Beijing Boyce

Kura Kura is on the Sanlitun strip between Swire’s North Village and The Butcher Steakhouse. (If you somehow miss the sign, you will likely spot the bright interior though the arched doorway.) Some first impressions of this offshoot of seven-year-old whiskey and cocktail haven Ichikura*:

• Kura Kura is long and narrow and has a patio, a front room with space for fourteen patrons, including eight at a dogleg bar, and two rooms in back that can fit about a dozen customers each.
• The lighting and red chairs combine to make Kura Kura brighter than Ichikura (this extends to the glossy-red bathroom). Expect a simple design–save for the deja vu-invoking Lan-like chandeliers that hail from another (and former) Ichikura offshoot, Third Cellar–and a cozy feel. The place is open from lunch through 1 AM.
• The floor on spirits is RMB50, even for entry-level drops such as Johnnie Walker Red and Jim Beam (you can upgrade to Johnnie Walker Black for RMB5 more). While there is a decent array of single malts, there are fewer options than at Ichikura though the menu is a work in progress, says manager Koji Kuroki. (Price examples: Laphroig 10-year-old, Aberfeldy 12-year-old, and Bowmore 12-year-old are RMB80 each.)
• The cocktails start at RMB50. I tried a gin martini and found it a bit rough, though an acquaintance liked the one he got on another day. The Moscow Mule, made with ginger-infused vodka, and a Maitai ordered by a friend were fine. The beer is expensive: a bottle of Stella is RMB50.
• There is also a food menu. It appears the hot dog craze is not fully tapped as Kura Kura offers both regular and curry options (RMB28; RMB38 for a double dog). Other selections include burgers (RMB45), a range of curry rice options (from RMB38), and “homemade” desserts (from RMB15).

What ultimately made the visit worthwhile: the atmosphere. Like Ichikura, this is a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and I enjoyed relaxing and talking at the bar. Even better, this is a place where you can meet your neighbors: by closing time, we had chatted with the three other groups of patrons in Kura Kura.

* I still hold that Ichikura needs to open a place called Scratchikura. Simpsons fans, back me up on this!

If only I had a pop-up map...

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I regularly get asked about how to find a particular bar or restaurant (note: I prefer those types of calls before midnight on weekdays). Given the new pop-up map feature on this site, I’ll run a couple of posts about some of the harder to find places in town.

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Where is Chocolate?

Two parts LAN (décor), two parts Treasure Island (entertainment and clientele), one dash CJW (ascending seating areas), and a handful of potential trouble (those vodka shots can catch up on you), this over-the-top, put-you-under-the-table club is here.

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Where is Ichikura?

This cozy Japanese whiskey and cocktail joint, with room for 12 along the bar, a couple of small private rooms, about 100 single malts, and a get-away-from-it-all vibe, is here.

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Where is Ginkgo?

Formerly known as Room 101 and currently the beachhead for drinkers in Andingmen, this place, with a decent range of beers, a bar downstairs and a restaurant upstairs, and regular live music, is here.

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Where is Chuan Ban?

This typically packed Sichuan restaurant, with reasonable prices and more than enough pepper power for the vast majority of spicy food fans, is here.

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Where is Obiwan?

This three-story joint with a dance floor, bars, lounge spaces, and a rooftop deck, not to mention the honor of nearly causing Mr. Brau’s shaved head to freeze solid when we spent an hour circling Houhai in an attempt to find it late one winter night, is here.

Shane Crombie is a digital brand strategist, organizer of the ‘First Thursday‘ monthly ad industry event, and regular contributor to localnoodles.com. Here are his top five watering holes and his five suggestions for restaurant and bar owners on how to improve their offerings in a weakened economy. First, his five suggestions.

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1) Distill down and define in one short sentence what your brand stands for and then ask , ‘So, what makes us so special?” If you draw a blank, ask your customers.

2) Price promotions are popular right now. Create an offer that sounds almost too good to be true for maximum impact. Remember the formula: Quality ~ Price = Value

3) Invest in proper staff training and management and treat them like family. Bad service always ruins a good meal and good staff are made not born

4) Pay attention to what your patrons say about you online. Look for trends and gaps and act on them.

5) Those small magazine ads are not cost effective. Connect with your audience online when they’re really paying attention.

The bottom line is get online, keep it simple, and execute flawlessly, and you will prosper.

My top five places:

Ichikura: You cant just go to Ichikura the first time, a friend must take you there. Why? Because watching a master craftsman at work is a sight to behold in good company. Learn about the copper cup, ponder how they make those perfectly formed ice balls, and enjoy the best Moscow Mule in Beijing.

Tun & Nanjie: An oft-asked question around town is, ‘Why is Tun so popular’? Its simple. They give the people what they want: fun music, a very well-run bar and low prices. Its where east meets west in the city. And when I’m about done with the hot hits of the eighties, I head across the car park to Nanjie and some groovin house tunes.

Face: For important occasions, Face is bulletproof. It’s a magnificently designed environment with multiple Asian menus and a generous lounge area to while away the after hours. You’ll never get fired for making a reservation here.

Bed: After a dimly lit dinner at Sambal, Bed is the perfect place to enjoy the city’s best caprioska. It’s an ambient, subtly restored space hidden down an alleyway offering an original interpretation of a classic theme. That’s Beijing.

Element Fresh: They play the best down-tempo music in town, the brewed coffee is rocket fuel, the fruit plate tastes like real fruit, and the pancakes are done just right. What am I getting at? Beijings best weekend recovery session. Just be sure to get there early when its peaceful.

In part eleven of this series, Ben Shaw, who manages a start-up in Beijing and runs the Beijing Gourmand blog, lists his top five places to drink in the city. His blog’s Chinese name translates as “Taotie in Beijing“, with taotie being a mythical Chinese demon that devoured its own body.

Entero
I always look forward to the 29th of every month. That’s when Entero invites a Japanese butcher to serve Beijing’s tenderest steaks. The steak set comes with a side of bean sprouts, miso soup and rice, and at only 50 RMB is a great deal. The best part about the steak is that the second and third helpings get progressively tastier.

Entero has a decent, if not expansive, selection of single malts, both Scottish and Japanese, as well as bourbon and cocktails. The atmosphere is laid-back and it is one of the few places where it is comfortable to sit at the bar for long stretches of time. Entero will score well with music lovers with the option of watching videos of blues and jazz legends in the main bar, or heading into the private karaoke room to make some music of your own.

Ichikura
One of the classiest places in Beijing; going to Ichikura always makes me feel sexy. Others have already covered Ichikura pretty well, so I’ll just say that they have a great single malt selection and know the meaning of service.

G-zou
There are now several whisky bars in Beijing, but I think G-zou is the only place focusing exclusively on shochu, a Japanese spirit. The fun thing about shochu is that it can be made from nearly anything, barley, potatoes, sweet potatoes, sourgham, rice, or a combination of any of these. The flavors range from those similar to vodka, baijiu, or even tequila.

I think of G-zou as the yang to Ichikura’s yin; its also a small bar, but it’s very light and airy. The bartenders are friendly, and always remember your preferences, or remember which shochu you’ve already tried so they can recommend something new.

Lugar
Lugar is an excellent choice for a romantic night out. It has a unique single malt selection, great cocktails, awesome tapas, and the pool table is always free. It distinguishes itself from the rest of the Gulou/Nanluoguxiang joints by avoiding the whole bohemian thing. In the summer you can sit on the roof under their giant umbrellas and sip cocktails.

Tun
I don’t often go to places that get really crowded, but if I’m in the mood for a lively atmosphere then I’ll head to Tun, particularly for the Friday ladies night. Tun has a good selection of American microbrews, and it is nice to drink beer that you can actually taste.

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Top fives:

• Andrew Schorr & Ellis Rahhal
• Pete Demola
• Shane Crombie
• Ben Shaw
• Kaiser Kuo
• Bjorn Stabell
• Phoebe Wong
• Diane Fermin
• Badr Benjelloun
• Elisabeth Tchoudjinoff & Katrina Arndt
• Paul Adkins
• Chandler Jurinka
• Kevin Shen
• Steven Schwankert

Last Friday ranks among those days that start with a wine tasting at 11 AM, when our taste buds are supposedly at their best, and end the next morning at 3 AM, when my wallet is definitely at its worst. Thank Buddha the list of such days is short. The itinerary, for no particular reason, in reverse order…

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Q Bar I met my buddy O-Zone four years ago in First Cafe, where two of Q Bar’s three owners – George and Echo – then worked. Thus, it is often the finishing point for our nights out. This time around it meant my first drink there since the price increases just before the Olympics: RMB60 for a martini straddles, if not crosses, the value line. O-Zone ordered a Gin Tonic, I has a Planter’s Punch, and the third co-owner, Ralph, gave us a try of his new dish – sausages and fries. Nice for Oktoberfest… -

Ichikura With the bar about half full – that would be six of the dozen or so seats – we got comfortably numb. I asked the bartender for an Alfonso Special. Never heard of it. I wrote down the recipe. He scrutinized it, then headed to the far end of the bar and alternated between scratching his head in thought and mixing the drink. The result: pretty tasty. As usual, he turned on the “beam to heaven” – the coaster-size light that shines up from beneath the bar’s transparent top and on which he places the cocktail glass for the pour. -

Aperitivo We snagged the last table on the deck and watched the crowd pass – pedestrian traffic continues to be heavy at night since the police started to bar vehicles from this street. By the way, while Aperitivo is known for wine, my buddy The Fish swears by the Margarita. -

Tun O-Zone and I decided to meet here. Free drinks for ladies from 9 PM to midnight – I wonder how other bars feel about that deal!? – brings in a good crowd though the music seemed a bit heavy for this sort of event. Anyway, I’m sticking with Tun as my “sleeper” pick. -

Sequoia Café The return of these Friday night wine tastings drew many regulars and quite a few newcomers. The theme: the Margaret River area in southwestern Australia. I wasn’t too keen on any of the five selections, but perhaps my taste buds were exhausted by two earlier tastings. In any case, it is good to have Fridays with Frank back, since I know of no other wine events that create this sense of community. -

Frantoi Celliti Drei Kronen 1308 I met fellow beverage researchers AU and GA to drink wine at 1949: The Hidden City and we decided to chase it down with food. We walked to Frantoi Celliti, the massive new and sparsely patronized Italian joint near Tun, and found it darkened at 5:15. Someone spotted our faces pressed against the glass, popped the door, and said 5:30 is the official opening, with 6:30 or 7 PM better for dinner. Hmmm…

We decided to eat at Drei Kronen 1308 instead. The deal: AU and GA would go first and I would catch up after heading home to drop off my laptop and pick up three “free beer” coupons I received at a Klubb Rouge event (same owner). Everything went to plan: I arrived, they already had mugs of beer and plates of sausages, and I gave the coupons to the waitress.

The bill seemed a bit heavy when it arrived. We soon discovered why: it was carrying the weight of those three beers. The explanation: we did not present the coupons upon arrival.

Did anyone mention that when I handed over the coupons? No. Does any such rule appear on the coupons? No. Does it make sense to create coupons to encourage people to come and then create a bad impression by not honoring them? No. After our firm suggestion that they reconsider the policy, a scrum of wait staff and management ensued and we found our bill reduced.

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1/5 Taverna About 70 wineries from the Golden State were on hand as the California Wine Institute organized a mid-afternoon tasting at 1949: The Hidden City. This one saw a mixed crowd of distributors, journalists, restaurateurs, and consumers spend two hours trying to visit all of those tables. Talk about California dreaming (the details).

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Green T. House I headed to this arty and austere downtown restaurant around 10 AM for a Wine Australia event. Before we sampled 13 wines from Down Under, including top-end selections from Penfolds and Henschke, we had a lesson about… tea. The reason? To link China and Australia by arguing the much-loved beverages of the two nations share everything from physical properties to traditions for enjoyment. In terms of marketing, call it sophistication meets warmth and fuzziness, and deserving of its own post. Coming Monday…

Part five of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with music and nightlife lovers Elisabeth Tchoudjinoff and Katrina Arndt.
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(1)

Black Sun Bar
This is our neighborhood bar and a good place to start the night. The cocktails are standard but cheap. This is the only bar we know in Beijing where the foosball players’ feet are not too high above the field. It doesn’t meet professional EU standards, which is probably why we are used to it. We enjoy kicking sets of men off the table and we do so often. We are not cocky, just confident.

(2)

Liang 30 Bar
Elisabeth: This is my reason to visit Houhai. The young (read: uncomplicated) Xinjiang musicians listen to our requests and the service is friendly. We also get to plug in our iPod during music breaks, us being the music snobs we are. Plus: Live music can still be heard from the upstairs, which offers a view of the rooftops of Houhai. Major plus: The flattering mirror in the bathroom helps you turn into Narcissus for a few hours or to see the rings in your eyes Downside: The bartender can only be trusted to make Gin Tonics. And open beer bottles.

Katrina: I only come for the music and the mirror.

(3)

Salsa Caribe
If we don’t dilly dally too much, we might try to catch the end set of the salsa band, since they play with explosive energy. We don’t know how many bands play in this venue, but they recently had a singer from the Middle East. A sweaty salsa band + Amr Diab’s ‘Habibi‘ live = very happy moment. Afterwards, we dance to salsa and Arabic and African music until the wee hours. Sure, this place can be a bit of a meat market, but at least the women are playing games as well as the men.

(4)

Le Petit Gourmand
The terrace seating is comfortable (when the weather is not too hot), the food is consistently good, and it is a good place to bring a laptop and concentrate on work. We once ordered food and told them we didn’t think the wine list was sufficient, so we were allowed to bring two bottles of our own. They provided the ice bucket and glasses. However, now this place has a new wine selection, so we might not be able to do that anymore. Still, it’s a fond memory.

(5)

Ichikura / 12SQM
Katrina: Ichikura is a one-of-a-kind bar with a very nice intimate setting and a bartender who takes great care in all the details that go into making a cocktail. Each drink is like a piece of performance art. It is nice to see someone in Beijing who puts so much passion into his work. To be honest, I don’t really want to mention this bar because it doesn’t have a lot of space.

Elisabeth: 12SQM has a nice cozy setting and offers Grey Goose vodka and lychee liquor on the beautiful back wall full of liquor. The lighting is soft and the conversation is low. It is nice to sit on the cushioned window sill and watch Nanluoguxiang life pass by.

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Previously:
Paul Adkins, Entrepreneur
Chandler Jurinka, Local Noodles
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba

See also:
Beijing Olympics picks: Wine bars
Beijing Olympics picks: Sports bars

A week ago, he brought comparisons to Harry Morgan. Yesterday, he was upgraded to Bruce Willis. Now, it seems apparent that it is Bruce Willis who looks like him. Meet Chad Lager - Rickshaw fixture, vessel of information for Bourbon lovers and a man who apparently gets better looking every day.

Odds are you haven’t spied much Old Grand-dad, Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve, Booker’s,  I.W. Harper,  Four Roses single barrel, Evan Williams or Wild Turkey 12-year-old around Beijing. Well, my friends, all of these Bourbons and more are available not only in our fair city, but in one place, a little spot to which Chad recently introduced me and some acquaintances.

The place consists of two small private rooms and a long bar that seats ten at most. It is modestly lit, non-pretentious and stocked with an excellent array of alcohol. The staff is efficient and polite, and will grab umbrellas and walk you to a taxi if it’s raining.

Chad had mentioned it to me half a dozen times and, as I sat on the balcony of The Rickshaw recently, he shouted from the deck below, “We’re going there tonight.” But this is best explained with lyrics to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies theme song, which I haven’t been able to get out of my head for a week:

Now, listen to my story / ’bout a man named Chad
A guy who works at Rickshaw / where the wings are mighty bad*
Well, one balmy day  / he was serving up some  food
When in to the bar / came a babbling dude

(For wings, that is)
(Buffalo’d)
(Qingdao cold)

Well, the next thing you know / the dude has gone upstairs
Chad’s yelling from the deck / “hey, move away from there”
“I’m pretty darn sure / of a place you ought to be”
So we loaded into cabs / and we went to the Ichi…

(…kura, that is)
(Bourbon old)
(Liquid gold)

* Bad, in this case, means good.

The place has over 100 Bourbons, Scotches and Single Malts. It is small, quiet, relaxed and can be pricey, so if you’re the type that gets loud or feels uncomfortable dropping 300 kuai+ on high-quality alcohol, you might want to give it a pass.

The music is light and mixes well with the talk, which goes something like this. “I’ll have a Maker’s Mark Gold  – this one is only available in Japan.” “Glenlivet 18, please” “This one is much smoother than the last one.” “Jim Beam Black, straight up.” “Have you tried Red River (Hong He) cigarettes? The Yunnan tobacco is toasted, just like Lucky Strikes.” (Well, conversation isn’tonly about beverages.)

My favorite Bourbon of the night was IW Harper - a nice candied pear nose with a touch of bananas and an excellent rich and caramel-y mouth feel.

We also tried some amazing Captain Morgan private stock and a Moscow Mule - ginger-soaked vodka and ginger ale.

According to my eavesdropping, the Japanese owner, Kuroki Koji, came to Beijing to study Chinese literature but dreamed of opening a bar – and he did, in January 2004, with a partner. Ichikura is named after the basement of a rice warehouse where the owner opened his first bar.

Chad picked up the tab on this one, which, of course, guarantees a return visit… that I.W. Harper 12-year-old needs testing.