Beijing Boyce

I ran into Alan Wong the other day and he mentioned that a branch of his popular Japanese restaurant Hatsune will open in Sanlitun as will a new project, Karaiya, focused on Chinese food.
He said some changes are underway at Block 8. Kristen Lum, director of communications there, says a new cocktail menu has been added and that the drinks menu for special events in iSpace includes beer at RMB25 and basic cocktails at RMB35.

Block 8 is also holding a ‘Ladies Wine Club’ event in Med restaurant on the second Thursday of each month. Events include a five-course meal and a wine theme (RMB100). The next one - on April 10 - will feature Australian wines.

Finally, Block 8’s rooftop bar, The Beach, is slated to open on May 9.

A recent New York Times article provides a 36-hour itinerary for visitors to Beijing that in terms of nightlife selections, well, kind of sucks.* I won’t dissect the entire program - the Panjiayuan market part is headed ‘Capitalism at Work’ (ugh) - but will instead focus on the post-sundown sections. (Note: I’ll refer to the New York Times, or NYT, rather than to the author since it is possible that an editor stateside butchered this piece.)

Kicking things off, the itinerary for Friday night is okay but the one for Saturday night isn’t, so I suggest changing both. (NYT excerpts are in block quotes.)

[Friday] 8 p.m.
3) DUCK FOR DINNER

… The dining room of the Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant (22 Dongsishitiao; 86-10-5169-0328) is rowdy, as Chinese restaurants are supposed to be, and the braised eggplant is sweet and good. The skin of the lean bird is crisp, and its meat — wrapped in a thin pancake with spring onions and a sweet dark sauce — washes down nicely with red wine or beer.

There’s nothing wrong with duck but it works better on Saturday night. Why? Friday’s pre-dinner itinerary takes us to The Forbidden City. I say stay in that area rather than leave it to eat dinner and return again for the NYT bar choice, Bed.

You will find a slew of Chinese restaurants on Houhai’s Lotus Lane. Most menus have pictures of available dishes and make ordering much less intimidating for those unfamiliar with Chinese food. Check the photos at a half-dozen places and then choose a spot - this is a good time to have an adventure and to follow your gut instinct rather than someone else’s itinerary. (Nevertheless, I’ll dig up the names of some of the better places there.) Dining on Lotus Lane makes it easy to grab a coffee at the Starbuck’s (for those who can’t live without it) and take a post-dinner stroll around Houhai and pop into a bar or two on the way to Bed.

Those looking for ‘Western’ eats might check Passby Bar, which has a comfy backpacker feel as well as food with a local twist, such as pizza with roast lamb. Again, this makes it easy to take a tour, this time of Nanluoguxiang, close to Bed.

[Friday] 10 p.m.
4) ANTIQUES AND SANGRIA

Beijing’s best known bar strip, the Sanlitun neighborhood, is a playground for hookers, expatriates and Nigerian drug dealers. Instead, take a cab to the Drum and Bell Towers, and slip into the hutongs, or historic alleys, heading north, toward Bed Bar (17 Zhangwang Hutong; 86-10-8400-1554). Look for a red lantern down a long, quiet lane. A converted machine-parts factory decorated with antique furniture and paintings of the old city, Bed is a pleasant place to drink sangria, talk with friends, and drink more sangria. If you’re with a group, reserve a private room overlooking the courtyard.

Bed is a good choice, though many is the time I have waited at that place for someone who knows his or her way around Beijing fairly well but nevertheless is lost. Suggesting “look for a red lantern down a long, quiet lane” and listing a phone number for the bar might not be enough help for those new to Beijing, though with persistance, and by asking people for directions, they’ll eventually find it.

As for drinks, why would I come to China to drink Sangria? Why not try the local grog (Chinese wine, Beijing beer, and the like) or see if the local bartenders can make a decent drink (at Bed, that means Mojitos)?

Re the Sanlitun** comments, it’s great the New York Times fact-checkers have pinpointed the drug dealers’ nationality: they’re Nigerian! I’d love to see statistics backing this up - if they’re handy (seriously).

By the way, I’m not sure about the past few weeks but during a six-month period that started in May, I wasn’t bothered by any drug dealers in Sanlitun. If they were there, they were less conspicuous and they survived that crackdown a few months back. Re hookers, maybe NYT means the “lady bar” touts - don’t answer them, don’t make eye contact, and just move on. Re expatriates, yes, there are many of them and they tend to be progressively drunker as the night wears on. I repeat - don’t answer them, don’t make eye contact, and just move on. (Even easier, don’t go to Sanlitun in the first place).

On to night number two:

7:30 p.m.
9) KARMA SERVED MEATLESS

Pure Lotus (China Wenlian Courtyard, Changhong Bridge; 86-10-6592-3627) is a vegetarian restaurant whose décor — a lotus motif stenciled from Silk Road grottoes, an altar of fresh flowers, candles in bamboo holders — seems destined for Manhattan…. The dishes have ridiculous karmic names (“Destiny Comes Together as a Cold Plate,” “Yoga Apple Salad”) and some are served amid floral bouquets and dried ice mists, so cynical thoughts should be channeled. Reserve a table in the beautiful main dining room, where the servers sing folk songs.

Pure Lotus is great… if you’re a vegetarian. I can’t imagine being a meateater, having 36 hours in town, and spending one of my two dinners at that place. This is what to have: 1) Beijing duck, 2) Xinjiang food, or 3) Sichuan food. These options feature food that is acceptable to most visitors and fun to share. They are also good alternatives for Saturday lunch (in lieu of Kong Yiji).

Since it’s Saturday, traffic is lighter and there is more flexiblity to pick a spot. Possibilities include Red Rose for Xinjiang food, Dadong (as noted by NYT) for Beijing duck, or Chuan Ban for Sichuan (this is the provincial office’s restaurant and slightly hard to find). I’m a fan of the Dongbei-style restaurant Manchurian Special Flavor Jianzi Restaurant, too.

11 p.m.

10) A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Centro (1 Guanghua Lu; 86-10-6561-8833 extension 42; www.shangri-la.com) is a lounge in the Kerry Centre Hotel in the desolate central business district where Western men in pinstriped suits and Chinese women with pearls drink, flirt and listen to jazz standards. The younger, and more adventurous, will head to faraway D-22, a rock club in the city’s university district (242 Chengfu Road; 86-10-6265-3177; www.d22beijing.com). In a country where the radio waves are controlled by the party and love songs by pretty girls are ubiquitous, rock ‘n’ roll is still considered esoteric. The house bands at D-22 — Carsick Cars, Hedgehog and others — are trying to change that.

NYT describes Centro as in “the desolate central business district” and as “where Western men in pinstriped suits and Chinese women with pearls drink, flirt and listen to jazz standards.” This is supposed to appeal to us? Hmm. Centro is okay if you live in Beijing, but if you’re visiting, go to The World of Suzie Wong. It’s a Beijing institution with something for those who like to boogie (a dance floor), relax with a drink (opium bed-style seating) or sit out on nice nights (a spacious deck). If it doesn’t end up being your style, other venues - Pepper, Souk, Block 8 (including the somewhat Centro-like I-Ultra Lounge) - are within walking distance and allow you to hit a few bars in one night. Or you can cab it to Workers’ Stadium, Sanlitun, Lucky Street, or elsewhere.

As for D-22, it’s a hike from downtown, but if you’re in Beijing and local live music scenes are your gig, then why not?

* As much for the choices as for the way in which they are described.

** By Sanlitun, I take it the NYT means the Sanlitun North strip with the long row of copy-cat bars (where the “lady bar” touts hang out) and the Tongli Studio area nearby (which is associated with drug dealers), not Sanlitun South, the home of The Bookworm, The Rickshaw, Q Bar and other spots).

Note: For another take on the NYT itinerary, see A Modern Lei Fong.

The sixth annual that’s Beijing Xmas Charity Funk Throwdown is slated for this Saturday at Block 8. Proceeds go to Ping An Foster Home, which arranges surgeries for Chinese orphans. DJs Mael and Snow will be “spinning old school funk and soul,” states the promo. The 100-kuai entry fee includes two Bacardi-based drinks, a Santa hat and entry into the lucky draw. Plus, the knowledge you’re helping out a good cause.

Some like it hot, some like it spicy, and p3wong likes her Bloody Mary to be both, and with a pinch of celery salt to boot. Friday night, we chilled out in the upstairs lounge at Nearby the Tree, tried a Bloody Mary - yes, we’re aware this spot is known for Belgian beer - and discussed how her favorite drink fares in this city.

“They never use celery salt [in Bloody Marys] in Beijing,” she says. “A lot of places are also stingy on Worcestershire sauce.”

So, what spots does she recommend?

“Redmoon Bar (Hyatt). They use enough Worschestire sauce and put in cherry tomatoes.”

“Lan - the Sichuan Mary is spicy.”

“[The former] Icehouse [where she once worked as GM]; I could tell the staff exactly how I wanted it made.”‘

“The Bookworm - it has an interesting one. I think they make their own juice because it comes out pinkish.”

“I haven’t tried The Vineyard Cafe yet, but I heard they have a ‘do it yourself’ Bloody Mary and I like that idea.”

How about Face? “Okay, but it seems a little bitter, so I’m wondering if they use pepper vodka.”

Block 8? “They must have the worst one. They shake it with the ice and it gets too watery.”

Aria? “The first one I had there, I could only taste tomato juice. The second one had a lot of vodka but not much flavor.”

Centro? “They’re bad. I was disappointed because I heard Bruce Li [now at Aria] was the best bartender. I don’t know if he made mine, but they weren’t good.”

As for the Bloody Mary at Nearby the Tree, here’s p3wong’s take: “It could be better with celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and more tomato juice.” At any rate, it’s a cozy place to chat and there’s plenty of beer and wine as an alternative.

Here are a few my current and past favorite places for a Bloody Mary:

Café St. Laurent: Its ‘Asian Mary’ includes wasabi and soya, a rim salted with nori, and pickled asparagus, a cherry tomato and a prawn as garnish. It comes in a 12-ounce glass, without ice, so it doesn’t get watery. CSL will soon have Bloody Caesars, made with Clamato rather than tomato juice.

Press Club Bar: The menu includes a half-dozen Bloody Mary variations, including one with Qingdao beer; tasty but pricey. (Note: I hear the St. Regis Hotel, which houses The Press Club Bar, is undergoing some renovations, so I’ll visit soon and check this out.)

Before closing, The Big Easy made a nice Bloody Mary.

In Last Wednesday blues, part 1, I covered adventures at Sequoia Cafe, LG Towers, Kenny Rogers Roasters and McDonald’s. Now it’s time to go out on the town, visit Block 8, Suzie Wong and China Doll, and get fashion advice from Special K.

Block 8
I pick up Special K on the way to Blanes “ten most influential Beijing people“ party, which is linked to Spencer Grey (Alfa, Muse, etc). Hang on: hasn’t this party already happened a dozen times this year? Anyway, I can tell by the look of Special’s K shirt that he doesn’t own an iron. On the positive side, if he gets in a fight or falls asleep on a park bench, it can’t get any more wrinkled.

We catch the last half of the awards - the winners include Alan Wong (of Block 8, no less) as bar creator, Jackson Ren (of Aria) as bartender and Bai Cai as DJ. It seems very “group hug” to me.

Afterwards, we go to a VIP area in I-Ultra Lounge (in Block 8) to drink free Champagne and vodka with about 40 other people. Some observations:
- There is a nice group of locals beside me and we toast each other and relax. Unfortunately…
- Some guy drinks two Champagne flutes of vodka in about 15 minutes, breaks the glass, and two minutes later breaks another one, leaving a mess.
- At the next table, an extremely drunk guy, face red as a lobster, repeatedly (endlessly?) shouts slogans and encourages everyone nearby to repeat them, even though there is ZERO interest in this.
- Another guy takes me aside and asks several times, “Where do you see Beijing Boyce in three years?” In such cases, I try to provide a polite answer, such as “helping orphans and whatnot”, but my overriding thought is “anywhere but this place.”
- Half of the women in our area are taking advantage of the photographers on hand to pose for vanity shots.
- And I think I spot Special K drink his fifteenth glass of Champagne - you gotta keep an eye on this guy.
- Anyway, after the free Champers dries up, most people quickly disappear, including the glass dropper and the yeller. Special K, a patron I’ll refer to as JS, and I order - that is, pay for – two more bottles. Alan Wong, don’t say we don’t care!

It is past midnight, time for bed, and we do the only thing possible when Special K is past a half-dozen drinks: onward ho!

The World of Suzie Wong
This is my first visit to ladies night and the place is moderately full. We order three Gin Tonics and the pours are weak. Before the bartender adds the mix, we note the weakness of the drinks, he denies it, and I want to get a shot glass and strain the alcohol from the ice to prove our case. JG says he has guanxi and will talk to the manager. He comes back five minutes later and says in exasperation, “I can’t believe it!” It appears his guanxi is gone.

Meanwhile, Special K learns it’s best to wear a protective cup on ladies night, as some of the drunker attendees like to check out your assets before asking your name. We quickly finish what Suzie Wong calls a Gin Tonic and head to

China Doll
If you rank my current desire to go to China Doll between one and ten, with one being “I’d rather tattoo an image of a dragon fruit on my forehead with a rusty fork prong” and ten being “I’d rather hang out with that slogan-yelling guy from Block 8,” it was somewhere in the middle.

China Doll turns out to be okay. The drinks are good, the bartenders are proficient. The place is lightly filled, with a handful of people around the bar and several full tables in those canopied lounge areas.

I see an editor from a local magazine. He apparently didn’t like an email exchange we had earlier today and he calls me, in colloquial terms, an anus. He is really drunk and I guess some might think he has a point. I ask the staff to change his diaper, give him a fresh bottle (with a touch of Bailey’s) and rock him to sleep.

Then, I search for Special K. I spot the wrinkled shirt. He has made friends with Czech students and once again shown his tolerance for the peoples, and especially the women, of the world. I check the time and decide to head home - right after this drink - so I can get a few hours sleep before those jackhammers start.