Beijing Boyce

If you hunger for thunder bolts of lightning that are very, very frightening you ought to stop into the recently renovated Pavillion and catch New Zealand band Solidaz. After numerous years on the five-star hotel circuit, Solidaz has teamed up with Russell Probert at this Worker Stadium West venue to shift the focus toward live music. Last Saturday night the band actually pulled off Bohemian Rhapsody—a tough song in terms of skill and in terms of not looking silly—in a set that would put the average Xiu band to shame.

Pavillion opened just over five years ago and has become famous for its spacious and sedate patio and infamous for stories about customer-management brush ups. The renovations have included replacing the faux fireplace area with a stage (though a pair of narrow pillars slightly block some sight lines) and moving toward a “cooler” décor (think a lounge at a Harbin ice castle, especially given those LED “icicles” hanging above the bar). Probert said some fine-tuning remains, including the addition of flat-panel TVs.

If I am not mistaken, Solidaz has seven members (six from New Zealand, one from Canada). The band plays pretty much everything, from blues to jazz to country to pop to rock, from Monday through Saturday, with the first set at 9:30 PM, says member Kristen Hopi. The move to Beijing has not been without challenges–some musical equipment has been tied up in Hong Kong, forcing the band to rent it here–though the tight set I caught last weekend testified to the new quality sound system.

Expect similar drink options and prices as before (a pint of Stella is RMB45) and, if last Saturday night is any indication, an older expatriate crowd

I’ve bumped into Russell Probert of the Pavillion a couple of times in the past week and he says the temporarily closed place will reopen on December 22 as Solidaz, the name of the New Zealand band he is teaming up with as the place shifts to a greater focus on live music. Word is Probert spent a near-fortune on the sound system. Look for a grand opening on New Year’s eve.

The Pavillion has long been known for its superb patio and perhaps this move will help fulfill its potential as a late-night destination. As for Solidaz, according to the band’s Facebook page, it “first went abroad in 1997 to Beijing China.. [and] have been playing around the world since.”

Photo: yacol.com

Traci Smith has been into the local music scene for more than a decade. I asked her to name the best live music spots in town. She went one better: She named the places she considers most important for developing the indie music scene (see below) as well as a list of other key spots (to be posted next week). Here they are…

These three clubs were crucial to the development of the indie music scene.

1. Waijiao Renyuan (Xinyuan Li), late 1980s to 1992-1993

This building is still standing in Xinyuanli and is now the Best Soup restaurant. The bottom had a bar split into two areas, one with a few tables, round seventies-style chairs, and a bar in the middle. Most people didn’t get the pricey drinks here but would sneak in bottles of Yanjing under their coats.

The other area consisted of a stage and dance floor. People would crowd up to the front to watch the band or sit around the dance floor, drinking Yanjing and talking to friends.

The crowd was mostly art students who couldn’t afford tickets, so huge groups of people would mill around out front waiting for their band friends to show up and get them in for free. The venue most likely did not make much, and the bands didn’t either, maybe enough for a big meal afterward with taxi fare left over.

Usually Tangchao, Heibao, Zang Tianshuo, Ziwo Jiaoyu (Self Education, headed by Huazi, who now has a band called Chai-na), Miankong (The Face) and Cui Jian played. In Beijing, this was one of the first venues to regularly hold rock / alt music shows.

2. Scream (Wudaokou, across from the movie theater), 1994-1995 to late 1990s

Scream was the second bar in that area of hutongs across from the movie theater that had already been established as a hangout. Scream was truly the home of punk music in China and most of the shows featured punk bands. The punk scene was very different from the classic metal / rock scene. The band members and audience were intimately linked with the Wudaokou area.

The club was tiny and there was a fridge at the end of the bar. I remember people just going in and shouting, “hey, three beers”, or however many they took, and then paying for it. It was very much like a big extended family. If the show was popular, it would be so crowded you would literally have sweat pouring off you, and lots of folks would go outside to cool off. But the intimacy of the space and the punk music were a powerful combination.

The place was run by Lv Bo and its success led to the start of Scream Records, which is still going. This was also when animation and drawing began to be put together with music, with interesting flyers, the Scream logo, and lots of creative visual art, something that became standard for bands like New Pants.

3. River Bar, Old South Sanlitun, 2000-2004

When the boys from Yehaizi, China’s seminal folk rock band, took over what had previously been a live music bar called 17, they redecorated using only the downstairs part of the space to create China’s first folk rock club. They made the bar very comfortable, with wood tables and benches, and lots of minorities-style cloth and decorations, giving it a relaxed feel, like sitting in the courtyard of a siheyuan.

Up to this point there had been quite a few places for rock, punk, metal, and grunge bands to play, but the quieter or more experimental musicians had nowhere. But they did have lots of fans largely due to the popularity of Yehaizi. This bar was to folk rock what Scream was to punk. The shows were almost all acoustic, and they sometimes featured video art to go along with the shows. River was really the means by which folk rock music, an eclectic and now very broad genre–and one of the biggest genres in terms of fans today–started to gain the strong following it has now in China.

Note: Next week, I’ll have Traci Smith’s list of other influential live music venues in Beijing.

Photo: yacol.com

I will live blog tonight’s 2009 City Weekend Readers Choice awards, which focuses on Beijing restaurants and bars, and is slated to start at 7 PM. I will post about everything from the winners to the crowd’s general state of tipsiness to any weird, wacky, or wonderful occurences. I might even add trivia questions about Philippe Starck, who designed the awards venue, LAN. I will list entries chronologically, with the most recent at the top of this post (I’ll do my best to be accurate, but check the official results to be sure).

Note: By the way, I think the likely reason the readers awards came out as they did is because Alchemy and friends, which have represented Lan, Block 8, Hatsune, Bling, All-Star, Domus, and others over the past year went all out with SMS, Facebook, and email to drum up votes. That, and the fact that far fewer people vote for the City Weekend than the Beijinger awards, means a small block of people can have a major impact on the results.  And that means the results will not resonate with most people, though it apparently does with some of the editors, since they also gave Lan, Domus, and Bling awards. C’est la vie.

10:11
Now they are giving away a RMB13,000 spa room. The sponsor must be thrilled that most people have left. Oops, always a bummer when you have to keep drawing cards because the winners are not here. We’re on our fourth card. Oops, now our fifth. And we have a winner! Lan! (Just kidding.) All-Star! (Kidding again!) Bling (Kidding yet again!). Now the sponsor has thought of a number from one to ten. Whoever says it first wins. It’s eight! (I went with 7.3, not a good move.) What a surreal ending…

10:05
By the way, about two-thirds of the people here at the start have left. I think they’re going to… Chocolate.

10:04
Bar of the year: Mesh; editor’s pick: Zeta, then Q Bar <- Like I said with The Beijinger awards, Mesh is the Element Fresh of the bar scene…

10:03
Nightlife newcomer of the year: Punk; editor’s pick: Glen, Domus <- By the way Domus, Bling, Lan, All-Star, and Block 8 have all had the same PR company over the past year. Just saying…

10:02
Best sports bar (especially if you want to feel like you are in a hair salon) All-Star; editor’s pick: The Den, then Paddy O’Shea’s <- Does anyone see a pattern here? A block of votes is swinging everything, but the key factor is that no one else cares…

10:01
Best pub grub: All Star (I called it! I called it! But then again, I’m being cynical tonight); editor’s pick: The Stumble Inn, The Den

9:59
Best beer: The Tree; editor’s pick: Paulaner, then Stumble Inn

9:58
DJ of the year: DJ Blackie

9:56
Best nightlife bathrooms: Lan (Again! Yay! Hey, we are in Lan, I can check them out! Yay! Oh, wait, they cut off the alcohol, so I don’t need to go. Darn.); editor’s pick: Chocolate, then Opposite House (Mesh and Punk)

9:48
One more round, then I go home and scrub myself with a wire brush. (By the way, I have to give credit to City Weekend for being open to me coming here and writing whatever I want.)

9:38
Party promoter of the year: Riviera events; editor’s pick: Bai Cai, then didn’t catch it.

9:36
Most glamorous bar: Lan; editor’s pick: China Bar, Bling <- Wow, Lan is cleaning up even as they are cutting off the free drinks. That’s what I call multi-tasking.

9:35
Best place for singles: Club Mix; editor’s pick Tun (?), and Coco Banana (but not for the next six months).

9:34
Best cocktails: Glen; editor’s pick: Q Bar, then Mix. By the way, the bar just cut off the free drinks.

9:32
Club of the Year: Bling; editor’s pick: GT Banana, then Lan Club <- Wow, we are in Lan, and the PR company that does Lan also does Bling. They really got the vote out.

9:30
Best Alfresco (?) drinking: I heard The Beach and Q Bar <- Um, has The Beach even been open in the past six months. Wow, the air just went out of the room, like out of a beach ball (beach, beach ball, get it?) when that one was announced.

9:25
“Dan Stephenson just came on and is throwing techno house and the world of dub step is an uproar”* AND for some reason I can’t get a Budweiser. By the way, did you know that “Bud” is “Dub” spelled backwards?

* In the words of Lee “My Track Suit Is at the Cleaners” Mack.

9:21
Beside the brew master from the Paulaner. Me: “How’s that Budweiser?” Him: “Um, for this place, it’s OK.” Diplomacy in action. Personally, I like the hip hoppy action and the slight bitter edge…

9:20
Correction re Karl Long of Paddy O’Shea’s. He is not drinking Budweiser; he is drinking orange juice. But is does have ice… and a drink umbrella.

9:10
Restaurant of the year: Agua; editor’s pick: didn’t catch it, then Salt

9:08
Best new restaurant: Mosto; editor’s pick: Element Fresh, then the Westin. <- Um, Maison Boulud? You know, that place in the Legation Quarter aka Chi-enmen 23. Ex-embassy area… Maybe it is too old to be new? I hope that’s the case…

9:05
Best wine selection: Domus; editor’s pick: missed the first one, then Sureno. <- Domus? My spider sense is tingling. I think people who voted for Domus also voted for All-Star. Call my crazy…

Best service: Agua; editor’s pick: China Grill, then Tao <- Tao is the place on Lucky Street, right?

9:02
Best value: Alameda; W Dine and Wine; then Mosto <- Somewhere a single tear trickles down the face of a Steaks and Eggs fan.

Best steak: Chef Too; editor’s pick: St. Regis; then The Regent <- Is the Chef Too owner in the house? Um, no…

9:01
Family friendly: Blue Frog; editor’s: New Veranda, then Element Fresh. <- It’s all because of the Tadpole Special!

8:56
Best wi-fi cafe: Bookworm; editor’s pick: Cafe Zarah, then Starbuck’s (Jianwai Soho). <What? Pacific Coffee OWNS Starbuck’s. Though Starbuck’s leads in asking me if I have exact change for my coffee. Anyway, Boyce’s pick: Le Petit Gourmand, well, except for the music and the owner yelling at the staff.

8:48
The stars are out tonight: I just spotted DJ Blackie and, I am 50 percent sure, Kim Jong-il (you can tell by the hair. He uses a curling iron).

8:47
Best Sunday brunch: Senses at Westin; editor’s pick: JW Marriot, then Chef Too <- Too bad the Chef Too owner had to leave because his young daughter was kicked out. She was sober, I tell you, sober…

8:44
Best Chinese: South Beauty; editor’s pick: didn’t catch them <- By the way, South Beauty and Lan, where I am blogging from, have the same ownership.

8:43
Best burger: All-Star; editor’s pick: One East, then Let’s Burger <- Again, a nod to Zach at Union. And to Kiosk as well.

8:41
Best Middle Eastern: 1001 (Gongti); editor picks: Bitapitta, then Rumi <- And only 10 days to eat at Biteapitta before Super Bar Street is chai’d.

Chef of the Year: Jordi (Agua); editors: Daniel (Mosto), then Anna (Salt) <- I’m throwing in a nod for Zach at Union, And the guy who made us the donkey burgers last night at a street stall (RMB4 and they taste like roast beef).

8:35
Best Indian: Ganges; editor’s picks: Indian Kitchen, then Taj Pavilion

8:28
The musical break continues… I think the band is called Big John’s Blues. Nothing goes with blues more than a Bud. And a pack of Zhongnanhai.

8:20
If Shane of Stumble Inn, Karl Long from Paddy O’Shea’s, and Glenn Phelan of Danger Doyle’s drinking in the same room is not one of the signs of the apocalypse, I don’t know what is. And do my eyes deceive me or are they drinking Budweiser with ice cubes in it?

8:13
I just took a photo with Lee Mack and Blake Stone-Banks of City Weekend, neither of whom was wearing a tracksuit. These guys are really sliding.

8:04
Instrumental break. By the way, the booze is being brought to you by mega firms COFCO, Bacardi, and Budweiser.

7:58
Best American restaurant: All-Star; editor’s pick: Element Fresh, Steaks & Eggs. <- Hmm, I have an idea who a lot of the 2,000 readers who voted for this place are friends with.

7:57
Best Thai: Purple Haze (which one!?); editor’s pick: Very Siam, followed by Serve the People

Best pizza: The Tree; editor’s pick: Alla Osteria, followed by Kro’s Nest (Gongti branch) <- How come they didnt’ specify a branch for Hatsune. And wasn’t Kro’s Nest named best restaurant last year? Blame it on the Olympics.

7:55
Owner of Chef Too is angry because he said a rude manager is kicking him out because he is with his young daughter. I didn’t catch her name. Could it be Chef Three?

7:54
Best something: Maison Boulud; editor’s pick: Brassierie Flo, with Jaan next <- I’m guessing that is for best French.

7:52
Best Beijing duck: Dadong… One of the editor’s picks is Made in China… and I just noticed that the new Ichikura chandeliers – for Bar Brew – look a lot like the ones at Lan. Maybe they also hired Philippe Starck to design their place?

7:50
Most creative: Tao; editor’s pick: Bei, followed by Salt. <- Followed by Pepper, ha ha ha ha, sigh.

7:49
I totally missed a category. I think it was for best Japanese. All I heard was “Hatsune.”

7:48
Best Italian: Ristorante Sadler; editor’s pick: Barola, then La Dolce Vita. <- Where is Annie’s?

Best Mexican / Tex-Mex: Saddle Cantina; editor’s pick: Tim’s Texas Roadhouse, with Mexican Wave as runner-up. <– And a big thank you to Mexican Wave for providing free wireless as we passed by tonight.

7:46
Most romantic restaurant: The Courtyard. Editor’s pick: Green T. House and… I think it was Cafe Sambal. Glenn Phelan of Danger Doyle’s tried to give me the reach-around and I became distracted.

7:43
Bunkered down in LAN club. You know what? If they raised the ceiling, lowered the prices, and added a Russian pop band and a dozen go-go dancers, this place would be a lot like Chocolate. (Kidding.)

7:37
Got a signal here. According to the emcee, 2000 City Weekend readers voted on the awards.

7:26
Traffic between Workers Stadium and Lan crawled about as fast as a language student the morning after a 40 kuai all you can drink binge. Plus, my hair is starting to go more Shirley Temple than David Hasselhof.

6:55
Finally grabbed a cab, but not before getting about ten minutes of rain on my perfectly coiffed hair. I guess now I’ll have to live with the David Hasselhof look.

6:29
All caffed up, but sans umbrella. Now, what are the odds of catching a taxi at Workers Stadium East?

5:22
Doing warm-up exercises at Danger Doyle’s for the CW awards. This involves multiple cups of coffee, finger stretching, and airing out my sports jacket (I ran here through the rain). Early pick for an award: City Weekend’s very own Lee Mack for best track suit worn by a magazine editor.

For the past three years, I have picked my favorite bars and clubs just before The Beijinger revealed its readers’ choice awards. In that spirit, here is the 2009 edition, posted an hour before the awards ceremony gets under way (see the links at bottom for my 2006, 2007, and 2008 picks).

By the way, since I didn’t write down the categories when I voted, I am going from memory. Also, I am not picking places I think will win awards, but places I like; I am going to use the word “favorite” rather than, as the magazines use, “best“; and I haven’t been to every bar and club in the city, so I have probably missed some excellent places.

Finally, for those who shake their heads in disbelief at my choices, I fully admit I was sober when I made them. (Note: I will add pop-up maps for each place tomorrow, as I simply haven’t time today.)

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Favorite sports bar

This place charges for water, has terrible coffee, and is a bit grungy, but it is open 24 hours and offers above-average pub grub, efficient service, an excellent happy hour, and good crowds for major sports events. It also goes an extra step for sports fans, such as by setting up a medal chart (and special menu) for the Olympics as well as a massive wall schedule for AFL games. While The Rickshaw can be fun for watching a game, Paddy O’Shea’s does a good job on European sports, The Goose and Duck rocks for The Super Bowl, and the relatively new Stumble Inn is emerging as a player, The Den has the edge.

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Favorite cocktails

If I look back on the past year and consider which cocktails made an impression on me, I think of two: the Project 23 and the Kentucky Iced Tea, both of which I had at Maison Boulud.

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Favorite bartender

Call this a sentimental choice since I have known him since his days at First Cafe and Midnight, have made cocktails with him in my kitchen,  trust him to be exacting and conscientious with each drink, and like that he continues to experiment. For the past few years, he has had a piece of Q Bar, where he helps keep the cocktails flowing. My favorite bartender is George Zhou.

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Favorite outdoor drinking

Remember back when Bar Blu had the entire rooftop at Tongli and thus was an easy pick? Now we have a world of choices, so I will go all-out on this one and pick Yin Bar (for the view of The Forbidden City), Q Bar (for a quiet time), Stone Boat (for early afternoon drinking), Aperitivo and Luga’s / Pho Pho (to catch the Tongli crowd), Nanjie (to watch the craziness of the street below), Lugar (for the view of the hutongs), and Suzie Wong (just because). A tough category to call…

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Favorite happy hour

One place offers two-for-one drinks – cocktails, beer, and wine – and free snacks in a five-star hotel setting. The other offers half-price drinks and half-price pizzas (tasty pies from RMB25) from 5 PM to 10 PM every day of the week. This one is a tie between Aria, in the China World Hotel, and The Den.

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Favorite regular event

A tough category as the number of quiz nights, open mic nights, eighties nights, wine tastings, and so on continues to grow. The Cinco de Drinko party at The Saddle Cantina draws a substantial crowd, but I’m giving the edge to the insanely popular ladies night at Tun. While I now find the music tiresome, the recently instituted cover charge a drag, and the crowd ever younger, I had some fantastic times during the first few months of this event.

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Favorite place to bring a date

A tough category because it depends on what kind of date it is, so I’ll simply go with a spot that has an intimate atmosphere, excellent cocktails and single malts, a long bar that seats twelve, an entertaining bartender and, not least of all, a bizarre location. After all, if your date follows you around the side of Chaoyang Theater, through that guard entrance, across that parking lot, and up those rickety stairs to Ichikura, he or she date already has some faith in you, which will only increase when you open the door to this hidden treasure.

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Favorite late-night spot

For drinking, carousing, and people-watching – Chocolate. For eating, chilling out, and weirdness – The Den. For a place that, as one person puts it, “has its moments” – The Rickshaw (though this pick is partly sentimental – the place has been sliding of late).

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Favorite hidden spot

A lot of choices here, from the longest running but now largely forgotten bar in Beijing (Charlie’s) to places that are popular with Chinese but off the radar for most expatriates (Yes) to cozy Nanluoguxiang spots (12sqm and Reef Bar) to bars that draw a crowd of longer-term residents but are relatively unknown to many newcomers (Nashville and Jazz Ya) to a place I might potentially pick if I ended up there when it was actually open (Entero). I will go with three places: 1) 2F, as it has friendly and competent bartenders (one friend says they make the best White Russian in town), a laid-back unpretentious atmosphere in the heart of Sanlitun, and the option of getting The Tree’s pizza without going to The Tree; 2) er, since, despite its dodgy toilet, it is hard to find and offers something almost impossible to find in Beijing – an excellent Bourbon collection; and 3) the new Palette Vino, near Dongsishitiao, for its hutong feel and excellent wine selection.

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Favorite new bar

A good beer selection, happy hour, and layout (with the foosball table and dart boards nicely to the side), a popular quiz night, and decent service have seen The Stumble Inn already start to attract a decent following.

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Favorite club

From the tasty food to the RMB238 bottles of Russian Standard vodka, from the leggy dancers to the Russian pop band, from the over-the-top decor to the solid service, this place is making its mark. It is reasonably busy all week past midnight, it attracts people of all nationalities, ages, and professions, it inspires plenty of patrons to take to the dance floor, and it sees as regulars more than a few journalists and five-star hotel people (they tend to know value). Oh, did I mention the RMB238 bottles of Russian Standard? Yes, I did. My favorite club is Chocolate.

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Favorite bar

This place has an earthy atmosphere, provides bar, table, or loft seating, delivers value with its dozen infused house rums at RMB20 per large shot, offers adequate wine, beer, and cocktail lists, has a tolerance for those who might be one over the limit, and draws the kind of diverse crowd that made me pick Cheers as my favorite bar a few years ago. There is something special about Salud.

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I can’t remember if there are categories for these topics, but I also like The Stumble Inn for its beer selection, Ichikura and for single malts, Er for Bourbon, Cheers for live Xinjiang music, a diverse crowd, and the “you never know what will happen” vibe, the Capital Club bar for the view, Cafe Europa and the two Palette Vinos for interesting wine selections, The Side Saddle for tasty post-drinking burritos, Chocolate for people watching, Centro for business networking, Purple Haze (Gongti North) for reasonably cheap draft in reasonably nice surroundings with friends, La Baie des Anges when I feel like getting in a taxi and going somewhere, and… well, I am sure I am forgetting some places, but memory fails with age.

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See also:
Pub picks: The Beijinger bars and clubs awards (2008)
TBJ Awards: D-22, pole dancers, reality TV, and more (2007)
It’s a bar, it’s a club, it’s a blub, part 1 (2007)
It’s a bar, it’s a club, it’s a blub, part 2 (2007)
My two kuai: Pre-TBJ awards bar picks (2006)

After a prolonged absence, the wine events list is back, and just in time for some nice tastings: a blind one of Sauvignon Blanc that includes a vote at the end, a lineup of six German wines from three producers,  and the upcoming (and free) opening of the Carrefour spring wine fair.

A new feature: Click “map” beside the venue name to get a pop-up map of its location or to send the address for free – in English or Chinese – to your phone. Also, I will keep an updated list of wine events on this page. Finally, it is always best to confirm details of a tasting ahead of time – if there is one constant in Beijing, it is change.

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Thursday, April 2, 7-9 PM, Super Ganbei, RMB100, (map)
“Let’s wine”, with three Chilean and Italian wines from East Meets West; includes canapes; RSVP with Selina at selina@emw-wines.com or Super Ganbei at 5128-5488.

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Friday, April 3, 6:30PM, Sequoia Café (Guanghua Road), RMB120 (map)
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc blind tasting, with five wines from four suppliers; a vote on the wines will be taken; includes snacks; RSVP with Frank Siegel on Facebook or at 13701-178-073.

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Friday, April 3, 6:30-8:30 PM, Café Europa, RMB150 (map)
“Demystifying German Wines”, with six wines from three makers, and two winery owners in attendance; includes canapés; RSVP with Joseph Kiang at 8695-663 or 13910-097-621.

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Monday, April 6, 7 PM, Pinot (JW Marriott Hotel), RMB788 (map)
Chablis and Champagne dinner, with The Wine Republic and Bixente Alaman of Jean-Marc Brocard; four wines paired with seafood; RSVP with Chris Wang at chris.wang@marriotthotels.com or Campbell Thompson at events@thewinerepublic.com or 5869-7050.

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Thursday, April 16, Blu Lobster (Shangri-La Hotel), RMB988 + 15% (map)
Robert Weil wine dinner, with Wilhelm Weil, great-grandson of the estate founder; five wines with five courses; call  6841-2211, x6727 to RSVP.

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Friday, April 17, 6-8 PM, Shuangjing Carrefour, free (map)
Spring wine fair opening night, with a 20-percent discount on wines; call 5190-9589 for more info.

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Tuesday, April 21, 7-9 PM, Aria (China World Hotel), RMB150 (map)
Lafite “mega tasting“, with export manager Michel Negrier and DBR Lafite wines provided by Summergate; RSVP with Jenny Fennerty at 6562-5800 or jenny.fennerty@summergate.com.

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Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 PM, Meat & Wine Co. (Legation), RMB560 (map)
Jeremy Oliver book tour wine dinner; includes five ASC wines ranked 96 points or more by Oliver and a copy of his new book; RSVP with  Helen Lu at eventsbj@asc-wines.com  or 6587-3803.

The Pavilion offers soothing lighting, a comfy three-sided bar (with nice grooved arm rests) and overstuffed leather chairs, one of the city’s best patios (official opening: May 1), and plenty of screens to keep sports fans happy.

It also has lower prices. The lineup includes Tsingtao draft at RMB15, Carlsberg at RMB15, Guinness, Kilkenny,  and so on at RMB50, and house spirits at RMB30. The wine special is Santa Rita 120 – Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon – at RMB168 per bottle.

The only thing that seems out of whack is the music. I much preferred the days when, say, Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” featured rather than Tatu’s “All the Things She Said”, Red Nexx’s “Cotton-eyed Joe”, and their kin, as heard last night. To each his or her own, I guess.

By the way, the Pavillion will have a St. Patrick’s Day special: purchase six Guinness and get a free T-shirt or hat.

The past week was kind of crappy blog-wise.

It ended last night with me shooting my mouth off (apologies all around) while on a crash course with my first hangover of the year. It started seven days earlier on a Thursday night at TUN: not only did the place refuse to play the CD for the Jagermeister dance team, thus denying us the joys of their ballet of booze, but also the guitarist played a long self-indulgent set that included a nearly ten-minute rap about abolitionists (though he did come to the rescue of the Jager-ettes by creating an impromptu song that included a reference to Chuck Yeager).

In between was toaster-gate, coffee grinder-gate, a sub-par Valentine’s Day, and the disturbing experience of seeing a tazer in Sanlitun, followed by this story of a visiting businessman getting stun-gunned.

Also, I was among the six patrons at All-Star to watch the NBA all-star game. I ordered the RMB50 breakfast, noticed it came with no toast, and learned that two slices would cost an extra RMB24 (!). And at 12:57 PM, the staff told me I had to leave because the place would close between 1 PM and 5 PM.

Also, while I surfed the net at TUN, the unpleasant smell of burning plastic arose. I assumed it came from a full ashtray nearby. Nope. A few minutes later, my computer cord started to spark and blew a fuse in the place.

Also, my Cobb salad at The Rickshaw a few nights ago contained no avocado. NO AVOCADO!

Yeah, in the grand scheme of things most of this stuff doesn’t matter, but seriously… RMB24 for toast?

They look like shrimp to me...

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This blog is all about making bonds, healing wounds, and bringing people closer together (but not too close – you never know what you might catch). So, allow me to extend an olive branch to this city’s Australian community, or at least to those of its members that reacted negatively when  I successfully met the challenge of finding a respectable Australian who used the word “shrimp” rather than “prawn.”

Let bygones be bygones, and what better time than by celebrating the one-month anniversary of Australia Day?

12sqm co-owner Joseph Kornides, who just returned from indulging in the delights of the Land Down Under, is holding such a party.

The date: February 26; the time: 5 PM to midnight; the deal: RMB15 Coopers.

Oi.

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See also:

Australia Day: Sink a few tinnies in Beijing

Some readers assume this blog wields influence in the Beijing bar scene.

True, a glowing review might inspire up to a handful of people to visit a given bar; the occasional op-ed piece can affect monumental change (case in point: my wet naps campaign at The Rickshaw*); and a few stakeholders – usually uptight pub owners or uppity magazine editors – have unleashed verbal tirades at me. But these are exceptions and more could be done if only the people in power simply did what I say (for example, we could have had those wet naps thousands of chicken wings earlier).

In this spirit, I introduce a feature known as If Beijing Bar Owners Gave a Crap What I Thought, by the terser version GAC (Give a Crap) Report, and by the handy acronym IBBOGACWIT.

It will look at what could be in the bar (and restaurant, club, and hotel) scene if I could snap my fingers and make things happen. From small details about a particular place, such as strengthening an anemic Gin Tonic or stopping employees who cut their nails on the bar top and sweep the clippings on the floor, to macro stuff, such as ending the “soft opening” insanity or vaporizing press releases with sentences that end in multiple exclamation marks.

I do so knowing the odds of affecting change are close to zero, but if even one suggestion in a hundred is considered, it’s something. And as the old Chinese saying goes, “Even when you talk to a post, at least you exercise your jaw (and make a new friend).”

Here’s the first GAC Report…

1. The Bookworm would fix its constantly rattling, regularly slamming, and always nerve-jarring front door. Oh, wait. It did. Three weeks ago. With a nice shiny automatic sliding number. People, what a start!

2. Luga’s Villa would become Lugaville. It reads and sounds better, in a Jimmy Buffet sort of way.

3. Klubb Rouge would become the new Maggie’s. Six reasons why:

• It is downtown, in the China View complex, yet fairly isolated from residential areas.
• The front entrance on Workers Stadium East is complimented by the more secluded back alley entrance near City Hotel, with plenty of taxi access.
• The place offers the stretch limo of long bars and this means space both for those negotiating “joint ventures” and those simply there to have fun.
• The excellent sound system and dance floor would let the much-loved Maggie’s DJ cut loose.
• The Den is nearby and could provide the hot dogs and other tasty eats (and a flashback to when Maggie’s operated just up the street where Jasmine and Buffalo now sit).
• The place isn’t working as a night club, as evident by the lack of patrons and a shift from expensive cocktails to an all-you-can-drink format.

Yes, Klubb Rouge would need cosmetic changes (the images of scantily clad women on the club’s giant pillars wouldn’t really fit) and there are issues of guanxi, but all I’m saying is that if Maggie’s does end up reopening in a new spot, then why not here?

4. All Star would cut its losses as a sports bar and invest in becoming a stocks bar. The 65 screens would be tuned to business programs and investment advice shows, and follow the world’s markets as they open ever westward, 24/7. Seriously, the only people willing to stare at a screen longer than sports nuts are stock market fanatics (exception: cricket followers), so I could see patrons bringing overnight bags and knocking back plenty of beverages, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Stocks down in London? Order a bucket of budget Tsingtao. Make a bundle in New York? Order Krug from Bling upstairs. Need a break from Tokyo? Go watch the bored pole dancer at nearby Sex and Da City. Manage to stay awake for 72 hours straight? Get a personalized All-Star coffee / Red Bull mug.

All Star’s isolation in Solana is also a benefit, since the risk of not finding a taxi for up to an hour will be enough to encourage people to bunker even longer. And if the owners want to retain a sports angle, shift toward betting, with coverage of Vegas odds, fantasy league shows, and the like.

5. Any five-star hotel chain with native English-speakers at the position of vice general manager or above that consistently puts out invitations, press releases, and promotional campaigns laden with typos, poor grammar, and Chinglish would lose a star. Another star would be lost for chronic use of multiple exclamations marks to conclude sentences in a pathetic attempt to make a minor benefit seem monumental (Five percent off!!!) or smiley faces in official correspondence.

6. Drei Kronen 1308 – which has few customers, good but pricey home brew (RMB58 per pint), and plenty of solid cold-weather food like sausage, schnitzel, sauerkraut, pretzels, bread, and mashed potatoes – would create a Wunderbar Winter Wonderland Sunday Brunch that includes a full buffet and all-you-can-drink beer for a reasonable price (RMB188?).

7. Flair bartenders would be exiled to Shanghai or some other hellhole.

(Just kidding, Shanghai expatriates, just kidding. Seriously, calm down, I didn’t mean it. Really, I… hey, look what I have! A shiny penny! Isn’t that pretty? Yes, I thought you would like it. It’s so… shiny… and… pretty. [Pause] Now, while I have you my under spell, one other thing: When you meet someone new, wait at least a dozen seconds before you ask his or her job and, if the job cited doesn’t interest you, wait at least another dozen seconds before you drift away in utter boredom. Trust me, we like you, but doing this one little thing will make us like you even more. Just saying…)

8. “Soft opening” would mean a bar, club, or restaurant is still getting its service, food, and drinks up to par and thus offers reduced prices or extra portions to compensate. “Hard opening” would mean the establishment is prepared to provide full value. Even better, there would just be an “opening”, with no adjective to indicate its firmness.

More items coming soon!

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* OK, technically my mom got the credit for the wet naps.

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Note: If you like this blog, please vote for it in the China Blog awards. Just go here and click the “plus” sign. Also much obliged if you vote for sibling site Grape Wall of China here.

UPDATE: Standing room only at The Rickshaw as Barack Obama gives his victory speech. Got a feeling there is going to be a lot of partying tonight.

UPDATE II: New party updates here.

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“Does anyone know of any planned after [post-election] parties?” – MC

No, but one option for those who want to celebrate that a slight majority of voting Americans have chosen a ticket with candidates who regularly form complete and coherent sentences* is The Saddle Cantina: Its monthly Cinco de Drinko party is today and features half-price beverages until midnight. (After a half-dozen Margaritas, you will be in the perfect mindset for an interview with Katie Couric!) You can continue the fun when sibling establishment The Rickshaw starts its monthly Hair of the Dog party at midnight and offers 24 straight hours of the same half-price deal.

Then again, I’m at The Rickshaw now and this place is wall-to-wall people as we wait to hear Obama’s victory remarks.

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* Yeah, yeah, I know many of my American friends are excited that Obama won, but I’m amazed a country I associate with creativity and industriousness spent nearly two years to end up with this slate as a whole. Contract it out to me next time: I’ll find four suitable candidates in the American community in Beijing alone (kidding). Party on, people. (Disclaimer: I may still be bitter that the local Barack Obama fundraising club didn’t use my “Obama Alabama Slamma” shooter idea.)

Quiz time!

I was invited to a Grand Marnier event, heard it would include an interactive cocktail making session, and brought my drinks recipe book so I could ask the bartender to mix an Alfonso Special, which – ta dah! – includes the featured liqueur.

Question: How did said bartender respond when – after a half-dozen attendees finished making cocktails and he asked if anyone else wanted something – I showed him said recipe.

a) He smiled and said, “Wow, an Alfonso Special. That is a classic drink with a wealth of history, just like Grand Marnier, as I spent half an hour explaining earlier to everyone.”

b) He winked and said, “Of course, any cocktail that includes Grand Marnier is a cocktail we care about. Let’s try it.”

c) He grinned and said, “Of course, I can make it, but how about I teach you to do it, so you can enjoy them at home and buy and drink even more Grand Marnier.”

d) He frowned at the book, shook his head no, and said “that is a very old thing,” then turned away.*

No suspense: the answer is (d). And it has inspired me to also turn away from old things, like Grand Marnier (company founded in – gasp! – 1827) and drink nothing but two-year-old Scotch and four-week-old Beijing draft. (Kidding)

Anyway, the event, held in Klubb Rouge, celebrated the launch of this year’s “LEB” – “Limited Edition Bottle.” In this case, the bottle wears what looks like a red fur coat or, as the literature says, a “cosy.” From the press materials:

Cosy… as comfortable as a red fur stole with its soft, felt-like cloak that envelops the bottle without completely concealing the amber coloured liqueur within. Cosy… like the plush thickness of its soft covering. Without the solemnity of its ribbon, the bottle’s unmistakably unique shape is shown off, turning it into a veritable object of desire… Beneath the velvety feel of the fabric lies the smooth coolness of the glass bottle, a foretaste of the pleasures to come.

We tried the “Cosy“, a drink that involves coating the rim of a cocktail glass with pink sugar and filling it with Grand Marnier, Champagne, and orange juice. Frankly, I much preferred the cocktail we sipped during the presentation: Grand Marnier, tonic water, lime, and lots of ice. Speaking of which, three things to know about this liqueur:

- It is made by blending Cognac and the peels of Caribbean oranges that are picked when green and dried in the sun.

- It checks in at a whopping 40 percent alcohol.

- Its bottle is reminiscent of a Cognac copper pot (with a fur coat in this case)

Oh, and it tastes perfectly fine in an Alfonso Special. Trust me on this one.

This cocktail is apparently safe for drinking.

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* To be fair, this might have just have been an excuse, since he had much cuter people than me to deal with at the event. Then again, maybe he didn’t know how to make the drink. Who knows.

Dead Guy Ale, Brooklyn Lager, Kona Big Wave – you might have seen these beers popping up in bars in Beijing. I talked to Brendan Koeniger, marketing director for American Craft Beer Partners, which distributes a dozen or so of these stateside brews, about the reason for entering the market now, the challenges of getting bars to carry U.S. beer, his favorite brands, and more.

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We have bars with dozens of different Belgian beers, but none with a similarly big selection of German, American, or other beers. How did the market end up this way?

I believe this is because Belgium has one of the oldest and richest brewing traditions. American craft beer is relatively new on the beer scene, with most of the 1500 American craft breweries cropping up within the last 20 years. Even though these breweries are less mature, they follow the tradition of American craft brewing by taking a mature, old-world style and adding their own artistic touch, creating a unique but refined brew.

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What made you decide that now is the time to bring American microbrews to China and particularly Beijing?

Honestly, we were tired of drinking watered-down beer. As beer lovers, we longed for beer with more flavor and finally decided to take things into our own hands. Beijing is a great attraction because it is a truly beer drinker’s city. We have found that the residents of Beijing not only have a taste for good beer, but they drink a lot of it!

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What’s the hardest part of convincing bars in Beijing to carry your beers?

Convincing bar owners who hail from outside of the U.S. and who have never seen or tasted true American craft beers to give them a try. No matter where they are from, as soon as bar owners try a Brooklyn Lager or Rogue Dead Guy Ale, they have found the quality and complexity immediately apparent.

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Why should I drink an American craft beer instead of a Belgian, German, or other one?

American craft beers are brewed with the same strict brewing standard dictating the sole use of malted barley, hops, yeast and water. However, they are not held to traditional European styles, thus allowing for a wide variety of twists and embellishments.

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Brooklyn Lager impressed me the first time I tried it at The Rickshaw. What are your favorite beers from the portfolio?

Craft beers typically have twice the amount of malted barley and five times the amount of hops as the typical commercial beers we see in China, so they offer stronger and more flavorful beer and ales. My favorite beers are the Brooklyn East India Pale Ale and North Coast’s Red Seal Ale. These beers really exemplify that superior taste. From the time your nose senses the bouquet of the brew, to the first mouth feel, to the finishing taste – the entire experience of drinking these beers is truly special.

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The beers: Brooklyn Lager, Brooklyn East India Pale Ale , Brooklyn Brown Ale, Brooklyn Local 1, North Coast Red Seal Ale , North Coast Acme CA Pale Ale , Old No 38, Rogue American Amber Ale , Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Kona Longboard Lager, Kona Big Wave Golden Ale, Gordon Biersch Marzen, and Gordon Biersch Pilsner.

The venues: Aman Resort Hotel, American Café, Aria , Beer Mania, Kro’s Nest, Carrefoure, Chef Too, Club Sandwich, The Den, Element Fresh, Goose and Duck, Little Italy, Mexican Kitchen, Tube Station, OT Lounge, Paddy O’Shea’s, Rickshaw, Tim’s Roadhouse, Tim’s Texas BBQ, TUN, and Union Bar and Grill (list provided by Brendan Koeninger).

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Is this one perfect for Halloween, or what?

In response to this post about Element Fresh on Monday, regular commenter The Village Grouch asked, “How about doing a wrap-up of recent Shanghai entrants to the Beijing market and how they’re faring?”

Done and done: In alphabetical order, here are 3.5 places that hail from our sibling city to the south and opened in Beijing over the past six months. And yes, I realize some might be getting their houses in order*, so consider this post as based on first impressions (or in these cases, second, third, or even tenth impressions).

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Blue Frog (Sanlitun Village)

If they knocked one-third off the prices, I might become a regular. But given RMB75 for not exactly the biggest hamburger, RMB35 for a small Carlsberg draft, and a staff that is a bit too keen, this will be an occasional retreat, especially in the winter when getting to the rooftop at The Village will be no treat. Good for casual business meetings or for watching televised sports in more upscale surroundings.

Why I would go: To watch a special sports event or because I am looking for a kid-friendly spot, I have an expense account, or they knocked one-third off the prices (speaking of which, cocktails are RMB25 on Tuesday nights).

Why I wouldn’t: The Den, The Rickshaw and Paddy O’Shea’s are nearby and offer good screens and, especially in the case of the first two, lower prices.

Grade: B

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Element Fresh (Sanlitun Village)

As noted earlier, I’ve been there five times, been highly annoyed four times, and left without ordering the last time. Nice layout, decent coffee, and friendly staff, but something went awry with the training because the service is poor, while the food is getting mixed reviews.

Why I would go: To chill on the deck, have a coffee, and surf the Internet.

Why I wouldn’t: Given the service, nearby places such as Le Petit Gourmand and Panino Teco offer better value.

Grade: C

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Enoteca (The Place)

I’ve walked by it dozens of times – at lunch, in the afternoon, and at night – and seen it not even half full. The view of the big screen at The Place is excellent. The wine choice is based on what is imported by the owners, which limits consumer choice, though some bottles do go for less than RMB100. Several readers have complained of “attitude” here. Perhaps the “official” opening tonight at 6 PM will mark a new phase.

Why I would go: To drink wine while watching a screen the size of a handful of football fields.

Why I wouldn’t: The nightmare of getting a taxi at The Place at night and the wealth of other wine options in this city.

Grade: C

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Klubb Rouge

While not officially linked to Bar Rouge in Shanghai, a handful of top employees from that hot spot came north to open this pricey China View venue (they have since left). The staff ranks among the friendliest in town, the place is huge, and the rooftop deck offers excellent views. Unfortunately, this place has struggled to establish an identity and draw crowds, though new management is in place so perhaps some changes are on the way.

Why I would go: To hang out on the rooftop deck or to park at the bar and daydream while looking at those weird red glass blobs hanging from the ceiling.

Why I wouldn’t: The place often has a very light crowd, the drinks are expensive, and I always end up at The Den afterward eating my weight in deep-fried goods.

Grade: C

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* Though still charging full prices.

We cranked up the Beijing time machine yesterday and checked out the city’s former disco scene, courtesy of the China Daily Entertainment Guide from 1992 – the year CDs outsold cassette tapes, Barney debuted on PBS, the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series, and Zhang Yimou took top honors in China’s first film festival.

Today: China Daily’s “club and pub” listings from the same year, including an intriguing entry for “Derby.” (Is it just me or is there one – or maybe two or three or more – conspicuous omission(s)?)

• Aladdin’s Hideaway (Tianlun Dynasty Hotel)
  - “Live Filipino band… Moroccan style cocktail lounge”
• The Brasserie (Beijing Shangri-la)
  - “Seating 25 people with background music and pianist….”
• Brauhaus (China World Trade Centre)
  - “German beerhouse with traditional German snacks”
• The Caravan (Great Wall Sheraton)
  - “Business or social cocktails. Also home to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club”
• Charlie’s (Jianguo Hotel)
  - British style with about 80 seats and a guest room salon”
• The Cosmos (Great Wall Sheraton)
  - “…contemporary live music by an international band…”
• Derby (Swissotel)
  - “Offering Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club telebetting accounts every Wednesday and Saturday during the racing season”
• Gallery (Holiday Inn Lido)
  - “Secluded environment with about 75 seats… resident jazz band”
• Hollywood East (Kunlun Hotel)
  - “Bar decorated in American style of the 30s”
• Intermezzo Lounge (Palace Hotel)
  - “Discrete and relaxing lounge offering cocktails and snacks with live jazz…”
• Lan-ye (Qianmen)
  - “American style with daily live music featuring American folk songs”
• Mexican Wave
  - “Mexican style bar run by chefs of the Mexican Embassy in Beijing”
• Peacock Bar (Beijing Shangri-la)
  - “Seating about 75 people with resident entertainer”
• Piccadilly Nightclub (Palace Hotel)
  - “Sophisticated environment with live band and dance floor. Private rooms….”
• Pig and Whistle (Holiday Inn Lido)
  - “A typical English pub…”
• Rose (Kunlun Hotel)
  - “Offering various drinks and wine”
• Silk (Hotel New Otani)
  - “A typical Japanese bar with about 50 seats”

Charlie’s, Mexican Wave, and (as far as I know) Pig and Whistle are still around. But I’m amazed this list does not include Frank’s Place. Also, was not Poachers open at that time?

- See also:
Disco fever Beijing: Let’s party like its 1992
Flashback: Beijing’s hottest night spots 20 years ago
One of those days: Charlie’s Bar

The Pavillion has reopened after being forced to close for the Olympics and part of the Paralympics. Since opening nearly three years, this place has steadily grown, with the biggest additions being the glassed-in area on the east side and one of the city’s best patios, complete with serving station, out back. It also offers a good wine and Whiskey selection, and some of the coziest chairs in town in which to enjoy them.

See also: Chillin’ at the Pavillion

“Excuse me” has become a license for wait staff in the city’s newer restaurants to be annoying. You might be on the verge of sealing a desperately needed business deal or intently listening as one friend explains about another, “So she picks this guy up at Block 8, takes him home, he takes out his fake eye, and…”

And… there’s some chirpy guy – “Hi, I’m Derrick!” – excusing himself for the tenth time in under thirty minutes and asking if he can remove a once-used napkin, if you’d like the water topped up in your almost-full glasses, or if you’re enjoying your meal. It’s happened to me at about a half-dozen new places in recent months, all of them “Western” restaurants.

The year’s best (worst?) example is Noodle Bar, in 1949: The Hidden City, which I visited with an acquaintance. We had our noodles, side dishes, and beverages, and required only some peace and quiet. We didn’t get it. Instead, at least five employees interrupted us, including the chef from Duck de Chine next door, to see if we liked our noodles (yes, Yes, yes!, Yes!, YES!). Add in the persistent queries about our need for side dishes and beer, and we basically had to leave the place to talk.

Look, as a former waiter, I realize it can be a tough job. And I realize it is difficult getting any service at some Beijing restaurants, so at least an effort is being made. But the solution is not to go to the other extreme.

Which leads me to a comment left on the blog recently by Shanz, who suggests these new restaurants might be using a service flow chart that would greatly benefit from one simple change. To wit:

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Current service flow chart:

1. Seat customer

2. Take order

3. Bring order

4. Wait 90 seconds

5. Pester customers

6. Go to (4)

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Proposed service flow chart:

1. Seat customer

2. Take order

3. Bring order

4. Wait 90 seconds

5. Are customers talking? If yes, go to (4). If no, continue

6. Pester customer

7. Go to 4

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That might not be service nirvana, but it is an improvement. I further suggest that when servers see a water glass is more half-empty than half-full, they just fill it without asking (well, unless the place is charging for it). And when they do need to break in, they handle it better than this guy…

Birthday bashes, going-away parties, returning friends, and visits to places both new and old made last weekend a busy one. Here are some quick notes. But first, fond farewells to two people who have helped this blog – Ali Robinton and Mark Rybchuk.

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Rumi
Not much to say about this Middle Eastern restaurant across from Pacific Century other than that given the laid-back vibe, clean and comfortable surroundings (especially the deck), and platters of meat, it’s no surprise it’s a hot spot for parties.

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Klubb Rouge
Not counting the packed-to-the-rafters launch party, my half-dozen visits to this Workers Stadium East club have found it pretty much empty. A pleasant surprise to see a decent crowd amassed around that “stretch limousine of bars” as well as a few dozen people busting moves on the dance floor, though it might be an idea to turn down the smoke machines.

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Q Bar
During the Olympics, I made a single short visit to this regular haunt, both because the fun and games were farther north and because I was a tad annoyed that the place increased drink prices. A weekend visit reaffirmed why I like Q: the Raspberry Martini, Side Car, and Tom Collins all were a cut (or two) above the vast majority of drink joints in Beijing.

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Northern Tribute
This restaurant is in a new serviced apartment complex near Sichuan hotspot Chuan Ban, but don’t expect a hot and noisy time. The focus is northern Californian cuisine and the 70-seat restaurant faces a serene lawn dotted with sculptures, trees, and… a swing. Lounge areas along the sides can accommodate up to 48 imbibers. I’ll have more on this place soon.

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Tun
About a hundred people downed reasonably priced drinks, which is far less than capacity but far more than usual. This place is my sleeper in the bar scene. The spacious but warm surroundings, ample nooks and crannies, and cheap drinks make me think business will pick up as temperatures go down, especially if Tun can feature some live music and become a kind of Yugong Yishan of Sanlitun.

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Luga’s Villa
In the former space of ex-Vietnamese restaurant Marguerite, this place evokes The Rickshaw, which is no surprise to those who know proprietor Luga used to work there. Expect a mix of the former restaurant’s decor and orange booths, as well as RMB15 Coronas, RMB35 burgers, friendly service, and a relaxed vibe.

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Mesh
Mesh provides comfortable seating, a stylish decor, a polite staff, and big pours (this time Gin Tonic). But lighting issues remain. On one hand, it’s annoying to have a waiter hold a flashlight over the menu. On the other, the headlights of cars pulling up to the hotel regularly pierce through the bar and temporarily blind patrons facing that way. Both problems should be easy enough to fix and make Mesh a player in the lounge scene.

Although closed since March, Maggie’s still ranked as the second most popular search on this blog over the past month. (And I’m long overdue in mentioning this Newsweek post that provides an interesting look at what led to the bar closing and this post on China Expat that states it will re-open in September.)

Taking top spot is Klubb Rouge and, narrowly edged out by Maggie’s, is Duck de Chine. Why people come here to get information about a relatively new duck restaurant is beyond me.

Rounding out the top ten – Legation Quarter, Maison Boulud, Suzie Wong, Saddle, Block 8, 1949: The Hidden City, and Face.

You are in a Beijing bar, you don’t speak Mandarin, the staff doesn’t speak English, and you want to know if there is a happy hour. After asking a dozen times, each at an increased volume, and miming a happy face while pointing at your watch, things appear dire.

Fear not, because I have permission to distribute a pdf of the nightlife section of the Immersion Guides Mandarin Phrasebook. This should be useful both for residents and Olympics visitors on the bar circuit. The phrases are provided in English, in Chinese characters, and in pinyin (with tone marks), meaning you can either spout out the appropriate phrase or point at it with your finger:

When is happy hour?
- 欢乐时光是什么时候？Huānlè shíguāng shì shénme shíhou?

This excerpt includes translations of alcohol names (Whiskey, vodka, Champagne), places (pubs, discos, karaokes), music types (reggae / 雷鬼 / léiguǐ), and other handy phrases (Do we pay for drinks now or at the end? / 我们是现在给酒钱还是最 后结？/ Wǒmen shì xiànzài gěi jiǔqián háishì zuìhòu jié?).

For some reason, it also has a lengthy “romance” section, with pick-up lines, rejections, and the like.

Click here for the nightlife section; get the Mandarin Phrasebook here.