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.

Thanks to 8 Songs — who shall some day get his repertoire of KTV songs up to nine — for this write-up about Nasca Cafe (map).

“The south end of Central Park is home to several nice little cafes and restaurants, including Pekotan (map) and Livewell (map). Main Street Café wasn’t one of them, and having opened late last year, closed for two weeks for “renovations.” It never re-opened, which was just as well. Some six months later, locals watched as a new café took its place. It seemed to take months to get into operation, but now that it is open, it’s a regular spot for many in the area.

“Nasca (an unusual name, reminiscent of the NASCAR racing in the USA) offers something for everybody. It has an extensive breakfast menu, and makes a good range of coffee for heart starters. During the day it has a nice offering of foods for lunch, though the range of cakes and pastries is limited. But it is at night when Nasca really shines, especially for local families. The menu offers everything from simple snacks to full meals, pastas, pizzas and a reasonable selection of kids’ meals.

“It also has a bar area for a late-night drink.

“Probably that is its only weakness – it tries to be all things to all people.

“I walk past it every day on my way to and from work, and it always seems to be at least part full. That is saying something, when there are so many choices so close.