Beijing Boyce

Phil, of Phil’s Pub fame, has returned to Beijing for good after a long stint at Q Bar in Qingdao . / Sequoia Cafe in Sanlitun is drawing a fun crowd to its frequent Friday wine tastings. Email frank.siegel@gmail.com to get on the invite list. / Trivia addicts in Shunyi can get their fix at the Pomegranate on Wednesday nights. The bar had ten teams at the last quiz. / Months ago, it looked like Serve the People would soon open in the space where once stood Zing by Doodoo. Things have been in limbo so long I’m almost expecting a Serve the Doodoo or Zing the People to open. / Best ice cube in town: that huge Rubik’s cube-sized chunk that Q Bar uses for its Bourbon. / Thanks to H.S. for pointing out that one of the wines reviewed last issue is Church and State, not Church and Stone. / Goose and Duck, soon to relocate, was stuffed, so to speak, as that’s Beijing ’s held its Super Bowl party there Monday.

Note: I’ll start sending out the newsletter at lunch and after work today, and tomorrow.

These are the nights to enjoy a drink on a rooftop, deck or patio, and my favorite spots remain Pavillion and Stone Boat Cafe, with other good options being Drum and Bell, Frank’s Place and Q Bar. Remember, our lungs filter pollution from this city’s air and a strong collective outside drinking effort might allow us to spot a star or two some evening. (Note: Pavillion offers the added flashback value of hearing Wham!, Huey Lewis, The Vapors and Jackson Browne within an hour.) / John Bull Pub, run by legendary bar proprietor Frank Siegel, is saying toodleloo London and hello Houston as it transforms into a Texas BBQ joint (see “We Got Email” / Zing by Doodoo, an esteemed member of the Bad Bar Name Hall of Fame, is also changing identities and will reemerge as Thai restaurant Serve the People, which is hardly a better name given that it evokes cannibalism. / 49 kuai for a pint of Carlsberg at Face. Ouch! / The Bookworm celebrated its one-year anniversary yesterday. With tasty food, interesting lectures, live music, plenty of books for sale or loan, and an extensive beverage menu, this place has been a runaway success. Not surprisingly, its incredible popularity can make it tough for wireless seekers to get a seat, and that can mean occasional forays to Le Petit Gourmand or SPR Coffee. / Browns now serves “jungle juice” during Wednesday ladies’ nights, which means people may soon be swinging from the rafters as well as dancing on the bar. Speaking of Browns, the foam party two weekends ago saw bubbles upon bubbles for most of the night, but they had burst by Sunday brunch. The place was virtually empty, yet it took over 20 minutes to get a simple breakfast and the COFFEE MACHINE WAS BROKEN! “If this had been my first visit to Browns, I would never go back,” said a downright bitter and caffeine-withdrawn M-Dawg. / Nearby, The Loft has renamed itself Hot Loft. I have no punch line to do justice to this marketing brilliance. / Reader K.S. aka Killer Schoolmarm has spoken to the owner of recently chai’d The Big Easy and says the Louisiana-style hotspot will again grace our city, retaining the spirit of its original interior, but with a new outside look (more to come on this). / M-Dawg and I visited Q Bar two Saturdays ago and waited not only 15 minutes to order, but also 30 minutes in vain for our drinks. With parched throats, we went to Phil’s Pub and soon had Gin Tonics at one-third the cost. It seems to me that Q Bar is best when providing quality cocktails in a tranquil environment, which suggests a need to focus on speeding up drink delivery rather than on, say, hiring a DJ to play house music. Translation: I want my dry martini and John Lee Hooker! Fortunately, the drinks were coming fast and slightly furious during a visit earlier this week. / Speaking of which, Trevor and Kenn from Alternate Paradigm will slip into aprons and host an end-of-summer BBQ on Q Bar’s rooftop (September 23, 2 PM-late). Twenty-five kuai gets you a cheeseburger, two hot dogs, grilled veggies or six wings, all of which come with a baked potato. / Skipping back to Phil’s, I visited several times recently and rediscovered the joys of cheap but decent cocktails, 30-kuai Erdinger, and a friendly neighborhood pub atmosphere. Moreover, after a long stint in Qingdao , owner Phil is back and teamed up with Sally. My only recommendation for this place: vaporize the PlayStation console, or at least anyone using it. / The new branch of Raj held a party last Saturday night with the expected buffet of Indian food and traditional dancing. The rooftop is ideal for enjoying a few brew (from 15 kuai for Qingdao to 25 kuai for Kingfisher) or some wine (though those puny glasses have to go), before heading to nearby Bed or Drum and Bell. / The Stone Boat has upgraded its wine and cocktail menu over the past year and credit goes to Amy and Jonathan. The Martini and Mojito are better, though the latter is still light on alcohol, and it is nice to enjoy wine in a proper glass in such a relaxing spot.

(From Beijing Boyce XXIV, first emailed on September 21, 2006)

that’s Beijing held its restaurant awards, at Champagne bar, on May 11. Hatsune, Alameda, Steaks and Eggs, and Green T. House came away as multiple winners. Bellagio took top prize for late-night dining. / Cafe Pause has started wine tastings and the first featured German wines accompanied by German-style tapas (more on this event next time). This place now has outdoor seating and is a cozy spot to enjoy some Fleischer Secco sparkling wine. Speaking of which, I mistakenly wrote that the cafe stopped serving its cheese and spinach dumplings with pesto sauce. The delicious item I had been thinking of was the pork filet roll filled with spinach, Parmesan and almonds, and topped with red pesto sauce, and it remains on the menu. / John Bull Pub is holding a Taco Party all day Friday (May 12), with tacos (10 kuai) and frozen Margaritas (20 kuai). / Palette Vino will hold a South African wine tasting on May 12 (8 PM) and a Terrazas Argentinean wine tasting on May 19 (8 PM) in its Shunyi location, which will soon offer tapas and pasta. / ASC Fine Wines and House by the Park will pair Henri Bourgeois wines with Chinese cuisine on May 17 (7 PM, 688 kuai per person), with estate owner Jean Marie Bourgeois on hand. Also on the schedule: A Louis Jadot wine dinner, with winery president Pierre-Henry Gagey, at Tian Yi Di Jia on May 19, and a Guigal wine dinner, with winery president Marcel Guigal, at Aria on May 26. / Rui Fu, the new bar from Henry Li (Neo Lounge; Vogue; Public Space) is about to open, will open in June, will open in spirit but not in body, or is simply a figment of our collective imagination. Does anyone really know? In the meantime, it remains, according to many, “highly anticipated.” / It’s nice to see bar owners occasionally out doing research, with Dave McCullough of 5:19 spotted at Browns, The Den and The Bookworm last weekend. / One year ago, a trip to Tongli Studio meant a night at Bar Blu. Now when I hit those steps, I’m thinking Top Club or Cheers. / One year ago, a trip to Bar One found the place virtually empty, but a trip two weeks ago found it comfortably populated and the music fun. Call it Maggie’s sans Mongolians. / I hear that Stone Boat, in Ritan Park, has been drawing sizeable crowds with its live music series, particularly last Friday’s post-MIDI party. / Inner Affairs has renamed itself I [Heart] Beijing, thereby joining Zing by Doodoo’s in Beijing’s Lame Name Hall of Fame. / Maggie’s dance floor was under construction two weeks ago, but should now be open. / The Pomegranate was a bit claustrophobic in the winter, with those oil-burning heaters, but better weather means those in Shunyi have a nice outdoor option for enjoying a few pints and some decent pub grub. / Kranzler’s Restaurant and Bar, named after a Berlin Cafe started in the twenties, will soon open in the Kempinski Hotel. / Together, a fairly new bar with a Reggae theme, will have 12 hours (2 PM to 2 AM) of Marley-type music by DJ Herbie on May 13. / Garden of Delights joins the list of more-than-happy happy hours: two-for-one, from 6 to 7:30 PM, on weeknights, with floor manager Alex making one mean Mojito. / that’s Beijing held its bar and restaurant awards today, with Alameda, Steaks and Eggs, Green T. House and Hatsune coming out multiple winners. Bellagio took home the prize for late-night dining. / Just in case some people forgot, Mother’s Day is this Sunday. / And as always, if you like this newsletter, please pass it on to others you think might enjoy it. One need only send me a simple email to get on the list. Eat, drink and be merry, BB.

(From Beijing Boyce XVI, first emailed on May 11, 2006) 

When I wrote in an earlier newsletter about service at Zing at Doodoo’s, someone told me to give the new management another chance. I did, last Sunday, accompanied by the ever-dynamic Agent Red Wolf (RW). Let’s start with positives: The place has good hardware, with plenty of comfy seating (though the sofas are a bit low), two bars, a central area with tables and high chairs, and a nifty little dance club downstairs. (The trick will be to attract enough people upstairs to make the place lively and to maintain the dance floor between empty and overcrowded, not easy with such a limited space.) But Zing has some definite potential.

As for the food, it was okay, with the steak and cheese on baguette (RMB55) beating out the salami pizza (RMB 58), which had a leaden crust. Agent Red Wolf liked the music. There was some negligence, such as the waiters forgetting ketchup and new plates, the lack of toilet paper in the WC, and so on, even though there were five employees and only two patrons (us). We were also charged the regular prices for drinks instead of happy hour ones. An honest mistake, perhaps, but the waiter asked us to pay full fare anyway because “the bill is already printed.” (A second waiter later explained that the guy was new, but c’mon.) Finally, the table menu advertises Boys Night Out, Girls Night Out, Ladies Night, All About Tapas, and Brunch Buffet, but the staff says these events are no longer held. Even so, although Zing has some glitches to work out, this trip was definitely better than the last and it seems like a good place for a small party (though give the place some advance warning).

(From Beijing Boyce VI, first emailed on December 14, 2005)

I can’t respond to every reader’s comment. Oh, wait: Yes, I can. Here’s all three.

Email: “I don’t understand one of the titles in your last newsletter — “Poop on Doodoo.” - ST

JB: That title was a play on words. The bar name “Zing by Doodoo’s” has amused many foreigners because “doodoo” is a word used by children who need to go — solid form — to the toilet. Example: “Mommy, I have to go doodoo!” “Poop” has the same meaning, but it can also mean “report” or “scoop.” Example: “What’s the poop on the new bar?” means, “What’s the new bar like?” Thus, “poop on Doodoo” means “report on Doodoo.” By the way, to avoid confusion, the place could use “Dudu” or “Dewdew,” or return to “Zing in the Park,” which I always thought was a fantastic name. Just so you don’t think I’m picking on Chinese names, my name in Korean sounds similar to the word for “spit.”

Email: We either have to work on your Romance language skills or your spell-check abilities! - RK

JB: Thank Buddha for R.K., who has been a constant source of advice. She’s absolutely right: last issue, I should have used “Senor” rather than “Senior” in the piece on tequila. Further, that magical wake-up drug is better known as “espresso,” not “expresso,” as I wrote. According to R.K., “they started calling it ‘expresso’ in the U.S. when they started to sell it at gas stations!” I’ve purposefully put a few typos in this newsletter, too, for all you eagle eyes out there.

Email: “Do you know anyone who wants to buy a pool table”? - FS

BB: I don’t, but perhaps someone on our mailing list want to play some eight ball at home. If so, contact Frank at 13901-238-863.

(From Beijing Boyce III, first emailed on November 3, 2005)

This review is about six weeks late, but I’ll include it anyway: Zing by Doodoo’s is the direct descendent of Zing, where the staff once took my order three times in an hour and never once brought me a drink. I complained to management later by email and they offered free dinner for some of my friends and me. First, they lose revenue for three beverages, and then, they offer to take on the expense of feeding my ravenous buddies (which was nice). How could such a business model survive?

The new Zing by Doodoo’s uses one of its managers in its ad. In the first one, she wears some kind of semi-transparent gold wrapping paper, which provides coverage equivalent to a bikini (for which, if I may make an entirely clinical observation, she has a more than adequate physique). This seems like a takeoff on Centro’s provocative ads and seems strange for a place featuring drinks, food, a swimming pool and occasionally, if rumors are true, Polynesian dancers.

I checked out the new Zing (the one by Doodoo) about six weeks ago, on the most humid night of the summer. The haze was so thick that if you stuck your arm out, your hand couldn’t find its way back [Ed. This is even sillier now than when I wrote it.] I walked the 800 meters there from my office in the belief that ice-cold beverages, served by wait staff wearing gold paper, would await the end of my long march. My pets, prepare for a short review. I walked in and the four fully clothed employees at the bar looked up and then went back to their task, which, from where I was standing, was doing nothing.

I wandered into the middle area, full of empty tables, and did my best “I have disposable income” imitation, but some prankster must have glued the employees to their stools because they were permanently stuck there. I warranted a glance or two, but only that. Is this what the Galapagos Islands is like, with lizards lying in the sunshine, occasionally accumulating the energy to raise a foot or flick out a tongue? Anyway, I waited a minute, then another, and then grabbed my bag and left, with yet another experience at Zing’s sans drink under my belt. On the way out, did I hear the faint sound of a toilet flushing? Bye bye, Doodoo?

(From Beijing Boyce II, first emailed on October 20, 2005)

Time is running out for spending fantastic fall nights on a rooftop or deck. Options include The Big Easy (relaxing), Suzie Wong (people watching), Nuage (views of Hou Hai and the drum and bell towers) and Hai Bar (the same, but more rustic and cheaper). / Want to see the Astros win the World Series? Be a benchwarmer at the Goose and Duck or John Bull Pub. / Wine industry bigwigs constantly come to town since everyone wants a drop of China. I’m working on putting together wine tasting listings. / If you haven’t seen Ah-Q bring down the house at CD Jazz Club, catch their show on Thursday nights. Trombonist Matt Roberts says the house has been packed of late and he’s trying to figure out an encore. Ah-Q was playing at icehouse but the club, being a blues bar, wanted an, um, blues band, which makes you wonder why they hired a jazz one to begin with. / Steak and Eggs vegetarian omelet with hash browns and toast: RMB19. Get this and three other breakfast specials before 11 AM, or four RMB25 lunch specials, all October, as the place celebrates its anniversary. / Would Summergate wine please get a web page? You guys have some nice Antinori products, but make it too hard to find out about them. / The Starving Artists Party on September 15 at Yan Club was another finely run event by that’s Beijing, which includes the restaurant awards at Bar Blu and bar awards at Zing by Doodoo’s. It helps to partner with ASC Fine Wines, who poured Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sculpting in Time, which provided the eats. Funnily enough, I ran into a pair of Italian journalists were had just arrived in Beijing that day. And where did they hear about the party? From another journalist in North Korea. / The next issue includes Marketing Beverages on the Great Wall, Beer Mania, Books: Those Things Made Out of Paper, $10,000 wine glasses, A Bar with an Identity Crisis, and more. / Build the community: If you know people who would like this newsletter, pass it on. They just need to send a message to me to get on the mailing list. / Again, your comments and questions are welcome. I do realize that this issue is nearly 3,000 words long. Believe me: my fingers barely have the strength to pick up the single shot of 10-year-old Balvenie Single Malt I allow myself each month. Cheers, BB.

(From Beijing Boyce II, first emailed on October 20, 2005)