Beijing Boyce

Fez opened atop Agua in Nali Patio last weekend thus not only reuniting these two places after they both closed in the Legation Quarter in late 2009 but also confirming Sanlitun as the heart of the Western restaurant and bar scene in Beijing. With Jordi Valles again heading the kitchen, Agua opened late last year and quickly reestablished itself among the top restaurants in the city. Now Fez is open up top, with the Champagne, martinis and mojitos flowing last weekend at a bar backed by consultant Bob Louison. Fez can seat about 80 patrons, includes its own toilets, and  has good views to the west and south, though the glow from the billboards at 3.3 is a bit disconcerting. Manager Richard Pirsch says Fez still needs some finishing touches though we found it a comfortable respite on Saturday night.  (My two suggestions for changes: 1) Put some kind of warning on that glass wall because it so convincingly looks like the entrance to another section that more than a few half-cut patrons will be smashing their faces off it, and 2) Turn down the flicker on those Christmas tree-like lights installed behind glass at the bar base because they are bound to induce nausea in anyone who stares at them after more than one drink.) Fez offers easy access to the decks at wine bar Enoterra next door and Migas one flight up. Add in the rooftops at Saddle Cantina and nearby Bar Blu and Kokomo and this area of town looks to be the outdoor hotspot this year.

This is part nine in the Must Tries Series that asks people in the Beijing bar, restaurant and wine business to give us their recommendations. This time up: Chef Jordi Valles of Spanish restaurant Agua in Sanlitun’s Nali Patio.

Get veal, people! (photo: Agua)

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What is the ‘must try’ food at Agua?

The “must eat” food is our “slow cooked Wagyu veal cheek with marinated plums in red wine and lightly pickled beetroot”.

What is the ‘must try’ drink at Agua?

Bodegas Maurodos “Prima”, a typical wine from the Toro region in Spain. This wine is full bodied with great depth and concentration, and received 91 points from Wine Advocate. It is 95 percent Tempranillo and 5 percent Grenache, and is produced by the most recognized winery in this region: Bodegas y Vinedos Maurodos. It is only available at Agua in Beijing (RMB65 glass / RMB410 bottle).

What three ‘must try’ items at other venues in Beijing?

The Wagyu short ribs at Jaan at the Raffles Beijing.

The vegetarian “hippie” sandwich at Element Fresh.

Look for former Legation Quarter restaurant Agua and head chef Jordi Valles to return to the Beijing dining scene in October, says a press release from the company. The new Agua will be on the fourth floor of Nali Patio and focus on the contemporary Spanish cuisine that saw Valles emerge as one of the city’s best-known chefs. It will be one flight above Mosto, Apothecary, and fellow Spanish restaurant Niajo, and is among several upcoming openings in Nali, including wine bar Enoteca, expected to open in about a month’s time, and yet another Spanish operation, Migas, which should be open any day now and will take over the top floor and excellent rooftop patio that was once expected to be home to Project H. Add in the Taste of Spain shop on the first floor and Carmen in the freestanding building just to the north, and fans of Spanish food and wine should be happy with the growing number of choices.

So many bars and restaurants are opening when so many people I know are on vacation, but such is the current state of getting fire safety, business license, etc chops these days that delays are the norm and you open when you can. Anyway, some happenings in the Saniltun area…

The second edition of Stumble Inn opens tomorrow night (Friday) on the third floor of Sanlitun Village. Like the first edition, it has two floors, though this one is above ground and includes a deck. The public launch is at 10 PM and will have drink specials.

Also on floor three, bar and grill Flamme opened last Friday (the very hungry can try the massive steak for two for RMB398). And Queen’s Cafe, with a nod toward Russian food, opened today (the RMB70 lunch special, with soup, salad, main, dessert, and coffee or tea, is good value). Still to come is Modo, which is in the midst of a series of food tastings as it fine-tunes the menu. As far as I know, Modo will have the first enomatic machines in Beijing that allow customers to use a prepaid card to select from among 16 wines.

Speaking of wine, in about a month Enoteca will leave The Place and reopen on two floors of Nali Patio, above Mosto and close to where former Legation Quarter outfit Agua is expected to go in.

DJ Phil, long-time music mixer at Poacher’s on Friday nights and at Tun on Saturday nights, says come to 1F on Wednesdays as he spins American indie music and some eighties tunes from 10 PM. Poacher’s was recently sold, so expect some changes there.

Finally, the moose is loose: Canuck brew Moosehead is now available in Beijing, with Fubar at Workers Stadium and Union Bar & Grille in Sanlitun Village both stocking it.

It's dog eat dog, er, cat fight cat...

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There is a brouhaha over at The Beijinger between Legation Quarter landlord HKC and the Aqua Group, which had been running restaurants Agua and Shiro Matsu and bars Hex and Fez at the upscale complex until all four closed about two weeks ago.

The Beijinger earlier posted a press release from Agua Group that stated (my highlights):

Legation Quarter Ltd. has consistently failed to meet its promises and commitments to us and the other tenants to maintain and manage Ch’ien Men 23 as Beijing’s premier fine dining complex resulting in damage to our businesses and day to day operations.

Legation Quarter Ltd’s behavior has reached the point where, among other things, they harass our operations by switching the power on and off at will. We are unable to operate in this hostile environment and as a result we deeply regret that we have no choice but to close our operations at Ch’ien Men 23 with immediate effect.

Today the site posted a press release from HKC that stated (my highlights):

It is regretful that Aqua has not paid its license fees to Legation Quarter Ltd. since late 2008, immediately after they had enjoyed the 16-week license-fee free period….

Aqua has nevertheless used Legation Quarter Ltd.’s premises to conduct business in its restaurants and bars for over a year, continuing to disregard our repeated requests to honor their obligations and pay the long overdue license fees….

In short, the closure of Aqua is due to its inability, or unwillingness, to pay the license fee for ‘Ch’ien Men 23’ and Legation Quarter Ltd. is now seeking legal advice in respect of Aqua’s  irresponsible and untrue press release.”

I spoke to Lidia Sakarapani, sales and marketing director of Aqua Group, last week and she cited issues — ranging from  electricity and infrastructure problems to major events held in the square that affected traffic flow to the the bars and restaurants — that disrupted business. She also said The Beijinger made minimal effort to contact her before running its intial story considering that a member of the magazine’s staff is the former PR person for Agua a former member of the magazine’s staff was a former PR person for Agua [see comments re this correction].

In any case, free rent helps to explain why some places at Legation Quarter have survived this long, not to mention in other spots around town (see Solana). If such places had to pay in full from day one, on top of their heavy staff costs, I think we would see much higher turnover.

Based on my experience and on talking to readers, the only place that seems to be consistently busy at Legation Quarter – aka Chi’enmen 23 – is Maison Boulud. I called GM Ignace LeCleir last week and he told me the restaurant has no plans to move. As for the Aqua Group, Sakarapani says it plans to be back in business in Beijing soon.

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But can it top Alexis versus Krystle...

Maison Boulud: Drink or meal?

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I stopped by Legation Quarter (map), now known as Chi’enmen 23, for a few cocktails on my way to Sanlitun last night. At Maison Boulud, I skipped my usual spicy Project 23 and refreshing Bourbon Iced Tea – the latter is not listed on the menu, which I find odd given this is a perfect summer drink – and tried a cocktail that includes “five spices“. I found it too heavy and the flavors too muddied, though the humid weather might have been a factor. After I noted this to the affable guy behind the bar – Jackie – he made me a Frescoe Martini. Kumquat-infused rum with lime, litchi, and strawberry – this was refreshment.

These cocktails are not cheap. The two I tried are listed at RMB72, though they come to RMB75.6 after the annoying 5 percent service charge (seriously, just make it RMB75 or RMB76, give the staff its cut, and save us all the hassle). But they are good value, given the surroundings and that the drink came with a bowl of cashews and some other snacks.

I then went to Agua, via Hex – I still think this place looks like a cross between a futuristic beehive and a high-end hostess bar – where I parked myself at the bar. I tried the Purple Love – muddled red grapes with gin, lemon juice, and lemon peel. I found it well-blended and smooth, in contrast to the cloying descriptions of the drinks on the menu.

I prefer the glassware here to Maison Boulod, where it is elegant but lacks proper weight. As for vibe, while Maison Boulud is staid – think of a private club where Mr. Burns of The Simpsons might feel comfy – Agua has the rattle and hum of the kitchen and crowd to provide background noise. Which one is best? It depends on your mood.

And what is the price of Purple Love? RMB82 – RMB16 discount + 10% service charge = RMB73. Well, at least they round things off to the nearest kuai. I didn’t make it to Fez, upstairs from Agua, this time around, but will soon…

Two other places I have grabbed drinks lately:

Q Bar (map): The new deck, despite being bigger, is much more intimate and the soundproofing means it is open later. There is also a bar outside as well as a kiosk where the staff can punch in drink orders and thus allow the bartenders inside to get a head start. A strong point of Q Bar is consistency, no easy feat, though at RMB60 per martini the prices approach that of The Legation Quarter.

Fubar (map): For mixed drinks, this place is hard to beat. A 50 ml pour of 42 Below vodka (five flavours available), Bombay Sapphire gin, or Havana 3 is RMB30 with mixer. The cocktails are decent, which is a pleasant surprise given how long the place has been open, and tend to be RMB50. The vibe? With Fubar only open 10 days, that is still to be determined. On my visits, I have found a diverse crowd of three dozen men and women, a handful of guys giving public descriptions of the adventures of their privates, and a soccer-fan heavy crowd. Still, for those seeking solid mixed drinks at low prices, this is a place to be.