended a seminar with Jeremy Oliver and later accidentally broke a bottle of Shiraz on the Hilton’s marble staircase

• Wrap up: The Hilton food and wine experience (2007)

2008: The year Yiftach Bar described a Louis Latour Chardonnay as  a “white wine with balls.”

• The Hilton food and wine experience: ten thoughts (2008)

It looks better than it smells.

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A year ago today, I wrote about a 7-ELEVEN sandwich that showed no signs of mold after spending six weeks in my fridge. It didn’t look great and it did stink, but no mold.

Today a story popped up on Yahoo news  of an even greater tribute to mold resistance: a woman says she has been photographing a McDonald’s Happy Meal weekly for six months and it displays not a sign of fur. But this experiment is hardly original: check this post about a Happy Meal that is mold-free after a year, this one by a woman who says a McDonald’s burger she bought in 1996 is still holding up, and this one that looks at a couple of these cases and has a comment section that includes everything from hard-core skepticism to first-hand stories of burger immortality.

Spring 2008

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The Carrefour wine fair (Shuangjing branch) is held twice per year and is the best free public tasting in the city. True, most of the wines are cheaper entry-level ones but these are what the average consumer typically buys. But first things first: I want to mention two issues that arise at every fair.

1. BYOG: Bring your own glasses. The ones provided are puny and it is far more enjoyable to sniff and sip from a proper vessel. I usually bring a few of  the 22-ounce glasses I bought in Laitai Flower Market for RMB10 each. There is lots of room in these babies–you can almost pour in a whole bottle of wine or five wheels of melted Brie (but not both).

2. Pray for water and spittoons. There is a dearth of both every time. Let me cut and paste from a post last year:

What happens when people can’t find spittoons? They dump unwanted wine in ice buckets, in empty boxes, even on the floor. And without water, they cannot rinse their glasses. I am guessing that buckets and water should be pretty easy to find since THE EVENT TAKES PLACE IN A HYPERMARKET.

Maybe I can appeal not to Carrefour but to distributors such as ASC, Torres, and French Wine Paradox that participate in the fair: Do you want people to associate your companies and products with a pigsty of half-filled glasses, soaked boxes, and spilled wine? Especially when the problem can easily and cheaply be solved by going to the household department and buying some pails? I will put my money where my mouth is and sponsor the first spittoon / bucket / pail. Or even the first two, but guys, please get spittoons or the equivalent.

I do realize the event is free. Even so, it still makes sense to improve it when the cost of doing this is so little.

Anyway, these fairs are good fun and I usually head over with friends around 7 PM or 8 PM on opening night, which is October 15 this year. Hope to see you there.

Note: There is a 20 percent discount on wines during the fair, which starts on October 15 at noon and runs through October 17. Check this e-catalog to see the available wines (click the bottom right and left hand corners of the catalog to flip the pages).

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See also:

• Spring 2010: ‘Prostitute wine’ and other tales
• Spring 2009: Glasses, deals, and labels with animals galore
• Fall 2008: Southern exposure
• Spring 2008: By / buy the case