Beijing Boyce

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Beijing has its fair share of undesirable taxi drivers: the surly (who avoid eye contact, emit disparaging sighs and respond with moody grunts instead of words), the stinky (did someone leave a garlic, stale cigarette and dirty diaper sandwich in the car?) and the stubborn (who refuse to turn down the radio to properly hear the directions and, when those directions are finally understood, decide to argue about the suggested route you have successfully taken a thousand times).

Yes, those taxi drivers exist. But the vast majority of Beijing taxi drivers are decent guys and gals who are polite, who do their best to get you to your destination, and who work long and hard hours. Given this, and because I am (in theory) a people person, I try to make them happy if I can. And one way of doing that is to provide the right of payment.

Consider the following situation: You take a short late-night ride home and the bill comes to rmb11. Here are standard options for paying that fare and how they will likely influence the cab driver. (I assume five things: you are using no counterfeit bills; no bills so beat up the driver doesn’t want them; no small change such as mao or fen, and no atypical payments, such as using eleven rmb1 notes, nor are you leaving a tip.)

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rmb100

A worst-case scenario unless the taxi driver wants to get rid of his small change. Even if he is happy to get rid of those bills, you might get a gruff grunt because he assumes you were being inconsiderate by handing over such an amount, you selfish jerk. The only other time this amount would make him happy is if he can slip you that fake rmb50 note someone else slipped him.

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rmb101 (rmb100 + rmb1)

This is slightly better than giving rmb100, since you have at least shown consideration and allowed him to round the change to the nearest rmb10. Make a show of trying to find smaller notes — check at least three pockets — before handing over this amount and you might escape with little or no sighing / grumbling.

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rmb50 and rmb51  (rmb50 + rmb1)

These differ from rmb100 and rmb101 cases only in that the driver will have to surrender less change. He still might get slightly annoyed since the fare is but one-fifth of these amounts and/or because he will have to spend an extra few seconds to check if you are slipping him a fake rmb50 note. (I have noticed taxi drivers are more careful about checking rmb50 than rmb100 notes.)

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rmb20 and rmb21 (rmb20 + rmb1)

These amounts are perfectly acceptable since your fare is about half. By providing rmb21, the driver can hand back a single rmb10 note and this gives you a solid change of getting a slight nod / grunt of approval. The rmb20 is a little less considerate but there is really no reason for anyone to get upset.

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rmb11 (rmb10 + rmb1)

The exact amount: You hand over the cash, he doesn’t need to count change, and everyone parts way in good spirits. You might even get a nod of approval and a smile. But there is one amount that is even better…

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rmb11 (rmb5 + rmb5 + rmb1)

Why? Most taxi drivers have their notes ordered by value in billfold, pouch, paper-clipped bundle or dubious looking handkerchief. If you provide a rmb10 note and a rmb1 note, the driver must first find the rmb10 section and insert one note and then flip to the rmb1 section and insert the other note. This involves two insertions and is wasted time defined.

With two rmb5 and a rmb1 notes, the driver simply finds where the rmb5 section ends and the rmb1 section begins and inserts all three bills at once, a one-stop service, except he’s performing it on himself – with your assistance. Expect a nod, a smile and perhaps even a hug, you big harmonious society-promoting lug.

Sanlitun Soho is in my neighborhood but I have spent little time since it opened and have thus tried to make amends in the past few weeks. Some spots tried:

Holland Fish (1F): I was drawn like a foot to a wooden shoe by a flier that mentioned “Dutch” fried rice (rmb36). Apparently, the nod to northern Europe is due to the side of cod in a dish that otherwise struck me as Indonesian — then again, the Dutch did colonize that part of the planet. When I visited, Holland Fish had a side deal that included two fish sticks, a small salad (unfortunately overloaded with dressing) and a soft drink (rmb5; regular rmb10). Solid filler…

Rice and Beef (B1): This place offers more than a dozen meat, veggie and rice options served on a hot skillet and seems ideal for those seeking a quick lunch. How quick? By the time I had finished paying for my order and picked a seat, a waitress was behind me with a sizzling plate loaded with kimchi, beef, an egg (rmb2 extra), cheese (rmb3 extra), and rice topped with vegetables. She stir-cooked the meat and egg and then I had at it. Combos start from rmb23.

Moment Cafe (B1): The ‘Indiavolato’ sandwich is among the tastier items I have tasted in the past month. Chicken breast, lettuce, green pepper and jalapeno spread on ciabatta, with a sprikling of sliced chili peppers on the plate — I added them to my sandwich to up that spice level. During lunch, you get a sandwich (five choices) with a soup (I have had the aspargus and the pumpkin and liked both) or salad and an espresso or soda for rmb62.

Ssam (B1): Not everyone’s cup of barley tea but I am a fan. The lunch special offers excellent value — try the chicken sandwich in tofu “bread” (rmb38), the chicken nuggets, rolled in crushed seeds and nuts, with side salad (rmb48) or the bude chigae a.k.a. “soldier stew” (rmb38). The lunch specials are also available on the weekends.

I was lucky enough to sample items on the new Ssam menu lately and enjoyed this place’s take on dukpukki (the rice cake came crispy), the sword fish in a hot tangy sauce, and the  soy bean creme brulee. The wasabi in the raw fish dish nearly vaporized my head so you might want to take that one slow. If you like the Korean pancakes known as jeon, the new menu includes potato cheese and chili squid versions.

I have also been to Tonton and to Sydney Cafe but want to return once more before writing about them. And I’ll have more on some of the cafes Flour, Luvoello and TF Coffee, and on the bar Titanium.

http://www.beijingboyce.com/2011/07/20/beijing-summer-house-party-contest-win-10-gung-ho-pizzas-2-cases-of-vedett-white/

This is an exclusive, a “you heard it hear first”, a Beijing food and beverage breaking news story, a… I’m just kidding. I’m not a big fan of such wording. Anyway…

Just a heads up for pizza fans in Lido: Word is the new restaurant will go in the Peter’s Tex-Mex space in Lido. That makes it close to those hundreds of wines at Jenny Lou’s,  not to mention to Cafe del Mar…

Re the Gung Ho pizza-Vedett beer giveaway, I’m trying to get all the parties concerned together to do the draw. Hopefully, that will happen early this evening…

The laptop problems return! Just a short post today. Hopefully all is back to normal by tomorrow…

Look for Danish operation The Royal Café to soon open in the former Butcher’s Steakhouse space. The guys behind this new two-floor venture have been on a hiring and — if the construction is any indication — spending spree.

A block and a half west, W Wine and Dine will reopen as a yet-to-be-named seafood restaurant in the next month or so, says Chris Herbert, who has a trading company that brings in oysters, mussels and the like from North America. (Given this, I am going with The Loyal Geoduck until an official name is announced.) Expect a menu that includes about a dozen appetizers and dozen mains,  including a few beef and chicken dishes, and that changes with the seasons. Given the seafood focus, Herbert says he will have a large white wine list.

Finally, expect a flurry of curry action above Paddy O’Shea’s, says owner Karl Long. (He might not have used that exact phrase; he might have said a slew of dum aloo action; my memory is hazy.) First, Kamat’s closed about a week ago after a decent run atop the Irish pub. Now, Ganges, which boasts at least four operations around the city, will take a shot at making Indian fare work there.

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The candidates for the Miss Kriek by St Louis crown faced a busy schedule last week with an opening round at Beer Mania on Thursday, a trip to Haidian for the Beijinger Beer Fest on Saturday, and a final round at TF in Sanlitun Soho on Sunday. The program for the 28 candidates including training, photo shoots and a talent competition, says Fredrik Esbensen of Vandergeeten,  the beer importer and distributor that organized the event.

When the beer foam cleared in the final round, the winner turned out to be Momo Meng of Chongqing, a student at BCLU who took the title, says Ebsnesn, “by expressing her passion for beer and her talent for street dancing.” Meng will represent St Louis beer throughout China and travel to Belgium to perform in Brussels Grand Place. Wei Jiang from Jiangsi Normal University and  Zhang Lu Yuan from Beijing Jiaotong University took second and third place respectively.

(Photos courtesy of Vandergeeten)

Update: I met with Chad Lager of Fubar this week to pick the winners of the 100 bottles of vodka and gin in the Beijing Bar Rescue Contest. All valid comments went into a draw, with Lager overseeing the process and bartender / fashion model (see the August issue of Esquire) Seven Zhang pulling out five winners, each of which gets six bottles of alcohol — three vodka and three gin. Here are his picks:

• Matt: 12 bottles (drawn twice)
• Colin: 6 bottles
• Octopus: 6 bottles
• Richard: 6 bottles

Lager and I (so much for a panel) decided how to split the other 70 bottles. We liked many of the ideas, from the proposed revamp of Eudora in Lido to the creation of a live music venue in Sanlitun, although in some cases the entries were too long or didn’t strike us as quite right. (Re the entry that said Fubar needs to be rescued: Lager says he is quite happy with his profits, thank you very much.)

In the end, we agreed Matt and Blake had the best entries, though not on which one. With Matt, it was Green T. House and Havana Bar, with Blake it was Stone Boat and Miss Saigon. We also liked the unexpected suggestions from Zach for Metro and Pliers, though the latter entry was too long and didn’t make the cut, and the ideas from Octopus for Kura Kura and, as an aside, Tim’s Texas BBQ. (We’re not saying Tim’s needs a rescue, we just want to see which sea shanties he knows).

Here is how we decided to divide the 70 bottles:

Blake: 34 bottles
Matt: 24 bottles
Octopus: 6 bottles
Zach: 6 bottles

The prizes are available at Fubar. Winners should phone Lager ahead of pickup. (I will forward his phone number to the winners.)

Thanks to everyone who participated. I think most of us have been in a so-so bar, or walked by an empty spot, and thought, “You know, this place would be amazing if only someone [fill in the blank].” It was fun see some of those ideas.

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Update: The contest is closed. I’ll post re the winners on Monday afternoon (tomorrow, Wednesday, promise. We went over all the entries last night and I just need to write up the results).

100 bottles of booze on the wall, 100 bottles of booze…

Chad Lager of Fubar is fatigued from figuring out cocktail recipes for his stock of Strait guava gin and Strait vanilla vodka, and is donating 50 bottles of each for a contest. That means 100 bottles of booze. And this coincides with the start of a new U.S.  TV show called Bar Rescue in which an expert tries to give a boost to a bar. And that makes it a natural to hold a Bar Rescue Beijing Contest for 100 Bottles of Booze from Fubar.

The challenge: Tell us what Beijing bar needs rescuing and how, and do so in 100 words or less.

(One of Chad’s picks is to re-launch Powerhouse: he says the great outdoor space and perfect location would make it ideal for a thriving live rock and roll scene. One of my picks is Pavillion: given the layout, both the interior and that lovely patio, and location in the Sanlitun-Workers Stadium zone, this would work well as an upscale restaurant and lounge, with a special focus on the  post-2 AM crowd. Think D Lounge’s chicness with Twilight’s attitude and drinks.)

Winners will be chosen based both on merit and luck.

In terms of luck, we will draw five winners, each of whom will get a six-pack of booze — three bottles of gin, three bottles of vodka.

In terms of merit, several bar scene observers, to be announced shortly, will narrow the entries to a few finalists and decide how many of the remaining 70 bottles each one gets. A finalist might get 1 bottle or 20 bottles or even all 70 bottles.

(It is possible, though unlikely, for someone who enters five times to win all 100 bottles.)

The details, in bullet points…

• To enter the contest, tell us — in no more than 100 words — which Beijing bar should be rescued and how.
• You may post an entry about a bar already mentioned but you need to come up with a different rescue plan.
• You may enter up to five times. Each entry must be submitted as a separate entry to be eligible for the draw.
• All reasonable comments will be entered into the draw.
• The deadline is next Tuesday at 5 PM.
• Winners need to pick up their prizes at Fubar.

Finally, there is still time — about two hours — for those interested in entering the contest for 10 Gung Ho pizzas and 48 bottles of Vedett. Details here.

Reason we thought of this contest is that every bar owner and bar customer loves to walk place a vacant spot and think what if… that’s very subject…. Powerhouse…

Bob Louison of Spirit It! has announced the opening of his bartender academy in the Temple complex in Beijing. Louison, who first came to Beijing to work with China Doll (see: No Sex, Please, I’m Thirsty) and has been a mainstay on the scene pretty much since then, is also consulting for Fez bar atop Agua restaurant in Nali Studio.

Louison says classes will be held during the day and options will range from one-week courses for those seeking basic skills to courses of three to six months for those serious about the profession. Louison says he plans to include internships in restaurants and bars for students taking longer courses  The courses will be taught in English, though Louison says he expects to add instruction in Mandarin shortly. [Update: The manual is in English and will be translated into Chinese soon. Louison says classes will be available in Mandarin, English, Spanish and French.]

“I’ve had the academy in my mind but it look a long time to find the right place and the right people to work” with, he said. For more info, email Louison at bobspirit.it (at) gmail.com.

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So I spotted this liter bottle of Changyu Vermouth in a supermarket last week and hemmed and hawed for about three seconds before buying it. I figured at worst it would be interesting to taste and had an intriguing label. And at best I might like it.  I ended up cracking the bottle open that night with Iain Xiao, who used it for a martini, and then took it to Flamme as bartender Paul Mathew expressed some interest and I figured he would be able to work his usual magic. Sure enough, he made two cocktails, including a tasty Fighting Cock Bourbon Manhattan…

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My motherboard burned out last Friday, I got a replacement on Sunday near Chaoyang Park (hat tip to Mr Miyagi for the help), and I found myself walking by Chef Too. As with spots like Vineyard Cafe, Metro and Saveurs de Coree, this is a place I really should visit more often. I downed an espresso and chatted with owner William Bolton a.k.a. Chef Billy, who asked me if I had ever tried Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon. Hmm, I have a hazy memory of doing so at Ichikura years ago. Anyway, he gave me a splash of three PVWs for an enlightening impromptu tasting. Even better, he has about two dozen more Bourbons on hand…

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Finally, I spotted this Schrorsch lager at BHG a few days ago: it is billed as the “World’s Strongest Lager“. Maybe we need a strong beer showdown with BrewDog, which is due in our city any time now. More on this soon…

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You might have caught him over the years playing at Tun and Nanjie, at Lantung and Fubar, and now Australia’s own DJ Chunky — the Platypus-petting Prince of Plastic, the Dingo-loving Duke of Discography, the Vegemite-nibbling Viceroy of Vinyl, the, well, you get the idea — is back in Beijing after leaving our fair city nearly one year ago to pursue a life of health, wealth and self-exploration stateside.

He’ll play one night only, this Friday from 9 PM to 11 PM at Fubar, during a stopover in Beijing that will no doubt raise many deep DJ-esque questions. Like, will he continue to stand alone among DJs in not only using CDs but also in having a single song on each one? (My guess: Almost certainly) Will be manually turn the sound up and down a dozen times per song and drive Chad Lager of Fubar to the edge of insanity? (Likely) Will he stop the show halfway through and lead a séance in an attempt to channel the spirit of departed Aussie brethren Steve Irwin and get some song requests. (Possibly) The evening will include the following specials on vodka cranberry, the DJ Chunky drink of choice:

• The DJ Chunky “I Need to Work in the Morning” Light, with 50ml of vodka and complimentary cranberry juice (rmb25)
• The DJ Chunky Standard Issue, with 100 ml of vodka and complimentary cranberry juice (rmb50)
• The DJ Chunk-o-Saurus Mega Mix, with 150 ml of vodka and complimentary cranberry juice (rmb75)

Word has it he will finally play, after requests on dozens of different nights, Major Tom. We shall see…

(On a more serious note, I do miss those nights when DJ Chunky brought along two big cases of vinyl. There is something fun and hands on about records being pulled out of sleeves…)

UPDATE: And we have a winner. As I spent the afternoon working at Grinders, I asked co-owner Trevor Metz to oversee the draw and pick the winner. After much scrambling of the entries, he took a deep breath, drew one entry and read the winner’s name: The Chairman. He gets 10 pizzas and two cases of Vedett. Thanks to all those who entered and to Gung Ho and Duvel Moortgat for providing the prizes.

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Lack the expat package, nouveau riche lifestyle, sympathetic boss or simply the time to escape the heat, humidity and haze of August in Beijing? Then how about getting lots of free beer and pizza for a house party?

I have ten pizzas courtesy of Gung Ho and two cases of Belgian beer Vedett White courtesy of Duvel Moortgat to give away. That should be enough pizza and beer for one reader and a dozen of his / her friends.

Contest details:

• Leave a comment and tell us who you would invite, if you could pick anyone in the world, to your beer and pizza party, and why.  (My pick: Mila Kunis given this recent story). Each reasonable comment will go into the draw. The draw will be done as usual with the assistance of neutral witnesses.
• The winner gets an assortment of ten pizzas from Gung Ho and 48 bottles of Vedett White from Duvel Moortgat to enjoy with his or her friends.
• The prize must be claimed within the first two weeks of August. If you live in the Gung Ho delivery area, you can either have your pizza and beer at the Gung Ho shop on Workers Stadium East or have it delivered to your apartment. If you live outside the delivery zone, you need to consume it at the shop. We need two days notice of when you and your friends want the beer and pizza.
• Feel free to enter the contest up to three times. Please put each entry as a separate comment as I will number the comments for the draw.
• The deadline is next Tuesday at 5 PM.

Whew, I think that is all, and it is a bit more detailed than usual, but I think this is a pretty good prize. Let the inviting begin…

Note: I receive no payment from Gung Ho or Duvel Moortgat for running this contest. I simply think it is fun. Also, there is still time to enter the draw for a signed Harlem Globetrotters basketball, courtesy of Union Bar & Grille. See here.

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What is the “must try” beer at 12SQM?

Our must try beer is Coopers. A family owned brewery from South Australia producing an excellent quality product and definitely my favourite beer. The pale ale is the biggest seller but I prefer the sparkling ale. It is higher in alcohol and more like a meal with a heavy amount of sediment that we mix back in to the beer. It’s 30rmb for pale ale, sparkling ale or stout.

What is the “must try” drink at 12SQM?

The must try drink is the Long Island Iced Tea. We use five different liquors and the result is always consistent as we use measured shots. I’ve never understood free pouring, because the chances of the bartender producing a consistent amount every time is minimal. It may look flashy, but that’s all it is. We prefer consistency.

We will rock and pizza roll you.

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Those seeking a single pizza serving at Kro’s Nest will be happy to know the new menu includes something akin to stomboli. It is essentially a pizza, rolled up, about a foot long and a good size for loners. They start from rmb25. Also new to the Kro’s Nest menu:

• Three “power tower” options, including with three orders of wings (rmb118), with fried mushrooms, artichokes and jalapenos (rmb98) and with fries, onion rings and wings (rmb85).
• Pizza nachos with ground beef, cheddar and more (rmb35)
• Beef and pork meatballs in marinara sauce (rmb35)
• A soup and salad combo (rmb42)

There are three new desserts: deep-fried Oreo cookies (rmb30), brownies with ice cream (rmb35) and cookies with milk (rmb35).

All good but it would be nice to see the team draw some inspiration from local cuisine. Any chance of a Kro’s / bird’s nest soup and pizza combo?

Update: I did the draw with Andy Bright of Union, who oversaw the entries, and Yvonne Chan of Union, who pulled the winning entry.  The winner of a basketball signed by the Harlem Globetrotters is: Kirby.

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Union Bar & Grille in Sanlitun Village South is set to put some bounce into someone’s day. Union recently hosted dinner for the Harlem Globetrotters, ended up with two basketballs signed by the team’s players, and gave me one to give to you. I’m calling that a four-point play.

To win the ball, share one of your favorite basketball memories in the comments section. Any reasonable answer will be entered in the draw. As usual, you need to live in Beijing to win. The deadline is Friday at 3 PM.

The Blue Frog staff is kept hopping every Monday due to its popular two-for-one “burger burger” special. And it looks like the pace is picking up. I remember manager Greg Dover telling me last summer that Blue Frog topped 500 burgers in one night. Turns out that was tadpole’s play as he says Blue Frog has served more than 700 burgers on each of the past two Mondays. By the way, expect that new Blue Frog at Chaoyangmen to take a bit longer to open.

There are a couple of face lifts going on over at Chaoyang Park West: Juicy Spot is redesigning its front entrance while Suzie Wong’s cafe on the first floor is being renovated and should re-open in a month. The upper levels of these places remain open.

Q Bar has started a bar and food catering service called “Mobile Q” that its newsletter says covers everything “from a single bartender to multiple bar services and food catering at large festivals and public events.”

And Kro’s Nest will team with Ypioca this Saturday to hold Sunset Brazil from 10 PM. Expect Capiarinhas, a capoeira performance, special dishes from Kro’s, drumming by Sambasia, and Brazilian tunes deep into the night. The rmb40 entry free goes to Compassion for Migrant Children Foundation and gets you a Caiparinha.

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Look for Italian outlet Pizza by LM PLUS to quickly become a lunch favorite in Central Park given this newcomer offers a mix of good taste and value.The lunch special runs weekdays from 11 AM to 5 PM and includes three slabs of pizza, a small salad and a soda for rmb40 — add another rmb5 for a Tsingtao. You can mix and match four pizza options: Margherita, Napoletano (with anchovies and capers), prosciutto and mushroom, and vegetarian. Except a more subtle taste than is usual for pizza in Beijing. There is also a flat bread (piadina) sandwich special – four options – at rmb45.

Also of note:

• From 5 PM to 11 PM, patrons have the choice of 11 pizzas from rmb59, either to eat at the restaurant or via delivery (Central Park only at this point). There is also a “Pizza Plus” option: the menu says it includes a 60cm by 25 cm pizza, with gazpacho and vodka shots, for rmb148.
• The menu lists two wines, both Sardinian blends,  at rmb55 glass or rmb248 bottle.
• And coffee starts at rmb15 for an espresso and tops most of the nearby cafes for value.

Pizza by LM Plus is a modest size, clean and neat, with seating for about two dozen inside and some tables outside. I’ll be back soon to try the sandwiches…

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Look for Pudao Wines to open in The Office Park, across from Central Park, very soon. The interior is pretty much complete and will provide an airy environment in which to try and buy wines. Some features:

• The venue is positioned more as a wine retailer than a wine bar though it will provide plenty of space for people who want to enjoy a glass or share a bottle with friends.
• It will be managed by Jim Yang, who in addition to working for several years for Summergate has experience in the hotel business.
• There will be five enomatic machines, each with a four-bottle capacity, which can keep opened wine fresh for up to three weeks. The smaller machines fit the space better and provide more flexibility with temperature settings, says Marcus Ford, who runs the affiliated The Wine Way in Shanghai and gave me a tour of Pudao Wines yesterday.
• There is no set schedule for how often the wine brands in the machines will be changed but expect it to be once or twice a month, says Ford. As with the machines at Modo, customers will have the choice of three pour sizes: 38 ml (1/20 of a bottle), 75 ml (1/10) and 125 ml (1/6). Expect many of the wines to be in the rmb10 to rmb20 range for a starter pour, though there will also be a weekly rmb1 wine for club members and a premium wine that will cost rmb100+ per pour. Joining the club costs rmb100.
• And as with The Wine Way, the majority of the brands will be from Summergate, and range from Australia’s Jim Barry to Italy’s Antinori, with some labels from distributors such as Torres, The Wine Republic and ASC.

Pudao Wines is beside Speyside on the first floor and includes a stand-up bar, an area with the wine machines, two retail spaces (one for premium products), table seating, and a room that can seat about 20 and be used for private events, movie screenings, education and the like. There are also plans for some outdoor seating. More on this spot when it opens…

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Emoland, beside Jamaica Blue in Central Park (Tower 16), is holding a “beer festival” through August 2. I saw about 20 cases of Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale and other American beers stacked outside yesterday just before the festival kicked off. A staff employee showed me a menu that was being finalized and it looks like that Dead Guy will be buy one, get one for rmb45. A poster says the festival is nightly from 6 PM. I don’t know much about Emoland — except that an American coffee is prohibitively priced at rmb26 — so I plan to drop by, try a beer and find out more…

Welcome to part twenty-six of the Must Tries Series, where I ask the people in the food and beverage business for their top recommendations. This time around: Nick Papa of beer importer and distributor Duvel Moortgat. Here are his top picks from the portfolio and for places to try about town.

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What is the “must try” bottled beer from Duvel Moortgat?

La Chouffe. This stuff is completely new to Beijing. An 8% Blond Belgian ale from the Duvel Moortgat family of beers that basically makes you look super good and hot when you drink it. It also tastes of magic and is rumored to make grown men cry.

Besides the aesthetic boost one gets upon imbibing this bottled ambrosia, I’m impressed with this stuff because it comes from a tiny family brewery in Achouffe, Belgium, operated by two brothers-in-law. This beer perfectly underscores the quiet evolution of Beijing’s beer culture — I mean, Beijingers are now able to drink exceptionally well-crafted beer made in a brewery no larger than the back room of Kro’s Nest.

We at D[uvel Moortgat recently began contract negotiations with a legion of winged unicorns who we hope will help us in our La Chouffe deliveries to El Nido and Beer Mania, thus increasing speed of delivery and cutting down on urban congestion. [This has yet to be confirmed - Ed.]

What is the “must try” draft?

Vedett Extra White from the Duvel Moortgat brewery. Extra White — a traditional Belgian white which is likened to a Carmen Miranda hat of orange peel, cilantro, and lemon in your mouth — is a perfect tonic to the dog days of a Beijing summer, and is also rumored to grant eternal life to those who drink it. Think Hoegaarden, but with a surf board, 1970s sky-blue Fender Strat, and maybe an outstanding warrant or two. Like all Duvel Moortgat beers, we brew it on the moon. Available at locations like Alba, Kro’s Nest, and IKI BBQ.

What are three “must try” foods or drinks in Beijing?

IKI BBQ’s bibimbap with cheese. You’ve got to time it just right so that the cheese mixes with the rice and burns to a crunchy delight around the edges of the bowl. I eat about 18 of these a week.

The new Saveurs de Coree in Xiang’er Hutong has a phenomenal array of fresh, organic, and highly delicious Korean BBQ dishes. They just opened about a month ago, with a second location across from their old joint on Nanluo to open soon. If I could have their cold buckwheat noodles airlifted to me for lunch, I probably would.

Veggie Table in Wudaoying Hutong has the best hummus I have ever had in my life.

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Spotted two Beer Lao lagers at the Wow shop in Central Park yesterday. If you are a fan, or just want to give it a try, the price — rmb9.5 to rmb10.5 — is fair. I only popped in to grab a snack, so I didn’t have time to take a thorough look through the wines, beers and spirits, but it looks like the place has a decent selection. And I saw that they have several bottles of Oakzen barrel-aged soju for rmb62.5, which is also a fair price if you have never tried this before…

Update (July 22, 2011): I asked gregarious Sasha Uncovic of Kiosk to oversee the draw and pull the winner. As usual, the name of each entrant was written on a piece of paper, the papers scrunched and scrambled, and one randomly picked out of the pile. The winner of the draw for a bottle of Fighting Cock Bourbon from Dxcel: Chris. And the winner of the a bottle for merit: Busdriver, for his “Go hard or go home.”

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Note: I’m also running a contest for a ball signed by the Harlem Globetrotters and provided by Union Bar & Grille. See here.

Fighting Cock Bourbon is available in Beijing as of this week, says distributor Dxcel, and the name of this beverage will no doubt inspire plenty of giggles and guffaws, dirty jokes and double entendres. But as they say in Kentucky, “If you can’t fight the cock, join it”*, so I am holding a contest to come up with a slogan for this whiskey.

The prize: Two bottles of Fighting Cock Bourbon courtesy of Dxcel. One bottle goes to the person with the best slogan, the other to the winner of a draw.

The details: You have to be in Beijing to win the prize. The deadline is next Monday at 5 PM. And I reserve the right to delete any untoward entries — after all, this is a family blog.

* I’m still confirming that this phrase is in widespread use there.

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Note: The contest for five loaded bagels from Refresh! closes on July 15. You can still enter here.

Welcome to part twenty-five of the Must Tries Series, where I ask the people who own or work in restaurants and bars what they like best. Up this time: Frank Siegel of Sequoia Cafe, in the Kerry Centre and the Jianguomenwai Diplomatic, and also known for starting Frank’s Place some two decades ago, as well as the former John Bull Pub, and as a wine, beer and spirits enthusiast.

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What is the “must try” food at Sequoia?

Turkeyberry Sandwich: most sandwiches are savory but this is more on the sweet side with cream cheese and cranberry sauce. If sweetness isn’t your thing, go for the Turkey Bacon Sandwich.

What is the “must try” drink at Sequoia?

I would say any of our espresso drinks as we use beans from Fonte Coffe, a micro roaster based in Seattle. They cater to five-star hotels in the U.S. and we are the only outlet in China using their coffee.

What is a “must try” item at another venue in Beijing?

Xibei Youmian Cun (西贝莜面村) out by the Summer Palace. During the summer, they do a huge house salad with wild greens and other unusual ingredients. In winter, I usually order the handmade oatmeal noodles that come steamed. You can order from a variety of broths to soak the noodles in; I usually go for the mushroom broth. Very filling.

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For years I have wanted to organize something called the Johnnie Walker Challenge and now it looks like Joseph Kornides of 12sqm has made it all too easy. But first…

Kornides is introducing a two-for-one deal on Tuesdays, starting next week, that covers his range of single malts, Bourbons and Irish whiskeys. And he has a decent range, too, with ~40 options, including Jameson 12-year-old (rmb40),  Bushmills Black (rmb45), Maker’s Mark (rmb45), Blanton’s Silver Edition (rmb50), Glenlivet 12-year-old (rmb45), Laphroaig 10-year-old (rmb50), Lagavulin 16-year-old (rmb65) and Balvenie 21-year-old (rmb95). Note: The prices in brackets are the regular ones. On Tuesdays, that gets you two pours, totaling 60 ml.

As for the Johnnie Walker Challenge, I’ve long wanted to do a blind tasting with friends of the red, black, green, gold and blue labels — the same colors, as Kornides points out, of the Olympic rings — to see the order of preference. (If you choose the red as best, you can look forward to saving money in the long run.) At 12sqm, rmb188 will get you a 30ml shot of each one of these five whiskeys. I plan to bring along some labels to stick on the glass bottoms so I can finally take the challenge…

(Oh, and 12SQM also has a Czech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself special: A Budvar and shot of Czech absinthe for rmb80.)