Beijing Boyce

Call it the iTunes match-up of the millennium: DJ Diaper and DJ Press/Play hit the decks at Fubar this Saturday night to right-click party-goers into 2012.

DJ Press/Play, formerly DJ Running with Scissors, is considered the “king of minimalism” in the burgeoning “less is more” underground music scene. “Ever since the accident, I basically push that play button, sit back and let the magic happen,” he says oh-so-nonchalantly.

DJ Press/Play is fan of tech house, trance, funk, electro jazz, retro-nasal dubstep with a Chicago deep dish twist – “oh, pretty much everything”, he says – though he plans to play a set focused on C+C Music Factory, Black Eyed Peas, and the like on Saturday. He cites as other influences over-the-counter medications, “significant relationship issues” and a “not-so-chance encounter” in 2006 with a UFO and its probe-happy alien occupants.

A recent interview with Slipped Disc magazine revealed more of this musical genius:

“Why the name ‘DJ Press/Play’?”

I actually have a codependent relationship with my equipment: it presses me as much as I press it. Imagine a kung fu master punching through a 12-inch wall of bricks — made out of cotton candy. Know what I mean?”

“What is your pre-set meal?”

Skippy peanut butter. In. Out. Like soul glue. A religious experience. My toaster is like Jesus — bread goes in soft and comes out crispy, a miracle to the technologically uninformed. Skippy takes me to another dimension — specifically, the eleventh one.”

“Let’s go through some of your rivals.”

[DJ Diaper?] How do you prepare for a guy who drops off the kids in his pants instead of at the swimming pool, if you know what I mean. You seriously don’t want to be number two in the DJ booth behind him. [DJ Blackie?] We were friends – before the accident. Then he kept saying, “Why don’t you change your name to ‘DJ Walking with Scissors‘, ha ha.” Go back to your lotion, tissues and ABBA albums, Blackie. And a warning: I’m keeping an eye on you, even if it’s the only one I have left. [DJ Black Tooth?] I wish he’d get that thing pulled.

“Hopes and dreams?”

When they look back at me, I want them to say, “He didn’t press that play button too hard or too soft but just right. I also hope to launch my own hat line for hipsters. Unknown to the wearer, each hat would be rigged with a pretentiousness meter and explode when a certain level is met. It’s not that I’m for violence, it’s that I’m anti-knob.

Meanwhile, DJ Diaper – the cover of Slipped Disc magazine screams “he’s the poo!” – has been raising a stink in the music scene for nearly two years and it is easy to see why. After all, what can one do if one wishes to play a 12-hour set, drink copious amounts of energy-giving asparagus juice and not waste time on toilet breaks? Wear a diaper. And not just any diaper: these babies are custom-made with the most up-to-date anti-leak technology, extra absorbency and trunk space. So popular has DJ Diaper become that his used undergarments now fetch thousands of euros in online auctions.

DJ Diaper cites his influences as Flavor Flav, Frank Zappa, The Teletubbies, the International Asparagus Juice Association and the philosophy of DJ Chunky. “Like him, I am a proponent of continually turning the volume up and down,” he says. “In the trade, we call this mixing.”

You can catch him in action with DJ Press/Play on Saturday night at Fubar, just a few doors down from George’s, which will be hosting the Beijing Beatles, in case people are looking to hit several venues in one night.

Note: If you are wondering, “Gee, I wonder if Boyce designed that poster himself?” The answer, believe it or not, is yes. I am particularly good at stretching or squeezing fonts.

That was good...

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Migas will cap a busy year this Saturday night by opening its new and adjoining venue — The Bar at Migas.

This Spanish restaurant and lounge in Nali Patio ranks among the more intriguing places of the past 12 months given its interior design, its rooftop parties that attracted patrons by the thousands, and its efforts to help bring over Spanish chefs and involve them in cooking classes, market visits and special dinners.

The newest project, The Bar at Migas, is next door and includes a stage, DJ booth and glassed-in demonstration kitchen. When I visited Monday night, the place was on the verge of getting its custom-made sofas, said GM Eduardo Gutierrez, who added the commissioned paintings might take a little longer. He noted the island bar, with a “favela” feel, is made from recycled corrugated metal, wood skids, window frames and doors. Around the corner is a glassed-in demonstration kitchen that can hold a dozen students or diners. It will be equipped with two video cameras to provide big screen closeups of cooking techniques and will be available for use to chefs from other restaurants, said Gutierrez.

As for New Year’s Eve, Migas will have a seven-course meal at 7 PM — last orders 9 PM — with everything from oysters in gin and tonic to wagyu beef carpaccion with pistachios — see the menu here. The price is rmb500, or rmb900 with Champagne and four Spanish wines, and includes a ticket to the party that will see Funk Fever in Migas and Dance Dangereaux in The Bar at Migas. Otherwise, entry is rmb150, with a glass of Mumm’s Champagne.

I’ll have more on that demonstration kitchen in 2012…

See also:

• Regional fusion: Migas marks one with special Spanish menu
• Jingshen Seafood Market: King crabs and crocodiles, sea cucumbers and salmon in Beijing
• Where’s the beef? A visit to a Beijing slaughterhouse
• This weekend at Migas: The chef, the butcher and the sausage maker
• Migasonic! File under The Best Lunch Deal in Beijing

Last night I heard a few homesick souls lament the lack of a white Christmas in Beijing. Putting aside that some traditionally white Christmas-y parts of the world went brown this year, and that this city rarely gets snow, I went through my photos for some pics that will hopefully cheer these souls up. Here are a dozen photos from the past few years — most of them including snow. And if that doesn’t raise your spirits, try a half-dozen Brooklyn lagers…

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Our property management office cares!

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Lots of Christmas dinner, lunch and brunch options this year and the English-language mags have plenty of listings (here’s an example). A few options, mostly from my inbox…

Seafood restaurant Starfish on Dongzhimenwai Da Jie will be taking the menu down a notch in size but up one in terms of luxury tonight as it focuses on the likes of crab, lobster and “surf and turf” with lobster and T-Bone steak. Also, oyster fans: Starfish currently has a dozen varieties, says owner Alicia Bailey.

Nearby, Paddy O’Shea’s is doing a rmb168 turkey dinner deal for the next three nights. You get soup or salad, turkey and the fixings, and a glass of wine. Add rmb30 for dessert.

I noted here that Ole in Sanlitun South is doing Christmas Eve dinner and Bang Bang in Shuangjing is doing Christmas day lunch. Relative neighbor to the latter, Grinders will have turkey dinner tonight and tomorrow from 5 PM. Soup, bird and fixings, dessert and a bottle of wine for rmb400. First come, first served.

And for those seeking a liquid meal, dress up like Santa Claus and go to Beer Mania tonight, and you get happy hour prices on bottled Belgian brew — that means 20 percent off — all night.

Look for Jun Trinh and company to don hardhats and swing sledgehammers tonight to make way for the new place that will soon feature his Southeast Asian food. Trinh is into capoeira, which I hear involves martial arts and dance, so expect some fists to go through walls in 4/4 time.

The evening will also feature draft Maredsous at the consumer friendly price of rmb10, says Nick Papa of supplier Duvel-Moortgat. He told me to write something such as “we want to send someone to Havana in two pieces with this event” or “sponsoring such events is part of our overarching plan to establish veritable evidence that Big Foot has resettled into Houhai. [Let me guess. He's roommates with Yeti. - Ed] Ideally, we can use the Maredsous to lure him out into the open, where he will be gifted two round trip tickets to the lost city of Atlantis.”

I’m not sure what he is talking about but I do know the true purpose of such events is to get someone so drunk he or she agrees to hand wash the (no doubt extremely ripe) polar bear mascot outfit Papa regularly wears. Not an attractive prospective given his expression in the photo below clearly says, “I just make poo-poo“.

The party starts around 9 PM, at 27 Dashibei Hutong, which is southwest of the Drum Tower and site of the former Orange Tree.

Got an email this afternoon from Cheese and Wine that there are only “three days left” to stock up on, well, cheese and wine before this place near the west gate of Chaoyang Park closes until the New Year This place has an impressive range of fromage — check out the more 36 kinds listed in the photo below. And the wine list is nothing to sniff it — well, actually it is given there is plenty of good smelling stuff there. Anyway, if you need some nibbles…

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As part of an ongoing vendetta against my liver, Ian Burns – known in these parts as Don Lemmon of The Beijing Beatles, known in Qingdao as head of media outfit Red Star, known to me as fellow neighbor in the Land of Fortune apartment complex – invited me and fellow Beatle John Devlin to the coast for a wine tasting a few weeks ago. That led to two days of heavy eating, drinking and being merry.

Thursday: From chroma to Caol Ila

Cassani
An afternoon wine tasting at this Italian restaurant was the raison d’etre for the visit. Our panel of six judges faced two scoring options. One: Use an A4-sized sheet with more than a dozen categories, including “chroma”, for each wine to get scores out of 100. Two: Use a small card for each wine and simply write scores out of 20. We prevented a collective aneurysm by choosing option two. While our methodology might not pass muster with the professionals, mostly due to our chatting and sipping, consider them ‘real world’ conditions. I thought the quality of the nearly 20 wines, including a couple from Bulgaria, pretty good and liked the Waitiri Creek Pinot Noir 2007 from New Zealand. I also liked the quiche and meatballs from Cassani.

Carnegie’s
This place was just a few days from opening, an event I was sorry to miss given I went to the launch of Carnegie’s in Taipei a decade ago, and of Browns, modeled on that Taipei establishment, in Beijing in 2006. The Taipei spot saw nights when my dance moves had me figuratively on fire. The Beijing spot saw one night when management gave me a Flaming Lamborghini for my birthday, accidentally (?) set the table alight, and nearly had me literally on fire. Given that I was wedged waist-high against that table, I almost became a modern-day eunuch by flame. Let’s move along.

Aka-Noren
Apparently in Qingdao, a six-foot tall Ultraman statue inside the door is a sign of fresh seafood. Grab a stool at the counter or seats in the semi-private rooms, then gobble teppanyaki, sushi, kimchi, stews and the like to your heart’s content. Good Japanese eats that went well with crisp pints of Asahi at rmb20.

Old Jack’s Bar
Burns asked what Beijing bar this place reminded me of and I said the original Phil’s Pub north of Sanlitun Soho. They share a similar size, simple local pub atmosphere and reasonably priced drinks — rmb20 gin tonics at Old Jack’s. Plus, a single squat toilet. It turns out Old Jack knows Phil, something that makes sense in hindsight, since I remember Phil leaving Beijing for several months to help open Q Bar in Qingdao.

We put away a few pints while listening to a band called the Dalallammas Damallamas play – impromptu and unplugged – songs like “Just the Tip”. (That one concerns neither icebergs nor restaurant gratuities but something that might upset supporters of Planned Parenthood. To assuage such people, perhaps the band could include “Summer of ’69” in future sets.)

Freeman
My first thought: this place is cool. My second thought: the reinforced concrete ceiling juxtaposed with the antique style lamps and general vibe makes it seem like a bar you might find – if only there were a subterranean entrance – in Neil Gaiman’s “Neverwhere”. My third thought: I want sambuca.

Freeman turned out to be my favorite spot. It’s an earthy place that draws an eclectic crowd and is held together by a long communal table that divides the room between a thick-topped bar on one side and lounge areas on the other. The drink list, on the other hand, is average. Yes, the Kamikaze shots, Tsing-taos and Black Russians do the job, but this place like it should have something special, like a shelf loaded with a dozen rums, or a handful of house cocktails with a “Freeman” theme, or even local fruit wines such as those found at Jam in Beijing.

Room
Team Red Star dropped me off at Housing International for the night and, after internally hemming and hawing for about ten seconds, I decided to find a bar called Room that Burns mentioned was near the hotel. It took me nearly half an hour during which I ate a bag of “Angry Birds” Bugles. (They taste like regular bugles. Bummer.) Room is like a study with a few cubbyholes and years of accumulated wine bottles, CDs and knickknacks. And several comatose people: one guy was passed out, forehead on the bar, for a good 30 minutes before he came to, paid his bill and staggered away.

I liked the Black Russian (rmb30) and enjoyed talking to the amiable bartender. After I ordered a second and final drink, a Jameson’s (single rmb20, double rmb40), the owner came over for a chat. He ended up pouring three sample shots for an impromptu tasting. The last thing I remember is saying I should be in bed before 2 AM, being told it was after 3 AM, having another sip of lovely Lagavulin 16, and making a sudden decision to leave for fear I would otherwise be waking a few hours later with coaster marks on my forehead. Good spot.

Friday: Bloody Long Island

Crowne Plaza Hotel
I arrived fashionably late, though not fashionably attired, for the Red Star staff lunch. The buffet included smoked salmon, pastas, dumplings, California rolls – a typical hotel lineup. The highlight: an Indian buffet that was small in scope, big in taste, and included some delicious naan. I washed down lunch with about a dozen glasses of water.

Red Star HQ
The magazine was holding its annual Music and Art Exposition – MAX – with a jam session from late afternoon to about 9 PM. Red Star has an excellent loft office with (obviously) high ceilings, an open spiral staircase to a half second floor, an area with sofas where you can relax, and a kitchen with — on this day — three kegs of Tsing-tao. Unlike in Beijing, this beer pours with a frothy head and tastes fresh. And that’s at rmb60 per keg. Good stuff. As for MAX, I’d bet that a radio convention has less tuning, although once finished, the bands performed well. I liked the tight version of The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” and that song “Just the Tip” (did I mention it has nothing to do with restaurants?).

La Villa
A spacious Mediterranean-style restaurant with plenty of seating options (tables, sofas, the bar and semi-private rooms), good thin crust pizzas (from the margarita to the spicy beef to the one with anchovies and capers), decent dirty martinis (rmb35), and funky music. I think we went through about ten pies as we chilled out, chatted and listened to tunes. Why this place didn’t have more patrons is beyond me. Burns also uttered the line of the night after learning La Villa could not make a Bloody Mary due to a lack of tomato juice: “There’s no Bloody Mary in a Long Island!” Does this guy ever stop quoting The Beatles?

Charlie’s / LPG
A quick stop in Charlie’s, which reminded me of a bigger version “Old Jack’s”, then thoughts of crossing the street to ss LPG, which apparently stands for Simon Says Let’s Play Games. Instead I followed the crowd and went – based on one visit – for the tried and true and followed the crowd next door to…

Freeman
By the end of the night – after blathering about how the spot reminded me of a Neil Gaiman novel; after watching an irate woman accuse my friend of chatting too much with some guy and thus wrecking her plans (“you have a nice shirt and a nice smile but you interrupted my appointment!”); after later trying to help that same guy translate a joke about a house so cold that when you find an ice cube in someone’s bed and it melts, it turns into a fart; after knocking back a final whiskey shot with one of the earliest bar owners in Qingdao — I decided that I was already a regular at this place. And that probably scared management.

Saturday: Ten wines and eight courses

Housing International
The small restaurant on the thirtieth floor of this place offers an excellent view, including the coast, but is otherwise dire given the cheap decor, the ho-hum eats (highlight: defrosted potato patties and ketchup) and the guy beside me who should have been served his food in a trough rather than on a plate — it is hard to enjoy that view when you are anticipating a fellow diner horking up a loogie. I don’t know the Qingdao food and beverage market, but this feels like a spot that could upgrade its decor, introduce a better menu (not necessarily big one, but a well-thought out and better one) and make a mark on the scene.

Napoli
We finished the trip with an eight-course, ten-wine lunch at this Italian restaurant. I enjoyed the two white wines very much (apologies now for typos:  it was at the end of a long two days). With the I Capitani Greco di Tufo DOCG Serum, I could pick out hazelnuts, baked apple and McIntosh toffee, minerality and touches of licorice and fennel — even if no one else did. The Maso Bastie Traminer 2007 had a floral nose, with peaches, pears, white flowers, and later some spice. Fun stuff. As for the food, we had everything from risotto with porcini mushrooms to cured beef with arugola and Parmesan. My favorite match: grilled Australian beef ternderloin with Tuscan merlot. Unfortunately, we had to bolt for the train, otherwise this would have turned into a six-hour session.

Beverage Car
If you get a seat on one of the high-speed rail cars where they have decided to crank up a movie like the Rape of Nanjing, and if your seat is beside a speaker, then you are best off heading to the beverage car,  grabbing a booth and finishing off your two-day spree by slowly sipping from a rmb12 can of beer. It’s a good way to ease from an organ-testing Qingdao spree to a more sedate way of life…

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Former The Brick owners Ryan Johnston and Cici Feng Johnston will have their new place — The Drive-Thru — open in Sanlitun Soho as early as this weekend. The shop will have everything from custom-made bicycles and Kashmir shawls to black garlic and Himalayan rock salt. But the focus, says Ryan Johnston, is beer and spices.

In terms of beer, he plans a lineup of over 100 different kinds, and already had many in stock when I visited a few hours ago, and is cooperating with Slow Boat Brewery. Price sample: Boddington’s at rmb23. Expect prices to be a bit higher than nearby Heaven Supermarket although The Drive-Thru offers a nicer atmosphere and delivery. The hours of the shop and delivery will be 10 AM t0 1o PM, with no charge for those living in Sanlitun Soho and some other nearby places.

In terms of spices, Johnston intends to source basil, mint, thyme and the like and to use dehydration machines to prepare them in the shop.

The Drive-Thru includes a small glass-enclosed room (for storing the garlic and other perishables, I take it), shelves and a fridge for beer, display space for pipes, spices and more, and a small bar. It has the feel of tea house meets gourmet shop meets bar. You can find it on the third floor, north side, of retail building 3 — three floors above Moment Cafe and down the hall from Cream Paul.

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Beijing diners have tasted the culinary creations of Jun Trinh at places such as Luga’s Pho Pho, Banh Mi Now, and Gung Ho Gourmet Pizza Factory. And they should soon be able to try his Southeast Asian cuisine at a new venue in the Gulou area. The plan, says Trinh, is to use recipes from the Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and other dishes he grew up with in Canada and to occasionally change up the menu based on adventures from his TV show Kitchen Quest. The aim is a soft opening of this yet-to-be-named place on New Year’s Eve and I’ll provide more details as they become available.

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Modo has taken the bull by the horns by sticking an all-Spanish lineup in its wine preservation machines. It will rotate about 50 wines through the 16 slots over the next few months. For more value, use the cash card-based machines at a 20 percent discount daily from 6 PM to 8 PM.

I joined a group of samplers on Saturday and liked the Emilio Moro Finca Resalso 2009, a medium-bodied slightly spicy wine with funky aromas and a ghetto edge — rmb9, rmb28 and rmb55 for 25ml, 75ml and 150ml pours respectively.

(On the other hand, one wine — I can’t remember which — had lots of youthful fruit that was quickly overwhelmed by the tannins. It was like seeing a group of kids gaily playing in a sandbox and being in the way of a runaway dump truck. Wine makers: stop that dump truck.)

Temple Restaurant has started weekend brunch service at rmb350 per person, including tea / coffee / soft drink. Brunch is from 11:30 AM to 3 PM.

Bang! Bang! in Shuangjing is among the many places offering Christmas meals. The four-course lunch on December 25 is rmb295 comes with free-flow beer and mulled wine. RSVP with Steve at williamson.steve (at) gmail.com / 8776-4533.

Ole is doing a Christmas Eve dinner with four courses, from Vizcaya-style codfish to chocolate souffle, paired with Spanish wines. Dinner starts at 9:30 PM and is rmb395. RSVP with Yolanda at ygarval (at) gmail.com  (indicate if you prefer beef or chicken as your main).

Expect also a full slate of New Year’s Eve events. I’ll have more later but for now a heads up that The Beijing Beatles will play at George’s Bar. Entry is rmb50 and includes one drink. And word is that DJ Press/Play (formerly DJ Running with Scissors) and DJ Diaper are teaming up on December 31.

Finally, Fubar will hold a comedy night tomorrow. Just waiting for some final details and will add them here as soon as they become available…

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Modo in Swire Sanlitun Village South is hiring a restaurant manager. Members of all nationalities welcome to apply although the job requires both English and Mandarin. The successful candidate would start ASAP. To apply, send your CV to Alex at contact (at) mostobj.com.

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Question: You are at a cafe or restaurant. The place has music. Someone sits down and starts to watch a movie on an iPad. The noise clashes with the music and is annoying. Is it fair to ask that person to turn the sound off on the iPad?

I faced this situation the other day at a restaurant where a guy started to watch a movie. Usually, I’ll try to endure, because sometimes it is only for a minute or two, but this guy looked to be in for the long haul. My patience was low that day so I told a staff member, sitting nearby, I planned to leave because of the noise. “He’s a customer, too,” she said. So, I left and went to Union (love the bottomless coffee), wondered if I had been reasonable, and posted the above question on Weibo. The answers:

• I would ask the person to turn the ipad down instead of turning off.

• totally

• maybe not, stand up and leave.

• Yes!

• Absolutely! It’s rude not to use headphones…especially if it’s porn

• Him being a customer does not give him the right to “harass” another customer. You did the right thing.

• Ask him politely to use earphone and wish him a nice weekend 

• Yes they should. I mean people are allowed to talk but if you’re watching a movie that’s different, and shouldn’t impose on others. 

• He should use headphones, that’s what they’re for.
• yes, i’ll remind that person to turn it down at least in such public place 

• Ask them to use headphones.

General consensus: It is fair to ask the person to turn down the sound / use headphones. That might seem like a “no brainer“. But given the number of people watch movies / TV shows / etc at loud volumes for long periods of time, disturbing others doesn’t seem to be a concern for many in our midst. It would be best if the staff at restaurants talked to such people, especially when a person is disturbing many others customers, but that probably isn’t going to happen….

(Thanks to HailieSong, Mark_Dreyer, 喵碎碎_贝娜娜, 你迈迈的, 答案在人性, 哲后的酒学家, 钟子茵, 东直门外幸福三村, 巴尼狒猫 and 叶镜洪微博 for the comments.)

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Look for an all Spanish lineup in the wine preservation machines at Modo as this Sanlitun Village South restaurant starts the first in a series of country-specific promotions, says marketing head Christina Aman Riglet. Patrons can use a debit card and choose 25 ml, 50 ml and 150 ml pours of 16 different wines in the two machines. During December and January, Modo plans to rotate through more than 50 Spanish wines, with French, Italian, American and other lineups in the future. I’ll have more details on specific wines to be included.

Speaking of preservation machines, Pudao in The Office Park is changing its 20 wines every month. A visit this week found everything from Trevente Pinot Noir at rmb5 to Bouchard Pere at Fils Volnay Caillerts 2004 at rmb68 – 25 ml pours. Pudao also has a “bin end” sale, with specials of up to 50 percent on some wines, and a buy one, get one deal on wines with damaged labels. Also of note, and somewhat belatedly, Annie’s has opened nearby in the former Speyside Bar and Restaurant space.

For those who want a change from the donkey pizza, Shuangjing bar The Brick has meat pies. I recommend it with a happy hour PRB king can at rmb10.

A few doors down, word is the Tuesday two-kuai wings night at Grinders has been a quick success. If you want some wings, you best be an early bird (wings, bird, get it?).

Indian restaurant Ganges has closed in Sanlitun Village North. Fans of the place can visit the relatively nearby branch  above Paddy O’Shea’s.

And I stopped at Flamme recently and tried some of the new cocktails. Fans of The Passionate Englishman, which includes gin, passion fruit and apple syrup, topped with a half passion-fruit on ice, might want to try its cold weather-friendly cousin The Warm Englishmen or, if you catch Paul Mathew behind the bar with his lighter, its wacky other cousin The Flaming Englishmen (see picture above).

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Passing this on for a friend: two Blendtec Smoother ABC blenders are available at rmb6000 each (or, I’m assuming, best offer). Apparently, these units are only three months old, were used in a cafe that has since closed, originally cost rmb9000 new, and are totally super awesome — you can actually blend a roast turkey (don’t forget the gravy and cranberry sauce) in one of these and make a yuletide smoothie.* Anyway, I know little about industrial blenders, so if you want mor details to buy one or both of these, contact Donald at 15810-298-775.

* At least in theory

Newly opened beauty shop, cafe and bar Frost is seeking a part-time bartender.

“The most important thing is to find someone who is trustworthy and has a good attitude,” says a source at Frost.

“Will tend bar for manicures and occasional Martinis” types especially welcome.

Those interested should email J-POWW at chefjeff9 (at) gmail.com

The Beijinger will hold its third annual “super” pub quiz, this time at Chocolate, starting at 7:30 PM tomorrow — doors open at 6 PM. As in years past, the city’s top quiz masters will take turns leading rounds, including Karl Long (Paddy O’Shea’s), Jim Kirchhoff and Anthony Tao (The Kro’s Nest), Tom Cattanach (Black Sun), Josh Lally (Lush), Pat Walsh (Green Cap), Liz (Stumble Inn), Graham Forbes (Irish Volunteer), Julian Forbes (Tim’s Texas BBQ), Alex (Brick) and Jonathan White (Bookworm and Beijinger). Entry is rmb100, includes a drink, with proceeds to Ping An Medical Foster Home.

I went to the quiz two years ago at Tun and joined a team that did an amazing impression of The Titanic, with a quick start, long period of floundering and quick slip beneath the waves. I went to the quiz last year at Hard Rock Cafe and blogged until a bad Internet connection made me give up. This year, I will a) join another team to pursue an impression of Titanic II, b) live blog again but this time provide the answers during the rounds to help the slower members of the tribe, c) perform with the Chocolate dancers halfway through the event, or 4) spend all night working on a project that I will be announcing on Monday. Unfortunately–respectively for the attendees and for me–it’s going to be c) or d)…

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The Santacon crews will gather tomorrow at noon at Bang Bang Pizza in Shuangjing and Pyro Pizza in Wudaokou, with the two groups then heading out to meet up. Dress as Santa, an elf, a reindeer, a present, or even the boxing kangaroo that I requested as a child but sadly never received. Those in need of a Santa suit can get one at Pyro tomorrow. And if you want to join Santacon later later in the day or night, and the tour should be going until at least midnight, check the progress on Twitter. My wrap-up of last year’s event is here.

Paddy O’Shea’s is marking its fourth birthday tonight. There will be free beers and cocktail pitchers at 8 PM along with live music and prizes throughout the night. Karl Long says, “Be sure to wear your best Christmas jumper / sweater — the uglier the better!”

And Spanish restaurant Niajo in Nali Patio has introduced set lunches — at rmb48, rmb58, rmb68 and rmb78 — from noon to 3 PM, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). Hoping to check these out soon…

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The Bar at Migas is slated to open by New Year’s Eve and customers can expect far more than a temporary replacement for the popular rooftop that is closed until Spring. The plan is to create a distinct space next door to  Migas, one that includes a glass-enclosed food and drink prep room for everything from demonstrations to private events, an island bar, a band area (Eduardo Gutiérrez mentioned jazz during an impromptu tour on Saturday night), and toilets. This should shift the focus of Migas proper firmly toward food.

Vietnamese restaurant Pho La La has opened on the same strip as O Sole Mio, Comptoirs de France, Panino Gusto and Argana / Escobar / Casablanca. Expect a bright and open design in white and lime, with a few Vietnam-inspired decorations, at this second-floor venue run by the same team behind Very Siam. The menu is simple and includes beef and chicken pho (from rmb35), springs rolls and Vietnamese beer. There is a 40 percent discount during the soft opening. And for the time being, Pho Pho La is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. By the way, word is Argana et al is seeing menu changes and I hope to have more about this soon.

And Korean restaurant Ssam has a dish I’m calling Briebimbap (photo above). Mainly because it is bibimbap topped with Brie, not to mention poached quail eggs, asparagus and roe. Hidden inside the mound of rice are mushrooms, bean sprouts, mung bean jelly, fern stems, and shredded carrot and zucchini. Diners have the option of chili bean paste or crab soy sauce. Hard to beat the rmb38 price tag. Ssam also has a new lunch menu, with items starting from rmb28. By the way, cheesy bibimbap fans would do well to check out the version at Iki in Shuangjing.

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Sibling blog Grape Wall of China is busier than usual. In case anyone is interested, a summary of stuff recently posted there…

• Free Aussie wine: A tasting at Pudao Wines on Saturday featured eight Australian wines and Down Under writer Jeremy Oliver. Which wine smelled like a “forest floor” and which made me hum the Mod Squad theme? Details here.
• Journey to Great Wall: Here is part one of my ‘flashback’ photo essay from a visit a few years ago to the massive Great Wall operation in Hebei province.
• French connection: It looks like Cheval Blanc is the latest operation to commit to a vineyard in China, joining the likes of Lafite, Moet Chandon and Pernod Ricard.
• Bidding on Bordeaux: I went to my first wine auction in Beijing.

Also of note, Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Miguel Torres and other bigwigs descended on Hong Kong last month for an industry love-in called Wine Future 2011. I followed the conference on Twitter and each day posted the “top 20” tweets along with plenty of smart-ass remarks. See the “top 20s” here:

• Wine Future Hong Kong 2011: Top 20 Tweets from Day One
• Wine Future Hong Kong 2011: Top 20 Tweets from Day Two
• Wine Future Hong Kong 2011: Top 20 Tweets from Day Three

Finally, the above label photo of Great Wall E-mail wine comes from this post.

Will this stuff make the wine menu? (seismologik.com)

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I popped into the World Trade Department Store — I think that’s the name — that just opened near the northwest corner of Workers Stadium. I wanted to check out the Hello Kitty restaurant and ended up exploring three food and beverage areas.

4F: The Hello Kitty restaurant is here but under construction. This place is as pink and shiny as one might expect and the staff said it should open on December 8 with a menu that includes burgers, sandwiches and the like. This floor includes about a half-dozen other restaurants, including Yunnan hotpot restaurant Perfume Forgotten (there is a branch nearby in the 3.3 building) and Wing Cafe, which features a bicep-building menu with dishes from pretty much everywhere.

B1 food court: This area has over a dozen spots, most focused on Chinese food, including Gong Xi Gong Xi dumplings, Welcome to Nadu and — with seemingly more customers than every place else combined — Xiabu Xiabu. There is also a branch of Papa John’s pizza. These places have more a cafeteria feel in contrast to the fancier though in some cases contrived restaurants upstairs. (Note: There is also book seller with a small collection of English titles that cover a bizarre mix of topics, including a history of corsets, early twentieth century Anglo-Irish relations, cookie and biscuit recipes, and Amsterdam for tourists.)

B1 supermarket and food court: This is a combination of supermarket and ready-made food islands focused on different countries — the Korean area includes bibimbap, dukpukki, etc; the Japanese area has sushi, sashimi, etc. Fans of A Food Affaire in April Gourmet will be happy to find some of that operation’s  items here, including lasagna, chicken, and Greek, Caesar, and green salads. This area also includes a wine area, the first retail outlet of company Enoteca (not to be confused with Enoterra in Nali Patio), and an interesting selection of beers. I’ll have more on the wine and beer in a separate post…