Beijing Boyce

Part 3 of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with regular bar hound Chandler Jurinka, founder of localnoodles.com.

There are no surprises in my five picks. Originally a wine drinker, I moved to Beijing and it destroyed my palate. I turned to Yanjing for solace. I love whisky but when the right labels aren’t in attendance I’ll settle quite comfortably for a dirty vodka martini – shaken.

Ichikura: To quench my Whisky whistle there is simply no bar in Beijing that parallels Ichikura. Walking into the bar is like walking onto a James Bond set. This is where Ted Turner would go to discuss offing Jane Fonda. The bar manager, with his bow tie and vest, is a man that approaches life with the precision of a true artist. Expect hand-shaved ice, theatrical lighting, and perfect drinks every time.

D-22: The first music venue I ever was introduced to ended up being my favorite music bar. This place is raw and uncensored. On the evenings when the local / foreign mix is just right there is a palpable energy coming from the crowd and the stage. The same acts sound and feel stale elsewhere. The bathrooms are horribly uncomfortable but the graffiti is skillfully done and makes one want to suck down a few more RMB15 beers in order to go back and study it more.

Q Bar: Add one part pierced sexy bartender, one part rooftop balcony, two parts George and Echo, and mix together Beijing’s best crowd, and you have the making of a kick-ass martini bar. It’s even better now that Beijing’s riffraff have been deported. I am a loyal fan although my Sunday mornings hate this place.

Yin Bar (The Emperor Hotel): As rooftop bars go, this one has got it nailed. Looking west over the Forbidden City at sunset is about as posh as it gets. There are times when it’s easy to forget we are living in Beijing. Sitting on that deck it’s hard to ignore all that has happened in China up to that moment.

Jianghu Jiuba: Character is what upgrades a crappy bar to the status of “dive”. I love dive bars. Other requirements include good music and a good pour to frequent patrons. This is one located in my neighborhood.

Previously:
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba

Friday night (May 30, 7:30 PM) will see a slew of bands band together at a D-22 to raise funds for Time Out music editor Ian Sherman, who is fighting cancer. The lineup includes Carsicks Cars, Arrows Made of Desire, RandomK(e), PK14, and Snapline, among others (RMB100 at the door).

Saturday night sees Frank’s Place (v2) celebrate its second anniversary, from 7 PM. The event will raise funds for the Red Cross.

Those saddened by the closing of Mare Nostrum will be gladdened to know that two of the chefs have shifted to Tao (Lucky Street). (Thanks to reader S&B for the tip.) The weekend brunch (noon-3 PM) includes eight starters, seven main courses and three desserts, from RMB168 (30 percent off during June). Free-flow Spanish sparkling wine is an extra RMB50. To reserve a table, call 5867-0209.

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)