Beijing Boyce

This is part thirteen in the Must Tries Series that asks people in the Beijing bar, restaurant, and wine business to give us their recommendations. This time up: Kro’s Nest owner Olav Kristoffer Bauer a.k.a. “Kro” and the F&B team Zach Lewison and Marty Handley.

Zach Lewison, Olaf Kristoffer Bauer, Marty Handley

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What is the “must try” food at Kro’s Nest?

Handley: Pardon the Pesto pizza (medium RMB120, large RMB155).  Pesto sauce, smoked duck, mushrooms, and spinach. Great way to have duck on a pizza without making it. Has a Beijing focus like everyone else is doing these days.

Bauer: Rocky Road Rice Krispy Pie (RMB45). Desserts are a new thing for us and this one is awesome. Sometimes one or two go missing. Trust me, I know where they went.

Lewison: Fried artichokes (RMB38). There is something about fried food that is salty, sour, and crispy. Best app we have.

What is the “must try” drink at Kro’s Nest?

Handley: Beach Baby Bushwhacker (RMB50).  Rum, Kahlua, and chocolate sauce. Since Zach and I are both from coastal cities in Florida, this is a homage to our state.

Bauer: The Flaming Kro (RMB50).  Beer, Amaretto, and 151 rum. This is our house drink. It’s a spin off of The Flaming Moe from The Simpsons, except ours is better and won’t burn our bar down… I hope.

Lewison: Root beer float (RMB25). A&W root beer with ice cream: takes me back to when I was little Zach, spending summers playing baseball and not having to worry about running kitchens in Beijing.

What are your “must try” foods and drinks at other venues?

Drinks…

Handley: Big bottles of Yanjing! Nothing connects you better to Beijing than drinking these on the busy streets and watching the city pass you by.

Bauer: Tap water, my house.  I work every day all day, so having a glass of water at my house is always going to be my go to drink.

Lewison: Gin and tonic at Fubar. I use to hate gin and tonic, Chad [Lager] changed me on this. I will never drink one outside of Fubar unless Chad is there by chance and makes it. That’s how devoted I am to it.

Foods…

Handley: New York strip with mushroom sauce at Chef Too. Billy [Bolton] knows his steak, and this is a simple dish made perfect. Can’t beat it.

Bauer: The falafel from Dareen coffee.  Karim [Aljaddi] has the best in town: he sells me coffee, so with every order I try to work in a falafel.

Lewison: Hot dog at No More Bunz. I moved from Dongzhimen to Lido last year and the only thing I regret is not being able to walk to work and stop by for the American hot dog.