Beijing Boyce

The three-floor TRIO is set to open in about two weeks, with a New York-style grill on top, the new Frank’s Place at ground level, and The Cellar down below. The latter is intriguing, as torch lighting and live jazz are promised, with wine club members getting storage space for their personal collections. / ASC Fine Wines marks its tenth anniversary next week and deserves a tip of the hat for its work in bringing the good drop to China. / Rumor (and I hope this is true) has it that Cafe Pause, partly owned by Palette Vino’s Stefan Fleischer, may start holding wine tasting events. By the way, Palette will have a Tempranillo tasting on April 22 (7:30 PM) and a “Premium Wines from Australia” tasting on April 28 (8 PM) at its Shunyi store (100 kuai for non-members; email irene@palettewines.cn to RSVP or for details). And Palette finally has a website (www.palettewines.cn)! / Daniel VanderHave has left Palette to become a brand manager for wine at Jebsen. / John Bull Pub features “Steals and Deals” on Friday (April 21). “Check out our bin ends,” writes proprietor Frank Siegel. Whites are available from 90 kuai to 300 kuai; reds are available from 75 kuai to 250 kuai. No corkage from 6 to 8 PM. / Pinot Noir lovers, East Meets West (EMW) wines is teaming up with Aria for the Gibbston Valley Wine Dinner on April 27 (688 kuai per person). Clausio Heye of New Zealand’s Gibbston will be on hand for the five-course dinner by Aria Chef Andrew Mckee. / Montrose has 50 percent off on select wines at its Kerry Centre shop, April 21-23 (www.montrosechina.com) and Ethan Perk is writing a wine column for Lifestyle magazine. / I went to two wine tastings over the past two weeks. One was by ASC at The Pavillion, and the other was by Summergate, at Bento & Berries, and I’ve yet to transcribe my notes from either. I’ll have these as well as more on the Bento & Berries (Kerry Centre) wine selection next issue.

(From Beijing Boyce XV, first emailed on April 21, 2006)

Popular bartenders George Zhou and Echo Sun left Midnight bar two weeks ago, following a run-in with management, about six months after they left First Cafe, following a run-in with management. It’s a serious situation for those who enjoy quality cocktails. Echo continues to manage Cafe Pause in the 798 art district, while George is doing consulting. Their next moves are eagerly awaited. / Dawn breaks after even the darkest midnight and new bartender Alex at 10-kuai Qingdao joint Phil’s is a ray of sunshine. He can mix up a tasty Mojito, Bloody Mary and Long Island, the latter coming with a splash of Grand Marnier and impressing finicky Agent Red Wolf. Alex is usually (no guarantees) behind the bar on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights, the latter best avoided given the rowdy all-you-can-drink-Qingdao-for-30-kuai crowd). / Cajun cooking and wasabi together at last? Chef Dan Segall, whose photo is a mainstay in Beijing’s English-language magazines, has left Hilton Hotel’s Louisiana Restaurant and next month will join the Japanese-focused kitchen at RBL. / John Bull Pub is holding “entry-level” wine tasting on some Fridays (6 to 8 PM), with takeaway bottles at 80 kuai or less. Chilean, Australian and Chinese wines have been featured. Call 6532-5905 for details. / This could be the year of outdoor eating, drinking and reading in Beijing. Owner Alex Pearson gave me a tour of Bookworm’s new rooftop garden, which has a flagstone path, seats 48, and should be open by today. (By the way, given how loud and crowded the Bookworm is at times, how long before someone–Alex herself?–opens a similar spot elsewhere?). Alongside favorites such as Bar Blu, Steak and Eggs, Stone Boat and numerous Hou Hai spots, Bookworm joins newcomers Le Petit Gourmand, Frank’s Place, 5:19, Pomegranate, Browns, Pavillion and others in the great outdoors seating competition. / Pavilion will add an extension in order to add a Mediterranean restaurant. Richard Xavia (ex-RBL) and Richard Mills (ex-Aria) are consulting. On one hand, the shift is understandable as about-to-open Frank’s Place will siphon some of Pavillion’s sports-loving patrons (Frank’s Place investor Roger Dutton and Pavillion proprietor Russell Probert were once co-owners of the old Frank’s Place). On the other, this smacks of yet another attempt to bring Shanghai not only to Beijing (see RBL), but also to an establishment that already lacks focus and staff training (example: the numerous occasions when no employees on hand were able to work the TVs). / As for Dutton, he says Trio, which will house a New York-style grill, the new Frank’s Place and the wine-centric The Cellar, should be open by early May. Nicole Pang has been hired as part of the PR and marketing team. / No frowns at Browns as the large empty space meant for tequila and Whisky rooms has instead been quickly finished to handle overflow from the main area. The place was packed to the gills on St. Patrick’s Day. My biggest gripe after a dozen visits: the music. My advice: forget the muddled DJ sets and instead put in a “Funky 80s Hits” CD, hit random play and let people have fun. (For more on Browns, see We Got Mail.) / Wine whiz Ethan Perk writes that the new Schindler’s, on the old Riverside Cafe site, is hopping, even on a Tuesday night at 6:30: “They were packed, not a seat in the house.” / Shunyi is starting to blossom. An upcoming that’s Beijing map lists more than 100 shops, restaurants and bars in the district. While Shunyi is still a bit light in the latter two categories, Palette Vino, Jenny Lou’s and Pomegranate are leading the way, and the first fixed location for caterer Harry’s Kitchen is apparently set to open. / Sequoia Cafe has a tasty 30-kuai chicken pita and salad combo at lunch. The place delivers, but if you order by fax, follow-up by phone, as the machine is sometimes off. / Finally, if an afternoon spent listening to 1950s German folk songs sounds like fun, try Cafe Pause in Dashanzi. You can slowly go mad while using the free wireless.

(From Beijing Boyce XIII, first emailed on March 24, 2006)