Beijing Boyce

Update: I did the draw with Andy Bright of Union, who oversaw the entries, and Yvonne Chan of Union, who pulled the winning entry.  The winner of a basketball signed by the Harlem Globetrotters is: Kirby.

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Union Bar & Grille in Sanlitun Village South is set to put some bounce into someone’s day. Union recently hosted dinner for the Harlem Globetrotters, ended up with two basketballs signed by the team’s players, and gave me one to give to you. I’m calling that a four-point play.

To win the ball, share one of your favorite basketball memories in the comments section. Any reasonable answer will be entered in the draw. As usual, you need to live in Beijing to win. The deadline is Friday at 3 PM.

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When I called Andy Bright at Union Bar & Grille last week to see if anything was up for July 4 and he said “something” was in the works, he wasn’t kidding. Scooter Christensen, Hammer Harrison and Bull Bullard of the Harlem Globetrotters performed at Union yesterday to the delight of customers. After putting on a skills performance, which saw some customers join the action, the three spent the better part of an hour signing autographs and chatting with customers.

Note: The Harlem Globetrotters just opened an office in Beijing.

Oh, baby! (Photo: Union)

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This is the first post in a series called “must tries“. The idea: ask managers, chefs, and bartenders at Beijing restaurants and pubs what they consider  the “must try” item on their menu. I’m starting with Andy Bright of Union Bar & Grille because he suggested this idea a few months ago!

What is the ‘must try’ food at Union?

Barbecued baby back ribs. They’re from a time-tested recipe and consistently good. [Pause] Juicy…

What is the ‘must try’ drink at Union?

From the the first of December to the thirty-first of December, one cocktail sold more than double any other: our Mojito. It’s damn good.

What are three ‘must try’ items at other places in Beijing?

The roast leg of mutton at the “roast leg of mutton restaurant“. The hot coals go in the middle of the table and the whole leg goes on a skewer and is ready to eat. You carve it as you go. Take some mint sauce with you.

The seafood at Mosto, especially the fish. It’s some of the best in Beijing

The bucket of fried rice at the Drum and Gong in Nanluoguxiang. It is literally a bucket of rice for a couple of kuai!

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Check out the Union Bar & Grille menu. You can get to Union with this map. And for what it’s worth, I love the Buffalo wings at this place.

Update: Andy Bright of Union Bar & Grille chose DJ Man Boobs as the winner of the contest. For the draw, the names of all participants were included, and the winner is Balaz2ta. Each winner will receive a bottle of Mumm’s Champagne.

Panama: Scientifically proven to be the best video ever.

Not many places in Beijing show videos like Duran Duran’s “Electric Barbarella“, Bronski Beat’s “Hit That Perfect Beat“, or Lipps Inc’s horrific “Funky Town“. In fact, I can only think of one: Union Bar & Grille.

In the spirit of eighties and nineties videos, both the good and (mostly) bad, Union is donating two bottles of Mumm’s Champagne for a contest. Participating is easy: Leave a comment and tell us what you think is the best video of the eighties and nineties and why. If you can’t decide on one video, feel free to leave a few extra comments. The deadline is Friday at 2 PM.

Andy Bright of Union will award a bottle of Mumm’s to the person he judges to have left the best comment. The other bottle will be given out via a draw that includes the names of everyone who leaves a comment. Bright plans to gather 20 videos from the comment section and play them during happy hour at Union for a week.

So many bars and restaurants are opening when so many people I know are on vacation, but such is the current state of getting fire safety, business license, etc chops these days that delays are the norm and you open when you can. Anyway, some happenings in the Saniltun area…

The second edition of Stumble Inn opens tomorrow night (Friday) on the third floor of Sanlitun Village. Like the first edition, it has two floors, though this one is above ground and includes a deck. The public launch is at 10 PM and will have drink specials.

Also on floor three, bar and grill Flamme opened last Friday (the very hungry can try the massive steak for two for RMB398). And Queen’s Cafe, with a nod toward Russian food, opened today (the RMB70 lunch special, with soup, salad, main, dessert, and coffee or tea, is good value). Still to come is Modo, which is in the midst of a series of food tastings as it fine-tunes the menu. As far as I know, Modo will have the first enomatic machines in Beijing that allow customers to use a prepaid card to select from among 16 wines.

Speaking of wine, in about a month Enoteca will leave The Place and reopen on two floors of Nali Patio, above Mosto and close to where former Legation Quarter outfit Agua is expected to go in.

DJ Phil, long-time music mixer at Poacher’s on Friday nights and at Tun on Saturday nights, says come to 1F on Wednesdays as he spins American indie music and some eighties tunes from 10 PM. Poacher’s was recently sold, so expect some changes there.

Finally, the moose is loose: Canuck brew Moosehead is now available in Beijing, with Fubar at Workers Stadium and Union Bar & Grille in Sanlitun Village both stocking it.

Photo courtesy of Jonah Kessel (jonahkessel.com)

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Last week’s post by Sarah Peel about her top five places to get coffee in Beijing inspired others to recommend spots. Here are a few, including the Twitter IDs of those making the recommendations.

“Best coffee in Beijing. Cafe Excuse @ Drum Tower. Go there before  Gulou is ‘redeveloped.’ Get to know the owners and staff.” – @gadyepstein

“I recommend the coffee (and homemade ginger ale) at Alba. Great place to work, and very nice people.” – @bokane, seconded by @lhiver

“Meet @ftcoffee. They ship. It’s cheap, it’s delicious, it’s from Yunnan. You can thank me later.” @mark_e_evans

“Jamaica Blue. Good quality coffee and they remember my previous order — syrup and no milk — but confirm to make sure I want it that way again.” – @ksquare77

I’m not an aficionado, and generally seek spots to work while drinking my java, but I’ll give a shout to the American coffee–no sugar, no cream–at The Bookworm. It has a slight bitterness, comes in a pretty big mug, and offers decent value at RMB20. Speaking of value, it is hard to beat the bottomless cup for RMB22 at Union Bar & Grille (RMB10 if you are adding it to the set menu at lunch).

Imagine these cars are chickens and it all makes sense. (Pic credit)

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Two Sanlitun establishments are playing a game of chicken — fried chicken. Jacksonville native Zach “Chicken Koop” Lewison, chef at Union Bar & Grille, and New Orleans native Max “Leaping Gizzard” Levy, the man behind the kitchen at Apothecary, both plan to let fly this Sunday with a weekly southern fried chicken dinner.

The dinner at Apothecary, which will include buttermilk biscuits, is one of numerous weekly specials planned at this place — look for Tasmanian oysters on the half shell on Wednesdays. (For imbibers, the obvious good news is that Apothecary will now be open on Sundays.) Meanwhile, the Union dinner will include biscuits, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pink lemonade.

Actually, I’m exaggerating that there is some kind of competition – I just wanted to use that Rebel Without a Cause photo. In fact, I’ve seen Levy in Union enjoying the Reuben sandwiches and Lewison in Apothecary sipping cocktails, and look forward to trying their takes on southern fried chicken.

And as for the title of this post, yes, it is riff on Zoolander and it does assumes chickens go “bawk bawk“, not cluck cluck.

Come out cooking and, remember, no hits below the beak.

The Grouch says The Grouch likes snipers making Sazeracs.

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A special report by regular contributor The Village Grouch, who not only went on a Saturday night pub crawl, but also – in the spirit of wrestler The Rock, NBA star Karl Malone, and actor Kurt Russell as Jack Burton* in Big Trouble in Little China – refers to himself in the third person.

“The Village Grouch was out Saturday night in the company of intrepid combat photographer Slim, who just recently returned from the front.

“First stop was Apothecary (map) to see if the Boyce taste was still intact, and indeed it is. Apothecary is a class act – clean floor, good lighting, and bartenders that are snipers rather than machine gunners. Even in cold November, the mint julep was refreshing, striking a fine balance between taste and punch. TVG then ordered a house special, the Sazerac, which was a fine drink that sipped and sipped and sipped. Drinks aren’t cheap and pours aren’t generous, but TVG didn’t go to Apothecary for that and is looking forward to his next visit.

“A quick stop at Luga’s (map) found the place about half full, the beers cold and reasonably priced, and the nachos serviceable.

“Walking across the vast Sanlitun plateau through the Village and across to the stadium, we found Fubar (map) was wall-to-wall, with a pleasantly higher proportion of female patrons than in its earlier days. Chad kindly bought TVG and Slim their first round — a Hendrick’s Gin and tonic, served the way the maker wants it, with cucumber, not lime or lemon. TVG, a staunch Tanqueray 10 fan, became an immediate convert. Away, wretched lime!

“Two of those later, the place was still full, but our duo moved on to Beijing’s only venue regularly referred to as a bar, church and embassy — Maggie’s (map). Reports of a return to the old days of larger crowds proved true upon our 1:30 AM arrival — the place was heaving, even without hearing Lady Gaga on the sound system. A good mix of people, fast, efficient bar service, and lots to look at maintain the venue’s status as a top after-hours place.

“On an F&B note — the improvement in service at Union Bar & Grille (map) since the recent arrival of Everton-supporting manager Andy is pronounced. Aside from being an all-around nice guy, he is clearly applying the constant pressure and support the wait staff has needed but was sorely lacking prior. The Zack-Andy kitchen-front of house combo is a solid one and TVG hopes both will remain in place for some time to come.

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* An example of Jack Burton in third-person action:

When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if you paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol’ Jack Burton always says at a time like that: “Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yessir, the check is in the mail.”

City Weekend and beer distributor Dxcel, known best for its Australian and American brews, are teaming up with a dozen Beijing establishments in October for the innaugural Beer Jing festival.

When you drink a Dxcel-distributed beer – say a Brooklyn Lager, Crown, or VB – at one of these dozen spots, you get a stamp in your passport for that place.  Be among the first 20 people to get eight stamps and you will be invited to the Beer Jing party on October 29 at Danger Doyle’s at 7:30 PM*. According to the press release, participants will  “taste some of the most exotic microbrews the world has to offer.”  The doors open to everyone at 9:30 PM and for RMB100 you can drink beer to your liver’s content.

To participate, pick up a “passport” at one of these bars: Danger Doyle’s (map), Rickshaw (map), Kro’s Nest (map), Ned’s (map), Frank’s Place (map), Westside Café, Union Bar and Grill (map), Unconditional Love Coffee (map), The Den (map), Nola, Vineyard Café (map), and Tim’s Texas Barbecue (map).

You can also find good deals on the Beer Jing brews during October at Kro’s Nest every Thursday (five beers for RMB80), at The Den every day (RMB25), and at Nola where prices range from RMB30 for VB to RMB26 for Blue Star. All 12 spots will offer a 20 percent discount on these beers during the “Beer Jing weekend”, October 16 to 18.

* You need at least eight stamps to qualify. Send a scan of your passport to Lee Mack at leemack@cityweekend.com.cn by October 26.

Photos to come…

What restaurants and bars would I visit after leaving Turpan, a three-hour drive from Xinjiang’s capital of Urumqi, early in the morning and arriving in Beijing early in the afternoon? A question I have asked myself since childhood thousands of time hundreds of times never. But I do have an answer. Here is my itinerary for winding down after spending nine days in Ningxia and Xinjiang, most of them in the latter spot, where I found myself unable to use the Internet or SMS.

Le Petit Gourmand (map): As much as I enjoyed putting away kilo after kilo of tomatoes and potatoes, melons and grapes, noodles and lambs on the trip, I needed an old favorite: the club sandwich. While the manager is new, the sandwich, with about a dozen layers as well as sides of fries and salad, continues to offer excellent value at RMB44. So does the “American” coffee, the first non-instant java I had in almost two weeks, at RMB15. Oh, and it appears that LPG has finally added to its five-CD collection. I won’t miss hearing that CD of “My Way” remakes over and over and over again. (Note: In other Tongli area news, Cheers (map) still has that “decorate” sign in its window, while Cosmos Lounge, just around the corner from Cosmos Hot Dogs (map) in the southern entrance, has its prices listed outside.)

Union Bar & Grille (map): Iced tea. Refreshing unsweetened iced tea (RMB20; refills free). I considered ordering my favorite dish, the eggs Benedict, but decided to save it for the weekend. Instead, I went to…

Danger Doyle’s (map): Through this month and next, Wednesday means free pizza from 3 PM to 10 PM. With its wood-fired oven, this place pops out better-than-average pies, and I washed down my pepperoni version with a pint of Stella. The only downside: the table of freeloaders who ordered pizza, but no drinks, and were abusive to the staff to boot. Perhaps not only a “drink purchase required” clause is needed but also, given this is a sports bar, red and yellow cards for boorish behavior.

Purple Haze Bistro (map): A substantial crowd on hand to catch the weekly live jazz. This week’s act was No Name Trio, an outfit that features two guitars and an accordion, plays what one member describes as “French gypsy jazz”, and even slipped in some Elvis Presley. Good music, good vibe…

Some happenings from the past week or so. As always, click the word “map” beside each venue to get its map, or to get its address sent to your phone for free in either Chinese or English, courtesy of Mobile Native.

Stone Boat (map): A nice crowd on hand Saturday night to watch Panjir play. This is one of the few places in the city center that you can visit and feel you are not, well, in the city center. Good music, good vibe, good times. By the way, based on more than four years of experience, here is a guide to drinks at The Stone Boat: wine = generous pour, beer = average pour, mixed drinks = miserly pour.

Klubb Rouge (map): There is talk of this place, the inactive part of a trio that includes Danger Doyle’s and Drei Kronen 1308, going through a makeover and reopening with a new mission, though a launch would be months down the road. More to come. And once again, kudos to Klubb Rouge for the most surreal PR conference I have attended.

Union (map): If there were an award for the gap between food value and service quality, this place would rank among my favorites. From Toaster-gate and Coffee-gate to the inability of servers to distinguish “rye” from “white” toast to being slow in delivering that initial coffee and then providing refills when only a sip has been taken, this place has had more than its share of moments. To give three example from this past Sunday:

1) The wireless was down for the fourth straight time though a staff member eventually got it working.

2) A friend and I asked for two orders of eggs Benedict and received one order of toast that we were told to share. Shades of Toaster-gate… So if I order an eggs Benedict, I get four pieces of toast, but if we order two eggs Benedict, and thus pay twice as much, we get the same mount of toast?  “If you want more toast, just ask,” I was told. Seriously, if it is a matter of cost, reduce the side of butter, since there is enough there to butter ten slices of bread.

3) Approximate exchange between me and the waitress:

Something to drink?

Coffee.

What kind of coffee?

Just a coffee.

You mean cappucci…

Just a coffee. A regular coffee. Just a regular black coffee.

[Still looks confused]

Could I have the menu, please?

[Hands me a food menu]

Could I have the drinks menu?

[I point to the word "coffee" on the menu]

That one.

Coffee.

Yes, a coffee.

How many?

Seven. No, I am joking. One. One coffee.

I realize these are not huge issues, the staff is very nice, and apparently it was the waitress’s first day. But on the other hand, Union is rather pricey. And if spots such as Le Petit Gourmand can provide decent service, then surely Union can pick up its game. Speaking of which…

Le Petit Gourmand (map): When I couldn’t get wireless at Union on Saturday, I headed here with DJ Chunky. I have written it before, I will write it again – that RMB35 chicken sandwich with salad and fries is a superb deal. But remember: bring an iPod because this spot repeats the same songs over and over and over again, over and over and over again, over and over and over again (ad infinitum).

Cheers (map): This spot, best known its live Xinjiang music on the weekends, is open again, though c0-0wner Leo – and his oil paintings – no longer appear to be in the picture.

Danger Doyle’s (map): Traffic is picking up at this place and it seems to have become a favorite with some of the city’s models on Friday’s ladies night.

The Den (map): For late-night sports viewing, can anyone beat this place? It seems perpetually full whenever there is an event on – whether it be rugby, cricket or the Wimbledon final – and that is most of the time.

Stadium Dog / Fubar: Look for a soft opening of the hot dog joint within the next week or so, with the bar to soon follow.

Kiosk (map): The two-floor second branch of this Nali Studio favorite is open. Look for the bright pink building across from Workers Stadium North and a block east of older Purple Haze. And expect the same high-value burgers.

Solana (map): With the winter blues gone, most seats near that strip along the waterfront – faced by Sex and Da City, HLG, et al – were full Friday night. But expect to drop some coin – we stopped at Lantung where the Corona is RMB45 and a so-s0 Mojito is RMB55.

Cosmo (map): Finding this place open seems to be a hit or miss proposition, as one reader reports dropping by five times and finding it closed on every occasion. Hopefully the kinks are soon worked out.

Pepe’s Pizza (map): Look for this spot to re-open this week with a new design and menu as well as a kid’s party area upstairs where the little ones can make their own pies.

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.

Union Bar & Grille (map) will soon expand its menu to include, among other items, chicken tenders, three kinds of sliders and – the clincher for me – all-day breakfast. As mentioned before, Union is my “go to” spot for eggs benedict, omelets, and the like. Not to mention bottomless coffee for RMB20. I just wish the efficiency of the wait staff were matched by its friendliness.

Le Cafe Igosso, a good spot for everything from a first date to trying single malts with friends, is biting the dust. I suppose fans can migrate to the new branch (map) at Workers Stadium East, near A Hotel, though it lacks the earthiness of the original.

Q Bar (map) is putting the finishing touches on its new and bigger deck – about triple in size by the looks of it. The simple layout of long tables and benches on the sides with smaller tables and chairs in the middle is giving way to a maze-like design surrounded by two-meter-high glass walls consisting of panels that appear to be mostly opaque red. My initial reaction was “hmmm” but, to be fair, I was downing Alphonso Specials at the time and they tend to warp one’s perceptions.

A press release sent on behalf of Karaiya Spice House (map) announces that this most recent project from Alan Wong of Hatsune fame is open in Sanlitun Village. The two-story venue focuses on Hunan food.

The Rickshaw (map) reports that its kitchen will close from 2 AM to 8 AM because the place will “change almost all of [its] kitchen staff… more than 10 chefs” in an effort to improve the food. I hope the place also improves its service.

But putting that aside, my initial reaction to the announcement: The Rickshaw has more than *ten* chefs!? What have they been doing? This was followed by “Were they fired or did they quit?” and “Who hired them in the first place?” Sometimes it is best to avoid provoking speculation and to simply issue an “Our kitchen will close as part of an upgrade” statement.bAnyway, I hope the place gets back on track as I used to visit quite often in the afternoon to have lunch, watch the NBA Channel, and chat with the regulars.

By the way, The Rickshaw has bingo tonight from 5 PM to 10 PM, with draft beer at RMB5. And sibling joint The Saddle Cantina has dropped its prices up to RMB10 on drinks.

Bling (map): I didn’t make it for the Playboy dancers – I find the stage versions are never as good as the books, uh, I mean, magazines. But an SMS from a fellow bar-goer stated that the dance floor was full of “Russians boogying to ‘Beautiful Girl.’ It’s like Bling and Chocolate have swapped intended clientele”, while another stated that the dancers are “really quite nice. And they claim to have made their wacky go-go costumes themselves.” Since I make my own Speedos, I guess I missed a chance to meet some soul mates…

Le Petit Gourmand (map): Given this place has finally uploaded some new music, and hopefully discarded that CD with a dozen versions of “My Way“, I have renewed hope for world peace, for an end to global warming, and for public relations to send out bar announcements sans smiley faces and multiple exclamation marks. By the way, LPG’s sandwiches, including the club pictured above (RMB44), are tasty, good value, and come with fries and salad.

Union Bar & Grille (map): Despite plans each weekend “to boldy go where no man has gone before”*, I find myself at Union at least once for brunch. The food is consistently good, whether in terms of the basic breakfast, the eggs benedict, or the omelets. And at RMB45-RMB55 per plate, with RMB20 for bottomless coffee, I find it among the best-value brunches in town. Now, if they would only work on the service. (* Star Trek is being released in Beijing this weekend and I had to get in at least one reference. Now, which bar is going to take advantage of this momentous event and come up with a Tribble burger?)

Danger Doyle’s (map): Love the Monday free pizza deal (management says it gave out 85 pies last night), like the beer selection and the rooftop, and I might someday enjoy the ladies night if there were more females there than at Destinations on a given night (true, I arrived with DJ Chunky around 1 AM, but still…). DD’s also has the NBA channel which means people can catch basketball games that air after 10 AM (that’s when the place opens).

Note: I have also caught NBA games at The Goose and Duck (open 24 hours, though the slingbox feed for the last game was choppy), The Rickshaw (which has the NBA channel and is open early mornings), and The Den (which airs the games shown on CCTV and Bensports, though the latter service is unfortunately down at the moment).

Maxim’s Solana (map): I went to the launch of online vino retailer mywineshop on Sunday. The cool weather made that new hedged-in patio an enjoyable place to try a half-dozen wines and mow down a heap of appetizers – the locally produced foie gras was particularly good.

The Den (map): Same old, same old. By the way, I am not a big fan of interventions, but if anyone sees me going solo on The Den deep-fried combo again, please get out the tranquilizer gun.

ex-Cross Club (map): This spot is on the verge of reopening and I hope the decor inside is a few steps above the rainbow colored lights outside. People tell me the guys behind Cappuccino, the currently gutted bar that is on the northernmost  corner of Sanlitun Bar Street and best known for oudoor lights that emulate the LED equalizer lights on a stero, are involved. Can anyone confirm this?

The Irish Volunteer (map): See here.

BJ Foodies met at Union Bar & Grille (map) last Sunday, which meant chowing down on good food and raising money for a good cause. Each of the 40 or so patrons got a drink, an appetizer (the chicken wing sauce rivals the “medium” at The Rickshaw), a main (the burger is big enough for a meal in and of itself), and a dessert (I liked the creme brulee, but prefer it warmer) – all for RMB100. The charity of the day – Agape – provided four boxes of baked goods, from apple pie to carrot cake, for those who still had space. Donation envelopes were passed out after the meal, with RMB2705 raised for charity. Good times!

I will break my policy against over-exuberant language – i.e. using multiple exclamation marks and the like – and borrow a favorite line from BJ Foodies organizer Xixi Cheng: “WoOt WoOT!”

Xixi Cheng with her hands on the (baked) goods.

The floor of Sanlitun Village that houses Herbal Cafe, Element Fresh, Blue Frog, and Union Bar & Grille, among others, bustled with eaters and drinkers on Sunday. So much for the economic crisis and a diet of cardboard-stuff dumplings. Anyway, a quick rundown of an afternoon spent with ksquare:

Union Bar & Grille: I went with my default, the breakfast with Canadian bacon and rye bread, and it did not disappoint. I received four pieces of toast (two slices of bread), but was charged for the bottomless coffee. The rule is that regulars get free coffee, so I guess my status has been downgraded since last visit, though I am still batting something like five for seven when it comes to gratis java. ksquare says the eggs Benedict at Union best those at Maison Boulud, not the first time I have heard praise heaped on this particular item.

Blue Frog: We managed to grab the last table on the crowded deck as people enjoyed the abnormally warm weather. The staff hustled back and forth with drinks and food and constantly rearranged tables and seats to accommodate incoming groups. A hopping day for the Frog, though RMB50 for a Whiskey and Coke is a bit stiff.

Element Fresh: Again, another strong crowd, even at 4 PM. We sat inside, since the deck was out of the sunlight by this time. At RMB40, the Whiskey and Coke is cheaper than at Blue Frog and Union, though this place lacks the “bar” feel of those latter two places. Maybe that explains why ksquare went with a large tomato juice (RMB28).

Herbal Cafe: andylee had reported earlier that Herbal Cafe was crowded and at 4:30 PM we could still see dozens of people in the place, with every table on the deck taken.

I wrote several times about the brunch value at Union Bar & Grille, including ten days ago, when I noted breakfast now comes with four pieces of toast instead of two. Some readers, and particularly p3wong, disputed the four-toast policy was universally applied and insinuated I had received preferential treatment.

What can I say? I checked with two other people that day and they received four pieces of toast. Last weekend, I visited again and a walk-about found patrons each had four pieces of toast. And on Tuesday night, I ran into Union chef Zachary, who said the policy is four pieces of toast. Four.

Why didn’t p3wong get four? Maybe it was mistake, given her visit came near the end of the holidays, the place was short-staffed, and a few newbies were working the floor. Or maybe it was in retribution for her apple juice incident (see comments here).

Anyway, if you receive toast with your meal, it should consist of four (4) pieces. That means two slices of bread cut in half (2 X 2 = 4).

And if you want the bottomless coffee, you have to settle for the drip kind. Not the cappuccino, not the mocha, but the drip. Let’s prevent the next controversy being about latte-gate.

Can't we all just get along?

I popped into Union Bar & Grille last Tuesday to meet Cale Jackson, who consults on this place as well as restaurants in Hong Kong and Taipei, who recently told me that Union finally has a gas hookup and thus the full menu – including one-pound rib-eye steaks – is available, and who first got me into martinis many moons ago when he owned a bar called Buca Buca (I’m not sure if I should thank or blame him). I played guinea pig and sampled some food as well as three wines brought in by an outfit called Golden Gate. But first, two other items:

1. I tend to think of Union as a restaurant, but this place has a splendid U-shaped bar with excellent post-work potential. There is plenty of space, a layout that lets you check out fellow patrons, and trays of candles anchored above that provide a soothing atmosphere no doubt made better by a daily two-for-one happy hour from 6 to 10 PM. Drinks include Cosmos, Mojitos, and Strawberry Daiquiris (RMB42-50), beers ranging from Heineken (RMB35) to Brooklyn Lager (RMB60), and three choices of wine (RMB48-60). I have yet to try the cocktails, but will do so soon.

2. This place also has a brunch menu, with more than a dozen items, from your standard two eggs, hash browns, toast, and meat combo at RMB45 to eggs benedict with hash browns and toast at RMB58. A cup of coffee is RMB20 and, says Jackson, is bottomless.

Back to the wine: There are ten by the glass and 30 by the bottle, organized from light to full bodied and ranging in price from RMB172 to RMB750 per bottle. I tried three of the lower-end wines and found them passable, with the Painter Bridge Chardonnay 2006 being best of the trio (RMB48 per glass).

I wrongheadedly ate half a pie from Pizza Buona shortly before going to Union – if you order, get the large pepperoni - and thus did minimal nibbling. I found the steak juicy and tender, though that one-pounder will set you back RMB308, with a side of tasty baby potatoes and other veggies, but the highlight were the creamy (with a hint of tang) scalloped potatoes (RMB20), a dish we need more of in this town. I could see myself getting a couple of orders of these and washing them down with a glass of vino.

By the way, I tried the burger on a previous visit, and it ranks among the best in town, though it is pricey at RMB86 (that included a dreaded 15 percent service fee).

In any case, I will have soon have more on the drinks at this place.

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A day earlier, I popped into Blue Frog for my third (fourth?) try at the RMB50 lunch special. I had wanted lasagna, but it wasn’t ready, so I settled on a sandwich and beef soup. As with other visits, I found the meal a bit light, with the value coming from the refill on the coffee. For burger fans, Blue Frog still has them two-for-one on Mondays and continues with its RMB25 cocktails on Tuesdays. New manager Lee is a friendly soul – he told me if I wanted lasagna, I could get into the kitchen and make it myself, and thus showed an openness to allowing patrons to see the inner workings of the Blue Frog. All kidding aside, he circulated regularly to make sure we were well cared for.

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Finally, I wrote yesterday about The Stumble Inn, which has taken over the Sangria space on Lucky Street. The opening party is now set for Friday, January 16, at 7 PM and will feature free food and drink from 8 PM to 10 PM. Owner Shane O’Neill describes itself as a “pub and game house” and states it will “stay open until the last person leaves.”

The Rickshaw has joined the Sanlitun burger battle in what is a shining example of how quickly the scene has changed this year. In the past three months, we have witnessed new places such as Blue Frog (RMB75), Union Bar & Grill (RMB86), and Let’s Burger (RMB68) push up burger and fries prices, other newcomers such as Luga’s Villa (RMB35) take the budget route, and longer-term spots such as The Den and The Rickshaw dig in as things suddenly became very competitive.

The Rickshaw, which annoyed some regulars during the Olympics with a 15-percent surcharge that has since been rescinded, is upping its game. It has introduced three burgers and a sandwich, all priced at RMB55 and including thick-cut fries. Nick Ma gave me a taste test of the quartet on Sunday.

The two beef burgers include The Americano, which Ma says is made with local organic meat and served on a poppy seed bun, and the Oz, a “classic Australian burger.” The latter includes a flame-broiled bun, cheddar cheese, and sliced canned beetroot topped with a hamburger patty topped with a pineapple ring cooked together with egg topped with bacon, lettuce and tomato. As the toppings indicate, the portion is substantial.

The Steak Rambo Sambo is a steak sandwich served with rocket lettuce on sour dough bread, while The China Special is chicken breast marinated in spices, and topped with sautéed onions, green peppers, and gong bao chicken sauce. Ma says crushed peanuts are embedded in the chicken before flame-broiling.

So, how do they taste? Here are my rankings:

1. Oz burger: Besides including the “bacon factor”, the pineapple, egg, tomato et al make for an interesting blend of flavors and textures, though I found the bun too sweet (I suggest keeping the poppy seeds and reducing the sugar).
2. China Special: The chicken is tender and juicy, and the spices leave a nice tingly aftertaste.
3. Steak sandwich: Sour dough bread, mmm, though a bit higher meat-to-bun ration would be nice.
4. Americano burger: For a stripped-down burger such as this, the bun is simply too sweet.

By the way, The Rickshaw has added new wing flavors, though the medium Buffalo style and others will remain. They include apple vinegar, cream cheese and tomato, maple syrup and chili, and Brandy Dijon.

Finally, here are a few pictures courtesy of my K-Touch, which is most excellent as a phone and most frustrating as a camera. Just imagine these burgers look about twice as good as the photos.

The Americano Burger

The Rickshaw Oz Burger