Beijing Boyce

Gung Ho! Gourmet Pizza Factory near Workers Stadium has expanded its menu to include calzones, both veggie (rmb45) and meat (rmb55), new salads (including chili prawn and pineapple salad) and pastas (including mushroom and balsamic cream sauce), and a hot and spicy pizza. Other additions includes desserts like brownies and sides like cheese bread balls. Until now, the key factor for me ordering pizza from Gung Ho! is adding on that tasty Greek salad.

Still on pizza, The Irish Volunteer in Lido has been generating buzz with its pies. While this homey place became known in the early days for its “Big Breakfast“, not to mention its commitment to showing NHL games, co-owner George Smith says pizza now outsells all other menu items combined by more than three to one. He adds that space station astronaut Mark Polansky tried the pizza and described it as “out of this world.” I’m planning a taste test soon.

Still on pizza, a couple of readers in Central Park asked if the new Nasca Café in Sanlitun delivers their way. The answer: yes. The former Nasca branch in Central Park went through a Kro’s Nest-type controversy just over a year ago that saw it renamed Navena and one partner leave to run the branches on Maizidian and now in Sanlitun, the latter now serving people in Central Park. Kudos to the place for doing a decent deep dish pie, and with fresh quality ingredients to boot. One gripe: three levels of spiciness are available but even the hottest doesn’t leave near enough burn.

Grinders in Shuangjing may feel the wrath of Zhongnanhai–not the government office, but the cigarette company of choice for most expats–when it starts its Ashless Wednesdays next week.  That means no smoking inside during hump day, though patrons are free to puff to their lungs’ discontent just outside the door. At least one day a week, patrons will leave smelling more like meatballs than 0.8s.

The best game you can name.

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The Irish Volunteer came through in the clutch for hockey fans–and particularly followers of The Vancouver Canucks 40-year-old Virgins — during last year’s NHL playoffs and it is going for a repeat. This Lido-area pub plans to show all west coast games, which means a 9:30 AM or 10:30 AM start in Beijing, and will air earlier games if at least five people RSVP (contact George at gwsmithiii@gmail.com to book space). Expect the same range of beverages, and the RMB35 breakfast, as during last year’s playoffs plus a few possible guest appearances by poutine maker Ken Su.

Some upcoming games: April  15 (Thursday) 7 AM – Ottawa and Pittsburgh 10 AM – Detroit and Phoenix or 10:30 AM – Colorado and San Jose April 16 (Friday) 7 AM – Montreal and Washington 10 AM – Vancouver and L.A. April 17 (Saturday) 7 AM – Ottawa and Pittsburgh 10 AM– Detroit and Phoenix or 10:30 AM – Colorado and San Jose April 18 (Sunday) 7 AM – Montreal and Washington 10 AM – Vancouver and L.A. April 19 (Monday) 3 AM – Detroit and Phoenix 6 AM – Ottawa and Pittsburgh 8:30 AM – Chicago and Nashville or 9:30 AM – Colorado and San Jose

(Hat tip to RL for the info.)

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See also:

• Motor City vs Steel Town: Detroit-Pittsburgh NHL showdown at The Irish Volunteer
• Service in Beijing: A horde of hockey fans versus The Irish Volunteer
• NHL playoffs in Beijing: Canucks versus Black Hawks at The Irish Volunteer
• NHL Playoffs: Catch Canucks games at The Irish Volunteer
• Beijing’s newest pub: The Irish Volunteer

The Grey Cup / La Coupe Grey

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Canadians not only celebrate Thanksgiving ahead of their American neighbors, but they also hold their football championship about two months earlier. It’s all about freeing up time to watch ice hockey and visit Tim Horton’s, my friends. For those wishing to catch the ninety-seventh Grey Cup – with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes playing in Calgary - The Irish Volunteer (map) will show the action this Monday at 7:30 AM.