Beijing Boyce

Plan: To have a few drinks and finally watch the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Reality: Had a lot of drinks and missed most of the ceremony again. Such is life and I did have some fun during last weekend’s Olympic Flashback that ended up involving Paddy O’Shea’s, China Doll, Fubar, George’s, and Gung Ho Gourmet Pizza Factory, and raised ~RMB4000 for the charity CAI. (A modest sum but OK given I organized the bulk of the event in 36 hours. If only I had come up with this idea a week earlier, it might have raised RMB4100.) I already posted about the Futathlon and here are five more photos from the weekend.

We started on Saturday night with mixed drinks at Paddy O’Shea’s, which sold the most beverages, under the watchful life of Major Tom.

We then moved to China Doll, which made a special banner for us. The rain meant we couldn’t use the sky deck but also meant more people in the lounge and on the dance floor.

On Sunday night, we started at at Fubar, which held the Futathlon and made Fu Wa cocktails.

Then headed over the George’s, which raised the most money as we sold the donated Gung Ho pizzas here, too, to drink martinis, watch the opening ceremonies, and eat some…

pie!

Thanks to Paddy O’Shea’s, China Doll, Fubar, George’s, and Gung Ho Gourmet Pizza Factory, the team at CAI (especially Will “The Wallet” Hsu), and the contestants in the Futathlon (Gordon, Maggie, Shane, Will, and Kirby). As for the opening ceremonies, I’m going to have to borrow a DVD player, plug in my TV, get a couple of beers, order a large pepperoni pizza, and watch it at home. Don’t tell me how it ends…

Paddy O'Shea's as the opening ceremonies opened...

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This Sunday marks the second anniversary of the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games. I missed most of the opening in 2008 due to a seven-hour Beijing bar crawl with Nicolas Carre, so last Saturday I decided to find a bar with a big screen where I could show a repeat this Sunday (August 8 at 8 PM) and get some reasonably priced drinks. That mission changed course slightly as I contacted two other venues and a charity, CAI, that “provides arts and sports programs in migrant schools” (CAI will handle all donations. Thanks to iShaw for the recommendation). Here is the current agenda for anyone interested in a flashback to an event that symbolized change both good and bad for in this city and country.

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Saturday, August 7

China Doll, 11 PM-2 AM

The place: This Sanlitun bar, club, and lounge delivered a winning performance for fun during the Olympics as residents, athletes, and celebrities gathered for nightly shenanigans. Gold-medal moment: Standing beside Michael Phelps at the bar when he said three years had passed since his last cigar. My friend procured a Cuban stogie and Phelps happily puffed away.

The Olympic angle: China Doll will show footage and photos from its Olympics parties and display its flag decorated with the signatures of scores of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including Usain Bolt.

The deal: Look for “flaming gold medal” shooters for RMB30, with RMB15 going to CAI.

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Sunday, August 8

Fubar, 6-8 PM

The place: The speakeasy present meets the storied past at this bar hidden in the city’s first premium sports venue, circa 1959, and site of football matches during the Beijing Olympics.

The Olympic angle: To honor the Olympic mascots–and because it plays on the bar’s name–the drink de jour will be the Fu Wa. Look for a 500 ml pour that includes pepper berry vodka and other ingredients blended with ice.

The deal: Each Fu Wa is RMB25, with RMB15 going to CAI.

George’s, 8 PM-

The place: A hop, skip, and jump from Fubar, this upscale bar is owned by George Zhou, who has been making cocktails with the precision of a competitive archer for more than five years.

The angle: George’s will screen the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, starting at 8 PM. Well, most of it. As it is a school night, we will stick to the start and finish and leave out most of the agonizingly long entry of the athletes.

The deal: All martinis are RMB30, with RMB15 going to CAI.

Salud, August 8, 2008

I am sorting thousands of photos and finding quite a few that I didn’t use but want to share. Thus, this “Beijing photo five” series, with each post including a quintet of shots from about town. The first set involves design in one way or another…

* The Pee Monkey reference is to the game of the same name by Beijing’s own Happy Latte.

China Doll: Dita von Teese pillows on the new deck.

Room Beijing: You'll need to watch your head in the, uh, head, or be an expert at Pee Monkey.

Opposite House: The lobby from above. It only the elevators had this much lighting.

Dongzhimen: A preserved piece of the city wall or the product of construction workers with a sense of humor?

Maison Boulud: Colorful bark...



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The China Doll story continues on Wednesday night in Sanlitun’s 3.3 Building as Ai Wan reprises her leading role. The fourth and latest installment comes on the heels of:

• China Doll 1.0 in Tongli Studio, which opened in late December 2006 in the space that is now home to The Apartment, Bananafish, Bambu, and, until it closed on Saturday night, White Rabbit, and which saw Ai Wan leave less than a year later;
• China Doll 2.0, which marked her return when it opened just ahead of the Olympics on the fifth floor of the 3.3 building, only to see her again leave — and the place close, for that matter — less than a year later;
• China Doll 2.1, which then opened in about half that previous 3.3 space, was kind of grungy, and didn’t last long, closing last year.

What makes the fourth installment somewhat a surprise is that relations between Ai Wan and at least some investors have been at times far from cordial (think Megan Fox-Michael Bay). On the other hand, it is hard to see how this brand could rise again without her involvement.

The newest China Doll includes both that fifth floor space and a rooftop deck I would estimate at more than one thousand square meters. Last night, the downstairs looked almost ready to go — expect the slightly risque edge of previous China Dolls — while up top workers were busy nailing floorboards and the beginnings of a four-sided bar could be seen. The latter might not seem to bode well for a mid-week launch, then again, George’s had no flooring, furniture, or booze four days before its recent opening, and somehow the job got done.

There is some kind of VIP thing at 8 PM, with the place open to everyone at 9 PM, which might make this a good stop for those down in Sanlitun for that superb lineup of Wednesday night World Cup matches.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in coming months. I imagine China Doll will grab some customers from Punk and, if the deck is nice enough, Q Bar, among others, but enough to fill that much space? Tough call in an increasingly crowded Sanlitun field. But one thing I hope is that the crappy drinks, at least post Tongli, at this place are a thing of the past.

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See also: She’s back: China Doll to reopen with rooftop deck

Don't try this at home. Actually, do. (Photo: Ai Wan)

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The inspiration of everything from best club nods to partner bickering, from celebrity sightings during the Olympics to rumors of lawsuits, from fun and sloppy late nights to an early and unexpected decline on the scene, China Doll in the 3.3 building in Sanlitun has long been a subject of speculation.

Now, in what will be seen as a shocker at a spot that has seemed abandoned — I talked to three investors during the past month, including one last night, who had pretty much given up hope of the place reopening  — it looks like the intriguing and controversial Ai Wan is set to return and relaunch it with the usual sexual flair if the photo above is any indication.

Ai Wan says a “soft opening” will be held with Piper Champagne on June 23, with an official launch in mid-July to include a rooftop she describes as “the biggest and highest in Sanlitun”. While she says she had concerns about resurrecting the brand, she says, “[China Doll] has a life and spirit of its own“.

For those who were fans of China Doll, or interested in how the scene works — and I am both — this is an interesting story and I will  have more posts on it soon.

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See also:

• Back in the game: China Doll 3.3 to reopen on Frida
• China Doll 3.3: Hibernating for the winter
• Goodbye Olympics, goodbye Paralympics, hello Hangover
• Beijing’s nightlife scene: The medalists
• Saturday night snapshots: Klubb Rouge, China Doll, and more
• ‘The New Sanlitun’: Openings, closings, confrontations
• Somebody give me a smoke: The pre-openings of Klubb Rouge, China Doll
• The new China Doll: No sex please, I’m thirsty
• Sanlitun walkabout: China Doll vs. Kokomo, and more
• Coming soon – China Doll gets a bigger house
• Trouble in Tongli
• Trouble in the Doll-house

China Doll 3.3 (map), which ranked among the places to be during the Olympics and then closed about three months later, is set to reopen next Friday. Expect a smaller dollhouse this time around: the venue will comprise the private room and the lounge up front, but not the dance, bar, and seating areas in back. A source at China Doll 3.3 says the lounge is being refitted with a dance floor, a less colorful decor, and new chairs and tables, while the music will tend toward house. The opening party this Friday will feature free Piper Champagne between 8 PM and 10 PM and I expect it will create some competition for Punk next door in the Opposite House.

By the way, I had good times at China Doll during the Olympics but would be happy with some changes. Here are two: 1) better beverages (I gave up on getting even a decent standard mixed drink there, let alone a more complicated cocktail); 2) better security (the former crew had some confrontational members who tended to cause more problems than they solved).

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See also:
China Doll 3.3: Hibernating for the winter

Down Under newspaper The Age claims that Australian and other athletes had their drinks spiked at “China Doll” during the Olympics. From the article:

A number of Australian Olympic team members were victims of having their drinks spiked in a Beijing nightclub while celebrating the end of their competitions at the Games, it has been revealed.

The Australian Olympic Committee on Wednesday confirmed that the first victim – a female athlete and understood to be an archer – was struck ill at the end of the first week while at the China Doll bar after her events had finished…

One other victim last night told Fairfax Media that in their case they suddenly felt ill, vomited and then passed out on a couch in the otherwise popular nightclub….

The spate of attacks that followed the archer’s case led to the the AOC sending out an SMS alert to all team members and staff just before the last weekend when most celebrations would begin to stay clear of the bar.

This article raises more questions than it answers, not least of which is this: If the AOC considered the situation severe enough to warn Australian athletes to avoid the club, then why, according to The Age, did it not file a report with the Beijing police and/or Olympic authorities in an attempt to warn everyone else?

Other questions include:

• To which China Doll does the accusation apply – the one in Tongli Studio or the one in the 3.3 building? [I checked with a local correspondent for The Age - she didn't write the piece - and was told it refers to China Doll 3.3.]

• Given that the article cites a few athletes who thought or suspected drink spiking, on what basis did the Age decide the drinks were spiked as opposed to, say, several athletes from among thousands of partiers possibly getting sick for other reasons?

• The Age claims, “Australians were not the only targets.” So, which other teams were affected?

• The Age claims, “The AOC does not believe that the alleged attacks were aimed at setting up Australians to fail anti-doping tests” and AOC spokesperson Mike Tancred is quoted as saying, “it was more someone locally doing it.” Assuming this quote is accurate, how did Tancred determine the drinks were spiked by someone acting “locally.”

Also of interest is the lack of a quote from China Doll 3.3 or any indication The Age contacted the club. I called one co-owner and he said, “We don’t spike drinks. Why would we?”

I have seen the original SMS and it is about as substantive as this story. That’s not to say that The Age is definitely wrong – I believe drinks do get spiked on occasion – but that in terms of inadequate evidence, sourcing, and follow-up, this story ranks a spot on the podium beside that South China Morning Post article published just before The Games.

(Hat tip to 8 Songs and ER for sending me the link to this story.)

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Eleven PM, just ten days after an opening bash that saw people flank to shank, and Klubb Rouge is… empty? Well, not totally – about 20 patrons are scattered on the main floor in pockets of resistance, but that’s a pretty light turnout this early into the game.

Optimists might argue that potential patrons are having visa problems or off to that beach party by The Great Wall or haven’t heard of the place or something. But methinks we are witnessing the club version of the Kerry Center Corollary : a hotel bar opens, it offers drinks, décor and/or prices to rival Centro , people go once or maybe twice, and then they return to Centro because at least the place is reliably busy .

Given Klubb Rouge’s private rooms , lounges, and decks, its long bar headed by a dance floor, and the massive pillars featuring illuminated images of soft-porn versions of 1930s Shanghai advert models, the rival here would seem to be Suzie Wong . Well, except when it comes to drinks – a martini won’t run you RMB80 at Suzie’s.

Klubb Rouge has a big space , a friendly staff , an excellent sound system and, from that rooftop, a good view . Perhaps the official launch of its deck tonight will help the place find its niche and paint the town red.

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Over at the recently opened China Doll in the 3.3 Building, the lounge is nearly empty, but the main bar and dance floor are busy. This club starts with several advantages: 1) it is a brand ; 2) its management includes people (notably Ai Wan ) who are able to draw crowds and/or media attention; 3) it has a lot of investors who, at least early on, will drag along their friends and acquaintances.

No doubt, China Doll has its problems, but it provides something that overcomes them – fun . So, the sound system’s bass might result in an annoying molar-shaking rattle at times, but the music is fun. The layout might have too many steps on which to trip, but the colors, textures, and design are fun. And so on. About the only thing that isn’t fun is security guards, who look a bit menacing.

The vibe here is notably different from Club China Doll , which is darker and more music-focused. Cooler heads prevailing, there should be enough space in Sanlitun for the two dolls to do well.

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At 2 AM, we hit The Den . Ranking among the oldest bars in Beijing, this place is generally a source of decent service and pub grub, notably the four-cheese pizzas , the hamburgers with fried egg on top, and the combo platters.

Earlier, I popped into Aperitivo for a drink. This is the kind of Saturday night spot where you show up, chat with your mates, don’t meddle in strangers’ business, and stumble home a few hours later.

- And I started the night at Rumi , where I had my fill of food (great beef and chicken!) and sampled three red wines from Hungary and an ice wine from Xinjiang . I’ll have more of these soon.

Sanlitun North lived up to its rep as an infamous nightspot this past week, which is unfortunate given some of the fun places in the area – The Tree, Kokomo, Saddle, Aperitivo, Cheers and Le Petit Gourmand, among others. Here are the highlights / lowlights:

- Authorities took exception to a Karaoke machine at China Doll (3.3 building) as the club prepared to launch on Thursday. After a delay of more than an hour, the main bar and dance area opened, with the music kept low. Early observations: this club needs to triple both its air con capacity and the gin in its 60-kuai GTs. The latest news: a “grand reopening” is slated for next Thursday.

- Luga’s, the burrito spot previously known as The Saddle, was closed a night earlier by police, who took the furniture outside, locked the doors, and posted guards after telling patrons to leave without paying.

- On the same strip, two of the four Pure Girl establishments that were shut down during a very public police drug raid in April reopened this week under the ironic name Higher and Higher.

- Worst of all, numerous people in China Doll during the launch party told me of a severe beating in front of 3.3 that saw about 20 people swarm a man who ran out of the building and punch, kick, and swing sticks at him. Here’s a take on that incident.

Add to this the ongoing Swire construction mess (I recently saw two confrontations between locals and building guards and officials these past two weeks – in one case one, a woman threw aside some metal barricades and began punching the guards), tension between bars and clubs (the most obvious being China Doll and Club China Doll), and the continued standoff between workers and management at that building just off the main strip.

Does that mean punters should avoid this area? Not necessarily, since the vast majority of people party in the area without incident. But I would again stress that these are times to keep your wits and a copy of your passport about you.

Let me use the analogy of male and female orgasms to respectively portray the décor of Klubb Rouge and China Doll since these nightspots, which held pre-openings of sorts last night, seem intent on pushing the sex envelope.

Klubb Rouge’s would be short and intense, with a series of hard edges, fleeting glimpses of cavernous spaces, gleaming mirrors, and a color one might describe as “candy apple / Amsterdam red-light district”, and an abrupt ending akin to waking on a cold marble bar top. China Doll’s would be prolonged and morphing, with a psychedelic rush of soft colors, sensuous textures and shiny trinkets though innumerable nooks and crannies, after which you would need some air (and perhaps an aspirin). I could be wrong, but if this evaluation contains a grain of truth, I’d say the ladies have the better end of the deal.

In any case, these places are supposed to be “sexy” and this was made explicit last night so that we bar and club goers, apparently a dense lot, got it:

Expressionless models, wearing G-strings and strategically placed red paint, walking robot-like along 40 meters of bar top and looking like a cross between porcelain dolls, mannequins, and that alien from Mars Attack (Klubb Rouge). Check.

Women dressed as hyperactive schoolgirls who steadily reveal more skin as they do energetic cheers (China Doll). Check.

Huge pillars featuring 1930s-style Shanghai ad models who, in an apparent tribute to global warming, show more flesh than their twentieth-century sisters (Klubb Rouge). Check.

Super-sized full-color photos of scantily dressed women touching each other in a less than platonic manner (China Doll). Check.

OK. Next item on the agenda: Can these places make decent drinks?

I never did get one at Klubb Rouge, as people were wall-to-wall and the bar was cleared for that model catwalk thing, but three friends described the drinks as “OK” and “not bad“, though in two cases we are talking about Gin Tonics. I tried five drinks at China Doll and in terms of average quality they were, well, average. Odds are the drinks will rapidly improve in both places in coming months as the bartenders get into their comfort zones. By the way, I enjoyed parking at the China Doll bar, with its soft underbelly, and taking in the place’s rainbow of colors and treasure trove of eye candy. I’ll have more on this, on comparisons of the new China Doll with the old one (now Club China Doll), and on Klubb Rouge (I couldn’t even get on the deck last night due to the crowds).

The true test of these places will be when the drinks aren’t free and there isn’t a sexy over-the-top show. What matters then be the quality of the music, cocktails, service and vibe, week in and week out.

Both Klubb Rouge and China Doll officially open tonight.

(Photo: PA)