Beijing Boyce

If you spot The Village Grouch about town on any given afternoon, there is a good chance he will be enjoying an iced tea (or three). I asked this connoisseur to list his top five spots for what he calls the “house wine of the South.”

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“Last summer, quaffers of the liquid respite known as iced tea would have found themselves in Beijing’s Iced Tea Triangle–namely, the Jianguomenwai area with TGI Friday’s, Peter’s Tex-Mex, and Tim’s Texas BBQ. However, in the post-Olympic period, worthy venues offering the House Wine of the South mean we know have more of a Beijing Ice Tea Constellation rather than a simple geometric shape. Here are my picks for Beijing’s best.

“1. Union Bar & Grill (map): The winner, far and away. Great tea, brewed especially to be served cold. Comes with lemon and sugar water, and is bottomless, for 20 kuai. For a chilled afternoon with the laptop, it’s unbeatable. It was Union’s parent company, the Windy City Group, that taught me to love iced tea via their Dan Ryan’s restaurant in Hong Kong, and it’s just as good here.

“2. Peter’s Tex-Mex (map): I abandoned this place quite sometime ago for their inconsistent wireless, but their bottomless iced tea is still superb. It also comes with sugar water and lemon, and is filled consistently by Peter’s friendly staff. Was once my favorite iced tea in Beijing, but in this case, it’s the venue that serves it, not the product itself, that has dragged it down in the rankings.

“3. Tim’s Texas BBQ (map): Tim’s is down to one venue for the moment, but as a true Southerner, he understands the meaning of true iced tea. It makes a nice accompaniment for the barbecue dishes, although actually beer is the best choice for those.

“4. TGI Friday’s (map): There was a time when the bottomless buckets of tea that Friday’s dispensed were unbeatable. Now, they charge 9 kaui per glass, although the staff can often be convinced to refill once for free. It comes with lemon, but Friday’s serves this strange-tasting sugar water, which isn’t really great. They also offer honey, which is good, if you like that taste.

“5. 7-Eleven: The convenience store chain doesn’t make iced tea, but they do sell it in bottles. As such, it is the venue for Suntory’s iced oolong tea with no sugar. You have to really like tea to enjoy this, as the taste is quite strong, but for RMB3.20 per 500 ml bottle, the price is tough to beat and it’s easily accessible.

“P.S. Starbucks’s iced tea is generally crap, although when they do the iced Earl Grey, it’s nice though there’s always too much ice and not enough tea.

Part six of a series on where Beijing residents enjoy a beverage (or two). This round is with entrepreneur, IT specialist, and former full-time bartender Badr Benjelloun.

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“Beijing has changed a lot over the past few months and the Olympics have left a scar on the face of the city’s drinking establishments. However, some bars / restaurants have managed to consistently get my patronage.

1. Salud: I’ve been going there over the past few months quite consistently. I love the atmosphere, the homemade rum, and the mix of locals and expats. It’s a bit of a pain to get there from my area but completely worth it. Add the great environment in Nanluoguxiang, with the hutongs and the locals, and you get a great experience!

2. The Rickshaw: Yes, they have a few service problems but overall that’s been the place that got most of my drinking moolah the past few years. I know almost everyone in there and it makes it comfortable. It’s my local basically! The grub is nice and they still make great quesadillas and serve one hell of a stiff drink. The owner, Kris, has been around for a while in the Beijing scene and deserves a lot of credit. The current manager, Andy, bends backwards to make sure everyone is happy.

3. Peter’s Tex Mex: A bit weird to include this one in my list of watering holes, but when I want good value, this is where I go. Best Tex-Mex in Beijing bar none and they have a great selection of wines at prices slightly above supermarket rates. The staff is friendly, the place is clean, and it’s a nice quiet hideaway.

4. Wain Wain: One of the city’s best-kept secrets. Hard to beat for a little mid-week beverage overlooking the city lights in a cosy environment. They have practically doubled their prices for the Olympics but still run some pretty good specials.

5. Kokomo and Q Bar: These two are tied because they are the only two places to make a decent Mai Tai which is one of my two favorite drinks. Kokomo even offers two varieties, an authentic one and a Hawaii Mai Tai. Q makes a hybrid Mai Tai that just rocks and had they managed to keep their patio opened longer, they would be in sole possession.

Posthumous mention: Maggie’s. Spare me the jokes here! Despite the shady nature of the establishment, they offered a great mix of atmosphere and DJing night in and night out! The cocktails were solid and affordable when compared to some of these new places opening left and right.

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Previously:
Elisabeth Tchoudjinoff & Katrina Arndt, designers
Paul Adkins, entrepreneur
Chandler Jurinka, Local Noodles
Kevin Shen, T3 Terminal
Steven Schwankert, SinoScuba