Beijing Boyce

This is the third in a series of posts on places that I have recently toured and that are projected to open over the next few months. Previously: The new China Doll; The Legation Quarter
The new Nali Studios, that glaringly white structure beside the 3.3 building on Sanlitun North’s main strip, features four sections that range in height from two to six stories. Over the next few months, expect to see a steady stream of openings of restaurants, bars, and retail outlets, with the latter including - hold your breath, cast iron cookware fans - the household goods outfit Pantry Magic.

In terms of the food and beverage scene, the three key projects appear to be Ciro’s Pomodoro, which opened last month (see this review), The Saddle Cantina (by the owners of The Rickshaw), and Project H20 (by the owners of Spencer Grey, which includes Alfa, Muse, Mission, and other Beijing establishments in its portfolio).

The Saddle Cantina, a two-story building on the west side, is slated to open on March 15, though it might finish ahead of schedule and thus defy the bar scene’s seemingly omnipotent Law of Late Launches. The facade, deck, and interior are quickly being finished, with the aim being to create a Hacienda look. “When you walk in, you will know it’s a Mexican restaurant,” says manager Chad Lager, who gave me a tour.

The place has double doors, though these will be sealed in winter in favor of a smaller entry. Lager says the management learned a thing or two at The Rickshaw these past few months about the effect of chilly breezes on patrons - in short, the only cold draft you should find is the one in your glass.

The first floor includes a bar, booths, a room reminiscent of The Rickshaw, and a glass-walled area to showcase the copper brewing tanks in which The Saddle will make its own beer.

The second floor includes a long bar, an area with high tables and chairs, a series of tables near the window, a retractable roof, and a narrow 200-square-meter deck.

Nick Ma, the man behind the menu, has been giving taste tastes of the planned Mexican dishes to patrons at Rickshaw to see what people like. The Saddle will have the biggest tequila selection in China and an extensive Margarita selection, says Lager. Unlike The Rickshaw, it will neither be festooned with TV screens nor will operate 24/7.

The owners have gained experience and a sizable following via previous projects The Rickshaw, COX, and The Saddle, and the new Saddle seems part of a natural progression for an outfit that delivers unpretentious venues with solid comfort food and a diverse group of patrons, including many from the food and beverage industry.

Project H20, comprising the sixth floor and a 500-square meter deck on the studio’s east side, will include a lounge with Asian tapas and a French-Chinese restaurant on the main floor, and a grill up top. Two bartenders and several chefs have been, or are being brought, on board to handle the drinks and food respectively. The deck offers what is arguably the best 360-degree rooftop view in the city.

The plan to soft launch in January is a distant memory. According to Blane Kieng of Spencer Grey, renovations of the entire building took longer than expected: “There really was no point in being the first to open if everyone else in the building is still jack-hammering away.”

There has been some turnover at Spencer Grey of late in areas such as management, the kitchen, and the PR department. Kieng states that some people didn’t fit Spencer Grey’s needs and that more are coming in. Let’s hope these changes don’t impact the planning or quality of the venues. For now, the situation is wait and see, and hopefully what appears is nothing more than excellent rooftop views.

The Cellar Rat and I dropped into Cafe St. Laurent / Alfa a few days ago to find the latter undergoing renovations, with work being done on the floor and bar. According to management, it is part of Alfa’s annual makeover and the popular eighties night is on as usual tonight. “Let’s hope the renovations include changes to the bathroom,” sniffed The Cellar Rat, a sentiment I - with plugged nose - second.

By the way, Alfa serves up some good food for those in need an energy boost after hours of dancing to Boy George, Madonna, and the like. The roast chicken and the pineapple shrimp are both tasty eats.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your zambonis.

As noted over a month ago, our fair city will soon feature a weekly Hockey Morning in Beijing (see Hockey Night in Canada for the inspiration behind the name).

The puck drops on December 2 at Alfa / Café St. Laurent.

Oyster omelets, bottomless Tim Hortons coffee, Bloody Caesars  - Canuck Chef Billy K is lining up a Great White North menu. Hockey Morning in Beijing - Sundays, from 8 AM to noon, meaning you can catch both games. Let’s hope Alfa cues up Stompin’ Tom (the must-see video is here):

Hello out there, we’re on the air, it’s hockey night tonight．
Tension grows, the whistle blows and the puck goes down the ice.
The goalie jumps and the players bump and the fans all go insane.
Someone roars, “Bobby scores!”, at the good ole hockey game.

Fifty Mission Cap by The Tragically Hip would be good, too.

In the meantime, keep your stick on the ice.

Halloween in the Beijing Boyce household brings out the swinger in some. Specifically, it is the only time each year that Zimbu - the plush monkey left behind in South Korea ten years ago by my friend Jen who left for Hamburg to get married and asked me to hang on to her collectible Beanie Baby as it is apparently climbing in value by 20 percent annually - gets out on the town. (Jen better figure in some depreciation on this little critter given the amount of beer, lipstick and sweat with which he’s been anointed over the past decade).

Anyhow, safely affixed to my shoulder, Zimbu made his first stop last Friday at the Altruistic Alcoholics bash at The Rickshaw, held to raise funds for migrant children. Manager Chad Lager and owner Kris Ryan dressed as Homer and Marge Simpson - Kris seems surprisingly comfortable in a strapless. The spot overflowed with party-goers who drank enough Halloween spirits that the charity took home over 4,000 kuai.

Kris and Chad: A scary couple…

The next stop for the monkey on the move was Mingle - a scary place given the wait staff / models dressed as sexy nurses, maids and, in one case, Pipi Longstocking (with the emphasis on stockings). By scary, I mean that having a randy monkey, even a plush one, among models brings a certain risk that only a half dozen double banana daiquiris can mitigate. Meanwhile, yours truly indulged in the Halloween cocktail, which sported two red hot peppers attached to the glass as horns. The devil is in the details, as they say. Most of the patrons dressed as Block 8 regulars - oh wait, those weren’t costumes.

Saturday night saw Zimbu riding shotgun on the shoulder again as we headed to Alfa to hang with Special K, whose costume was either that of a prep boy or the best-dressed man in Newfoundland. As rain pounded the roof of the enclosed deck, Zimbu engaged in small talk with various devils, angels, French maids, and whatnot. All in all, quite a tame weekend in comparison to the near-fight that ensued last Halloween at Rui Fu.

Spencer Grey Group, which runs Alfa, Muse, Café St. Laurent and Le Hugo, among other Beijing establishments, will soon open Project H, a one-thousand-square-meter bar, restaurant, lounge, and patio complex on Sanlitun North. I spoke to company bigwig Blane Kieng about current and upcoming projects.

Why did you get into the bar business and why Alfa?
I started Muse [a Chaoyang West restaurant] in May 2003, during SARS. It was doing well and we constantly had people eating there and then asking us if they could leave their car so they could pop down to Suzie Wong’s for a drink. I thought that if I could get them for dinner, why not for drinks?

I looked for a location and checked out the space that is now Purple Haze (across from Gongti North). It had a very shi shi design by a well-known artist. I didn’t want to throw out the design, but it wasn’t working. We went to the next hutong for a drink, to a bar called Emergency Room, and someone said, “Why not buy this place?” I took it over and started to do my own thing.

Why did you call the place Alfa?
I wanted a name that easily translated into English and Chinese - I wanted both crowds (foreigners and locals). In terms of the logo, Alpha means first and I also thought that since it started with “a”, it would be listed near the beginning of most directories. I used Alfa instead of Alpha, because graphically it looked better.

What were some of the milestones in Alfa?
Six months in we started the 80s nights. It was not that successful at first - we drew a lot of expats but not many locals. Three years later, many people have heard those 80s songs many times and know how to dance to them.

The following March we redesigned the patio and changed it from an open space to a designed space. We added beds and running water, gave it a Southeast Asia resort feel, and it took off.

We redesigned the interior the next fall. Before it was like a cave. We improved the layout and extended the upper floor, so that the place would carry us over the winter periods.

The next year, we made steady progress, and then in the third year [this year] we redid the patio [which included enclosing it]. It has been a runway success. Café St. Laurent [which uses the Alfa space for Sunday brunches] has helped expand the market and the 80s nights this summer have come into their own.

What does the Alfa crowd drink?
Mostly cocktails - it’s a casual and relaxed atmosphere from Sunday to Thursday, and raucous on the weekends. Expats tend to go on Fridays and locals on Saturdays.

Your new effort, Project H, sounds a lot like Block 8.
It’s pretty much the same concept. We will have a restaurant, a bar, a club, and a patio and rooftop garden in one venue. We’re shooting for an atmosphere where people know each other. It’s a place you will go to see and be seen and also to meet people you know.

We’re shooting for a crowd that wants nice food, nice drinks and good service. Cocktails will be 50 to 60 kuai. Where Alfa is now - we want to move it up a notch.

What would you say to those who think Sanlitun is too seedy?
That’s the old Sanlitun. The new Sanlitun, on the north and south sides, will be different. It will have five-star hotels, Armani and LV shops - we’re going along with the development.

Even though Sanlitun is seedy now, the area surrounding it and the people living there are not. They are looking for a good meal, good drinks and a good patio. We’ll have the best patio in Sanlitun. It will have good views of Chaoyang Park and all the way south to Q Bar.

When will Project H open?
We’ll open the fifth floor [restaurant, bar and lounge] the first week of January. From January until spring festival will be the soft opening. The full launch will come afterward and the rooftop will open mid-April.

Providing good service in Beijing is a major challenge. How will you deal with this?
A large percent of our effort is having better staff and training, training, training. You have staff focused on the short-tem, looking for a higher salary next month. The best we can do is offer good salaries, treat the staff well, and provide benefits like a good atmosphere. Our staff will work somewhat on a commission basis in order to provide incentives.

What are your favorite drinks and watering holes in Beijing?
I’m a big martini drinker and I judge a place by how well it makes them - I like a dirty gin martini with three olives. Q Bar, Centro, Red Moon Bar, they make good drinks.

Note: Spencer Grey Group has a strip of four to five bars, also to be located in Sanlitun, in the works. I’ll have more on this later.

That’s the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it…

I checked out the third anniversary of Alfa’s eighties parties, held the Friday heading into vacation and it was… gnarly. Special K, who runs the brunch there every weekend as Alfa transforms into Café St. Laurent, made 800 Jell-O shots for the occasion. They were potent as only a drink concocted of three parts white Rum to two parts wiggly dessert would be.

The place was packed, a fun crowd, except for one guy, apparently working at Moet, who walked by our table, saw our Champagne bucket, picked up our bottle, saw it wasn’t from his firm, gave a disgusted look, put it down, and walked off. So fast I had no time to say, I love Moet! It’s the Budweiser of Champagnes!

Strangely enough, I’ve been to Alfa three times during the past month, but have yet to make it from the covered patio and into the bar.

In any case, I sat down with Alfa owner Blane the following Monday to ask him about a project known only as “H“. To sum up, he is taking over the top two floors of Nali studios, which will give him 500 meters of square space on one level - to be split between two restaurants and a club - and 500 meters of space on the roof. The latter should interest events organizers struggling to find decent downtown rooftop bars and restaurants that can hold more than 250 people.

Blane, who also runs several restaurants (including Muse) and has a discount card called Hedonist, aims to create what I can only describe as a “lifestyle empire.” I hope to post more about Project H as it comes along.

Finally, if you haven’t had the Café St. Laurent Asian Bloody Mary - with wasabi and soya sauce in the mix - it’s worth a try.

A meal in a glass

Tim Hortons coffee… oyster omelets… pancakes with maple syrup… Bloody Caesars (those would be with Clamato, rather than tomato, juice)… and (organ music) Hockey Night in Canada…

Canucks, hold onto your zambonis, because it appears Alfa / Café St. Laurent is about to make your dreams come true. I have been talking with Billy K, the brains behind the excellent CSL brunch, and plans are in the works to broadcast Hockey Night in Canada (Saturday night Canuck time, Sunday morning Beijing time) and throw down a breakfast to make those from the Great White North proud. It’ll be a kind of He shoots… he pours (the maple syrup) kind of thing.

Stay tuned for more details. And remember - keep your stick on the ice…

Note: A big shout to p3wong, who pitched this idea last year for ICEhouse (caps added due to hockey-related relevance).

Speaking of water, was it just me or were the pools in Alfa’s patio doing a fish market imitation last Friday night? Someone pass the nose plugs. Alfa drinks are usually pretty good, though this time around my Martini was a bit off and E-ko was unimpressed with the Caipirinha. I’m going to chalk the whole experience up to an off night. By the way, Alfa should get an award for Best Use of Mirrors to Make a Small Place Look Big.

(From Beijing Boyce XXI, first emailed on July 27, 2006)

Bar and club owners and employees were out in force at the Kunlun Hotel two weeks ago for the annual that’s Beijing awards. More than 30 establishments took home prizes in 20 categories that each included a winner and two or three honorable mentions (HMs). Centro (4 wins, 2 HMs), Suzie Wong (3 wins, 2 HMs) and Browns (2 wins, 4 HMs) led the way, followed by Bed (2 wins, 1 HM), Pavillion (three HMs) and Aria (3 HMs). Bar Blu and The Tree each won two categories. None of the winners seemed unduly unjustified, although I was surprised that Bar Blu won for best outdoor space, given that its deck has been halved since last year and there has been a recent (perhaps too recent) proliferation of excellent patios and rooftops. The place obviously has a loyal clientele, so good on them. The winners, with honorable mentions in parentheses:

Bar/Club of the Year: Browns (Centro, Suzie Wong’s) 

After-Hours Club: Suzie Wong’s (Bed, Maggie’s) 

Bar Snacks: The Tree (Souk, The Den) 

Beer Selection: The Tree (Beer Mania, Browns) 

Cocktails: Centro (Alfa, Q Bar) 

Dance Club: Vics (Babyface, Coco Banana, Destination) 

Decor: Bed (Redmoon, Suzie Wong’s) 

Cheap Drinks: Nanjie (Black Sun Bar, Kai) 

People Watching: Suzie Wong’s (Browns, Maggie’s) 

Happy Hour: Bar Blu (Browns, Centro) 

Hotel Bar: Centro (Aria, Redmoon) 

Live Music: Yugong Yishan (D-22, Icehouse) 

New Bar: Browns (D-22, Frank’s Place) 

Outdoor Terrace: Bar Blu (Pavillion, Stone Boat) 

Business Networking: Centro (Aria, Pavillion, The Bookworm) 

Place to Bring a Date: Bed (No Name Bar, Souk) 

Place to Find a Date: Suzie Wong’s (Browns, Destination) 

Sports Bar: Goose & Duck Pub (ClubFootball, Pavillion) 

Student Hangout: Lush (Kai, Propaganda)

Wine Selection: Centro (Aria, CourtYard, The Cellar)

Afterwards, I ended up at Indian Kitchen for dinner (this place should get an HM for Best Dance Club given the number of people bopping about) and then popped into Q Bar to congratulate bartenders-owners George Zhou and Echo Sun, who were prominently displaying their HM for best cocktails (not bad for a month-old bar), and to meet Roger Dutton and Kevin McCartan of Frank’s Place, which received its own HM in the best new bar category. Congratulations to all of the winners and the honorable mentions.

(From Beijing Boyce XXI, first emailed on July 27, 2006)

When Sanlitun South was razed last year for redevelopment - incidentally, nary a single foundation has been laid on that plot of land where two-meter high weeds now stand guard - some thought the area drinking scene had taken a mortal blow. Instead, it turned out to be the one step backward that precedes the two steps forward in the creative destruction process, and Sanlitun has emerged stronger and more diverse than ever. True, that main northern strip features too many sub-par copycat bars and all of the associated promoters, beggars, fake CD sellers and lady bar touts that come with it. And there have been some disturbing reports of bouncer behavior. But there are also numerous bar and restaurant investors targeting new niche markets, offering more choice and raising service standards, particularly along the new south street and near Tongli Studio in the northwest. Whether it’s Browns, The Bookworm, Alameda, The Tree, Q Bar or others, Sanlitun offers some “best of the best” in the city. Here are ten highlights, from its far north to its deep south:

1. The Tree — Arguably the best pizza in town, nicely washed down with Belgian beer.

2. Cheers — A simple and unpretentious bar with an excellent happy hour (10-kuai Qingdao drafts before 10 PM) and live Xinjiang music.

3. Top Club / Bar Blu — Comfy rooftop decks up top and dance floors down below.

4. Le Petit Gourmand — Kick back, have a beer and read a few books.

5. Alameda — A Brazilian barbecue joint picked by that’s Beijing and City Weekend readers as the city’s best restaurant.

6. The Bookworm — Kick back again, this time glass of wine in hand, and read some more books in the high-ceilinged downstairs or on the rooftop garden.

7. Browns — Good pub grub, good draft beer selection, good place to lose your inhibitions and do some bar top dancing.

8. Modern Nomads — Enjoy throat singing while sipping the best (er, only) Chingis martinis in town.

9. Beer Mania — An excellent combination of mostly Belgian beers and quality cocktails (Mojito, Long Island) in a laid-back atmosphere.

10. Q Bar — The most consistent high-quality cocktails in town and a spacious deck to boot.

Throw in other northern spots such as Saddle (good burritos), Apertivo (good people watching) and Jazz-Ya (good Long Islands), southern ones such as Salsa Caribe, Banana Leaf and Phil’s Pub (good 10-kuai Gin Tonics), nearby establishments such as The Pavillion, Alfa and Yugong Yishan, and more clubs than you can shake a stick at on Gongti west and north, and Sanlitun not only did not take a mortal blow last year, but is living proof of the saying, “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”

(From Beijing Boyce XX, first emailed on July 13, 2006)

that’s Beijing announces its annual bars and clubs awards tonight. Below, in capital letters, are the places I think deserve to win (all in my extremely humble opinion, of course).

Hotel Bar

I usually frequent hotel bars for work-related reasons and have to give Centro credit: there is always a decent number of people, usually decent martinis and sometimes decent live jazz. In terms of slickness, it’s about as dependable as Beijing bars get. Expect this category to be much more crowded next year with new bars in the Crowne Plaza, Hilton and other hotels competing against older ones such as Centro, Hyatt’s Redmoon and Shangri La’s Cloud Nine.

Bar Snacks

Saddle (burritos) and Fish Nation (our fine-finned friend with chips) both offer good filler in Sanlitun north, Bellagio has the Taiwanese angle covered, Cafe Pause, while technically not a bar, has tasty snacks up in the 798 Art District, and there are innumerable kebab stands where night owls may bulk up on meat and fat, not to mention a week’s worth of salt. Decent eats these are all, but I’m giving a slight edge to two places: Mojito, which despite it’s somewhat car-park like feel offers up the super tasty Mexican hamburger, and The Den, which pumps out the pizza and deep-fried goodies 24/7.

Place to Dance

A few years ago I did the White Man Shuffle as well as any endomorph. Alack and alas, I have now regressed to a mere wiggle, usually in the shadows, and what could be more ideal than a place where everyone else’s eyes are glued to the writhers busting moves on the bar top. The award thus goes to Browns, with honorable mentions to Suzie Wong’s and Maggie’s.

Cheap drinks

Phil’s Pub: A standout among the plethora of 10-kuai drink joints, with friendly owners, a decent layout and better-than-average drinks, not to mention a convenient location just 200 yards from my apartment (how selfish). Plus, the place lets patrons order in kebabs.

People Watching

Apertivo, No-name Bar, Centro, Maggie’s and numerous other places all merit mention in this tough category, but if a winner must be named, and if it counts as a bar, this award goes to The Bookworm, where you can not only scope out the patrons, but also overhear phone calls and conversations, discover a potential mate’s reading preferences (“Dan Brown? Next!“), and see if their caffeine fix comes from lattes, Diet Cokes or Irish coffees. (Yes, yes, The Bookworm is not exactly a bar or club, but they do sell ample quantities of beer, wine and cocktails, and besides, that’s Beijing has the place listed on its ballot, so blame them!)

Happy Hour

Centro offers great high-end value with their two-for-one cocktails, Beer Mania has 500 ML of Belgian draft for 40 kuai and discounted bottled Belgian Beer until 8 PM, The Den offers two-for-one pizza and beer, and Cheers pours two Wild Turkey shots for 30 RMB until 10 PM. What makes a happy hour superior depends on where you feel comfortable and what you like to drink, and the places all above excel in their own ways, so this is a four-way tie.

Best Outdoor

Another tough category, with contenders such as Bar Blu and Top Club (nice rooftops, same building), Q Bar (an even bigger rooftop, though the chairs are a bit hard), Hai Bar (a dark horse that offers cheap beers and views of Houhai on one side and the drum and bell towers on the other), Nuage (the same views, but fancier decor and higher prices), Suzie Wong’s (a nice getaway from the crowds inside, plus some of the best plastic plants in town), and The Pomegranate (for those in Shunyi). But the best of the bunch are Stone Boat, a small Qing-dynasty era spot set on a pond surrounded by trees and rocks in central Beijing‘s Ritan Park, and The Pavillion, with a lovely backyard made extremely cozy with comfortable wicker seating, elegant trees, and mellow lighting.

Business Networking

For drawing a diverse crowd that includes business executives, English teachers, homemakers, writers, MBA students and most everyone else, the award should go The Bookworm. There is no place, except perhaps for First Cafe last year, where I have made more connections.

Best Place for a Date

Le Cafe Igosso: Above-average food and a good wine list in a low-pressure atmosphere. If you’re looking at a Sunday afternoon, rather than a weekday dinner, then it’s No Name Bar. And if it’s an evening drink, rather than a meal, try the Q Bar, although going through that somewhat seedy hotel in which it is located might send some messages (possibly wanted, possibly not) to your significant other.

Student Hangout

The Loo: A bar that is long-closed and from another lifetime (not to mention another country). For this category, I’ll make like a soccer player and pass.

Best Beer

Browns, for its draft selection (including recent additions Stella Artois and Beck’s), and Beer Mania for its wide range of bottled Belgian beers and its Belgian draft.

Best Cocktails

This depends more on the bartenders than the establishments. I’ve had solid drinks at Centro, great mint-based cocktails at Garden of Delights, and some good but cheap beverages, courtesy of Sally and Alex at Phil’s Pub. I also remember tasty cocktails at Alfa, Jazz Ya, Browns (hit and miss), 5:19, The Big Easy, and places too numerous to mention. But in the end, only one place consistently pumps out a wide range of high-quality drinks, and thus the award goes to George Zhou and Echo Sun at Q Bar.

Bar of the Year

This bar has raised its beer prices, lost key staff, struggled with its interior decorating, dealt with DJ turmoil, faced numerous other challenges and, despite it all, had a greater impact on Beijing’s drinking scene than any other establishment in the past year. This bar has exerted influence because it consistently provides good clean fun, because it scores well in terms of design, atmosphere, food and beer selection, and because it is frequented by a sizeable number of the city’s bar owners, managers and employees. Love it or hate it, this bar has firmly planted itself in the party landscape, providing not only great value for patrons, but also food for thought for those in the industry, and this combination should earn it the bar of the year award. This bar is Browns.

(From Beijing Boyce XX, first emailed on July 13, 2006)

New Year’s Eve shenanigans started at an all-you-can-eat-and-drink Japanese restaurant before moving to Alfa, where the mood was effervescent, with flowing drinks, energetic pop music and lithesome dancers. At twelve, the staff sprayed snow foam everywhere, including into my martini, but unfortunately the Christmas was over and no free drink was in the offering. Nice. Also, while it is fun to watch the staff clear the sofas and tables lickety-split so as to enlarge the dance space, it’s best to avoid ramming said furniture into the patrons. Afterward, I stopped at Midnight (it only seemed natural on New Year’s Eve), where people remained festive until the wee hours. Martinis, whiskey and bitters, Champagne cocktails - they all made for a smooth entrance into 2005 (and our stomachs), thanks to the capable bartending triumvirate of Echo, George and Austin.

(From Beijing Boyce VIII, first emailed on January 13, 2006)