Archive for the 'Sequoia' Category
Wireless Winter Wonderland
I number among those poor souls without home Internet access. Getting online thus means packing the laptop, bundling up and heading *out there*. Here are three recent wireless experiences, followed by some favorite spots for surfing the Web.
Vineyard Cafe
Given the coverage the free English-language magazines have heaped on this place, particularly for its “full English breakfast,” I recently popped in. The breakfast is indeed hearty, with egg, sausages, bacon (soft, not crispy), beans, mushrooms, tomato, two slices of toast, and choice of coffee or juice, though with a price tag of 65 kuai, another egg and bottomless java would be nice.
Vineyard Cafe is unpretentious and cozy, keeps the music at a reasonable volume, offers a good selection of cocktails, beer and wine, and had a strong wireless signal during my three-hour visit. The wildcard is the location. Some might get annoyed searching for a spot hidden in a hutong on a side street near Lama Temple. Others might see it as nicely secluded and rustic.
In any case, I experienced two cafes. The first was at brunch: crowded, comfortably noisy and saturated with a good vibe. The second was in late afternoon, when the human warmth (literally) was gone: the few customers shivered as the front door continually swung open and faced headaches as the back door slammed every 30 seconds or so. Management seems receptive, so odds are it will get a handle on this. A map to the cafe is available at www.vineyardcafe.cn, one of the town’s better bar blogs.
The Stone Boat
After a quick cocktail at The Press Club a few weeks back, I headed down the street, into Ritan Park and to The Stone Boat, where many a winter eve I spent two years ago as a newcomer to Beijing. I wanted to check it out after seeing an ad in that’s Beijing titled “Stone Boat Winter Myths.”
“Myth: Too cold. Reality: New heaters.” The Stone Boat was, indeed, much warmer than in previous winters, and a small foyer at the front provides two sets of sliding doors to keep in the heat, although a slight draft persists.
“Myth: No food. Reality: Homemade dumplings, soup, gluwein, etc.” True again. The vegetarian dumplings were maeyo, so I tried the beef ones (25 kuai per plate) and Boat Beef Noodles (25 kuai), both of which were fine.
“Myth: Dead. Reality: Parties. Stay tuned.” I was the only patron, but it was a Tuesday night and I was grateful this myth had yet to become reality.
Here are two more realities. Reality: I couldn’t get online. There was a signal, my computer apparently connected to it, and for an hour, I futilely tried to access Web sites while the staff smacked the wireless box, but no luck. Reality: entertainment is free. One employee repeatedly held a deck of cards above her head and let it drop onto a table, with a resounding crack, in attempts to get it to stand upright. Unfortunately, it got tiresome after the twentieth drop. In any case, I’m chalking up these last two realities to a bad night, as I’ve often found tranquility (and wireless) at Stone Boat.
Le Petit Gourmand
Longtime readers might remember my last story about this Sanlitun North spot included a bug falling out of a Parmesan shaker and onto my (up to then vegetarian) pizza. I’ve returned sporadically for coffee, but decided to give the food another shot after hearing the place has a new chef.
In my mind, any place positioned along the lines of The Bookworm, as is Le Petit Gourmand (LPG), should have wireless. Unfortunately, the only access I could get was via a weak intermittent signal from Bar Blu, one floor up. As I waited for my food, I mentioned this to Waitress One (W1), who motioned to an empty table 10 feet away. Hmmm. Perhaps she hadn’t understood, so I pointed to my computer screen and warped my face into a look of frustration. She nodded and zipped off, only to pass my table five or six times during the next 10 minutes, obviously having forgotten our conversation. No worries, I thought, I’ll go to the counter and ask Waitress Two (W2). I did, explaining verbally and in sign language, while she stared blankly at me. Perhaps she was considering my quandary, thought I. I thought wrong. W1 approached and asked W2 for two coffees, ending my brief relationship with W2 as she turned her attention elsewhere. I returned to my table and, seeing that W3 and W4 appeared as helpful as W1 or W2, decided to take action. As W1 passed, I caught her attention:
“Excuse me. I want to cancel my order.”
She looked confused.
“My order.”
“Water?”
“No, I want to cancel my order.”
“No water?”
She left and a few seconds later brought my club sandwich and soup (both passable). I made a few more attempts at getting a wireless signal, but it simply was not to be, which was too bad, because LPG has an okay drink, food and book selection and I would have stuck around all afternoon.
Here are some good spots for wireless, all of them in the Gongti area (I’m a homer when it comes to surfing the Web).
The Bookworm: The signal is generally good, but finding a seat can be tough, the music is sometimes too loud, and weird foreigners are attracted to the place like drunken moths to a Flaming Lamborghini. I tend to head there when I want to run into someone I know, crave potato gnocchi, feel like browsing books, or need to be near people who make me feel normal (“Did that guy just *snort* his sugar!?”).
Browns: While known for late-night shenanigans, this place is good for Web surfing. A strong signal, high ceilings, comfortable seats, and decent food and beer choices make it my default choice when The Bookworm is crowded. (Except tonight, as I write this newsletter, when the wireless is “broken” and a medical company is holding its year-end party – the emcee just yelled “wei” 20 times into the microphone as a test.)
Beer Mania: Wireless plus Belgian beer on draft at happy hour prices equals online fun.
Q Bar: I often meet acquaintances for an after-work drink at the Q and can check my email and sip a Horse Neck while I wait for them.
Sequoia Cafe: This place serves good coffee and sandwiches, even if the chairs are hard on the behind.
(From Beijing Boyce XXVIII, first emailed on December 23, 2006.)
No commentsBeijing Boyce XXIV: Mailbag!
Email: “Your beer gut must be even bigger than mine the amount of guzzling you must do in the interests of research. You should know that a hoary old favourite, John Bull Pub, will soon change its name and its style to Tim’s Texas Barbecue. [Owner] Frank [Siegel] is going to concentrate on his two (maybe more soon) Sequoia coffee houses. Sad, but inevitable.” - M.T.
BB: Frank, who opened Beijing’s first non-hotel bar 16 years ago, told me the new BBQ joint is slated for late October and that he’s been getting his smoker ready, so to speak. John Bull Pub holdovers will include the trivia contest on Tuesdays and the Mexican food cart on Fridays and Saturdays. The second Sequoia is open on Sanlitun North.
By the way M.T., “beer gut” is such a crude word for a distinguished part of our bodies that is years in the making. Why not something more dignified, such as, “the round mound where brew doth abound”, “tribute to barley-based beverages,” or, as M-Dawg suggests, “Belgian bulge.”
Email: “I wonder how I get on these email lists. Who are you? Want a suggestion? I read computer screens all day and there is NO WAY I want to read all this text, even if it has things in bold a la that’s Beijing style. Find a more effective way to communicate. No one likes to read. It’s a fact.” - C.N.
BB: Yo, C.N., my inbox shows that you subscribed to this newsletter. In other words, you pretty much begged like a randy font monkey for 3,000 words worth of Courier New biweekly. Could there be a link between your forgetfulness and aversion to reading? Just asking…
I realize this newsletter’s all-text look is very mid-1990s BBS but, a) I haven’t had many complaints about it, b) I don’t have time to add pictures or smiley faces, and c) those were fun years, when the Internet was more a novelty and less another way to keep us connected to work 24/7. And the rock band Veruca Salt was still together. Furthermore, some people can handle a long newsletter, as this next, uh, *eccentric* email shows, picking up on my comments last issue about Sanlitun lady bar touts and substance sellers:
Email: “It is currently 6:45 AM, Sunday morning… I got up around 5 AM due to being a bit parched, so I headed over to my kitchen for a cold drink. Oddly enough, I was asked if I wanted a lady bar a few times on the way there, and on my way back to my warm comfortable slumber I was accompanied by a young African man who wanted to discuss politics before the inevitable, ‘Want some stuff, man?’ I ditched him and turned down the first alley, which leads to my second bedroom/office. I figured: let me check my email. I am anxiously awaiting some important docs from the home office and couldn’t wait until a reasonable hour. I sealed my fate by hitting the send/receive button. There it was in plain sight, harmless in nature, yet powerful in its ability to lure me in for a closer look, YOUR EMAIL! … I read the whole thing and now my eyes are burning… I will attempt the impossible, the ole return to bed after getting a drink at 5 AM, then reading a 3,000-word email.”- J.C.
BB: See, C.N., some people do read. They might imagine lady bar touts and drug dealers loitering in their apartments, but they do read. By the way, like zebra mussels slowly spreading throughout a lake and disrupting otherwise decent habitat, the lady bar touts have now crept onto Sanlitun South and spread their annoyingness as far down as Gongti South. Six people accosted me as I walked from Pink Loft to Beer Mania at 7:30 PM. Can nothing stop them?
Email: “Maggie’s had better get back to 20 yuan on a bottle of beer or I am boycotting! Please note my displeasure if possible in your next column. We all have to do our bit to fight inflation and a 50 percent price increase is unreasonable in these hard times.”- E.O.
BB: Jacking up bottled beer prices by 10 kuai is annoying, but the bigger problem for Maggie’s is its declining relevance. On occasion, having a few Qingdao, listening to a song spectrum that spans My Humps to Paradise City, watching foreign man/Mongolian woman joint ventures unfold, and gorging on a hot dog out front might be fun, but the new Maggie’s is more sterile and, at least for me, there are simply too many other good nightlife options now.
(From Beijing Boyce XXIV, first emailed on September 21, 2006)
No commentsFrank’s 1.2
The oldest non-hotel bar in Beijing, Frank’s Place is back after a facelift and a change of scenery. A good portion of the city’s long-term expatriate drinking crowd showed up last Saturday night for an invite-only launch party and reminisced about the place’s original 1989 version, which was beside the City Hotel and reduced to rubble last year.* The reincarnation, across from Rosedale Hotel, is a high-end sports bar that offers excellent decor, layout and seating options, including sofas, booths, bar stools, and decks front and back, all of which were full of boisterous patrons fueled by a free flow of wine, beer, and barbecued burgers and hot dogs.
Manager Chris Adams had things smoothly running on opening night and Glenn Phelan** has joined the staff after a recent stint at Browns. He obviously copied the latter’s CDs, given the excess of old Michael Jackson songs. Mercifully, these were broken up by classics such as “Jump, Jump” by Kriss Kross and “Borderline” by Madonna. (Okay, I’ll stop being sarcastic now. Welcome back to Beijing, Glenn.) The homemade “Frank’s Place” theme song was a fun touch.***
Frank’s Place seems likely to be popular with older expatriates, including those who patronized the original bar, who drive home to Shunyi from work downtown, who one cynical acquaintance later suggested are stuck in 1996 (ouch!), and who know one or more of the 24 investors (those I’ve met fancy a drink or two, preferably with friends, which should help business). The bar should draw some locals as well as people coming to the area to visit Frank’s, its accompanying restaurant and wine cellar, and nearby establishments, such as Il Casale and Nhu. As for prices, Guinness is 50 kuai per pint, house red and white ranges are 40-60 and 30-45 kuai respectively, and standard mixed drinks are 40 kuai. A pint of Qingdao will cost you 25 kuai.
Frank’s is on the main floor of a three-story establishment called Trio, which includes The Park Grill upstairs (opened June 4) and wine-centric The Cellar downstairs (set to open June 13). The triumvirate reportedly cost around USD1 million (including rent). The Cellar is unique to Beijing, with pint-sized suits of armor and wrought-iron doors up front, an arched roof, stucco and brickwork in a Southern European style and, for members of “Club 88,” onsite storage space for up to 32 bottles of wine. ASC Fine Wines, sole TRIO wine supplier, held a Penfold tasting in The Cellar during the launch party and it proved to be an enjoyable, though potentially noisy, place to swirl a glass of red and nibble on cheese, olives and bread, before heading upstairs to sit on the deck.****
* Frank’s Place is named after Frank Siegel, now of John Bull Pub and Sequoia Cafe fame, who started the bar in 1989 and then sold his shares to Russell Probert and Roger Dutton in the late-1990s. The original venue was chai’d last year and Probert has since opened The Pavillion, on Gongti West Road, while Dutton is part of the team that re-opened the new Frank’s Place. Frank and Jennifer Siegel were on hand for the opening.
** Glenn Phelan originally came to Beijing to work for The Pavillion last fall. Early this year, he left the Pavillion and took a position at Browns a few days after it launched. In May, he left Browns and returned home briefly – I seem to remember him saying something about brining back some Whisky from the smallest distillery in the land, but I digress – and has now not only joined Frank’s Place, but also a list of intriguing Beijing bar people, which includes ASC Wine Owner Don St. Pierre, bartenders George Zhou and Echo Sun, and Agent Red Wolf.
*** Roger Dutton says that the theme song was “written, performed and produced” by 3Media Group (his media company) in Beijing and by 26 Music of Vienna, the latter being “the yodeling connection.” The song is about meeting, eating and drinking, he says, and “the very bad jokes on the ‘un-cut version’ were recorded by [investor] Haemish Campbell and me.”
**** And on the deck, enjoying glass number eight or so, Roger, Frank, Jennifer and I were making sounds with our mouths that we, at least, considered to be words, and stumbled on one of those ironies of irony. In short, Roger got inspiration for some seating in the new Frank’s Place from an Irish pub in Ulan Bator. The Irish Pub had earlier gotten its inspiration from John Bull Pub. And since Frank Siegel manages John Bull and created the original Frank’s Place, it seemed like everything had come full circle, completed the circuit, was all’s well that end’s well, it’s a small, small world. Well, this all *seemed* profound at the time. By the way, Frank will soon open his second Sequoia Cafe, in Sanlitun, and says that Hooters, for whom he consults, will open a Beijing branch close to Worker’s Stadium.
(From Beijing Boyce XVIII, first emailed on June 8, 2006)
No commentsJohn Bull Pub: Taco time
John Bull Pub has been holding taco parties on Fridays. This is not Tex-Mex assembled in the kitchen using store-bought shells and refried beans, but a whole cart out front with an “el trompo” (a giant elevated stack of pork and onions) and a couple of guys grilling corn tortillas. Tacos are 10 to 15 kuai, quesadillas 10 kuai (more Spartan than the Tex-Mex variety) and frozen margaritas 20 kuai. Avocado and chili dipping sauces are provided. My suggestion: an employee could circulate with trays of 20-kuai tequila shooters. Also of note: manager Frank Siegel says that 1) the pub’s Friday wine tasting events are on hold, and 2) he will soon open his second Sequoia Cafe and might use its terrace for wine tasting events.
(From Beijing Boyce XVII, first emailed on May 27, 2006)
No commentsBeijing Boyce XIII: Opening Shots
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)
2 commentsLive from Oregon: Pinot Noir
Fifteen people gathered at Sequoia Cafe on January 20 for what we believe to be the first Oregon Pinot Noir tasting of its size in China. The wines were presented by Andrew Macdonald, whose family owns Seven Springs vineyard, ranked by Food and Wine magazine as one of America’s ten best. Andrew knows some of the winemakers whose products we tried and gave insights into planting, pruning, cloning and harvesting. There were plenty of questions as he explained everything from the history of Oregon wine to the trials and tribulations of growing grapes.
“The wines tonight are all pioneers in one way or another,” said Andrew. So, onward ho! (Comments in quotation marks are his. The rest are mine and, as mentioned ad infinitum, I’m not an expert.)
2003 King Estate: Lots of berry and cherry, more fruit in the body, a light finish. 2003 Ponzi: “The first producer in Oregon [and tending to follow traditional Burgundy styles]”; a pungent, alcoholic, slightly spicy nose; tasted like apples at the end. 2000 St. Innocent Seven Springs: “[This winemaker] started making wine with our grapes in the back of his Datsun pickup truck”; great nose, nice body, I didn’t take notes here, because I was too busy drinking; this was easily my favorite. 2001 Amity Vineyards: spicy, hot nose, fruity body and finish. 2003 Rex Hill: “The oak gives it a buttery taste”; maybe, but there was so much wood in this I felt like getting out the Pledge – lemon-scented, of course. In any case, it was good times and good wine all around, and you can’t ask for more.
Note: I was lucky enough to have Galia Stern (Torres), Ethan Perk (Montrose), and Dan Sieber and a co-worker (Summergate) at my table. In addition to soaking up some wine, I absorbed a great deal of knowledge about the wine industry in China. (Dan dispelled my belief that I could let wine breath by popping out the cork in a taxi. Apparently, you have to pour the wine into another vessel – my mouth? – and then back into the bottle for it to work.)
(From Beijing Boyce IX, first emailed on January 26, 2006)
No commentsTwinkle, twinkle, sparkling wines
A dozen of us gathered in Sequoia Cafe‘s newly refurbished front room on December 10 to taste five sparkling wines from Torres. [Ed. It turns out only the Bellavista Franciacorta is from that company.] Company General Manager Alberto Fernandez was on hand to help guides us through: 1) Nederburg Brut from South Africa (85% Chenin Blanc, 11% Chardonnay, 4% Colombar; light; fruity nose); 2) Freixenet Negro Brut (drier and, according to the notes provided, with lemon, licorice, pear and resin aromas and canned fruit and dried flower flavors); 3) Bisol Brut Crede from Italy (Scents of wildflowers? I found this one a bit filling); 4) Bellavista Franciacorta, also from Italy (aged 36 months in the bottle, a wine to really swirl about in your mouth; “medium bodied, creamy in texture, and very long on the palate, with aromas / flavors reminiscent of baked bread, vanilla, toast, plum and lemon”; and 5) Christian Busin from France (20% Chardonnay, 80% Pinot Noir; “the attack on the palate is clean, balanced, fat and fresh.” Fernandez thoughtfully brought out another bottle: 6) a Prosecco from Italy that apparently smells of burned apples. Penny, sitting beside me, said she liked number five for its taste, but number six overall, because of its nose. “That’s an inviting wine,” she said. Sequoia Cafe owner Frank Siegel decided to put it to a vote: #2 came out on top (5.5 votes), followed by #5 (4 votes) and #4 (1.5 votes), with Penny giving a “special vote” to #6. Of the three of Frank’s wine tastings I’ve attended, this was the bubbliest yet. (Event fee: RMB150.)
(From Beijing Boyce VI, first emailed on December 14, 2005)
No commentsThe Houston Astros vs The Beijing Jackhammers
I skipped going to the Goose and Duck for game one of the World Series and instead headed to John Bull Pub. As one friend said, “Let’s give the place a chance.” First, let me praise the breakfast: three savory mini beef patties, three slices of crisp bacon, a mound of fried mushrooms, two eggs, two slabs of toast and hash browns. Price: RMB50. Someone came over from John Bull’s sister establishment, Sequoia Cafe, with samples of their warm, moist, freshly baked muffins. Except for Clemens being out of the game too early, things were going well.
Then, during the seventh-inning stretch, there was an appearance by what I call the jackhammer ren. These are the guys with the 7-ELEVEN construction mentality – hammer, saw, drill, fill, bolt, wrench, destroy, create, and do it around the clock. That’s what they did — renovate directly below us. The whine of power tools was especially unfortunate as it made the TV reception squiggly.
Now, I’m not writing the following to single out John Bull Pub, but to describe a typical service problem in Beijing. Discarding my normal shyness, I asked the staff (the manager was away on business) to quell the racket and quiet soon reigned. Anyone who has lived in Beijing for over a month knows what happened 15 minutes later. The jackhammer ren were rak! rak! rakking! again. This time my complaint got a slightly desperate “What can I do about it?” look from the staff, which got an “I don’t know, but Goose and Duck isn’t that far away” in return, which bought 20 more minutes of peace. (I don’t know; maybe if Yao Ming played for the Houston Astros instead of the Houston Rockets, things would have been different.) What can I say except that this kind of thing happens all the time in Beijing. Unfortunately, this incident jinxed the Astros and was wholly responsible for them losing not just game one, but the entire World Series. Nice going, John Bull Pub!
(From Beijing Boyce III, first emailed on November 3, 2005)
No commentsSpecial delivery: Sequoia Cafe
A colleague and I recently phoned in sandwich orders to Sequoia Cafe for lunch. Given the spotty delivery service in Beijing, I ended up calling the place a while later. I asked for the owner and said, “Hey, we ordered two sandwiches and…” Before I could finish, I felt him tense up on the phone with one of those “Uh oh, we forgot to deliver them” vibes. All I wanted to tell him was that the sandwiches came faster than expected and were tasty as only bakery-fresh bread spread with creamery-fresh butter can be. Anyway, complaints are a dime a dozen in this town, so let’s give praise where it’s due. This incident shows it is possible to deliver good food quickly in the CBD (Stone Boat, take note).
(From Beijing Boyce I, first emailed on October 6, 2005)
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