PECHINO BOYCE XXIV

• Colpi di apertura: da Zing doodoo, Bookworm, Browns, Q Bar, Phil, Raj, e Stone Boat
• We Got Email: Pub John Bull, Maggie, e No One ama leggere
• Note Festival impertinente
• Prime impressioni: Viso e A-Che
• Happen Stuff: Pausa Cafe, Champagne, Zeta e Tree
• Colpi di chiusura: Week-End City e Yue Tian.

COLPI DI APERTURA
Queste sono le notti a sorseggiare un drink su una terrazza sul tetto, o patio, e le mie mete preferite restano Pavillion e Boat Cafe Stone, con altre buone opzioni che sono Drum e Bell, Place di Frank e Bar Q. Ricordate, i nostri polmoni l'inquinamento filtro dell'aria di questa città e un forte sforzo collettivo potabile esterno potrebbe permetterci di individuare una stella o due qualche sera. (Nota: Pavillion offre il valore aggiunto flashback dell'udito Wham, Huey Lewis, i vapori e Jackson Browne nel giro di un'ora!.) / John Bull Pub, gestito dal leggendario bar titolare Frank Siegel, sta dicendo toodleloo Londra e Houston ciao come si trasforma in un BBQ Texas comune (vedi "We Got Email"). / Zing da doodoo, un membro stimato della Bad Hall of Fame Nome Bar, sta cambiando identità e riemergere come ristorante tailandese servire la gente, che non è certo un nome migliore, dato che evoca cannibalismo. / 49 kuai per una pinta di Carlsberg in faccia. Ouch! / The Bookworm ha celebrato il suo primo anniversario ieri. Con il cibo gustoso, interessanti conferenze, musica dal vivo, un sacco di libri in vendita o prestito, e un menu di bevande esteso, questo luogo è stato un successo travolgente. Non sorprende, la sua incredibile popolarità può rendere difficile per i cercatori wireless per ottenere un seggio, e che può significare incursioni occasionali per Le Petit Gourmand o Coffee SPR. / Browns ora serve "succo giungla" durante le notti di Mercoledì signore ', che significa che le persone potrebbero presto essere oscillare dalle travi e ballare sul bancone. A proposito di Browns, la festa della schiuma due settimane fa ha visto bolle su bolle per la maggior parte della serata, ma era scoppiata da Domenica brunch. Il posto era praticamente vuoto, ma ci sono voluti oltre 20 minuti per ottenere una semplice colazione e la macchina del caffè era ROTTO! "Se questa fosse stata la mia prima visita a Browns, non avrei mai tornare indietro", ha detto una vera e propria amara e caffeina ritirati M-Dawg. / Nelle vicinanze, il Loft si è rinominato Loft calda. Non ho nessuna linea pugno di fare giustizia a questo brillantezza marketing. / Reader KS maestrina Killer aka ha parlato al proprietario di recente chai'd The Big Easy e dice che la Louisiana stile hotspot saranno di nuovo grazia la nostra città, mantenendo lo spirito dei suoi interni originale, ma con un nuovo look esterno (più a venire su questo). / M-Dawg e ho visitato Q Bar due sabati fa e non attese a soli 15 minuti per l'ordine, ma anche 30 minuti invano per le nostre bevande. Con gole riarse, siamo andati al Pub Phil e presto ha avuto Tonici Gin a un terzo del costo. Mi sembra che il Q Bar è meglio quando fornisce cocktail di qualità in un ambiente tranquillo, il che suggerisce la necessità di concentrarsi su una più rapida consegna bevanda piuttosto che, ad esempio, l'assunzione di un DJ a suonare musica house. Traduzione: Voglio che il mio martini dry e John Lee Hooker! Fortunatamente, le bevande venivano veloce e un po 'furiosa durante una visita all'inizio di questa settimana. / A proposito, Trevor e Kenn da Paradigm Alternate scivolerà in grembiuli e ospitare un end-of-estate barbecue sul tetto del Q Bar (23 settembre, 2 PM-tardi). Venticinque kuai si ottiene un cheeseburger, due hot dog, verdure alla griglia o sei ali, tutte dotate di una patata al forno. / Ritornare al di Phil, ho visitato diverse volte di recente e riscoperto le gioie del cocktail poco costosi, ma decente, 30-kuai Erdinger, e un cordiale atmosfera pub di quartiere. Inoltre, dopo un lungo stint a Qingdao, proprietario Phil è tornato e ha collaborato con Sally. La mia unica raccomandazione per questo posto: vaporizzare il console PlayStation, o almeno qualcuno lo utilizza. / La nuova filiale di Raj ha organizzato una festa ultima notte di Sabato con il buffet previsto di cucina indiana e danza tradizionale. Il tetto è ideale per godersi una birra pochi (dal 15 kuai per Qingdao a 25 kuai per Kingfisher) o vino (anche se quegli occhiali gracili andare), prima di andare a letto vicino o Drum e Bell. / The Boat Stone ha aggiornato il suo vino e il menù di cocktail durante lo scorso anno e il credito va a Amy e Jonathan. La Martini e Mojito sono migliori, anche se quest'ultimo è ancora in luce l'alcol, ed è bello gustare il vino in un bicchiere adeguato in un posto così rilassante.

WE GOT EMAIL
E-mail: "Il tuo gut birra deve essere ancora più grande della mia la quantità di guzzling si deve fare gli interessi della ricerca. Si deve sapere che un favorito vecchio canuto, John Bull Pub, presto cambierà il suo nome e il suo stile di Barbecue Texas Tim. [Proprietario] Frank [Siegel] sta andando a concentrarsi sui suoi due (forse più presto) caffè Sequoia. Triste, ma inevitabile "-. MT

BB: Frank, che ha aperto a Pechino il primo non-hotel bar 16 anni fa, mi ha detto il nuovo barbecue comune è previsto per la fine di ottobre e che è stato sempre il suo fumatore pronta, per così dire. Giovanni reduci Bull Pub includerà il contest trivia martedì e il carrello del cibo messicano il venerdì e il sabato. Il Sequoia è aperto il secondo Sanlitun Nord.

Con la MT modo, "gut birra" è una parola grezzo per una parte distinta del nostro corpo che è anni di lavoro. Perché non qualcosa di più dignitoso, come ad esempio, "il tumulo rotondo dove abbondano birra doth", "omaggio a bevande a base di orzo," o, come M-Dawg suggerisce, "bulge belga"?

Email: "mi chiedo come posso ottenere in questi elenchi e-mail Chi sei tu Vuoi un suggerimento.? Ho letto schermi dei computer tutto il giorno e non c'è il modo in cui voglio leggere tutto il testo, anche se ha delle cose in grassetto a la che lo stile di Pechino. Trovare un modo più efficace per comunicare. A nessuno piace leggere. E 'un dato di fatto "-. CN

BB: Yo, CN, la mia casella di posta mostra che ti sei iscritto a questa newsletter. In altre parole, più o meno pregato come una scimmia carattere Randy per 3.000 parole vale la pena di Courier New bisettimanale. Potrebbe esserci un legame tra l'oblio e l'avversione alla lettura? Basta chiedere ...

Mi rendo conto sguardo all-Il testo di questa newsletter è molto metà degli anni 1990, ma BBS: a) non ho avuto molte lamentele al riguardo, b) non ho il tempo di aggiungere le immagini o le facce sorridenti, e c) quelli erano anni di divertimento , quando Internet era più una novità e meno un altro modo per tenerci collegati a lavorare 24/7. Ed il gruppo rock Veruca Salt è ancora insieme. Inoltre, alcune persone in grado di gestire una newsletter tempo, in quanto prossimi, uh, * email * eccentrici spettacoli, raccogliendo i miei commenti sulla questione della durata di circa Sanlitun lady bar bagarini e venditori di sostanze:

Email: Oggi è 06:45, Domenica mattina ... mi sono alzato intorno alle 5 a causa di essere un po 'arida, così mi diressi verso la mia cucina per una bibita fresca. Stranamente, mi è stato chiesto se volevo un bar signora un paio di volte sulla strada lì, e al mio ritorno al mio sonno caldo e confortevole che è stato accompagnato da un giovane africano che voleva discutere di politica prima che l'inevitabile, 'Vuoi un po' roba, amico? ' Gli ho mollato ed ha girato giù il vicolo prima, che porta alla mia seconda camera / ufficio. Ho pensato: fammi controllare la mia email. Sto aspettando con ansia alcuni importanti documenti presso l'ufficio casa e non poteva aspettare fino a un'ora ragionevole. Ho sigillato il mio destino premendo il pulsante Invia / Ricevi. Vi era in bella vista, innocuo nella natura, ma potente nella sua capacità di attirare in me per uno sguardo più da vicino, la tua email! ... Ho letto il tutto e ora i miei occhi stanno bruciando ... io tentare l'impossibile, il ritorno ole a letto dopo aver ricevuto un drink alle 5 del mattino, poi la lettura di un 3000-word email "-. JC

BB: Vedi, CN, alcune persone non leggono. Si potrebbe immaginare bar lady bagarini e venditori di droga vagabondaggio nei loro appartamenti ma si leggono. A proposito, come le cozze zebra lentamente diffondendo in tutta un lago e distruggere habitat altrimenti decente, il bar lady bagarini hanno strisciato su Sanlitun Sud e diffondere il loro annoyingness infino a Gongti sud. Sei persone si avvicinò a me mentre camminavo dal Loft Pink Mania birra alle 7:30 PM. Niente li può fermare?

Email: "Maggie era meglio tornare a 20 yuan su una bottiglia di birra o sto boicottando! Si prega di notare il mio disappunto, se possibile, nella colonna successiva. Noi tutti dobbiamo fare la nostra parte per combattere l'inflazione e un aumento di prezzo del 50 per cento è irragionevole in questi tempi difficili "-. EO

BB: Jacking i prezzi della birra in bottiglia da 10 kuai è fastidioso, ma il problema più grande per Maggie è la sua rilevanza in declino. A volte, avere un Qingdao pochi, l'ascolto di uno spettro canzone che si estende su My Humps a Paradise City, guardando uomo straniero / joint donna mongola comuni svolgono, e rimpinzarsi di un hot dog out front potrebbe essere divertente, ma la Maggie nuovo è più sterile e, almeno per me, ci sono altre opzioni semplicemente troppe buona vita notturna ora.

NOTE FESTIVAL impertinente
Sono andato al Pop Festival di Pechino nel Parco Chaoyang due settimane fa e felicemente trovato prezzi della birra proletarie: 4 yuan per una lattina di Blue Diamond. Per quanto riguarda le bande, CJ era OK, Supergrass è stato Supergood, e Sebastian Bach non dovrebbe indossare un luminoso abito giallo mandarino come lo fa sembrare un over-imbellettato dalla criniera bionda transessuale con una crisi di identità culturale. Altre osservazioni: ho comprato il mio biglietto ufficiale non da una cabina, non da una tabella, ma da un Elantra grigio argento. La sicurezza inclusa PLA-looking guardie, Bao-uno in scarsamente uniformi di montaggio, servizi segreti e ragazzi in abiti scuri, e mi chiedevo cosa ne pensassero Bach bestemmiare, urlare, rampante sulla scena e microfono sta gettando le quinte. I tifosi bevevano e si comportava in modo responsabile, con il segno più palese di alcol essendo il ragazzo molto rilassato con una tenda canadese e un tavolino tenendo quattro bicchieri di tequila. La musica è rock, non pop, e comunque, se i promotori vogliono uscire la gente del posto, perché non schizzare fuori per un atto che era popolare nella band anni ottanta e ha un sacco di standard KTV, come Whitney Houston o Air Supply? Pizza al taglio dovrebbe essere un dato a queste cose. Scoperta del giorno: che la moglie del mio amico suonava in una band giapponese che ha fatto le copertine Skid Row!

PRIME IMPRESSIONI
VISO: Il ramo di Pechino del viso aperto un mese fa e completa i suoi fratelli a Shanghai, Bangkok e Jakarta. Appena a sud di Stadio dei Lavoratori in una scuola ristrutturata, questo è un luogo piacevole se costoso, mentre a distanza di poche ore. Decorato con l'arte e antichità dall'Asia, ci vorrà tempo per acquisire i Face to graffi necessarie per l'consumato nello sguardo, e gli amici che frequentano il ramo Shanghai trovare questo di gran lunga meno architettonicamente imponente. Opzioni di posti a sedere comprende un lungo ponte stretto poco illuminato al di fuori e un sacco di angoli e nicchie all'interno. Un tavolo da biliardo e bar rompere ciò che altrimenti potrebbe venire fuori come un ambiente troppo soffocante. In una notte Sabato, musica house abbastanza forte giocato come il personale di aspettare in modo efficiente in bevande per una folla abbastanza ben vestita e in genere più anziani. Un pieno di ghiaccio birra in acciaio inox ricoperto la birra e Mojito ingredienti erano pronti ad andare un ordine dovrebbe entrare M-Dawg ha dato un pollice in su per i cocktail, anche se la mia martini secco è arrivato senza la torsione ho chiesto, e un martini su una visita precedente era sub-par. Sono costosi a 60-70 kuai, non compreso un fastidioso costo 10 per cento di servizio, e una pinta di Carlsberg arriva a 49 kuai. Nel complesso, Face offre bevande decenti, ambiente e servizi (anche se sull'orlo di una troppo forte a volte), ma a questi prezzi, questo posto è probabilmente un arresto irregolare.

A-CHE: Il profilo di neon Che Guevara alla porta suggerisce dentro qualcosa di rivoluzionario, ma questo posto offre la stessa mediocrità trovato altrove a Pechino. Il luogo stesso dà una buona prima impressione, colpendo uno come accogliente e calda, come il tipo di posto che potrebbe diventare il vostro pub locale con il suo bar standup, posti a sedere tavolo e grande schermo. Purtroppo, alcuni problemi sul lato di servizio deve essere rovesciato. Durante la mia prima visita, il personale sembrava preoccupato che abbiamo anche ordinato cibo. Poi di nuovo, forse era un avvertimento sottile, dato che le tapas inclusa una sostanza di colore bianco che la mitezza era apparentemente definito e formaggio. Durante la mia seconda visita, l'insalata di prosciutto di Parma è venuto con carne incredibilmente grassa, off-the-shelf olive, tonno in scatola, sotto-pomodori maturi, e un 55-kuai prezzo che sarebbe stato più giusto con il primo "5" rimosso. Il cibo, quindi, necessita di qualche lavoro. Le bevande, però, sono sicuramente la pena provare. Ci sono un sacco di specialità cubane e il barista efficace montata una rinfrescante oro Mojito (Y35), fatta con succo d'arancia e menta. Purtroppo, il suo aiutante era nelle vicinanze mangiare noccioline (bocca spalancata), con lo sguardo fisso ai clienti e apparentemente ignari dell'arte di rimuovere bicchieri vuoti. Poi, stranamente, A-Che mi ha offerto un biglietto VIP. Cosa che mi ha capito? Un'altra fetta di pomodoro verde? La possibilità di buttare i limoni interi nel keghole spalancata l'aiutante del bar? Mi sembra che questo luogo deve prima imparare a gestire le persone non-importanti. Comunque, nonostante tutte queste critiche, ho la speranza di A-Che. Alcuni formazione del personale e un ripensamento del menu sarebbe andato un lungo cammino per trasformare questa speranza in realtà. Nel frattempo, questo luogo è ancora merita una visita per provare alcuni cocktail.

ACCADERE STUFF
Pausa Cafe sarà caratterizzato da musica tedesca e cocktail Jagermeister il 23 settembre (8 PM), e co-proprietario Stefan Fleischer sta offrendo uno sparatutto gratuito per chi indossa Leiderhosen. / Bar Champagne Crowne Plaza Hotel ha "bolle per piccoli" ogni Giovedi dalle 9 di sera, con connessione Van Gogh cocktail di vodka e cocktail di champagne per le donne. / Zeta Bar inizia con "z", che richiede evidentemente l'Hotel Hilton di marketing folli da usare con zelo questa lettera zippy uno volte zillion (sì, posso farlo, troppo). Così, il bar ha un mezzo off martini su Mondaze, due-per-uno Zeta-cocktail a tema il martedì, e il 50 per cento di sconto Whizky il mercoledì, il tutto prima delle 9 PM. C'è Champagne e Zequins (lustrini? Regine del mare? Segues?) Il Giovedi, con due-per-uno Moet Chandon per le donne da 6 a mezzanotte e mezzo fuori bottiglie selezionate dalle 9 di sera a mezzanotte il venerdì Pingzi. A proposito, se non si è verificato Zeta, l'arredamento da solo vale il viaggio. / Il vino scorrerà per gentile concessione gratuita di Summergate in quel di Pechino, il quinto anniversario e affamati parte degli artisti alla Galleria C5 (2-6 PM), tra Peter Pan e servire la gente in Sanlitun. La manifestazione prevede esibizioni di Trio Panjir e Ah-Q, con quest'ultimo in procinto di rilasciare il suo primo CD. / Jebsen terrà una degustazione di sei vini Rosemount il 23 settembre a Boat Stone (7-9 PM, 100 kuai). Ethan Perk, già con Montros e, si è unito Jebsen Vice Direttore Generale. / YPHH e The Tree terrà una serata birra belga il 26 settembre sulla terrazza Hostel Youyi (6:30-23:00; kuai 100 membri, 150 YPHH kuai non soci). / Cina World Hotel squadra Torres ed il 28 settembre per una cena gourmet di cinque portate, da Aria Chef de Cuisine Nicholas Blaira, in coppia con Peter vini Lehmann (888 kuai). / Vini ASC Belle dispone di una serie completa di degustazioni di vini, tra cui una cena Penfolds al Giardino delle Delizie (13 ottobre), una cena a Skalli Aria (18 ottobre) e una cena a Bollinger Jaan, Raffles (24 ottobre; 988 kuai) . / Montrose mi ha mandato e-mail di una tequila Herradura launch party al Lounge Cina e un evento club di vino il 21 settembre, ma ero in grado di accedere al sito Web della società (www.montrosechina.com).

COLPI DI CHIUSURA
Weekend Città ha pubblicato una Guida Restaurant & Bar che non solo è buono, ma è anche gratuito! Ho sempre griped su Weekend City, compreso il caporedattore, che è senza dubbio stanco della mia libera critica "costruttiva" ogni volta che corro in lui nei bar locali. Fortunatamente, la guida e l'aggiornamento recente progettazione della rivista meritano la lode come un passo importante nella giusta direzione, anche se il contenuto ha ancora bisogno di una spinta, qualcosa che mi ha detto che è imminente. La stessa guida include le liste utili come ad esempio "Dove si beve se sei un fanatico di sport" (oca e anatra, Padiglione, Bar Blu) e "Over 30 ... ma non sulla collina" (Browns, Q Bar, Suzie Wong, East Shore Jazz Live), così come itinerari notturni per le coppie e single. / Sono di nuovo ritardare la mia recensione del Vino e Spirits Education fiducia classe ho partecipato il mese scorso, soprattutto perché sono troppo sommersi di trascrivere i miei appunti, ma spero di avere e la revisione attesa da tempo del rilascio Bed successiva. / Lo scorso anno, che è a Pechino ha organizzato una festa di Natale funk per raccogliere fondi per un'operazione al cuore per un orfano di nome Tian Yue. Purtroppo, il Scrooge-come luogo minato della rivista Santa-come intenzioni, e la chiamata uscì per le donazioni. Lettori della newsletter ha contribuito una serie, compresa agente Hidden Dragon e K-Ro, e saranno felici di sapere che ho frequentato festa di compleanno Tian Yue la scorsa settimana e l'ha trovata sana, felice e, da quando è stata adottata di recente, in procinto di trasferirsi negli Stati Uniti e iniziare una nuova vita. / Sia che sono appesi a Pechino o voce fuori della città, dispone di una vacanza sicura e felice. Mangia, bevi e datti alla gioia. Cheers, BB.

• Apertura Shots, con sella, Pavillion, Q Bar
• We Got Mail, con Rui Fu, W Sports Bar, Red Palla Bar, The Big Easy
• Da Sing Sing a Pechino: Bar Hopping con gli ospiti
• Colpi di chiusura

COLPI DI APERTURA

Il bar lady bagarini e spacciatori di sostanze sembrava più rada sulle Sanlitun Nord nelle ultime settimane. Una passeggiata recente lungo la strada principale attratto solo sei "sexy girl" sollecitazioni, in contrasto con la dozzina di solito, e non uno "Ehi, vuoi un po 'roba?" È stato borbottò mentre camminavo per le strade collaterali Apertivo. Dove ha l'intrepido intrusi andato? Forse ha approfittato della Pechino-Tibet nuova express e sono in congedo estivo. O forse sono stati manto erboso dalle guardie di sicurezza noti dalla vicina città di Tongli Studio (vera, non i corpi sono stati trovati, ma il segno eloquente sarebbe se kebab della zona, improvvisamente assaggiato selvatico). Qualunque sia la ragione, qualsiasi tipo di lesione da questi - cerchiamo di essere generosi - a base di carbonio forme di vita è rinfrescante come quando i venti forti di tanto in tanto diluire l'inquinamento atmosferico di Pechino. Purtroppo, di solito è altrettanto breve durata. / Parlando di Apertivo, io ci sono stato due volte questo mese. Il servizio è ragionevole, è un bel posto per chiacchierare con gli amici in una serata estiva piacevole, e le cose sarebbero andate ancora meglio con un aggiornamento di by-the-vetro selezione di vini. / Dall'altra parte della strada, sella offre un menu minimalista di burritos, spagnolo riso fritto, salsa e patatine, e fajitas così come Pepe Lopez, Camino, Jose Cuervo, Olmeca Conquistador e tequila. Questi marchi coprire il meno-che-100-agave percento dello spettro e alcune varietà di tequila premium sarebbe sicuramente il benvenuto. Sella ha anche qualcosa chiamato "imbuto Brett" il venerdì, che coinvolge chugging una birra tramite un tubo per 10 kuai, e non è per i deboli di stomaco. / Il padiglione ha un due-for-one happy hour, da 5 a 8 PM, che copre vini della casa, cocktail, bibite e birra, escluse Guinness e Kilkenny. Oltre ad un patio eccellente, il Padiglione dispone inoltre di: 1) bicchieri di vino corrette, 2) uno dei s Whisky più impressionante di Pechino selezione, e 3) una crisi leggera di identità, dal momento che su di patroni d'arrivo può incontrare qualsiasi cosa, da un alcool-free festa di laurea per una birra alimentato a rugby-pazza folla, con le cose per fortuna che tende verso il centro. / Maggie ha alzato il suo Qingdao in bottiglia per 30 kuai da 20 kuai. In caso contrario, è lo stesso vecchio, vecchio stesso, il che significa hot dog davanti, dentro la musica affidabile, e un ambiente che non vive fino al locale prima sui Gongti Oriente. / Shunyi-based sport bar Il Melograno ha avuto un high-tech estate ha aggiunto un video proiettore, da 42 pollici a schermo piatto e accesso wireless a Internet. I miei amici mi dicono suburbane questo è un buon posto per sorseggiare qualche birra, mangiare un po 'pub, e prendere un gioco. / DJ David Lindinger girerà interamente in plastica set di "musica nujazz, groove e la casa" al Q Bar il venerdì nel mese di settembre. Questo è un po 'sorprendente, visto che alcuni proprietari di un tempo erano fortemente contrari a un DJ e dal patroni sembrano amare l'ambiente attuale, che comprende il blues e melodie jazz. Q Bar sembra essere alla deriva dal primo cocktail-cultura Cafe Primo e Midnight, dove due dei proprietari tagliare i loro denti, e questo sarà senza dubbio preoccupare alcuni a lungo fedeli clienti, tra cui il sottoscritto. Voglio dire, questo è come la città-specifico che Pechino sta mettendo un enorme brochure-come l 'immagine della Thailandia in copertina (oh aspettare, appena fatto, o non ho una copia di quella di Bangkok in mano?). O come me l'aggiunta di una dozzina di recensioni di libri di mia newsletter bar (oh attendere ancora ...). / A proposito, brontolii che abbondano Keiko Shirata, che possedeva primo caffè fino a quando fu chai'd circa un mese fa, sta progettando di aprire un nuovo spot a Pechino. / Ognuno dei miei quattro visite a Rui Fu ha trovato questa lounge / club sempre più affollato e divertente. Le mie riserve iniziali sono stati cancellati dalla sua gola spiritoso, clientela interessanti e la musica decente (anche se un po 'forte l'ultima volta). I cocktail sono un problema. A s oft detto altrove, Rui Fu è un luogo da vedere e farsi vedere, con Venerdì scorso con una maratona di vedere ed essere visti, che ha lasciato i miei nervi oculari esaurito e quindi, dopo aver visto ed è stato segato, ho deciso di indossare una benda sull'occhio la prossima volta e quindi massimizzare seeage e seenage di essere, riducendo al minimo sforzo (cioè, quando torno dalla mia vacanza in un apiario costiera -. "un mare e la scena delle api) preening Mettendo da parte, menu Rui Fu 's comprende numerose stranezze dei prezzi come Johnnie Walker Red e Johnnie Walker Black sia a Y35, suggerendo il secondo aumenterà di prezzo con la popolarità del club. Staremo a vedere (e si vede). / Capone intenzione di aprire un ristorante a Pechino. I l direttore generale dice il suo scopo è quello di avere / arrivano anche a Jing "uno dei più grandi, se non la scelta più grande vino s di Pechino.":. Hong Kong Parco 97 e della classe media americana Hooters / Per concludere, ci sono molte di scelte fuori là per stasera, Venerdì 1 ° settembre. Luogo Frank si terrà un end-of-estate p arty con all-you-can-drink Freixenet spumante (7:00, 100 kuai) e il suo torneo piscina settimanale (8 PM, 50 kuai per persona, chi vince prende tutto). Summergate avrà una degustazione di vini del Sud Australia a Kingston Face Bar (7-10 PM, 100 kuai). Boat Stone ha gioco Muwen (9:30 PM), Q Bar vede la sua inaugurazione DJ notte e Rui Fu apparentemente ha DJ Edmund, un amico di un amico di Taipei, le melodie filatura.

Ho pensato di picchiare qualcuno al punzone su quello. Rui Fu fa, infatti, dispongono di una camera. In mia difesa, mi distraggo facilmente, lo specchio sul lato opposto è * veramente * lucido, e lo fa sembrare un passaggio. Ecco la parte peggiore: circa 10:00 una notte, stavo scrivendo un commento su Rui Fu sulla base di una singola ora visita e sentiva che era ingiusto, così ho deciso di ritardare la newsletter, gettò su alcuni vestiti decenti, diretto laggiù , finito per prendere al proprietario Henry Li per un'ora, ha ottenuto una sensazione migliore per il club, e poi è tornato e ha aggiunto la parte di due stanze. Sì, in questo caso, più ricerca ha evidenziato una maggiore imprecisione. Vai figura.

"W Sports Bar non dispone di un tavolo da biliardo." - Thomas W.

Mi sbagliavo (di nuovo). Ultimo numero, ho scritto che W ha una partita di hockey tavolo sepolto in mezzo roba abbastanza da fare per un cantiere di vendita più eccellente, tra cui, «[a] tavolo da ping pong, freccette, grande schermo TV, tavolo da biliardo, arte, pianoforte a coda, calcetto da tavolo, ecc "

Il mio male: mae tavolo da biliardo yo.

Tuttavia, non voglio ritrattare il commento che segue: "C'è in qualsiasi altro luogo della città dove si può contemporaneamente ascoltare" Chi è servire ""! Occhio di bue "," avrò due birre, per favore "," Eight Ball, buca d'angolo, "e" Questo è semplicemente troppo dadaista per i miei gusti, "tutte le costolette di qualcuno mentre fuori Mozart e una mostra di gara di Formula 1?"

Anche senza un tavolo, che "Eight Ball" commento potrebbe ancora facilmente essere sentito da un tavolo da ping pong confuso lettore, la copertura dei campionati pool mondo sul grande schermo, o ... in realtà, si dimentica, non c'è modo ho intenzione di fare un buon mercato scherzo pantaloni baggy.

"Hai elencato Football Club come una delle scelte nostro redattore - NO E 'l'unica BAR RED BALL - può rilasciare una correzione?" - H. La

Ho sbagliato di nuovo (di nuovo). (Le persone dovrebbero essere utilizzati per questo ora, ma no, in piena le e-mail.) Questa volta, un'aquila con gli occhi dello staff da quella di Pechino (TBJ) ha sottolineato che ho elencato Club Football, piuttosto che Bar Red Ball, come un onorevole menzionare, come bar dell'anno.

("Io LO ve la palla, perché è così unico e diverso. C'è un atmosfera fracassare, il personale è così cordiale e disponibile, è un ottimo rapporto qualità [dove altro si può avere una bottiglia / confezione di vini decente per RMB 50?] Ed è così diverso da qualunque altro lato Sono stato a, "lui / lei con entusiasmo.)

Va bene. Correzione emesso. Errare è umano, dicono, come TBJ si è mostrato non dando piccone un editor singolo al Browns, anche se quel posto ha vinto il voto popolare, è frequentata dai proprietari di bar altri e dipendenti ... beh, sai la storia ( e sì, quello era un colpo basso).

A parte 1: La maggior parte dei miei amici inglesi odiano Browns hanno sdegnosamente lo descrivono come tipico di questo o quel bar orribile a Londra, Muckchester, tappatura prosciutto o dovunque che noi chiamiamo casa.. Messaggio ricevuto - circa un milione di volte finora. E sono sicuro che gli abitanti di Pechino che vivono nelle Isole non sono particolarmente affezionato dei ristoranti cinesi lì. Così è la vita. Il fatto è che non siamo in Gran Bretagna, né la maggior parte di noi provengono da lì, e Browns è quello che è - un luogo per il bene, divertimento pulito. Dove altro troverete sette giovani ragazzi con voce rauca festeggiano un compleanno, mentre nelle vicinanze due coppie nei loro anni settanta felicemente boogie a melodie degli anni Ottanta? Not cool, dite? Beh, alcune persone non piace pretenziosità o semplicemente non sono trendy, quindi abbiamo bisogno di Browns, il melting pot di bar in questa città. Così, per amore di Buddha, e Ben Elton, si prega di interrompere l'odiare! Pretty Please? Pretty Please Boddington con schiuma e congelati trucioli sanguinaccio in cima?

Aside 2 : T he mainstream media must be disheartened when amateurs such as yours truly turn on their powers of perception and score a major news scoop. Take my expose on the White Man Overbite dancing epidemic at several Sanlitun hot spots a while back. The C hina Daily, Wall Street Journal and their kin completely missed that one. Then there's my most recent scoop: uncovering a direct link between eyeglass-wearing styles and bar success. The evidence accumulated during my lengthy investigation would fill multiple volumes, but let me present two pieces. First, a recent TBJ story about its bar awards ceremony shows not one, not two, but three victorious owners wearing eyeglasses atop their heads, as though the y had visually challenged hair follicles that were looking at the ceiling and possibly to a vote-producing deity beyond. Second, numerous other winning owners not pictured in the story were spotted at the ceremony wearing glasses in a similar manner. The link is obvious, but what of its significance? While it is difficult to quantify the positive effects of, for example, a pair of Ray-Ban bifocal sunglasses on revenue, my guess is 22.7 percent, give or take 0.3 percent. (Rose-colored lenses and those for nearsightedness would obviously have less im pact.) Contrast this to bar owners who wear baseball hats backwards: I estimate that such low-brows typically see their businesses go bankrupt in a matter of weeks and also stand a fifty-fifty chance of spontaneously combusting. The lesson is simple: bar success is yours if you keep your glasses pointing upward and keep your ball caps pointing forward, and ideally do both (glasses over caps, of course). And remember, you heard it here first.

“It is tres terrible to hear about th e Big Easy. It easily had some of the best jazz and singers since my days on Bourbon Street before heading for Vietnam in '67. Are they going to open somewhere else? – JW

That's a really good question and I don't have a clue as to the answer. Maybe The Big Easy will relocate beside the new Latinos! Anyone out there have some inside information?

FROM SINGSING TO BEIJING: WHERE SHOULD I TAKE MY GUESTS ?
People frequently ask me to recommend bars for their visitors to Beijing. Whether it is an incoming friend, client, parent, fellow Scientologist, long lost uncle, mail order bride or paroled pen pal in question, I would dearly love to answer such requests by spouting out a perfect itinerary. (Actually, paroled pen pals are easy: take them to The Bookworm, since its fully-loaded shelves will appeal to their literary side and the clusters of MBA students can help an ex-con who is long on ideas but in short supply of professionally written business plan s. Class project! )

But I have a hard time figuring out where to take my own guests, let alone those of other people. I generally skim through bar listings, ask co-workers, call my friends, throw oracle bones and endure cold sweats as I create a decent plan. That plan, once in action, invariably runs into the great wall of harsh reality, built from the bricks of snap decisions and the mortar of compromise. A n experience some time ago reminded me of this wall and re-taught me some basic principles for getting over it.

The situation: A group of six middle-aged business types visit Beijing. I know two very well, two fairly well, and two not at all. The mission: take them out for dinner and drinks on two consecutive nights.

Night one: I take the two I know very well and one of the strangers to dinner at Xihe Yaju. Beijing duck is a safe bet that becomes a guaranteed winner when you have beautiful weather, a table out back and an excellent bottle of wine — as we did. Next stop: The Pavillion. Two more people joined us, and we shared another bottle of wine while enjoying the spacious patio and the serenity amid the trees. Nice. Most of the group then headed to the hotel, while two survivors and I hit one last spot, Suzie Wong (thanks to Agent Red Wolf for the idea). With its interesting decor, cozy deck and top-notch people-watching opportunities, this is a good stop for almost any visitor to Beijing, even on a slow Sunday night. The end result was a night that included some classic Beijing food, a cozy patio, and a landmark bar.

Night two: I began this one as a guest, rather than a host, as we had some Xinjiang food and then took a stroll down Sanlitun North on our way for a drink at Apertivo. Our host then headed home and the onus for picking the next spot fell on me. Our group included four people: two that I knew well, considered my main guests, and thought would best like a good drink; and two that I didn't know well and who were a bit restless. My gut feeling was to take the first pair to a reliable spot such as Browns or Q Bar, but the second pair seemed lukewarm with that, so we instead headed to another spot that turns up in guidebooks, Maggie's. As it turns out, Maggie's was sparsely populated, the music didn't match our mood, it wasn't really this group's style, and the evening was as anticlimactic as it gets. And it happened because I ignored a few simple rules from the “common sense” category.

1. Take control. Choose the itinerary or surrender responsibility to your guests, but don't be a wishy-washy Charlie Brown. If everyone has read in their guidebooks about Suzie Wong and wants to go there, then the decision is made for you. But if they're new to town and forget their books at the hotel, take charge, and when doing so…

2. Stick to the tried and true. Even better, stick to the tried and true that offer the most acceptable worst-case scenarios. For Browns, a reasonable worst case would be that the place is empty, but still comfortable and with a good beer selection. For Q Bar, it might be that rain has closed the deck, but patrons can still sit at the pleasant bar and drink some excellent cocktails. In both cases, the worst isn't so bad. This helps to…

3. Avoid the great unknowns. I have had fun times at Maggie's, usually with Agent Red Wolf or O-Zone at 3 AM on a Saturday night when the place is full, we've already had a few cocktails, and hearing Welcome to the Jungle sounds like a good idea. But in this case, it was a Monday at 10:30 PM, and I even qualified the visit beforehand by saying it wasn't likely to be good. As a former boss used to be fond of saying, “when in doubt, leave it out.” Instead, I left Maggie's in, and by doing so, forgot another key rule…

4. Focus on the core group. By sidestepping Browns and Q Bar, I gave up what was likely to be a good experience for the two people that I knew best, and possibly for all four, in exchange for a gamble on behalf of the two people I knew least. That's like hitting on 17 in blackjack.

Col senno di poi, tutto questo sembra abbastanza semplice. (Poi di nuovo, in modo da non fare un martini decente, ma quante persone in grado di farlo?) Ma se la gestione di un gruppo che sta aspettando con impazienza vicino ad alcuni taxi, o cercando di convincere la gente in diverse parti della città a uno spot, o trattare con persone di diversa età, cultura o di altri gruppi, si può ottenere abbastanza difficile. Così forse ricadere su alcune regole di base può mantenere la vostra serata andando avanti. I n ogni caso, ho intenzione di iniziare a contattare gli animali di partito e numerosi bar e ristorante esperti che conosco, e in futuro newsletter vengono elencati alcuni degli itinerari possibili per una notte di divertimento a Pechino.

COLPI DI CHIUSURA
Avevo programmato di rivedere Face, B, e L'Etage A-Che in questo numero, ma sono stato semplicemente troppo impegnato negli ultimi tempi e questa newsletter è già uno settimane in ritardo. Io scopo di comprendere loro la prossima volta, insieme con una scrittura-up del Vino e naturalmente fiducia Spirits Education ho finito ieri sera. I was in the inaugural/guinea pig class and w ill opine on whether it was worth the 1488 kuai (and yes, unless otherwise noted, I do pay for these things). / I had my first newsletter-related interview with a Chinese newspaper. I have one thing to say: I am WAY better at writing about the bar scene than at talking about it. / Finally, Eddie-O, Kris Tan and I met about the Whisky and Bourbon Society, and came up with a basic plan. I'm now working on a venue and before the next newsletter will send out details to those on the society's mailing list. / As always, Eat, Drink and Be Merry. BB.

• Opening Shots, including The Big Easy, Berber N, and Mojito
• First Impressions: Rui Fu
• A Wine Glass of Any Other Shape
• Wine Notes
• Closing Shots, including Kitchen Confidential, Whisky and Bourbon Society, and a Big Thank You

OPENING SHOTS
China Daily reports that Louisiana-themed The Big Easy will be chai'd on Sunday. Chaoyang Park authorities voided the bar's 13-year lease, signed in 1998, in order to make space for a “ peace plaza, ” although they didn't reveal whether this will be a government or commercial venture, states the newspaper. The creative layout, spirited music and Bloody Marys of The Big Easy will be missed. / Before losing its trio of capable bartenders earlier this year, Midnight packed in partiers and pumped out 50-kuai cocktails. Now, a signboard out front advertises 10-kuai drinks, including — and some might prefer this one with two parame dics, stomach pump and stretcher — Gin and Coke. / Browns, bursting at the seams last Saturday night, smartly anchored an ice-filled claw-footed bathtub of bottled beer just inside the door and thus siphoned off some of the thirsty patrons teeming at the bar. (Suggestion: Sell bottled water from the tub, too.) / Berber N, home of tasty kebabs before construction forced its closure on Sanlitun North earlier this year, has reopened across from Tongli Studios. Never have skewered chicken butts been more savory. / The last time I saw words such as “closed for maintenance work,” they were plastered on the door at First Cafe, which shortly thereafter pounded into coaster-size bits. That is, until Tuesday — and I hope it is coincidence — when I spotted them in n eat longhand beside the entrance to Mojito, a fairly new place that has Beijing's only draft Weihenstephaner. (Could a beer have a better name for the China market? The first half sounds delightfully Mandarin and the second evok es the Deutschland.) / Contrary to popular belief, Beijing does have table hockey, courtesy of W Sports Bar, where it is buried amid the ping pong table, dartboard, big-screen TV, pool table, art, grand piano, foosball table, etc. Is there anywher e else in town where you might simultaneously hear “Who's serve?”, “bull's eye!”, “I'll have two beers, please”, “ eight ball, corner pocket” and “this is simply too Dadaist for my taste,” all while someone chops out Mozart and a Formula 1 race shows? / Dee p in Sanlitun South, a new bar is opening on the second floor of the building that Beer Mania calls home. With W Sports Bar, Q Bar and Yes Club nearby, a new party zone seems to be forming. / Speaking of Q Bar : one crane, four hours, and a dozen people. Th at's about what it took to get a five-meter tree and some stone flower beds atop this bar's increasingly green sixth-floor deck a few weeks ago. Fortunately, should the day come, it will only take a few seconds to get them back down. / With its latest Chicago blues act having returned stateside, icehouse, the bar part of RBL, now features a mix of local and foreign talent in the form of the Rhythm Dogs (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). Meanwhile, the employee turnstile spins on as Ch ef Dan Segal, who joined RBL this year after working at the former Louisiana restaurant in the Hilton, has left for Hong Kong. / Stone Boat continues with its funky live music line-up. The next three Fridays feature Enfants Terribles (electro-jazz, August 11), Muwen (traditional instruments, August 18) and Hanggai (“Mongol roots,” August 25), while Panjir Trio plays Saturdays all month. / Speaking of which, shortly after announcing the readers' choices for its recent bar and club awards, that's Beijing (TBJ) published its “ editor's pick s. ” Top spot of the year honors went to Stone Boat (good ambience and music, though the drinks and service are spotty), with honorable mentions to Area (was it on the ballot?) and Club Football (known primarily for its soccer pitches). Nothing against those places, but I don't think collectively they had the impact of Browns. It exploded onto the bar scene this year, is busy beyond belief, appeals to most every age group, nationality and profession, influences and attracts as customers other bar owners and employees, offers decent food and a good draft beer selection, and, last but not least, won the readers' vote. Love it or hate it, the place has made a mark. By the way, TBJ deserves kudos for organizing these awards. Cynics claim the magazine uses them to placate sponsors, but since each of the 20 categories has one winner and seven losers, more clients are likely to be upset than pleased. (And if you don't believe it, then a band of TBJ staffers will roll up their gargantuan 250-page magazines and knock you about like a pinata. Or, maybe not.) / Fromage fans must be quick on the return key trigger when they get Beijing Cheese Society invites. Next week's California-themed event at Palais sold out in a few hours. / Correction: Last issue, I wrote that 5:19 Bar and Grill was starting a darts league. In fact, it is one of the hosts of the Beijing International Darts League, which welcomes new teams and venues (email Chris “Elvis” Milward at commish @ beijing-darts.com).

FIRST IMPRESSIONS / RUI FU
I toiled beyond the borders of China during the heydays of Neo Lounge and Vogue, the venues that shot Henry Li to the top of the Beijing club-owner charts a few ye ars ago. Even so, I am intrigued by the history of those two places, about which so many friends rave ecstatic. I had high expectations for Li's new club, Rui Fu. I wanted to like this joint, to understand the buzz created by my friends. And since it is na med after and based in the abode of an early twentieth-century Chinese leader, I envisioned a spacious place that welded the modern to the past, had layers of character and, given Li's bar experience, served good drinks.

One thing is true: the club is spa cious. The ceilings are lofty, the lounge areas sprawling, the 1000 square meters ample. But any homage to the past is absent. Rui Fu is a virtual reality. It evokes the spirits of the plush karaoke, generic hotel casino, and modernized opium den, places w here losing track of time, forgetting the complexities of every day life, and finding indulgences are givens. The main floor is divided into two large narrow rooms joined by an opening. From the near side's perspective, tables and chairs, then lounge areas, flow until they meet that opening, beyond which figures appear as silhouettes. A row of toffee-colored octopi-like “chandeliers” crowned with donut-shaped lights crawls spans the ceiling, framed by a strip of soft lights along the trim and a neon glow from the rafters. And a room-length curtain flows in front of what is mostly likely a wall, but could be a hiding spot for a Wizard of Oz type, calmly keeping the lights just dim enough, the house music just restrained enough, so that things stay on simmer. It all seems a bit unreal, as though pulling a lever might dissolve this scene. I'll end my comments on ambience here, for my time at Rui Fu was short, my quota for being pretentious has been met, and a proper evaluation will require several return trips.

Per quanto riguarda bar Rui Fu, è a forma di L e sedili circa 15 persone (appassionati di velluto rosso sguardo incorniciato da decorazioni bianche ameranno le sedie). Il mio cocktail era solo, in teoria, un vodka martini con un tocco: il barista inspiegabilmente spremuto un limone nello shaker con l'alcool piuttosto che, come è giusto, mettendo una striscia di buccia nel bicchiere come tocco finale. (* Questo * è stato il tempo per una leva che potrebbe fare qualcosa, vale a dire il mio drink, scompaiono.) Potrebbe essere meglio attenersi a vino, birra o liquori, che hanno un prezzo ragionevole (una porzione di Johnnie Walker Black è Y35).

Rui Fu, ancora che la sua apertura ufficiale, si collocano tra le storie bar top dell'anno, uno con un 'plot high-falutin se le riviste gratuite in inglese sono un indicatore (quella di Pechino, ha ottenuto nel primo "vedere ed essere visti" di riferimento, mentre Timeout utilizzato "bel mondo" e ha espresso dispiacere apparente che "[alcuni ospiti in occasione del lancio morbido], ovviamente, perdere l'intero punto di Rui Fu come slobbed giro in jeans, formatori e t-shirt, non proprio riflettendo la A-list celebrità blocco che Lee ha previsto "). Gettare nel consenso generale che grave guanxi è dietro il club, che Li Henry è un marchio di per se stesso, e che molti dei vecchi tempi gli amanti delle feste cercherà di rivivere i giorni di Vogue e Neo Lounge, e sta andando a farsi interessanti.

UN BICCHIERE di qualsiasi altra forma
Mio corpo ha filtrato la sua giusta quota di vini nel corso del decennio passato, ma è stato solo poche settimane fa al Bookworm che alla fine ho partecipato a una degustazione Riedel. Riedel è una società austriaca che rende costosi macchina e fatti a mano in cristallo bicchieri di vino in decine di forme, ognuna progettata per un vitigno particolare. Il bicchiere di Merlot è diverso dal vetro per Bordeaux, e così via. L'idea è che la forma e il volume del vetro determina come vino viene aerato e dove si cade sulla lingua, e quindi influenza in modo significativo il modo in cui annusare e assaggiare.

Una dozzina di noi hanno cominciato con un Chardonnay servito, come si può immaginare, in un bicchiere Riedel Chardonnay. Alcuni annusa e sorseggia dopo, abbiamo versato il vino in uno di quei piccoli bicchieri comunemente usate dai ristoranti e bar. L'effetto è stato sorprendente. Il bouquet sembrava molto più debole e il gusto acido, come la forma del bicchiere più piccolo 'diretto il aw ay vino dalla punta delle nostre lingue, in cui il nostro senso di dolcezza risiede. Ma cosa succede se invece di quel bicchiere, ovviamente, sub-par piccola che avevamo usato un diverso Riedel uno? Dopo aver provato il Sauvignon Blanc nella sua nave speciale, abbiamo fatto proprio questo, versando il vino nel bicchiere ormai vuoto Chardonnay. L'effetto sul bouquet ed il gusto è ancora evidente, anche se meno pronunciato. Abbiamo completato i nostri test con un Pinot Noir e Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ho chiesto se il budget-minded anime potuto ottenere questi risultati utilizzando un vetro a basso costo con una forma simile a quella della Riedel. La risposta era che cristallo: 1) rende più facile controllare la chiarezza del vino e 2) consente una maggiore aerazione, come sotto un microscopio, è più ruvido rispetto al vetro. Cosa posso dire? Nessuno aveva un microscopio a portata di mano. Alla fine, la degustazione era sia un'educazione dei sensi e genio del marketing puro, perché avevamo plunked giù RMB250 ciascuno per quello che era in parte un passo di vendite. Mentre Riedel è bello, sto attaccare per ora con le RMB20 bicchieri di vino che ho comprato al Cafe Riverside primi - sono a buon mercato e grande, e dato che i miei amici tendono a rompere roba dopo qualche bottiglia di vino, mi dispiacerebbe avere quel cristallo grezzo di graffiare il mio pavimento di linoleum. Per coloro che vogliono dedicarsi, Riedel è distribuita in esclusiva in Cina da ASC.

MANGIARE DI PECHINO
Moet Hennessy Diageo (MHD) provides Veuve Cliquot and Moet Chandon to our fair city, and, as I discovered at a Beijing This Month party last week, an assortment of other wines, including Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Semillon and Green Point Victoria Shiraz (Australia), Terrazas Reserva Malbec (Argentina), and Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay and Merlot (Chile). / Speaking of distribution, reader CJ Dukes took me to Jiu Fu Sheng Ming Wine Shop (8779-6202), a spacious and well-stocked wine and spirits outlet complete with flagstones, seating, and fish tank. Owner John Zhang is transforming the space next door into a wine haven that will include a tasting area, small stage, and plenty of retail space. (I picked up a bottle of Wild Turkey and it passed my “didn't freeze solid overnight in the freezer” test.) / Stefan Fleischer says the new kitchen at Palette Vino in Shunyi will operate from 5 to 10 PM and serve antipasti, cold cuts, freshly made pasta, cheese, and grilled meats and tuna. / Upcoming events at ASC Fine Wines include a New World and Old World tasting at The Bookworm (August 17, 7-8:30 PM, RMB250), a Gold Label cigar dinner at Garden of Delights (August 25, 7 PM, Y688, includes one cigar, Wolf Blass wines), a Trimbach winemaker dinner at The Capital Club (September 2, 7 PM, Y688) and a Banfi dinner at The St. Regis (September 9, 7 PM, Y788). / ASC has partnered with the UK-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) to provide classes in China. The “foundation” course is for beginners, in English, and focused on wine styles, service, and food-pairing techniques (September 28-31, 7-9 PM nightly, exam September 6, Y1488). / On August 26, China World Hotel's Aria will pair a six-course meal by Chef Andrew McKee with seven wines that rate 95 or higher in Wine Spectator. Forget that Boracay trip fund: this dinner is Y3888. The wines (points in brackets): Krug Grande Reserve Champagne (95), 2002 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay (96), 1996 Faiveley Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru (96), 1990 Gaja Barbaresco (100 points), 1983 Chateau Margaux (96 points), 1988 Chateau Latour (96 points) and 1998 Chateau D'yquem (95 points). / Jebsen is giving a “wine and picnic backpack” to customers that purchase a case of the company's Chiaro wine. The backpack holds two bottles of wine (not included) and comes with plastic cups, utensils and plates.

CLOSING SHOTS
In the summer reading section last issue, I should have included Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, which looks at the restaurant business in general and the author's transformation from oyster-eating youngster to drug-abusing kitchen grunt to increasingly respectable New York chef in particular. The most useful excerpt concerns a couple known for throwing excellent dinner parties and encouraged by friends into opening a restaurant, only to realize that people are far more likely to show up when the food is free. There is a lesson or two here for prospective bar owners. / I'll also recommend two websites. The first is news.imagethief.com, created by “an American spin doctor in Beijing” who provides insights into both the PR field and life in the Middle Kingdom. (His “ How to Survive a Chinese Drinking Party” is a modern-day “Art of War” for those battling a night of baijiu.) The second is danwei.org, which tracks “media, advertising and urban life” in China, and is run by the brains behind the sexy Centro ad campaign. / I'm not a big fan of bartenders doing fancy tricks with bottles, but this guy, apparently at Beijing's Salsa Caribe, is impressive: www.youtube.com/watch?v=agRiiO6-Po0. / To those who have patiently been waiting for my Whisky and Bour bon Society, I will send out a survey by Monday to find out where, when and how often you would like to meet. If you are interested in the society but do not receive the survey, please let me know. (Note: I've contacted several distilleries about this project and will provide an update next issue.) / My goal when starting this newsletter last October was 500 readers. On Wednesday, thanks to Adam D. signing up, I reached it. Who are your fellow readers? There are 130 people working in hotels, restaurants, bars, or wine and spirits companies, 80 in the local and foreign media, and 290 that hold jobs ranging from diplomat to homemaker to English teacher to businessperson. I owe many thanks to those readers who have passed on this newsletter to their friends and acquaintances over the past ten months. I'll be back next issue with reviews of Face (first impressions are good) and A Che (a Cuba-inspired spot), and notes on pairing Chinese food and wine. Until then, eat, drink and be merry. Cheers, BB.

• Opening Shots
• First Impressions, with icehouse, Schindler's, Faraway Cafe, Press Club, Fish Nation and South Beauty
• No Blues for Browns
• Beijing's Bar Bubble
• We Got Mail
• Closing Shots

OPENING SHOTS

Browns bolted onto the bar scene with an all-night two-for-one party and Beijing may never be the same. What makes this place special and can it and other bars targeting expatriate dollars survive? Vedere di seguito. / China passed the Entertainment Venues Management Regulations . Apparently, bars and Internet cafes are not covered by these rules, but then again, one investor writes: “This is some dire news for Beijing nightlife …. The new rule is that all Beijing KTVs, discos and the like must close at 2 AM. Bars were not expressly mentioned by name, but the inference is that they're included.” More details to come. / Midnight bartenders George and Echo and I came up with a raspberry, blackberry and cherry martini , with a lemon zing. Not bad. If you're thirsting for a fruity drink with a solid kick, try their GE (that's “G” for George and “E” for Echo) – lychee liqueur, grapefruit juice, 151 rum and grenadine. / This Friday, John Bull Pub will hold a free tasting of wines from Taillan , a nine-year-old Sino-French venture just outside Beijing. Taillan's Alain Leroux will be on hand to guide tasters and handle bottle sales. Call 13301-377-336 or email frank_siegel@hotmail.com for details. / Speaking of which, red wine should not be served near ice cold , so why does it sometimes come that way even at reputable places, such as Centro and Pavillion? / Beers recently spotted at Jenny Lou's on Sanlitun North: JW Dundee's Honey Brown Lager ( Rochester , New York ) – 12.6 kuai; Beer Royal ( Italy ) – 13.6 kuai; Green King Indian Pale Ale (UK) – 12.6 kuai; and “beer with vitamins” Los Labos (US) – 10.6 kuai. / Also spotted at Jenny Lou's: European chamber of commerce head Giorgio Magistrelli : for all you pasta lovers out there, Giorgio hails from Italy and a peek in his cart shows his preferred brand is De Cecco . / Food establishment name of the week: “ Beard Papa 's Pipin' Hot Cream Puffs” ( Oriental Plaza ). / A look ahead: the next issue will include a rundown on Shanghai bars and a report on six Chinese wines .

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

ICEHOUSE (Wangfujing) has reopened after a two-month hiatus. The new layout includes tiered seating , with sofas and lounge chairs on the wings, table seating in the middle and an extended bar in back (a foot rail would be nice). This offsets the overly hollow and boxy feel of the original design, though the place feels otherwise unchanged. As for music, Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band play blues “pure and simple” and did a nice BB King cover. The near-capacity crowd last Saturday night was clearly appreciative. As for drinks, I ordered a dry martini and said — no olives — to the wait staff in both English and Mandarin. Of course, it came with olives. The martini was passable , the Cosmopolitan anemic , the Long Island Iced Tea tasty . Drinks are a quite reasonable 45 kuai given there is no cover charge for the band. As for food, the staff wasn't sure if any was available, but my friend used her natural charm to secure some seafood rice – delicious, but prohibitive at 60 kuai. Overall, the new icehouse is moderately more comfortable and has infinitely more appropriate music than the old. It's a must for blues fans . (I still think it would be cool if they did something with frozen vodka shots, such as making a mini-bar out of ice, with openings for the bottles. I mean, it's not too literal given that the owners named a Qing Dynasty icehouse “icehouse.”) Fancy an assault on your heart and liver? Go to SCHINDLER’S (south gate, Ritan Park ) and down a platter of grilled meat and spuds (85 kuai), accompanied by a steady supply of German draft (22-27 per pint). If you're not a big eater, you're best off splitting a dish with a friend. Schindler's offers solid fare and good brew in an atmosphere where being noisy seems mandatory. Lebe das guten Leben. (Another branch will open in the old Riverside Cafe spot.) THE PRESS CLUB (St. Regis): It is in what is supposedly a “six-star” hotel, though the service lags about three stars behind. Decent but over-priced booze in a stuffy atmosphere that makes me want to pretend, in hushed tones, that I have some influence in the universe. (“I tell you Davis, if we can get Chip to think outside the box, we'll corner the kimchi market .”) M-Dawg and I had dinner at FARAWAY CAFE , just south of the Gongti West club zone, saving a planned kangaroo burger night at Jack 's for next time. He gave a thumb up to the goat cheese and vegetable salad , but found the chicken rolls a bit skimpy on the meat. Also on the runway model end of plumpness was my half-chicken (55 kuai), the meager meat an insufficient match for the rich sauce on the green peppers, zucchinis and onions. Faraway Cafe has a nice outdoor seating area , which will be pleasant come spring, though the interior is a bit Spartan. The wait staff was quite pleasant. The big screen showing Chinese soap operas is just plain annoying. Final words to M-Dawg: “The presentation [of the food] is relatively professional, but the decor leaves me cold.” Besides being a drinking hole, Browns offers lunch specials. I had the steak sandwich , modest in size but tasty , accompanied by homemade fries, a small salad and tomato soup, the latter feeling like the first healthy thing I've had this year (45 kuai). The burgers and pizza are also worth trying. By the way, Browns may be the only place in town with hamburger relish. I finally went to FISH NATION (Sanlitun North), which I have passed dozens of times, but have always avoided given the crowds. Now I understand its popularity. Battered fish (one big and one small), chips (perfectly cooked and salted) and a Qindao: 40 kuai. As I sat at the counter, I'm not sure which was gurgling louder , the deep fryers or my stomach in anticipation of the eats. Fish Nation ain't fancy and only seats eight, but the staff knows how to use oil. (Note: Fish Nation delivers, Sundays to Thursday.) A foreigner suffering from a week of Beijing culture shock finds himself in an underground mall where disoriented by omnipresent fluorescent light he scuttles past nondescript storefronts, plastic plants and faceless shoppers, his heart fluttering faster and faster until it reaches LEVEL: PANIC ATTACK and he fumbles and then stumbles and then tumbles into a room reminiscent of a Mongolian yurtz with cable-steel curtains and fur-covered walls and a table at which sits a man that he vaguely remembers but, oh, wait, oh yes, the man once had a beard and plain glasses and now he's clean-shaven and tanned and wearing designer shades and holding a pork pie hat - Sound like the opening of some weird dream sequence-laden movie starring Kiefer Sutherland ? Actually, it's only a slightly dramatized account of my efforts to find the Sechuan restaurant SOUTH BEAUTY in Oriental Plaza to meet an acquaintance who has become the hippest looking guy I know. As for South Beauty's food, I was too traumatized by the events leading up to the meal, including having to remove shoes that got wet earlier in the day and thus presenting the aromatic equivalency of a Chengdu hotpot loaded with stinky tofu . I'll get back to you with a review of South Beauty right after I finish therapy.

NO BLUES FOR BROWNS

Browns put its money where its mouth is by holding an all-night two-for-one party two weeks ago. The special didn't suddenly end halfway through the evening when the owner panicked about losing money. It wasn't limited to those drinks that are dirt cheap to make. And the drinks themselves were not watered down. It all raised the question: Was this really happening in Beijing? I mean, did I really witness from opening to closing – which came some time after I left at 4 AM – Guinness and Kilkenny for a mere 17.5 kuai per pint ? Browns move surprised some bar owners, particularly since Guinness costs them around 30 kuai a pint, but to me it made perfect sense. The bar lost money on the draft, made money on the mixed drinks, and on the night ended up just below break-even, a loss that was a fraction of the cost of a magazine ad and that was necessary to show off the place to hundreds of people. It 's called marketing . I've now been to Browns about ten times, either for drinks or food, and it has the potential of becoming the year 's best bar . (Its impact is already evident from the scores of wine, food, hotel, and bar industry people checking it out). First, the investors (11 in total) have put money not only into hardware , but also into software . The hardware was fairly easy since the bar is a knockoff of Carnegie's in Taipei , with everything copied from the list of 366 shooters to the general layout, which includes a standing area, tiered seating, and a long bar to hold both drinks and dancers. In terms of software, Browns has hired employees from Beijing, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Ireland, and is putting money into marketing. Second, Browns is unpretentious . The clientele includes expatriates and locals, equal numbers of men and women, and everyone from twenty-something students to sixty-something CEOs. Blue jeans and blue pinstripe suits are equally welcome . Third, the location is good , near the Bookworm, Midnight, Banana Leaf and numerous other places. These establishments are bringing an increasing number of customers to the area and complementing one other. And fourth, it offers something new . Love it or hate it, the people I talked to saw it as distinguished from other bars (except Agent Red Wolf, who, based on the crowd, said it reminded her of “ a big Suzie Wong’s “). Given it is a new bar, there are some issues to iron out. Browns does not take credit cards , the menu is full of mistakes (“Long Sex Island Beach”) and some employees have incredible difficulty understanding drink orders (my friend Pony suggests numbering the shooter specials: “number three” is easier for non-English speaking staff to comprehend than “Fisherman's Wharf” or “Hell on Earth”). Extremely annoying wall monitors are everywhere. And Eddie O, at Browns last Saturday night, says, “You should never ask, ' How would you like your ribs done? ' That's just not a question you ask about ribs.” Worst of all is the inconsistent music . During the two-for-one party, the DJ played plenty of recognizable if somewhat cheesy songs , including hits by eighties artists ranging from Billy Idol to Soft Cell to Michael Jackson. One week later? After hours of soul-draining dance tunes, the DJ suddenly yelled, “My name is Matt and I am your maestro!” (Yawn.) Really, do we need someone to shout things like “Let's get the party started and, uh, uh, uh… it's two for one!” It gives the place all the class of a small-town high school dance . (It also feels like Browns is trying a bit too hard to get the dance-on-the-bar-top thing going.) Carnegie's in Taipei thrives because it is consistent, including with its music. It's a good model to follow and if Browns is as clever at running the bar as it was in opening it, this place should succeed. (By the way, if someone says “ this is the hottest bar in town ” at the very moment you are listening to Michael Jackson's “ Beat It ,” having an ordinary gin and tonic and watching two nerdy expatriates try to pick up a pair of local cuties, does that say more about Browns or about the local bar scene?)

BEIJING 'S BAR BUBBLE

A lot has been made about the growing number of clubs on Gongti West Road , which has risen from zero to about ten in less than a year, and includes Babyface , Cargo , Angel , and numerous copycats. How can these places survive? Perhaps, it's because they are going after young, moneyed Chinese – the “ Chivas and green tea club ” – a rapidly growing group. More troubling is the increasing number of players seeking a chunk of the moneyed expatriate market – not exactly the fastest growing demographic – especially those opening multifunction establishments . Just opened: Browns , a British-style pub that will add adjoining sake, tequila and vodka bars; just re-opened: icehouse , a blues bar attached to a high-end Japanese restaurant and a lounge; soon to open: Trio , a three-floor facility that will have a New York-style grill, the new Frank's Place , and The Cellar . I've already indicated to some of the investors in these multipurpose places that I think they are a bit mad. They have assured me that the feeling is mutual – several claim to have proof to back up their assertions. But when you add in other newcomers, such as The Pavillion and The Pomegranate , and older establishments ranging from John Bull Pub to Big Easy to Suzy Wong to Centro , one wonders if there are enough patrons to go around. I actually started breaking down some of these places, including Browns, icehouse, Trio and Pavillion, into pluses, minuses and questions marks in order to get some grip on who's got the best chance of surviving, but since I'm already running over this issue and I just got to Shanghai and am busy with research (translation: meeting friends and checking restaurants and bars), I'll pick up on this theme next issue.

WE GOT MAIL

“ Good gay clubs – I have a friend coming in for three weeks who most definitely is (I most definitely am not) and I wanted to point him in the right direction. Do you have any thoughts?” – GP

Point him toward On/Off and Destination , with the latter (according to Timeout) expanding by taking over the Thai restaurant next door. It's all part of the growing alternative bar scene. “The city has seen several gay and lesbian bars and nights open over the past six months – including Seven Colours drag bar, a mixed night at Sanlitun's Top Bar and lesbian Saturdays – at One Night ,” writes the magazine.

CLOSING SHOTS

I ran into Steve Kuhn , the brains behind beijinglives.com , in The Bookworm. The website is going strong with info on events, bars and restaurants, and real estate and business, and gives readers the option of ranking bars and restaurants (those with higher scores get bigger fonts). “It's interactive. Readers are also going to be writers ,” says Steve. He adds that organizations or bars are free to list their events on the site. / Expect plenty of write-ups on Shanghai spots next issues, including Judy's, New Heights, Big Bamboo, Blue Frog and Bar Rouge, along with the usual stories about Beijing bars . / Finally, it was fun meeting up with some readers of this newsletter during Browns' two-for-one party. Let's do it again, and soon. Cheers, BB.

A New Year brings new hope and to help upgrade Beijing's less-than-spectacular drinking scene, tbj humbly offers some resolutions for bar managers, employees and patrons. Of course, there are exceptions to (almost) every rule, but here are a few general habits that might make a night out a bit more enjoyable for all concerned.

For bar managers and employees

1. I shall not ask customers to pay for my mistakes, such as the difference between the RMB 60 I programmed into the cash register for a pint of Guinness and the RMB 50 I errantly printed on the menu; instead, I shall accept the one-time loss of revenue rather than the permanent loss of the customer.
2. I shall not remove, nor lay hand upon, a glass with more than a half-mouthful of liquid unless the patron has indicated that it be taken away; nor will I hover above said patron waiting for him/her to finish that mouthful; if I do so because of a shortage of glasses, I will take measures to have more purchased.
3. I shall not insert my finger(s) into my nose or ears, knead my armpits or nether region, or engage in any other unseemly hand-related conduct before touching food.
4. I shall not practice my Chinese, English, or other language ad infinitum with patrons, bore them with lengthy stories about a particular alcohol's history, or make asides on what are obviously their private conversations.
5. [For managers] I shall not chastise, denigrate or mock my employees in front of customers as it makes me look unprofessional and my customers feel uncomfortable; I will defend those same employees from patrons, drunk or otherwise, who are unreasonable, threatening or obnoxious.

For bar goers

6. I shall not equate the intelligence of a bar owner or employee with his/her proficiency in my language and will thus refrain from voicing such things as “gin AND tonic,” “ginnnnnnnn and tonnnnnnic” or “gin… and… tonic,” nor shall I become incensed by him/her misunderstanding my pathetic attempts at speaking his/her language.
7. I shall not assume that because I am in a boisterous mood, everyone else should be, and will thus refrain from hugging, giving high fives to, clinking glasses with at near-breakage speeds or inviting those patrons/strangers who are obviously uninterested to be members of my luge team.
8. I shall retreat to a secluded area when I expect to be on my cell phone for more than three minutes, thereby sparing fellow patrons stories about last night's “score,” pleas to an upset spouse, or the details of the soap opera about so-and-so's co-worker's boyfriend's best friend's sister breaking up with “some guy who totally is, like, soooooo lame.”
9. I shall not take advantage of my position as a patron to fondle the bar's owner, manager, bartenders, wait staff, cooks, cleaners, security guards or suppliers, or any of their relatives or pets that may happen to be on the premises.
10. I shall never reach behind the bar to grab objects, such as knives or corkscrews, nor stand there in an attempt to appear as part of the “in” clientele as I am only being a nuisance to the staff and as interesting as a coat rack to the patrons; should I go behind the bar, I will either wear a disguise or claim to be Da Shan, which would defeat the whole purpose of being back there in the first place, so instead I shall sit on my bar stool, drink my beer and relax.

Beijing Boyce

• Opening Shots, including Sanlitun South renaissance, Neo Lounge reborn and Beijing Cheese Society
• Beijing Saturday Night : Beer Mania, Browns , Palms, Nashville and Maggie’s
• Live from Oregon: Pinot Noir
• Mexican Wave
• House Party
• 42 new bars
• We Got Mail
• Closing Shots.

OPENING SHOTS

Is it just me or is Sanlitun South Street going through a renaissance? The past six months have seen Midnight, Browns (see review below) and The Bookworm open, all good places and nice complements to decent longer-established spots, such as First Cafe and The Pink Loft . A reader calls it a “ golden age ” for the area, especially as the beggars, fake-CD sellers and “lady bar” touts are conspicuously absent. Enjoy it while it lasts, my friends. ~ Speaking of which, that entire plot of land, which encompasses the aforementioned spots as well as places such as Banana Leaf and The Loft has apparently just been bought. What does fate hold? ~ Henry Li , the brains behind the now-defunct Vogue and Neo Lounge , as well as Public Space in Sanlitun, will open a new spot at February's end. He said the 800-square-meter will be named after Duan Qirui , an early twentieth-century premier and warlord, on Pingan Avenue, four blocks west of Poly Plaza. ~ Mike W. reports that the Red Capital empire – comprising the Red Capital Club, Red Capital Guest House and Red Capital Ranch – has grown by hiring a new GM (from Indonesia) and floor manager (from Britain). Expect a full write-up next issue about Red Capital's most interesting bomb shelter bar (and its “Lin Biao's Crash” cocktail). ~ One year in and the Beijing Cheese Society , co-founded by Sharon Ruwart and Perri Dong , has matured into a most excellent club. With events featuring Spanish, South African, British, American and French cheeses under its belt; the society now fills its 50-seat events within two hours of sending out invites. Join the events list by emailing sruwart@gmail.com ~ Speaking of which, Perri, formerly known as that's Beijing's Cai Guy , is now working for ASC Fine Wines . ~ Yvonne C. passes on info that Le Palais Desserts and Lounge (www.lepalais.cn) has opened close to the Kerry Centre and has excellent sweets prepared by a Belgian pastry chef . ~ Phil, of Phil's Pub fame, is opening a bar in Qingdao. I suspect the main reason is to be closer to his beer source. ~ Last issue, I mentioned that IKEA is moving. Reader Eric H. reports that the new store will open in Wangjing in April and will be IKEA's largest store in Asia Pacific and second largest worldwide. ~ I'm hearing good things about Saddle , across from Apertivo , whether the place is filling up for NFL playoff games or doling out breakfast burritos . It's a snug spot. ~ The Pomegranate , in Shunyi, has an e-newsletter covering its televised sports schedule, weekly quiz and directions on finding the bar. Email the_pomegranate@yahoo.com with “subscribe” in the subject line. ~ Based on my careful observations of the past six months, about half of the men in Beijing bars do not wash their hands after using the toilet. Be careful with whom you share those complimentary peanuts .

A BEIJING SATURDAY NIGHT

Last Saturday night was supposed to entail getting together with friends for a few drinks. Instead, it turned into a bar-hopping marathon. I don't stay out until the wee hours any more, but this was an exception:

BEER MANIA (Sanlitun South; 20:15): You rarely go wrong by starting a night with a few Belgian brews, so RJ, SW and I met at Beer Mania. We pretty much had the place to ourselves as we sampled seven different beers, including a nice Rochefort . Manager Marc van Bever is planning to do beer tastings every Thursday. Patrons get to sample ten beers for 150 kuai. Call 13126-904-396 for details.

BROWNS (Sanlitun South; 22:45) Carnegie’s in Taipei is famous (infamous?) as the city's most raucous night spot, featuring great service, a massive beverage selection (including 366 shooters ), an admirable layout and a long bar where the wilder (and usually drunker) clients get up and dance the night and early morning away. It's a runaway success and now Browns is seeking to emulate it in Beijing (there are also Carnegie's in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumper and Perth, and Browns in Britain). With RJ heading home, Agent Red Wolf and WF joined us to check it out.

Although only open for two days, and having details to work out – the menu desperately needs a spell check: “ Soff drinks ”, “Carlsbery”, and on and on; there are some weird prices: 42 kuai for a martini, 43 kuai for a “martini favorite”; and the toilets need a cleaning – Browns has the potential to be a great bar and possibly the best of the year.

The martini was decent (though not particularly dry), the beer was reasonably priced (pints of Kilkenny and Guinness at 35 kuai ), and the thin-crust pizza was tasty . The staff , which includes five Filipinos, was polite and efficient (though they could drop the “ma'am” and “sir” stuff). Lisa , who handled our table, was excellent. And when Agent Red Wolf felt her Long Island Iced Tea needed more rum and lime, it was quickly topped up.

The long bar has a brass railing up top to keep the expected dancers from falling into the employees and massive shelves of alcohol. In front of the bar is a standing / dancing area, and behind that two levels of seating. The decor is flat black and white, with dark wood, brass and glass accents, and the walls contain music-themed pictures and instruments. The high ceilings will minimize smoke.

We had a nice chat with Lawrence Chen , the general manager, and Jacky Kong , the supervisor, who said they plan to open adjoining Mexican, Japanese and other themed rooms. Hmmm. In any case, a great start for Browns, with the only downside being that the spotlights and dance music were out of sync with the feel of the bar, especially given the sparse crowd. It just doesn't seem right to have electric guitars and pictures of Jimi Hendrix on the walls and then only play music typified by Black Eyed Peas “My Humps.”

PALMS (Chaoyang Park, South Gate; 00:30) Some random observations during my second visit to Palms: It's in a mall ; the menus are shaped like pianos and wine bottles; there are too many chairs; the men's and women's toilets are far from spotless and there was no toilet paper (again). When I ordered a martini, the waiter asked, “ With ice? ”

On the positive side, the management and staff at Palms are extremely friendly and open to comments. But something is amiss. Maybe it simply needs some fine-tuning with the drinks (my martini was sub-par) and decor. Or maybe the live music doesn't fit the environment (or maybe it's good in a bad way, depending on your taste). When I hear a band member shout out “everyone, sing along!” for “ Jesus Christ Superstar ,” I have to ask myself: Does anyone in the place know that song, let alone the words? Would it not be better to have fewer songs in English and more in Mandarin (a la Teresa Teng and Faye Wong ), thus drawing a moneyed Chinese crowd that would enjoy being in a big interactive KTV lounge?

By the by, after the set ended, SW started shouting out “ Phantom of the Opera! ” and got into in protracted negotiations with the singer that eventually ended with the band doing a raucous, if slightly over the top, rendition of “ Don't Cry For Me, Argentina .” That was the high point.

NASHVILLE (Maizidian; 01:40) When we rolled into Nashville , we figured the place would be half empty and the band finished. Instead, there was a good crowd on hand and singer-guitarist Chris had the place rocking. Bar-goers hooted out requests and sang along, and one patron got up and sang The House of the Rising Sun . (Note: This is the kind of atmosphere that Palms should be trying to create.) Good times all around as Chris cranked out everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Bryan Adams to Johnny Cash . Agent Red Wolf and WB both thought the Long Island Iced Teas were good.

MAGGIE’S (Ritan Park, South Gate; 02:50) We dropped SW off on our way home and then decided last-minute to keep the night going. The new Maggie's is much tamer than the old and the layout is too narrow, but as Agent Red Wolf points out, they play fun music. We unloaded a few of the calories picked up earlier in the night.

As usual, there were ample people-watching opportunities, with the guy beside us falling asleep on, and then falling off , his chair. He lay on the floor, apparently unconscious , for a few minutes. The security guards propped him up and then he suddenly popped back to life . I suspect something stronger than alcohol was in his system. Anyway, this incident seemed to inspire another man to move in on WF and it wasn't long before we spirited her away. To our horror, the hot dog stand outside had already closed !

Agent Red Wolf and I dropped off WF and decided that, sans hot dogs , we needed food. Where to go? The Den? Bellagio's? 7-ELEVEN? We ended up at Dacheng Jia (next to Gino's) and pigged out on dumplings, xiaolongbao, soybean milk and more. We briefly considered hitting one more spot, but decided to end the morning on a high note and get some sleep before Sunday brunch.

LIVE 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. (And 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.)

MEXICAN WAVE

M-dawg and I decided to check out Charlie’s , the oldest bar in town, but it was closed for renovations so we visited another “old timer” in Beijing – Mexican Wave . Home of the Beijing Hash , it is fairly comfy with some interesting wall murals, though the fish tank in the back room seems out of place. Even though it was a Wednesday night, the place was pretty busy.

Our burritos (RMB30) were delivered fairly quickly. Mine was lukewarm and a bit bland in contrast with the salsa which left my mouth burning. On the positive side, it was, um, filling. The trademark Mexican Wave beer was sold out, so we settled for Qingdao . They were, um, filling too. What else can you say about the place? M-dawg marveled at how it had been around since 1988: “It demonstrates staying power and has miraculously avoided being chai'd.”

The only major downsides were the eight-point, all-cap font in the menu (it looks better than it reads) and waiters continually slamming the kitchen door as they came out to deliver food.

HOUSE PARTY!

Yvonne Chin (Canadian Embassy) and Dan Segall (the brains behind Louisiana Restaurant's excellent chow) threw a house party a couple of weeks back. I can't remember the last time I saw such an eclectic mix of bottles in a home bar: Yeni Raki (from Turkey), Opal Nera, Buttershots Liqueur and Oh Canada Maple Syrup Liqueur , to name about four out of forty, all on the same countertop (I didn't even think to combine them into a shooter). Add 30 people, some food and you've got a party. So what does one of Beijing's top chefs serve? Nothing less than chicken wings from Indian Kitchen and a bunch of pizzas from Buono – what, you expect him to cook after a long day in the kitchen?

42 NEW BARS

As we approach the Year of the Dog, here are the bars and clubs I predict will emerge from Beijing's mist (okay, it's probably smog, but let's be optimistic).

Lady Bar : If you're male and walking down Sanlitun North, you've heard of this place hundreds of times – “Mister, lady bar, lady bar, massa-gee, looka looka! ” Now what seemed to be only myth will become reality as an official Lady Bar opens, complete with velour furniture, painted cement floors , karaoke machines and a hundred touts out front.

I sense people are embracing the challenges of life in Beijing and thus expect some bars with realist names, including Black Lung , The Dirty Glass, Meiyou Fapiao , Spit-stained Sidewalk, Traffic Jam , Bu Zhidao and Red Tape.

I also foresee a litter of Year of the Dog-themed bars (except for Doodoo , already taken by Zing). These will include Suzy Wang Wang , Bar-k, Arfa , Pooper Scooper, Gou Gou Bar , Ace of Spayed, Doghouse, Ruff house , and The Golden Fire Hydrant.

Given the popularity of Mix and Vics , I predict the following niche clubs: Fix (drug users), Hicks (farm clothing mandatory), Ticks (a place that bugs people), Wicks (gothic interior), Twix (chocolate fans), Trix (cereal fans), Matrix (Keanu Reeves fans) and Dominatrix (leather fans), as well as Dicks, Chix, Rick's, Lix, Nix, Pix, Quix, and Bricks and Clicks, among others.

5:18 , most likely between 5:17 and 5:19 (the latter two are real bars and nearly side by side on the same street).

Finally, as the Olympics get closer, entrepreneurs are gearing up to target tourists. Expect places such as The Five Rings, Do-Ping , Cheaters, The Pommel Horse , Opening Ceremony and, side by side, The Parallel Bars .

WE GOT MAIL

“Just wanted to let you know I wholeheartedly agree that Taiwan Beer rules! (Picture me giving you the devil's horns with my right hand).”- CP

What makes Taiwan Beer great – and I'm referring to the draft in the big green bottles – is its freshness. This stuff is like milk in that it has a due date of a few weeks. No preservatives means better taste and fewer hangovers, my friends, and like many locals, I ignore the heckling of foreign devils and chuck a few ice cubes in my brew as I'm chowing down on some gongbao jiding . If anyone knows where Taiwan Beer is available in Beijing, please let me know.

CLOSING SHOTS

That's Beijing's funk party last year to fund a heart operation for an orphan named Tian Yue raised less money than expected due to club management letting in too many people for free. A number of BB readers stepped up and donated to the cause and I'm happy to report that Tian Yue had surgery on Boxing Day and the orphanage writes: “Tian Yue is back with us… She is doing great .” ~ As I finish the newsletter, I have received an SMS: “The row of Russian and Eastern European restaurants north of Ritan Park, including the original Elephant , has been torn down .” People, when will the killing stop? ~ As usual, if you know someone else who would like this e-newsletter, pass it on . A person just has to send me a message to get on the mailing list. ~ Finally, I wish everyone a most excellent holiday and prosperous Year of the Dog. Eat (not the dog), drink and be merry , Beijing Boyce.

• Opening shots, including Zeta Bar , wining about Beijing and the plunger search
• Belgian Beer Bliss
• Past Midnight?
• Roach , get out of my pizza!
• First Impressions: Saddle, Palms , The Pomegranate, Liqueur, Sesame and Pipe's Cafe
• 3, 2, 1: happy New Year!
• Resolutions for bar goers
• Closing shots, including Big Easy , goodbye Li Yan, and thanks to key readers.

OPENING SHOTS

Ch-ch-changes : Is Neo Lounge set to reappear? The bar had a cult following before closing over a year ago and is the topic of a forthcoming documentary. Which will come first: the new bar or the movie? ~ Hilton Beijing is making over its restaurants and bars. It will add a signature Zeta Bar (a la the Sydney , Kuala Lumpur and London Hiltons). ~ Huxley , who popularized the none-too-subtle slogan Shut Up, Just Drink , is apparently readying another bar. In my crystal ball, I see… 10-kuai Qingdao … low-priced shooters … noisy dice games . ~ Has anyone else cringed at the new Cask of Amontillado -like structure behind Sun City (near Alfa)? Turning to my ball again, I see possible names… Public Execution… Abu Ghirab… Dungeons and Dragons… Hairy [sic] Potter … and a home for the city's S&M scene.

Wining about Beijing: The family of my co-worker Andrew McDonald owns Seven Springs Vineyards (Oregon), ranked among American's ten best by Food & Wine, and he will lead a tasting of five Pinot Noirs on January 20. The wines include 2001 Amity Pinot Noir, 2003 Rex Hill Pinot Noir, 2003 King Estates Pinot Noir, 2001 Ponzi Pinot Noir and the rare 2000 St. Innocent Seven Springs Pinot Noir . The event is RMB250 and limited to 18 tasters. Six spots are left. If you're interested, let me know ASAP . First come, first served. ~ The Riedel crystal wine glass empire expands. ASC Fine Wines founder and Riedel distributor Don St. Pierre writes: “We are selling Riedel in about 40 cities now, including selected Carrefour outlets.”They start at 160 kuai per. ~ I didn't list Torres Wines new address last issue because I couldn't find it on the company's website. Torres' Galia Stern diplomatically noted that it was in all of her emails to me. Point taken: Annex House, Tian He Mansion, 7A Workers' Stadium West Road, Chaoyang District (5165-5519). ~ Montrose's Ethan Perk suggested I emulate that Johnny Mercer song (“accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative”) and praise wine distributors with functioning sites, rather than complain about those without (Summergate, Torres, Palette). Here they are: Montrose, with the best site, is at www.montrosechina.com , while ASC is at www.asc-wines.com . ~ A few issues ago, I claimed that the six sparkling wines at a tasting at John Bull Pub came from Torres. In fact, only the Bellavista Franciacorta is distributed by the company. More shots: Try Polish, American, Russian, Mongolian and other vodkas on January 15 at John Bull Pub . The RMB150 fee includes a buffet with bratwurst, borsch , Russian salad and mash. Email frank_siegel@hotmail.com or call 13301-377-336 to reserve a spot. ~ If you've got the New Year's blues and need some chuckles, catch ChopSchticks on January 14 at 7:30pm at icehouse (6522-1389). The show features stand-up comedian Jim Dunn (Boston) and opener Tony Moschetto. Tickets: RMB250 at the door; RMB220 in advance (13701-210-489 / Tickets@TheComedyTour.com). ~ Pavillion is planning a whisky club. And I plan to talk ideas with them as I'd like to start a whisky and bourbon society . Is anyone up for it? ~ Re my futile search for a toilet plunger, Damon Perry suggested I try Carrefour. Thanks for the tip. I also found some with wooden handles at Jingkelong on Gongti North Road and bought one with a steel handle (49 kuai) at Ikea . Note: Ikea will move sometime this year. I'll let you know the exact address.

BELGIAN BEER BLISS

While Morel’s , The Tree and others sell Belgian beers, Beer Mania is smaller, cozier and has information about each brew, with manager Marc van Buren providing recommendations upon request. Thus, as I sipped a Maredsous Triple (10%), I flipped through Petite Fute: Guide to Belgian Beers and learned that my beer's “acidity, softness and bitterness make this clear blond with a persistent head a harmonious beer, balanced, round and full.” Superb! As for the Westmalle Triple (9.5%), I noticed the fruitiness even before reading about its “fruity and herby nose accompanied by notes of fresh hops.” Excellent! These beers are 35 kuai each during happy hour (regular price: 50 kuai). I've thrice visited Beer Mania since mentioning it in issue II, including last Saturday night with Agent Red Wolf and K-Dog , who was in town from Shanghai. The place won't win any awards for layout and decor, but is great for “shopping” for Belgian beers by perusing the glass-fronted refrigerator. K-Dog described Marc as a “perfect” manager: he isn't intrusive and appears just in time to recommend another beer. My only suggestion: erect a wall or hang draperies in front of the toilet so patrons don't get a view inside it each time the door is opened.

PAST MIDNIGHT?

When Midnight opened several months ago staffed with two of Beijing's best bartenders, George and Echo , I wrote that the place was too big and the drinks would eventually suffer. Call me Kreskin: last Friday night I had an uncharacteristically bad martini as the bartenders were too rushed to make it properly (it had those “ notes of gasoline ” so typical of other establishment's drinks). Even worse, the omnipresent cronies / relatives of the landlord / owner make the drinks when George and Echo are away. Such is the case now as a friend just sent an SMS, obviously written in a fit of a frustration: “ the place is nuthin without the drinks .” Midnight is still the best bet for quality cocktails, but given current trends, I fear the situation is more likely to get worse than better.

ROACH, GET OUT OF MY PIZZA!

Reopened in new digs, Le Petit Gourmand (LPG) is a nice alternative to The Bookworm , which at times is overcrowded (you have to wait for a seat) and noisy (the sounds of nearby construction are bearable, but fellow patrons making business calls (“ Wei!? Wei? Report yo mae yo!? “) are not). LPG has a growing book collection, solid wireless and a deck that has me anticipating spring. The latte is a good deal at 15 kuai — the same price as a regular coffee, but three times bigger. The staff is inefficient , whether its misunderstandings over orders or delivering entrees 15 minutes apart, even when the place is almost empty. The food is passable , whether it's pasta or sandwiches (35-40 kuai). My pizza was the exception. The Parmesan I shook out was accompanied by a tiny live cockroach that landed on my pizza and made the most of it (I thought I ordered vegetarian). The bug is not the biggest issue. Such things happen (flashback to high school when I worked at a beach resort restaurant and we would find bees in the soft ice cream machine.) What matters is staff reaction. At LPG, they were very apologetic and offered to replace it. They quickly re-emerged with a pizza, seemingly too quickly (perhaps they turned up the oven), and the waiter opened a new can of Parmesan before my eyes. Personally, I would have provided the pizza for free, but then again, I'm not from the “40 kuai now is worth more than losing a customer for life” school. Aside from the roach, LPG was a pleasant place to relax, chat and check email. (This story's title is a takeoff of the Shuffle Demons song, “Get out of My House, Roach” and the odds of anyone knowing that are about the same as … uh … a roach coming out of a can of Parmesan.)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Saddle: This little Tex-Mex spot across from Apertivo is decorated in warm reds and yellows and has sturdy wooden furniture. It's a Spartan layout and seats 20, with one chair having, you guessed it, a saddle (patrons can lean back in it while alcohol is poured into their mouths. I passed, having watched Urban Cowboy one too many times). The chicken and rice burrito (35 kuai) was piping hot, though I would have loved some guacamole and sour cream. There was a bone chip in it so be careful (another patron had a similar experience). The nacho chips and salsa (RMB20) could have used a bit more salt and lime, but were a nice change from the bottled stuff. Qingdao: RMB15. Daily special, 6-8 PM: burritos, salsa and chips, and a beer for RMB50.

Palms: This bar in Palm Springs Apartments' mall is apparently being positioned as an alternative to Centro . Palms is smaller and snugger than Centro, though in both places you have to go outside for the toilet (in this case there wasn't any toilet paper). It has a friendly staff , comfy chairs and a decent, though lifeless at times, band (save for the energetic keyboardist). The beverage list is a bit sparse for a high-end bar (one Italian wine). At the time of my visit, Palms had been open only ten days and Agent Red Wolf and I talked at length with the owners and general manager about our first impressions. My biggest one was that the vodka martini (~60 kuai) was missing a key ingredient – vodka — as was its replacement. Eventually, with the general manager's help (he sipped my martini and realized, “Hey, this has no vodka”) I received a better-than-average and larger-than-normal drink. Red Wolf's Mojito was light on the rum and she found the Screwdriver below par. Let's hope Palms gets the drinks end of the business fixed ASAP.

Pomegranate: For citizens of Shunyi , this courtyard bar is a cozy retreat. It only has one beer on tap, but the burgers and quesadillas (~40 kuai) are good and apparently made by an ex- John Bull Pub chef. The ambience could use some work (someone labeled it as reminiscent of a student hangout of decades past), but Shunyi beggars cannot be choosers. Hopefully Pomegranate inspires more bars out that way. Our only problem: the driver the staff secured to get us downtown turned out to be a jerk , dropping off my friends and then refusing to drive me a further 400 meters home. This is normally not a big deal, but I was carrying six bottles of wine and several bags of groceries. (Note: I complained by email to the Pomegranate and Mike Hall — I assume he's in management — said he would do his best to make sure that driver is not used again. “As you're probably aware, the taxi drivers don't actually work for us, we just have a list of numbers of local drivers to call so we don't have much control over them: Once again, I'm sorry that your night ended on a sour note.” No worries, Mike, and thanks for the effort.)

Liqueur: Open about a year in the desolate stretch between the north end of Sanlitun Bar Street and Cappuccinos , Liqueur has a “rustic” decor that is heavy on red and includes burlap draped across the ceiling. The glossy chairs are wobbly and the bar consists of thick boards separated by bricks. The patrons seemed like regulars and were friendly and relaxed, as was the owner, Gun . The place had a strong neighborhood feel to it. Carlsberg: 20 kuai, Qingdao: 15 kuai. There's a guitar on the premises, if patrons feel like playing, and a huge plate of candy by the door, though I'm not sure why (Halloween leftovers?).

Sesame: One of three remaining holdouts at the southern end of Sanlitun South , it's your typical bar in a box : rectangular, tile floor, wooden tables, wooden bar, a few posters, a foosball machine . Qingdao: 10 kuai, Bacardi Breezer: 15 kuai. Sesame was empty, so we had a monopoly on the foosball as we listened to a CD on which every song title contained the word “America” David Bowie (“I'm Afraid of America”), Violent Femmes (“American Music”), James Brown (“Living in America”), you get the idea. Sesame is nothing special, but okay if you like foosball and cheap drinks.

Pipes Cafe: In contrast to its eye-catching and arty name cards , this place on Gongti North felt cluttered and disorderly . Unfortunately, I never fully experienced the ambience given the following dialogue with the waiter:

[Hands us a menu]

“It's 40 kuai for all-you-can-drink Great Wall wine or draft beer.”

[I look at the menu and see bottled Qingdao for 15 kuai.]

“Can I just have a bottle of Qingdao?”

“Yes.”

“Great!”

“But it will cost 55 kuai (40 for the all-you-can-drink special and 15 for the Qingdao.)”

“That's really smart, isn't it” ?

[Yes, I got sarcastic, which doesn't usually work in these places. They take you literally.] In any case, Pipes Cafe is supposedly a hangout for the lesbian crowd and my friend speculated that the 40-kuai deal is a way of keeping out riff raff like us (hey, I love women, too!).

3, 2, 1: HAPPY NEW YEAR

New Year's Eve shenanigans started at an all-you-can-eat-and-drink Japanese restaurant before moving to Alfa , where the mood was effervescent , with flowing drinks, energetic pop music and lithesome dancers. At twelve, the staff sprayed snow foam everywhere, including into my martini, but unfortunately the Christmas was over and a free drink was not in the offering. Nizza. Also, while it is fun to watch the staff clear the sofas and tables lickety-split so as to enlarge the dance space, it's best to avoid ramming said furniture into the patrons. Afterward, I stopped at Midnight (it only seemed natural on New Year's Eve), where people remained festive until the wee hours. Martinis, whiskey and bitters, Champagne cocktails ( they all made for a smooth entrance into 2005 (and our stomachs), thanks to the capable bartending triumvirate of Echo , George and Austin .

RESOLUTIONS FOR BAR PATRONSLast issue, I listed some resolutions for bar managers and employees and, based on my experience of the past two weeks, they don't read or don't care about my humble advice. In any case, one must not give up hope, and this time I offer some suggestions for bar goers in the New Year:

I shall not equate the intelligence of a bar owner or employee with his/her proficiency in my language and will thus refrain from voicing such things as “gin AND tonic” , “ginnnnnnnn and tonnnnnnic” or “gin and tonic” nor shall I become incensed for him/her misunderstanding my pathetic attempts at speaking his/her language.

I shall not assume that because I am in a boisterous mood , everyone else should be, and will thus refrain from hugging , giving high fives to, clinking glasses with at near-breakage speeds or inviting to be members of my luge team those patrons / strangers who are obviously uninterested.

I shall retreat to a secluded area when I expect to be on my cell phone for more than three minutes, thereby sparing fellow patrons from stories about last night's “score,” pleas to an upset spouse , or details of the soap opera about so-and-so's co-worker's boyfriend's best friend's sister breaking up with “some guy who totally is, like, soooooo lame .”

I shall not take advantage of my position as a patron to fondle the bar's owner, manager, bartenders, wait staff, cooks, cleaners, security guards or suppliers, or any of their relatives or pets that may happen to be on the premises.

I shall never reach behind the bar to grab objects, such as knives or corkscrews , nor stand there in an attempt to appear as part of the “in” clientele as I am only being a nuisance to the staff and as interesting as a coat rack to the patrons; should I go behind the bar, I will either wear a disguise or claim to be Da Shan , which would defeat the whole purpose of showing off, so instead I shall sit on my bar stool, drink my beer and relax.

CLOSING SHOTS

I don't understand why Big Easy (Chaoyang Park, south gate) doesn't get more exposure. The layout, bands, bar grub and Bloody Marys are all good. I've been there a half-dozen times and always enjoyed myself. ~ I'm increasingly finding myself at Pavillion . Last Saturday night, I sank into one of those huge leather chairs and split a bottle of sherry (RMB280) with a friend. I was back the next morning for the buffet brunch ( its hardy fare with bottomless coffee and tea (how about adding juice?) for 68 kuai . ~ My friend K-Dog wonders why every bar seems to use those bland bottled olives in their martinis. Is anyone out there using high-end garnishes ? If not, why not? ~ Beijing 's service industry took a serious hit when Li Yan moved back to his hometown in Henan Province . He was a security guard at my office and was friendly, courteous and efficient. Whether helping to direct traffic, unloading parcels or loaning taxi money to office workers who had forgotten their wallets, he epitomized good service and will be missed. (Note: this is a guy who should be training the guards, not working as one.) ~ Finally, it being a new year and with the newsletter now eight issues and 20,000 words old, I extend thanks to six people who have gone above and beyond in backing my little e-newsletter project, whether it be in terms of testing the city's establishments ( Sherry Tan , Mike Wester ), giving background on the food and drink scene ( Frank Siegel , Don St. Pierre ) or providing moral support ( Ro King , Kevin Dempsey ). I really do appreciate their help and that of everyone else who has written to me. Cheers, BB.

• Opening Shots: Riverside Cafe, Le Quai, The Bookworm Torres Wines, and more
• First Impressions: American Café , Brewery Tap, Café Pause and Shin Yeh
• We Got Mail
• Parting Shots: New Year resolutions for bar managers and employees .

OPENING SHOTS

Riverside Café has closed and will, it appears, become another Schindler’s . Good news for sausage and sauerkraut lovers, bad news for fans of the café and its excellent RMB20 wine glasses . (I should have stocked up. Anyone know where I can get more?) ~ Black Jack Garden (where I once coaxed a bartender into making me a Jagermeister martini. Ah, the memories) has also been uprooted. ~ The back loft in Le Quai (inside Gongti West) is a great place to spend a few hours while watching people ice fish, skate and play hockey on the river outside. Cozy couches and a good selection of drinks (RMB25-50; try the fruit cocktail), the only drawback is that sound really carries from the room below. ~ Until Chinese New Year, Icehouse will only open for events, such as the Chopschticks comedy shows (next one: January 14). The owners have hired Guy Duarte as GM. The restaurant and lounge to which Icehouse is attached are open as usual. ~ It started with Babyface a year ago and now Gongti West is becoming club central. Angel, Cargo (backed by Mix), Queen Club and the soon-to-open Coco Banana (backed by Banana) and Cutie Club are like peas in the pod there, with Vics and Mix around the corner. That hundred-meter strip could become the world's biggest market for Chivas and green tea . Good. We must isolate such drinkers from society at large. ~ That gargantuan, half-finished and long-dormant building behind the Sanlitun beer mug is now host to a flurry of construction, the attendant noise intruding upon The Bookworm . There could be a double whammy on book and wireless lovers when drilling starts on the huge nearby Sanlitun South project. The Bookworm has a growing collection of new books and magazines for sale, a jewelry corner by Things of The Jing and 2006 seminars planned with Kent Kedl (The China Ready Company), Tim Clissold (Mr. China) and “Maggot Detective” Mark Benecke (his slide shows are not for the weak of stomach), among others. ~ Jenny Lou’s continues to expand its empire with a takeover of Eight over Eight ’s space (Sanlitun North). (Note: I went there and four other stores in a vain search for a plunger – the staff at each spot were amused as I used body language to demonstrate unblocking a toilet. I tell you, there's nothing worse than having a dozen full-bladdered house guests waiting for the maintenance guy to come and fix the loo.) ~ Thanks to BB readers Ro King , Agent Hidden Dragon and Agent Gold Monkey for donating money to help fund a heart operation for a two-month-old orphan named Tian Yue. (See last issue for the Scrooge-like details as to why an extra drive for cash was needed.) GE also came through with major support. Tian Yue had surgery on Boxing Day and so far, so good. ~ Thanks also to my boss, who seemed to be the only laoban in Beijing who didn't require the staff to wear Christmas hats – as was required by workers at Shin Yeh, Le Quai, Starbuck's, ad infinitum – the past few weeks. (I simply don't look good in red with white fringe.) ~ Torres Wine has moved its office to near Green T. House (I couldn't find the actual address since, like that of Summergate Wines, the Torres website is not working. C'mon guys, it's almost 2006!). Torres will have a free tasting every Friday, 4-6 PM and until the end of December (short notice!) offers “ buy two, get one free ” on Baron Philippe de Rothschild Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon (RMB67), Signos Shiraz (RMB55) and Prosecco Angela Viano (RMB 85). ~ I went to Pinnacle Plaza with friends to buy a Christmas tree and popped into Palette Wines (good deal on Stickleback: RMB85 per bottle) and then into Jenny Lou’s where, lo and behold, they had over 500 different wines and a wine tasting to boot (it consisted of a “blind tasting” where one guessed if the wine was a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Okay, I guessed right. Now what? Do I win something? No? I don't get the concept ). ~ Finally, I was busy apartment hunting and moving the past two weeks, so this issue is heavy on First Impressions and light on in-depth pieces. I'll have more next time around.

AMERICAN CAFE

Light and airy, with pine furniture and a tile floor, the American Café is rumored to have Beijing's best burgers. It's decorated with posters and prints with, um, eclectic themes. One side has Toy Story and the Muppets, the back has the all-too-predictable James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley combo, while the front left has a black and white photo of Jackie Robinson stealing home during the 1955 World Series (nice!), among others. Anyway, the Boston burger (RMB40) came with fried mushrooms, cheese and bacon, plus tomato, onion, pickle and lettuce on a sesame bun. It was tasty, though the patty could have been firmer, and came with crispy fries seasoned with herbs. Said a dinner mate: “The Boston burger was quite satisfying in terms of size and flavor, even though (a) it appeared to have nothing to do with my hometown of Boston, and (b) had a little too much of that charcoal-grilled taste. That could be because I asked for it well done. Try it at 70 percent done (qi fen shou).” All in all, we were a satisfied crew and recommend giving the place a try.

BREWERY TAP

Who would have thunk that a pub in an apartment complex (Blue Castle) could be so snug? This long and narrow place features two floors, with the upper level accessible by two staircases, and plenty of cubby holes for small groups of friends. There is a nice side room, though some among us found the wallpaper (yes, some places have moved beyond paint and cinder blocks) a bit psychedelic. “The bathroom shouldn't be upstairs,” said one in our group. “The orange juice is good,” said another. “The upper level is faintly reminiscent of the Big Easy,” said a third. The staff could afford to be a bit more attentive (empty glasses over here!), though the French bartender is friendly. Wobbly chairs at the bar. Guinness and Kilkenny on tap. Free hot peanuts. If I lived nearby, Brewery Tap might become a favorite haunt.

CAFE PAUSE

Somewhere in Dashanzi, Café Pause has minimalist design in velvety auburn and moss green, with a stainless steel bar and dark chairs and tables (why does the décor remind me of Leiderhosen – perhaps it comes from the subconscious of the Austrian and German owner?). Creative and delicious tapas, including pork and spinach dumplings drizzled with red pesto sauce – my vote for snack of the year. A focus on German and Austrian wines, though they have others. The best gluvine (mulled wine) I've had in Beijing (a family recipe of Stefan Fleischer, a co-owner). Friendly and competent staff, a fun and diverse clientele, less-than-comfy chairs. The small and open layout works against a sense of intimacy and means that every entrance and exit lets in a gust of cold air, which can be a relief if a lot of people are smoking. Café Pause: it's out in Dashanzi, but isn'ta good dumpling worth the trek?

SHIN YEH

MyTaiwanese friend Sherry, among the biggest food lovers around and a Taipei native to boot, raved about this place, so I dragged her along as a consultant. We started off with tasty stewed bamboo and pork with soy sauce, garlic and green onion, followed by sweet and sour breaded fish fillets (excellent: the best dish of the night). Rolling up our sleeves, we dug into steamed pork with salty egg (it's potent, so best to have it with rice), an oyster pancake (the most recognizable Taiwanese dish, though the large globules of starch make it quite gluey), a wooden bucket of fried rice with peas, egg, onion and pork (enough to serve three to four) and three-cup mushrooms, which were pungent with heaps of basil and spicy with a generous helping of red peppers (I initially found the mushrooms too chewy, but they softened up and were quite addictive, though they brought no hallucinations). Last but not least were the deep-fried shrimp and taro rolls in flaky pastry. “These are very famous in southern Taiwan, though you rarely find them in the north,” said Sherry. They were a bit sweet for my liking and served as dessert, while she had a couple of “ma ji,” a Hakka treat that consists of warm and soft sticky rice coated in peanut powder (these usually come free back home, said Sherry. Shin Yeh charges RMB1 per piece). In addition to the food being excellent, the servers were spot on. As we finished one dish, another would appear, and we only had three items on the table at the end, even more impressive given that the place was busy. Shin Yeh is large, with a dining area split down the middle and private rooms, though it is drafty near the doors. The bathrooms are spotless and well-designed. Absolutely stuffed, and having finished a bottle of Qingdao (they don't have Taiwan beer, among Asia's best), we faced a very reasonable bill of RMB213. Good food, good service, good value.

Note: Shin Yeh does not serve stinky tofu – chodofu – nor does another nearby Taiwanese restaurant, Bellagio, despite this odorous food being among the Taiwan 's most ubiquitous – well, at least in olfactory terms – and famous. Is this because the smell bothers customers? In any case, it's a pity because a proper chodofu fits in with kimchi, sauerkraut and blue cheese in the family of smelly but tasty foods.

WE GOT MAIL

In response to last issue's story on 5:19 bar, the establishment's owner writes:

“Boyce, thanks for the mention in your last yet-to-be-named newsletter. I hadn't thought of the 80s rec room analogy, but I like it. My only comment is that we have more wines than just the four Moldovan wines. Other than that, two of the draughts are now installed (Yanjing and Carlsberg) and we move the sofas when darts are played [I was the first to break the “dart board above the sofa” story. Dow Jones and WSJ, eat your hearts out.]” – DM

Note: Based on the author's friendliness, I'm guessing he would be willing to stand by during dart games and yell things such as “one hundred and forrrrrrty!”, like they do on TV.

PARTING SHOTS

Resolutions for Beijing bar managers and employees (just trying to be helpful):

I shall not ask customers to pay for my mistakes, such as the difference between the RMB60 I have programmed into the cash register for a pint of Guinness and the RMB50 I've errantly printed on the menu; I shall accept the one-time loss of revenue rather than the permanent loss of the customer.

I shall not remove, nor lay hand upon, any glass containing more than a half-mouthful of liquid unless the patron whose glass it is has exited the premises or indicated that it be taken away; nor will I hover above said patron waiting for him/her to finish that final mouthful; if I do so because of a shortage of glasses, I will take measures to have more purchased.

I will not pick my nose or ears, scratch my armpits or nether regions, or engage in any other unseemly conduct before handling food; nor will I regurgitate phlegm and mull it in my mouth in front of customers.

I will not practice my Chinese / English / other language with customers who do not wish to do so (and will learn to recognize when they are doing so out of politeness), bore them with lengthy stories about a particular alcohol's history, or make asides on what are obviously their private conversations.

[Specifically for managers] I will not chastise, denigrate or mock my employees in front of patrons as it makes me look unprofessional and my customers feel uncomfortable; I will defend those same employees from unreasonable and obnoxious patrons.

In coming issues: New Year resolutions for drinkers; The Pomegranate; ranking Beijing's free English-language magazines; CD Jazz Café; the promise of Summergate Wines; the 400-kuai move; Dongbei dumplings; and more. Happy New Year and cheers everyone! Eat, drink and be merry – Beijing Boyce.

IN THIS ISSUE

• Opening Shots
• Be a Funky Santa
• First Impressions: Nashville ; 5:19
• Twinkle, Twinkle Sparkling Wine
• Zing: The Sequel
• Maligayang Pasko!
• Kat and John Come to Town
• We Got Mail
• Final Sips.

COLPI DI APERTURA

Check out the Sunday buffet breakfast at The Pavillion: sausages, ham, baked beans, bread, fried potatoes, baked tomatoes, fruit and cereal; omelets made on the spot; coffee and tea (RMB68). It's simple, hearty fare to enjoy while gazing upon the woods out back. Also, kudos to The Pavilion for installing a brass foot rail and coat hooks beneath the bar. ~ John Bull Pub now has Strongbow draft cider (RMB49 / pint) and Shanghai beer (RMB25 / pint) on tap. ~ Icehouse has “let go” its general manager. I doubt you can blame the problems there on one guy. Prime example: Icehouse is a blues bar, but first hired an Australian rock band and then Matt Roberts' local jazz outfit. Who (and this goes beyond – and specifically above – the ex-GM) with any knowledge of music or Beijing nightlife doesn't know that a) rock is not blues, b) Roberts specializes in jazz, and c) jazz is also not blues? Icehouse has done right by attracting events by Beijing Cheese Society and Chopschticks, and seems to have good marketers, since YPHH will hold an event there next week and describes the place as having “live entertainment from international [sic] acclaimed artist [sic]” (really? Who would those artists be?). Rumor has it that Icehouse will shut down for a month. If so, let's see what they come up with next. ~ Stefan Fleisher (Palette Wines big wig) and Johannes Neubacher (Timeout magazine bigwig) have opened Café Pause in Dashanzi, with a focus on Mediterranean cuisine, Spanish tapes, German, Austrian and other wines, and some fusion dishes. “A good example is our trademark Jiaozi, a cooking concept that you not only find in China and Italy, but also in Russia, Germany and a number of other places,” says Stefan. ~ Midnight bar is off to a strong start, but here's a thought: what are the odds the owners will decide they can do it all by themselves and force out the dynamic bartending duo of George and Echo, the ex- First Café bartenders who help bring in the business? (Yes, we've heard rumors.) By the way, the hot buttered rum at Midnight is a nice warmer-upper.

BE A FUNKY SANTA

Here's a story in the spirit of A Christmas Carol: that's Beijing held its annual charity funk party last Saturday to fund heart surgery for an orphan named Dang Tianyue in Ping An. Partygoers were having a funktastic time, oblivious to a Scrooge-like subplot. The club decided, at the last minute, to make the RMB100 entrance fee voluntary so that regulars and others could get in free. The funk party raised RMB20000 in years past, but this time – despite a large turnout – only made a disappointing RMB9000. I'm not going to bombard readers with pleas for charities, but this case is unique given the time of year and the organizers' good intentions. BB reader Ro King has donated RMB1600 to the cause and another reader, Agent Gold Monkey, has given RMB700. Anyone else interested in helping should contact the GM of that's Beijing (who was exposed in the last issue for ordering a Grand Marnier and soda – perhaps this is his punishment from the Gods). His email address is michaelwester@thatsbj.com and he promises a that's Beijing winter hat (known as a toque in Canada) and a 2006 calendar to anyone donating RMB250 or more. No pressure people, since many out there already have their favorite charities. But if you have been wondering lately, “ Gee, how can I help an orphan AND get a toque? ” this is your chance. For more info, check

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (AND FAIR REVIEWS)

A Beijing-based chef sent me a nice email because of “the fact that you went to the Pavillion THREE TIMES BEFORE REVIEWING IT.” (I guess triple visits aren't the norm for most writers.) It was a nice compliment although to be honest it helps that this newsletter is a hobby, I don't have to cater to advertisers and, frankly, I like the research. That being said, I can't always guarantee three visits. So, in cases where I pop in once to check out a new spot, I've created a “first impressions” section that includes a string of random observations on a given establishment. Here are two places I recently visited with Agent Red Socks (his comments in quotes):

Nashville (reincarnated after being demolished earlier this year on Sanlitun South Road). The second floor: Lots of wood and leather, with comfy chairs by the windows… “The mixture of John Cougar Mellancamp from the first floor and smooth jazz on the second is 'interesting'”… decent pizza (RMB40, 8-inch), though the waiter stood a meter away, watched us eat and tried to remove the plates while we were holding the last slice… wall art includes Tibetan pictures, dart trophies and a Shania Twain poster… Taiwan folk music hero Luo Dayou was sitting nearby… pints of Qingdao (RMB25)… the warm colors were a nice contrast to the cold and blustery weather. Main floor: all the rough-hewn, rustic flavor of the old Nashville, and that's a plus… even with 15 people on hand, a great vibe while the singer performed… “Luo Dayou is one of the most famous musicians from Taiwan. I can't believe we're sitting here and watching him playing the drums”… fans of the old Nashville are going to love this place.

5:19. Four kinds of wine from Moldova (!) (RMB40 / glass)… feels like a 1980s recreation room (where's the Atari and Pong ?)… a bit chilly given the stone block floor… still getting in gear, with the beer taps, maple syrup (for cocktails) and name cards expected soon… the dart board is right above the sofa (wear a helmet)… Four kinds of Moldova wine (!) (Sorry, had to repeat that again)… happy hour from 5:19 to 8 (PM)… bingo nights planned… owner is a former partner in the now-demolished Artifacts.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE SPARKLING WINES

A dozen of us gathered in Sequoia Café 's newly refurbished front room on December 10 to taste five sparkling wines from Torres. 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 Café 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.)

ZING: THE SEQUEL

When I wrote in an earlier newsletter about service at Zing at Doodoo's, someone told me to give the new management another chance. So 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. And 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).

MALIGAYANG PASKO!

Beijing's Filipino community – and it really does define “community” – was out in full force last Sunday for the annual Christmas party in the Philippines Embassy. The only people that are more fun than Filipinos are… are… are… wait, I can't think of anyone else. Filipino bands from five-star hotels, the Hard Rock Café and Blue Fox had the place hopping, and with plenty of tasty food, raffles prizes and games, it was an enjoyable afternoon. There was one game, based on musical chairs, where a group of eight women danced around a group of seven men and, when the music stopped, each tried to grab a man's belt, with the one left beltless being eliminated from the game. Then it went down to seven women and six men, and so on. Highly entertaining. This is my second time to the party – all thanks to my Filipina pal Cherry – and I highly recommend finding someone to tag along with next year.

(Philippines footnote: My last trip to the islands was in 1999. I landed with an American friend in Manila at midnight and within minutes a Filipina-American we just met invited us to her house in Roxas, Panay Island, to visit with her family. We accepted the offer and spent two days hanging out with about 70 of her nieces and nephews – eating, drinking, eating, visiting markets, eating and, of course, singing. That's hospitality.)

KAT AND JOHN COME TO TOWN

My old Taiwan buddies John Isacs and Kat Tao were in town last week. John is a “grape American hero” in Taipei as he writes bilingual books about wine (the newest covers 250 brands), teaches wine lessons, organizes wine dinners for corporate bigwigs and does all kinds of wine promotion via PDAs and the Internet (check www.enjoygourmet.com ). Kat handles operations and cranks out a slick quarterly magazine about Taipei's gourmet scene.

After a nice hot pot and some lamb kebabs on Ghost Street, we headed to Pavillion for two fine bottle of wine: a Garvey Amont Tio Guillermo sherry (picked by John, who was recently certified in Spain as an expert on this drink) followed by a Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel 2003 (ASC Big Wig Campbell Thompson informed me by email that this wine, produced by a family outfit in Sonoma, is on Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines for 2005). Whiling away a few hours in the Pavillion's big leather chairs is a comfy way to enjoy a chilly winter evening, especially as the wine is reasonably priced (even bigger ASC Big Wig Don St. Pierre said the company has sold more wine at The Pavillion in one month than it did at Frank's Place in two years). Expect to here more from John and Kat, who are looking to expand their wine info empire into the Middle Kingdom.

WE GOT MAIL

Re My statement last issue that drinkers who mix Chivas with green tea should be executed.

Why should you have any problem with those philistines who drink mass-market blended whisky? Let them do what they want with it – you can make it any more bland or innocuous by mixing it with whatever Chinese ingredients you have lying around. That leaves the nice single malts to us! – KR

A good point, but what if those people are on a slippery slope, at the bottom of which they start mixing those nice single malts with green tea? Not a pretty situation and one that is bound to increase prices. No, best to nip this in the bud, perhaps by death by poisoning. Then again, come to think of it, maybe that's exactly what Chivas and green tea does to people.

FINAL SIPS

Summergate Fine Wines & Spirits has moved to Han Wei Plaza (17F, 7 Guanghua Road / 6562-1800). Unfortunately, they still – and this is beyond me – have no website. ~ The Pavillion is offering patrons a chance to be a bartender for a day. Pick up the application forms at the bar. ~ I generally get good service at Centro at night; not so during the afternoons. Recently, after receiving no attention from the staff, I left my cozy chair twice and went to the bar to order my drinks and then get my bill. Plus, is there some kind of staff no-smiling rule during the afternoon? Customers paying RMB50 or more for a coffee deserve better. ~ ASC has three new mixed-case promotions. Each 13-bottle set, ranging from RMB1200 to RMB2400, includes Laurent-Perrier Champagne (if you haven't tried it, here's you chance) at 32% to 40% off list prices. ASC is also offering 30% off select sets of four Vinum series Riedel glasses, including Bordeaux (RMB670), Chianti Classico (RMB599) and Cuvee Prestige (RMB599). (Though I wish they wouldn't always use that same Robert Parker quote about Riedel crystal. Mix it up a bit, guys!) ~ I met the Aussino wine company people at a party a few weeks back and they are planning some Beijing events in the New Year. I'll keep you informed. ~ Journalist, China specialist and logician (how does he make so much sense after so many beers!?) Ralph Jennings has a crafty little blog at www.livejournal.com/users/lalaoshi ~ Plans for my rap band Bling Dynasty are coming along nicely. We've already got several songs in the works: Yo! Mae Yo!, Hot Mama Huhu and Mi Bad, Yu Bad, Mai Bad. I'll keep you updated on any concert dates. ~ Last, but not least, best wishes to everyone during the holidays. Eat, drink and be merry people. Cheers! JB.

In issue V:

• Grande Move for Le Petit Gourmand
• Dirty Deeds (Qingdao Cheap)
• Maggie's: See and Don't Be Seen
• Chillin' at Pavillion
• We Got Mail
• Final Sips
• Plus: A Boy's Story (in six parts).

Next issue: Bling Dynasty: My New Rap Band.

As always, if you like the newsletter, please let others know about the website. BB.

Grande Move for Le Petit Gourmand

First The Bookworm relocated and became a runaway success with its 14000-plus books, high ceilings, excellent seminars and tasty eats. Now Le Petit Gourmand (LPG), once home of The Bookworm and recent victim of Sanlitun's chai campaign, has new digs.

LPG is in Tongli Studio, below Bar Blu, and is a cozy spot to enjoy a coffee, flip through books and surf the net. While Bookworm has a university library feel (with beer), LPG is more café/restaurant. Said one friend: “It's cozy and nookie [whatever that means].”

LPG offers bigger mugs of coffee (same price: RMB15) and a more extensive menu (though the food is so-so). It is also more peaceful, primarily because it is emptier or, to put it diplomatically, “sparsely populated.” I spent four hours with friends there last Sunday and we all gave it thumbs up, although the service was spotty. More good news: LPG has an excellent deck that, come spring, will be ideal for getting comfy with a paperback and a hot cup of java.

A Boy's Story I: It started off as a gaggle of consonants and vowels flying to and fro along a telephone wire. “C'mon out for a drink, Mikey boy!” After a dozen such gaggles, Mikey – also known by his rapper name, M-West– arrived in a sweater tailor-made for a peacock's wardrobe. It was a portentous sign .

Dirty Deeds (Qingdao Cheap)

I caught the one-set AC/DC tribute show by the aptly named Dirty Deeds band, November 23 at Yugong Yishan. The lead singer howled through a dozen songs, including some classics, which he naturally derided since you're not cool unless you know the arcane stuff. The songs I recall: Sin City, Let Me Put My Love into You, Big Balls, High Voltage, Hells Bells, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Highway to Hell, Girls Got Rhythm, and TNT Have a Drink on Me was a trip down memory lane (specifically to a few years back when I dressed up and played a cardboard guitar to that song in front of 200 Korean female university students. Enough said).

The singer encouraged the crowd to drink, smoke and use vile language. Many complied, so it was kind of like hanging out with 14-year-olds who have a few bottles of beer, a pack of cigarettes and just discovered the F-word. People bobbed their heads during the set, but only got dancing during the last song. No worries: the band came out for a two-song and a one-song encore, taking the singer's vocal chords to the edge of their raspy limits. Unfortunately, it was Dirty Deeds' last show of 2005. Tickets: RMB30. Qingdao: RMB10.

A Boy's Story II: Given his colorful attire, what perchance do you think M-West ordered? A Blue Hawaii? A strawberry-mango Daiquiri? Perhaps he went so far as to have a Doggie's Breakfast? My friends, he was far beyond that; he was on a trip without boundaries; he was, in essence, thinking outside the bottle.

Maggie's: See and Don't Be Seen

Agent Red Wolf and I stopped into the new Maggie's last Saturday. The Maggie's of old was popularly known as a place for male members of the species to engage with what we'll call female Mongolian ambassadors, but also had an excellent layout and DJ, decent food (including the best hotdogs in town), spotless bathrooms and unparalleled people watching opportunities. The new one, just across from Zing by Doodoo's and on the fringe of Ritan Park, offers much of this – including the hotdog cart out front – although the narrow layout and slicker décor has less charm.

Once inside, and with a hotdog (figuratively) under her belt, Red Wolf became annoyed at her inability to procure a drink. Strangely, I managed to get one in about 4.2 seconds. We parked near the dance floor to watch men who were apparently unaware of the nature of the place. The guy wearing a cowboy hat and doing the “you stole my heart” dance, complete with hand motions, was the best. I also liked the guy dancing alone – how that happens when women outnumber men two to one, I do not know. In any case, we had to leave after 20 minutes before the trickle of bids for Red Wolf's carnal treasure turned into a flood. Qingdao: RMB20; hotdogs: RMB20.

A Boy's Story III: Ever experimental (with an emphasis on mental), our young imbiber tossed aside all tradition, all decorum, all signs from a queasy stomach prepared to pounce on any content even slightly offensive. He grinned his grin, flicked his eyelashes at the bartender, and uttered words that shall forever be remembered in Beijing bar history: “Grand Marnier and soda, please.” I repeat (in bold): Grand Marnier and soda.

Chillin' at Pavillion

When Frank's Place (between The Den and City Hotel) closed a while back, its two partners went separate ways. One opened the Pavillion two weeks ago while the other is completing a 1400 square meter monster of a bar, due open in January, near Lido Hotel. Last issue, I included random observations about The Pavillion's opening night. I've since returned thrice, including trips with Agent Red Wolf and Agent Hidden Dragon, and can provide a fuller report.

The Pavillion has done an excellent job with layout and décor. It has large and comfy leather chairs, a faux fireplace, two stand-up bars, various cubby holes, a glass-walled wine room and a forest out back (spend a few moments looking at it and feel your blood pressure drop). It's a bit too spic and span, but character will come in time. The staff is friendly, the service is solid, and one hopes the employees can walk the fine line between friendliness and obtrusiveness, a little known skill in this town.

In any case, Agent Hidden Dragon liked the Champagne (Laurent Perrier; RMB78 per glass) and the décor, but thought the music was “too common.” Agent Red Wolf also liked the décor (“it's like a five-star hotel lounge”) and the spring rolls (excellent presentation, though pricey at RMB45), although she didn't find the Americano cocktail strong enough and thought the martini sub-par (I gave it a sip and she was right). She also thought the music “too old” and “not sexy enough.” Let's face it, RW is a hard agent to please, but she did have a point: it was odd to be reclining in luxury in the early eve and listening to ABBA's “Dancing Queen” and Prince's “1999.”

This mismatch is reflected elsewhere in the Pavillion and suggests the place is still finding down its identity. Let's take a couple that arrives, sits by the fireplace and orders a nice bottle of wine. How happy will they be when, 30 minutes later, the music cuts out and the TVs come on, high volume, with the pre-game analysis for a rugby game? What is the Pavillion? A sports bar? A wine bar? A restaurant? A cigar lounge? A dance club (there was live band on opening night)? All of the above?

The other issue is clientele: Based on my visits, the target market appears to be over-35 expatriates with decent salaries. I'm guessing the new bar in Lido, not to mention other establishments, are targeting the same crowd. Given the finite number of moneyed foreigners, will there be enough to go around or will The Pavillion have to seek patrons elsewhere? In any case, it is a welcome addition to Beijing's bar scene and definitely worth a look. It's just across the street from Babyface, about 10 meters to the south.

Two final notes: 1) Last issue I griped that the The Pavillion lacked a foot rail. The proprietor, Russell, said they didn't like the rail they ordered and will get another one. Va bene. 2) The Pavillion plans to have barbecues out back once the weather warms up and this should be an excellent place to sit back with some food and drinks.

A Boy's Story IV: I repeat, Grand Marnier and soda.

We got mail: From the nimble fingers of more than a half-dozen readers comes the following query.

Who else reads this newsletter? As of today, there are just over 200 people on the mailing list. This includes people who own, manage or work in bars, restaurants and food companies (9%), hotels and clubs (7%), and wine companies (7%). About 12% of readers are in the media and another 3% run groups such as the Beijing Cheese Society. The remaining 62% are mainly people who love to eat and drink, and include everyone from co-workers and business acquaintances to my friends (including my First Café buddies) and the people they've referred. I think it's a nice mix of people who are involved in the food and beverage industry and those who patronize it.

A Boy's Story V: M-West sipped his drink. His wee eyes became beady, a drop of sweat slid down his goiter and hung there seemingly forever, his blood sugar rose to a threatening near-diabetic level, his masculinity ebbed like the soul of a monk turned lady bar tout. For he ordered the drink that should not be named and whose name hath not been uttered by any of our planet's six million citizens: Grand Marnier and soda.

Final Sips

I generally oppose capital punishment, but make a few exceptions. People who habitually enter elevators before letting those inside get out and taxi drivers who haven't brushed their teeth for more than six months are two of them. I'm adding another group: those who mix 12-year-old Chivas Regal with green tea. Yes, I'm willing to pull the switch on you guys. ~ Montrose has a half-price sale on select wines in its Kerry Centre store, until December 3. ~ This just in: HBO Asia recently sent out a memo informing staff to play at least three Indiana Jones movies per day. Well, at least it seems that way. ~ Coming next issue, reports on a Bordeaux wine tasting, a Yunan restaurant, and a rap band I'm creating called Bling Dynasty. Cheers.

A Boy's Story VI: It ends not with a bang, but a whisper: Grand Marnier and soda.

Welcome to issue four. This one features:

• Pavilion : Random thoughts on Beijing's newest bar
• Live from New York: The Cheese Vixen
• Clash of the cabs: Phelps vs. Shafer
• Tying one on at Taillan winery
• Suzy Wong: Serving a niche market
• The steady slide of Sanlitun
• Bubbling over at the Peninsula
• The Battle of Sanlitun III
• Final sips

As always, comments are most welcome.

Pavilion – Random thoughts on Beijing's newest bar

The Pavilion raucously opened last night and since I'm rushing to send out this newsletter I'll just string together a few thoughts about this place on its first night: well-lit Taco Bell-style exterior, big comfy leather seats , Guinness on tap, no foot rail at the bar (I repeat, NO FOOT RAIL AT THE BAR), lovely glass-walled wine room, Bloody Mary: RMB55, music ranging from piped in Elvis Costello, Crowded House, Queen and the Cheers theme to a band playing ABBA, Donna Summer, Tina Turner and Joan Jett (yes, Joan Jett . Excellent), lots of older white guys and younger Chinese women, lots of flat panel (but no obtrusive) TVs, a bathroom stall door that's going to end up whacking patrons in the ass at the urinals, friendly and competent staff, nice view of the woods out back, lots of great nooks and crannies in which to hang out, reminds me of a cross between the old Maggies , Aria and W Sports and Music Bar and Restaurant, if you can get your mind around that. I no longer can so I'll end it there. Check it out – right across from Babyface – and let me know what you think.

Live from New York: The Cheese Vixen Sharon Ruwart , co-founder (with Perri Dong ) of the Beijing Cheese Society and popularly known about town as The Cheese Vixen, brought a full load of fromage from New York to the latest BCS event, November 14 at Icehouse . While in the Big Apple, Sharon visited Artisanal which, she writes, “[is] not only a wonderful cheese-focused restaurant… but also boasts the only cheese-maturing 'cave' in the United States.” Sharon picked up five cheeses for our tasting pleasure. She also gave us a quiz, in which we learned, among other things, that a woman in Wisconsin wore a “ cheese bra ” to a sporting match. (“I bet it was made from Swiss cheese,” quipped the woman beside me) In any case, here are the cheeses, in tasting order, with excerpts from her handout and some notes of my own.

Azaitao , Farmstead, Portugal: “Coagulated with thistle rennet… the interior should be smooth and almost runny at room temperature… Raw milk, aged 90 days.” Yep, it was smooth and almost runny. Being a people person, I asked my table mates – Lisa , Yuntao , Mike and Toni – to rank each cheese from a low of 1 to a high of 10. (We were like a little cheese society within a Big Cheese Society.) We gave the Azaitao a 6.75.

Bouc Emissaire , Chaput Dairy, Quebec: “You're got to love a cheese called 'the scapegoat'… creamy, buttery… Raw milk, aged 60 days.” “Smells like ammonia,” said Mike, and I had to agree. Plus, I thought this one was more chalky than buttery. We gave it a 7.1. The Bouc-E was great with the Chardonnay (see the wine list below), but gross with the Merlot-Cabernet.

Constant Bliss , Jasper Hill Farms, Vermont: “[Made from] uncooled evening milk… The cheese ripens from the outside in, going from a bone-white to an ivory color as the cheese ripens and softens. The cheese is named after a Vermont settler killed by local natives in 1718 when guarding a local military road. Raw milk, aged 60 days.” All I can say is that Bliss got a bum deal with this tribute: salty attack, gluey finish, 5.75.

Gruyere , Farmstead, Switzerland: “Hand-selected by a Swiss farmer named Rolf (cue Sound of Music)… firm but supple texture [the cheese, not Rolf] and complex taste.” Sharon got tricky, putting this side-by-side with a Gruyere from Jenny Lou’s . We hemmed and hawed about which tasted best, which shows how much we know. And somehow our scoring system fell apart, but it didn't matter because the king cheese was up next. Ladies and gentleman, presenting:

Shropshire Blue , Colston Bassett Dairy, England: “We picked this because a cheese plate should always have a blue, and because with its deep orange color it's gorgeous… It's a modern cheese, invented in the 1980s [the decade that gave us Duran Duran , the Breakfast Club and the BBO – “ bottom bottle opener ” – which was, as should be evident, a groove in the glass of the bottle's bottom that could be used to open your next brew. Pure genius! Pure 80s! But I digress]… meaty and tangy. Pasteurized cow's milk. Aged 90 days.” This crumbly cheese was, as Sharon put it, “gorgeous.” And according to my notes, “It started off with a tangy cheddar taste that quickly morphed into a blast of dirty diaper-stoked stinkitude .” I had three helpings. Score: 9.5.

The three wines for the night came from ASC, with the able Karen Nelson on hand and the Icehouse staff keeping the vino flowing. The wines were: Santa Rita Reserva Chardonnay (Chile) 2004 (128RMB), Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet (Washington State) 2001 (151RMB) and Taylor's Special Ruby Port (Portugal) (192RMB). Special thanks were given to Jackie Connar for helping with admin and to Susie Jakes and Jeff Prescott for bringing the bread. Sharon is on the lookout for “mules” to hand carry cheese into China, so if you're interested, send an email to sruwart@gmail.com . (There, I wrote that whole story without a single “who cut the cheese” or “who moved my cheese” crack.)

Clash of the Cabs: Shafer vs. Phelps It was drink, eat, drink, eat, drink eat, etc. and be merry at the Shafer and Joseph Phelps wine dinner, held by ASC Fine Wines at Aria on November 10. I know little about wine, other than being able to visually discern between red, white and rose, but here's my two renminbi.

We started with Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne, followed by Phelps' Los Carneros Chardonnay 2002, which Doug Shafer , president of the winery and in attendance, called “big, fat and rich” (which isn't an uncommon way to describe wine: try plugging those words in to Yahoo.) This was followed by a Shafer Merlot 2002, which Doug described as “yummy” and a “pretty rich full wine that reflects the weather [where the grapes were grown].” This did have a nice nose and with two solid wines and some Champers under out belts, we were ready to trek into the sacred land of California's top “ cabs ,” as some like to call Cabernet Sauvignons.

We next tasted, side by side, Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 1997 and 2001. In my notes I scribbled “vigorous, solid, full-bodied – Halle Berry in a tasteful black cocktail dress” and “this is a killer – Campbell Thompson .” Campbell works at ASC and was sitting beside me, thought I can't guarantee that he actually said those words. (By the way, does he not have a name that deserves a royal title, such as Sir Campbell Thompson or The Right Honorable Campbell Thompson or Campbell Thompson, Earl of ASC? I'm telling you, there's nobility just waiting to happen there.)

But if Campbell didn't say it; I will: This wine is a killer. It was beautiful, with a nose that made you want to squeeze your head into the glass. It made the 2001 which came after it and which in other circumstances would probably have been the star seem like a slightly unready debutante (could I sound any more pompous?). Next up and, again, side by side were the Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 and 2001. These wines, highly regarded by experts, seemed to be a bit of a letdown after the Phelps Insignia. An attendee astutely asked, “Were the Shafer wines disadvantaged being served with the steak course rather than the cheese course?” They were and it's too bad, but I guess two slabs of meat weren't in order. Around that time, according to my notes, Doug uttered the words “ I'ma big ass Cabernet and I'm here to see you ,” but I have no idea of the context. Anyway, we finished off with a Joseph Phelps Late Harvest Riesling 1993 (which I can sum up in one word – sweet) and I then bucked down two glasses of Bollinger for good measure.

As for the dinner, it was good, although it required some dictionary research ( remoulade : a piquant cold sauce made with mayonnaise, chopped pickles, capers, anchovies, and herbs; quince : the fruit of a central Asian tree of the rose family that resembles a hard-fleshed yellow apple and is used esp. in preserves; and so on).

This wine dinner cost RMB988 and was excellent value, with a good combination of food, drink and interesting patrons. For number crunchers, just consider that a bottle of Shafer Hillside would set you back at least USD350 ( www.winesearcher.com – thanks to Campbell for the site reference). For all others, consider that man cannot live on Taillan Malbec alone. Speaking of which…

Tying one on at Taillan

When it comes to China, some people like to whine while other simply like to wine . A dozen of the latter got together on November 5 for a trip to the Taillan winery, about 30 kilometers southwest of Beijing. The trip was arranged by the American Community Club and led by John Bull Pub owner Frank Siegel and ACC After Hours Committee member Shauna Cheng . After a leisurely drive to the winery, we received a tour of the vineyards by general manager Alain Lecroux , who has been with the Taillan winery, a Sino-French venture, since its startup nine years ago. Alain, who hails from Brittany, said the vines were imported, with 100,000 of them coming in 1997. (Wine whiz and tour attendee Andrew McDonald notes that the vines are grafted onto North American rootstalks, which costs more money but protects them from phylloxera bugs. That's some forward thinking by Taillan.)

Alain noted the difficulty of producing wine in China. “At the beginning, French people thought it would be an easy market, but no.” Then we headed inside and learned that the vats can store up to 100,000 bottles of wine and that the facility can process 30,000 bottles per hour (and often does bottling for other companies).

Our little group could never handle 30,000 bottles per hour, but we were ready to try. After Frank unpacked a picnic lunch of cold cuts, cheese, breads and potato salad, Alain cracked the first of six wines. The important thing, he stressed, was not how well Taillan wines stacked up against the competition, but that they are “drinkable.” He got no argument from us. Over a couple of hours, we tried the 2000 Chardonnay (“Apples and pears,” says Alain), Rose 2003 (went down as quick as draft beer); 2003 Malbec (“This one's my favorite,” says Alain. Me, too; it had a “happy smell,” whatever that means), Merlot (drinkable-plus), Pinot Noir 2001 (drinkable), and Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (“it was a bit too peppery, although at this point, I think my taste buds might have been upset by the potato salad, which had a creamy nose, hints of mayonnaise and a smooth finish).” At some point, Alain said, “this wine reminds me of dry grass, two days after it's been cut,” but as is usual with my notes, I have no idea of the context. In the end, I bought eight bottles of Malbec, four of Pinot Noir, and one each of Cognac and Armagnac. That seems to total 14, but for some reason when we got off the bus in Beijing, I only had seven left and my wine-opening hand had cramps. Odd. In any case, home delivery of these wines is available in Beijing. To order or for more info: alain.leroux@taillan.com.cn.

Suzy Wong – Serving a niche market If every bar has its unique clientele, then Suzy Wong's is horny people, aged 25 to 45, who enjoy 10-minute techno versions of Irene Cara's What a Feeling, followed by a similar opus based loosely on Duran Duran's Wild Boys. To each his/her/its own, I guess. The meat market doesn't truly get started until about 11 PM. Those who dislike feeling like a lightly seasoned lamb chop in a butcher shop window, make arrangements to be elsewhere at that time. But it was enjoyable to be the only soul on the deck two Saturday nights back. I spent a good hour enjoying solitude in that crisp fall air. Ah, to have space in Beijing…

The steady slide of Sanlitun Is it me or is Beijing nightlife becoming rougher? Sanlitun North Street in particular, seems to be turning into a highway to hell. Substance-selling “brothers,” physically aggressive beggars, “lady bar” touts and out-of-control imbibers are proliferating. Add to this mix growing nationalism and cases of security guards/bouncers beating patrons ten times worse than could possibly be justified. I've said it once and I'll say it again: “Sanlitun North Street, an even bigger disaster waiting to happen.”

Bubbling over at the Peninsula The drinks were effervescent, the surroundings presidential, the people memorable, as Peninsula Palace hotel held a Champagne tasting on November 8. “Effervescence” refers, of course, to the Moet Chandon. The evening started with a glass of Brut Imperial NV. Then, Moet & Chandon Sommelier Christophe Vincent, visiting Beijing, officially launched the new vintages: Millesime 1999 and Millesime 1999 Rose. The two were launched in Hong Kong the weekend before, but this was the first time they had been served elsewhere in Mainland China. “Presidential” refers to the 600 square meter suite of the same name, which includes a dining room, kitchen, sauna and gym, all for a paltry US$4500 per night. As for “memorable,” it refers to a certain flashback precipitated by a certain someone at the party who was remembered from slightly less posh surroundings six years ago. Asia is a small place.

The Battle of Sanlitun III I made my first visit – post-breakup era – to First Café and Midnight . For those who don't know the story (and Buddha knows most people on this list are sick of it), First Café once offered an unbeatable combination of cozy ambience, superb cocktails and interesting clientele. Then two months ago, the owner Keiko and the only two bartenders, George and Echo , fell out. About a month later, George and Echo, believing droves of customers would remain loyal to them, opened a bar – Midnight – less

than a meter in front of First Café.

I've walked by these bars dozens of times during the past month on my way to and from the Bookworm. Based on window gazing, First Café has been doing fine, but patrons at Midnight are few and far between. However, such observations do not research make. So, in the interests of accuracy, I embarked on a two-night project with a comrade, known only as Agent Red Wolf .

Night 1 (Friday): We slid into First Café around, of all ironic times, midnight. Red Wolf made a surreptitious visit next door to the bar of same name and learned that it was nearly empty. Meanwhile, First Café was bursting at the seams with over 30 guests. Spirits were high and spirits were flowing, the service was passable, and business seems to have gone unabated at First Café.

Night 2 (Saturday): We popped into Midnight around 1 AM. Again, Agent Red Wolf again went on the prowl and soon reported that First Café was quite busy, while there were but four patrons – including us – in Midnight. The martinis were excellent and we got to try George and Echo's coffee vodka, but unfortunately the ambiance was wanting.

Just to ensure the accuracy of my observations even further, I made a few more trips back. First Café continues to do well, while Midnight has quickly been picking up steam, no doubt fuelled by ample coverage in the free English-language magazines. We'll just have to wait and see what happens but given the dearth of decent bars in Beijing, both places may end up doing pretty well.

Final sips The Bookworm is holding “ A Giant Book Sale ” on Sunday, November 20 from 10 AM to noon to raise money for earthquake victims in Pakistan. The event is sponsored by Beijing International Peace Vigil Group and proceeds go to the Red Cross. See www.beijingbookworm.com for a map. ~ Chopschticks next comedy show is at Icehouse on November 19 at 7:30 PM. For tickets: 13701210489 / Tickets@TheComedyTour.com ~ Sequoia Cafe is holding “ Bordeaux : An Introduction ,” with Sommelier Raphael Sarri , at 7:30 PM on November 19. The event includes one white and five red wines. RMB190. There is limited seating, so email frank_siegel@hotmail.com or call 13301377336 to reserve a spot. ~ If that's not enough Bordeaux for you, ASC Fine Wines will hold “ 128 Great Years of Bordeaux ,” an eight-course wine dinner at China World Hotel on November 26. RMB1388 net ~ In honor of the Beijing visit of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (he said he'd be back), Montrose has reopened its Kerry Center wine store (they said it'd be back, too) with a special on Californian wines. They've gone all-out with a poster that gives Arnold an ungodly aura and makes him look like a cult leader. How Californian. Montrose's Ethan Perk writes that the Kerry Centre shop will have a half-price sale on selected wines and spirits, December 1-3. ~ I'm soon to be homeless and am looking for new quarters. I'm currently in Sun City , right behind Morels , and am looking for something in that area. If you know of a good spot, let me know (no agents please, I've already got one). ~ Nearly 30 people nestled into the second floor of John Bull Pub on November 12 for a Spanish cheese and wine tasting. The cheese was hand-carried in from Spain and matched up with five wines, also hailing from the land of the bullfight. Unfortunately, I haven't yet got a list of the cheeses and wines so I'll have to get back to you on this one ~ That's Beijing Big Wigs Mike and Toni came over with all the fixings for Cape Cods two weeks back. Vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice – that's Mike's mad mix. They keep things nice and simple there in Boston ~ The December issue of Food and Wine magazine lists the top ten vineyards in the world. Lo and behold, among them was Seven Springs Vineyard , the winery owned by the family of my co-worker Andrew MacDonald, in Oregon. (I wasn't aware that state had been settled yet.) Congratulations Andrew. When's the tour? ~ Cheers.

Welcome to issue three of my yet-to-be-named e-newsletter, featuring

• Schandlicious
• Relax at Beer Mania
• W's Identity Crisis
• Books: Those Things Made out of Paper
• Feng Shui Fiasco at Icehouse
• The Houston Astros vs. The Beijing Jackhammers
• We Got Mail!
• Eat, Drink, Sniff and Be Merry with ASC
• Stall on the Wall
• Final Sips, Including Chopschticks, Riverside Café,
  Catwoman, and Big Papi.

SCHANDLICIOUS
I organized my first wine tasting last Friday, so I could try three Schandl wines fresh off the container ship from Europe. These Austrian beauties were imported by Oliver Sedlinger, who is not only a well-seasoned imbiber of grape-based beverages, but also able to charm the pants (figuratively, not literally) off women by crooning Chinese love songs.

The first Shandl up was a dry white — a Pinot Blanc (2004) — with a floral nose. If that description is too plain, here's what schandlwein.com says: “Classic Burgundy bouquet, delicate and spicy, strong on the palate, muscular and Harmonic, fruity and racy, spicy until the long finish.” Um, that's what I meant. Anyway, this one got a thumb up from my new co-worker Andrew , who has spent more than little time around Pinot grapes.

The next wine was a Rulander Spatlese (2003), which was slightly sweeter, followed by a Beerenauslese Cuvee (2002), which was sweeter yet and close to ice wine territory. I like my wine dry, but more than a few among our ten enjoyed these last two.

In any case, ten bottles of wine (add in some Soave, Valpolicella, Shiraz Cabernet and Cabernet Sauvignon for an entirely unscientific tasting) and three kilos of cheese had us Shandlerious and fellow guests / that's Beijing bigwigs Mike and Toni dragged us off to Tango for the magazine's Halloween party. We'll forgo details on that adventure…

This tasting was a trial run for what I hope will be more events. Many thanks to Oliver for sharing his wines and bringing over the stereo speakers, to Sherry for buying the sausage and Aussie red, and to Isabelle , Diana , Toni, Lana , Asti , Andrew and Mike for making it a fun evening. Many apologies to American Community Club President / General Funster Shayne who we met on the way out of my building — I had no idea she lived in the neighborhood — and was the unfortunate recipient of a few bear hugs.

For more details on the Shandl wines, email Oliver at iussi@hotmail.com. For more details on the attempt by Oliver and me to write a Beijing-centric version of Sound of Music, watch this space. For now, I'll leave you with a work in progress, a version of “My Favorite Things”:

The Temple of Heaven / is an earthly pleasure
The Great Wall, quite simply / there's nothing that measures
Forbidden City / from Dynasty Ming
These are a few of my favorite things

When the taxi / driver's snarling / there behind his cage
I turn on my Walkman and just drown him out
While outside the red sandstorms rage

( Matt Roberts, could the Ah-Q Jazz Arkestra please cover this?)

RELAX AT BEER MANIA
A couple of weeks ago, I threw on a jacket and went for a walk on a superb cool Beijing night. After 20 minutes of burning calories, I came across Beer Mania. It's a modestly sized spot, run by Marc van Bever, and serves up dozens of kinds of Belgian brews and keeps them in a nice glass-fronted fridge so you can “go shopping” and see what's soon to be in your tummy. Note: some of these beers are in the 10 percent alcohol range and are not to be drunk lightly.

With a dozen small tables and a short bar, Beer Mania seems to be a favorite for small groups of friends. A glance at the menu shows the place serves crepes and a wide range of cocktails. A glance out the window showed three patrons opening packages of Hormel ham and — with each slice neatly rolled up — packing it away. Nothing like processed meat chased down by Duvel . (By the way, I've popped into Beer Mania twice more and my first impressions hold true — except for the ham.)

IDENTITY CRISIS — W SPORTS AND MUSIC RESTAURANT AND BAR
The name of this “Nordic style” establishment — owned by a former Olympic ping pong champion and a professional hockey player, both hailing from the land of Ikea — hints at the identity crisis within. Is it a music bar (the DJ and KTV shows on the tube), restaurant (pine tables neatly set with cutlery), café (with an emphasis on aqua blue and lemon yellow), pub (standup bar and shelves of alcohol), gymnasium (pool and ping pong tables) or knick-knack shop (assorted paddles — signed — and other souvenirs on sale). And while it's promoting Swedish food, what's with the lofty goal of having the best malt whiskey and the claim of having a wide range of beers (um, six)? Then there's the patio outside, a quite serene place with elegant furniture, a water fountain and… a life-sized cutout of a ping pong player. If establishments had personalities, this one would have more than a handful.

BOOKS: THOSE THINGS MADE OUT OF PAPER
There's more to life than having a fork in one hand and a cup of wine in the other (though not much). Thus, we dedicate the next 300 words to books. It was miraculous to find — among the bestsellers, half-assed language learning texts and various other tomes at the foreign book shop in Wangfujing — a copy of Don Marquis' Archy and Mehitabel . It's based on two characters introduced in Marquis' column in 1916: Archy is a cockroach who types stories each night (no capital letters; he's too weak to press down that giant shift key) and Mehitabel is a cat working on her ninth life. It was cutting-edge humor at the time and an extremely hard book to find now. But they had it in Beijing. What are the odds? Words of wisdom from Archy: Prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer / and denies you the beer to cry into. ~ Someone asked me what three books I would want if stranded on a desert island. After careful thought, I picked Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles (for his simple and inspiring prose), Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (for his advice on surviving in a foreign environment) and The Best of Penthouse Forum (for I'm assuming I'm stranded alone). ~ Speaking of Bradbury, his 1948 classic makes for interesting reading since it's about humans colonizing Mars, which he has happening in 1999, thus leading to some interesting entries for 2005. I won't spoil the ending, but you might end up drawing some parallels from Bradbury's take on culture clashes and your own East-West experiences. * Alex Pearson at the Bookworm says her hottest selling books are One Billion Customers by Jim McGregor and Foreign Babes in Beijing by Rachel DeWoskin.

FENG SHUI FIASCO AT ICEHOUSE
Icehouse got its name because during the Qing dynasty the place was, surprise surprise, an icehouse. Maybe that's the problem. After all, if it had good feng shui, then emperors past would have used it for a dining room or guest quarters, instead of a place to store frozen water. I know, I know, the lounge is partially owned by Handel Lee, who is associated with all that is high class in Shanghai and Beijing. Thus my discomfort is obviously due to a personal deficiency in taste. Even so, I'm not the only misfit, because numerous other people have found Icehouse to be too boxy, too flat, too vacant, too much like the cement-floored, soulless events room in my hometown's ice hockey arena (of course, only I made this last connection).

While I'm griping, why does Icehouse make it so hard to tell apart the men's and women's toilets? I went into one toilet only to run into a woman. I headed into the other toilet only to run into — another woman. I then realized that the first woman was cleaning and went back. The result is a terrible dilemma: either I have to use valuable memory space to remember which toilet to use or I have to start wearing adult diapers. And it's all the fault of Icehouse!

Finally, there's that hallway, which I'm guessing is 80 meters long. It's impressive going in, although some oxygen tanks along the way would be nice for the less fit. But coming out, especially if you've had a few drinks, you could end up bashing your head off the walls a dozen times and/or be sober by the time you reach the door.

Okay, to be positive, I know some people who like Icehouse and I've had a few good times there, too, notably at the Chopschticks event a month ago and at that's Beijing ’s launch of their 2005-6 Insider's Guide to Beijing a few weeks back. The latter event featured Grey Goose vodka and thus there were plenty of happy people, including one magazine editor who described Icehouse as “fanstatic!”

But still, the feng shui factor remains. I dunno, Ice House reminds me of the New York Yankees baseball team. They spend outrageous amounts of money on their product, they have lots of strong backing and they have a good customer base (Icehouse has Chopschticks comedy shows, ASC wine tastings, Beijing Cheese Society events, etc.). All the stars are aligned, but something just doesn't feel right…

THE 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 Café , with samples of their warm, moist, freshly baked muffins. Except for Clemens being out of the game too early, things were going well.

Welcome to issue two of my yet-to-be-named newsletter. It features

• Tequila Time at John Bull
• Frosty Phil's
• The Battles of Sanlitun
• The Poop on Doodoo
• Reader Mail
• Kraft-D the Critic
• Five Questions for Frank
• Final Sips

For the sake of space, I've pushed two pieces – $10,000 Wine Glasses and Books: Those Things Made of Paper – to next time. Thanks for the many comments about the launch issue. Below, I address a few, including whether or not I am trying to get rich from this newsletter. BB.

17 tequila shots; hold the lemon and salt

My tequila shooting life is largely limited to senors Jose Cuervo and Pepe Lopez, accompanied by their amigos lemon and salt. So, it was an eye-opener when Frank Siegel of John Bull Pub hosted a tasting with more than a dozen brands. I sipped my way through 17 of them, with every (partial) shot taken straight up and warm. Amazingly, even a novice like me could detect differences in acidity and sweetness and that some tasted of oak, some left a nice slow burn on the palate and some made you want to hack up a hairball.

A Mexican trade promotion rep provided a tequila primer – the drink is made from blue agave plants; it can be labeled as tequila if it contains at least 51% of this agave, so go for 100% brands unless you want mystery alcohol; aged tequilas are yellow due to storage in barrels, although cheaper brands cheat by using food coloring; and so on. With a dozen visiting reps from Mexican distilleries on hand, the event was fun, educational and surprisingly sobering. The drinks and buffet of tacos, burritos, rice, nachos and salsa were RMB120 – tremendous value. Frank, who opened the city's first non-hotel bar (see Five Questions for Frank below), is now serving Mexican fare every Wednesday.

Frosty Phil’s

There's no shortage of places in Beijing with RMB10 Qingdao, but Phil's – among the remaining holdouts on Sanlitun South – has the AB advantage: A) they provide a frosted glass; B) they tip the glass before pouring, thereby leaving a preferable amount of foam. Phil's has a stand up bar, a few chairs by the window, and small tables and chairs spotted about in a room modestly broken up by pillars. That means enough nooks and crannies to simultaneously be “our place” for couples, a hangout for a group of buddies, or a stop on the way home from work. Besides the neighborhood feel, the friendly staff provides an eclectic mix of music, from Supertramp to George Michael to Don McLean. Where else but Phil's can you enjoy beer in a frosted glass while listening to Donna Summer's “Hot Stuff”?

The Battles of Sanlitun

It's a dog eat dog and bar eat bar world and Sanlitun is no exception. At least three different pairs of establishments are going head to head there.

Martini madness: The soap opera surrounding First Café continues. In the last episode, we learned how two Chinese bartenders came to the big city and worked for foreign owners at a martini bar only to see the place's popularity and their workload soar, while their benefits remained, to put it kindly, stable. Disgruntled, they broke free about a month ago and have now found an investor and set up shop in front of their old workplace. Grudges, revenge, cut-throat competition, this scene's got it all – with a twist of lemon.

Our dynamic bartending duo thinks their popularity with previous patrons will bring in droves of customers. (How do I know? They said so. While we sampled three 12-year-old whiskies I brought back from vacation. Maybe they didn't say “droves,” but they definitely used “most” and “lots.” Trust me. I don't make this stuff up.) First Café's best feature was excellent drinks, and especially martinis, but it also had a potent mix of coziness and interesting customers. This new bar – called Midnight: don't get me started on the name – is about twice as big as First Café's top floor and it will be hard to create a similar ambience. Here's the thing: great drinks work due to the recipe. If you take the ingredients and change the formula, you toy with disaster. And that's what's happened to First Café as a bar. Let's hope things don't go sour.

As the worm turns: More precisely, it's wriggled from Sanlitun North to just off Sanlitun South, just down from where it meets Gongti North. Bookworm leaves behind former food partner Le Petit Gourmand, which has a sign proclaiming to the world that yes, it is open, essential given the rubble surrounding the place. The new Bookworm's interior is clean, comfortable and spacious, with three lounge areas, reasonably priced drinks (RMB12 for an Espresso or diet Coke; RMB15 for Yanjing draft), 14ooo-plus books available for loan and hundreds for sale, excellent service, and the continuing lecture series. (I'm still having nightmares thanks to Mark Benecke, the forensic scientist who specializes in etymology and took us step by step – or, rather, picture by picture – through solving a crime by looking at insects on a corpse's body. The talk was appropriately titled, “The Great Maggot Detective.” The last seminar was by Jim McGregor, who spoke to a packed house about his new book, One Billion Customers.) Besides being almost electrocuted by a malfunctioning lamp chord, my only criticisms about the Bookworm would be that the music is too loud at times and that it is going to be too popular. As for Le Petit Gourmand, it's hanging in as long as possible in a location destined for redevelopment.

Not lonely at the top: Bar Blu was known for having a most big and most excellent rooftop. Then it got whacked in half. Before you could pop the caps on a couple of Coronas, Top Club opened on the other side, separated by a two-meter barrier, apparently by the brains behind nearby Kai Club, which specializes in cheap drinks and is popular with students. I have yet to visit Top Club, but have heard from others that it offers a decent rooftop lounge. As for Bar Blu, it remains for me a mystery. On one hand, it has decent service at times and a good happy hour. On the other, I, and other acquaintances, have sometimes found the staff arrogant (and forgetful about bringing back change). Will the real Bar Blu please stand up?

The Poop on Doodoo

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 me and my friends. Hmm, first they lose revenue for three beverages; 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. 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?

Reader Mail

We get e-mail – more messages than you can count on several fingers on one hand. Here are four that made me furrow my brow and dedicate some thought.

Is this [newsletter] a commercial endeavor? – FS

Sì. And now that I just dreamed for one second that I could make money from my amateur observations of Beijing's food and beverage scene, let me be honest. No. This is a financially nonviable endeavor. Its simple aim is to provide views and news about Beijing's food and beverage scene, mostly in the Central Business District, with occasional tales about good and bad taxi drivers, housing, shopping, public spitting, and who knows what else. But if someone out there DOES want to pay me for this, feel free to indulge yourself.

Your articles are really long. – LS

That was my gut reaction, too, but then I decided that too much food and drink writing out there is short, smart-alecky and aloof. Plus, I'm not beholden to sponsors or the need to fit into x number of column inches, as is the print media.

Who else is getting this newsletter? – PS

Most readers are people I know, and people they know, who love not only food and drink, but also have quite a bit of disposable income to pursue that passion. They range from diplomats to homemakers to English teachers to entrepreneurs. The mailing list includes many people who own or work in bars, restaurants and wine companies.

I would appreciate less prose and more recommendations of wines. – CD

This sounds as though it came from the “dog ate my homework” school, but I lost my Hilton wine tasting notes on a bus headed for the Great Wall. (No doubt, the driver is reading my drivel at the red lights.) I'll try to include more specifics on wines, whiskies, tequilas and other beverages in the future.

Why don't you turn this into a blog? – Too many people to list

People have suggested I do this or add pictures to the newsletter. For now, I'm keeping it a simple, text-based newsletter, but if the readership keeps growing, I'll go online.

Kraft-D the Critic

My friends Kevin, aka Kraft-D, and “Alpha” Veda were up from Shanghai during the October holiday. Here's K-D's quick wrap-ups of various eateries and drinkeries we visited on his first day here: Steaks & Eggs (“The test for a chicken Caesar salad is whether the lettuce is cold and crisp and the chicken is warm – and it was. And they have bottomless coffee. More places should do this”); Stone Boat (“The service was poor and the coffee wasn't good, but it was great weather for sitting out on the deck. I saw a fish jump out of the pond [in Ritan Park].”); Le Petit Gourmand (“With all those demolished buildings, this place looks like it's in the middle of a war zone – ground zero. We sat down because they told us it was the Bookworm, but we figured out that it had moved.); the Bookworm (“Great ambience, great qi, good prices, a real you're-welcome-here feeling”), the Tree (“Pretty good pizza, but the salad was kind of limp. Good crowd.”); Apertivo (“The wine of the month idea is a good idea and RMB18 for beers was pretty good value. It was nice to sit out on the patio.”)

We also made two trips to Houhai and one to the Great Wall, where we talked marketing strategies for an hour with those beverage sellers who must spend half the day dragging their cans and bottles (and ice!) up there, but I'll save that stuff for the next newsletter.

Five Questions with Frank

A reporter from this yet-to-be-named newsletter stopped by John Bull Pub last Thursday to chat with owner Frank Siegel, credited with opening, in 1989, the city's first non-hotel bar – the aptly named Frank's Place. Over coffee, he gave us the rundown on 16 years of Beijing bar history and then answered five questions:

I take it you didn't have Guinness on tap back then. What drinks did you offer?

We started with bottles of Beijing draft; the draft itself came later. San Miguel out of Hong Kong was big. At one time, we had Miller draft. There was actually a Miller beer garden at the Asian Games Village and we eventually got the beer. Spirits were never a problem.

That tequila tasting was excellent. What's the best event you're ever organized?

Frank's Place Polar Golf Outing. It started 10 years ago and the guys running Frank's are still doing it.

The Spanish wine tasting two years ago was big. A gentleman from the embassy was to give a talk on a Friday. We had a capacity of 30 and on Wednesday had 12 people signed up. There were 36 by Friday. In the meantime, the Spanish guy told all these people to come down. It was supposed to start at 7:30 and everyone was speaking Spanish, some were on the list and some weren't, and we ended up with about 50 to 55 people. I was really nervous, but they were all saying, “Relax, we're Spanish, just take your time getting ready.” We finally got going at 9 PM and we all had a great time.

What's the biggest single difference between running a bar in 1989 and now?

There is more competition, more places. The population is more diffused – we didn't have Shunyi then – and a lot of the client base is out of the city. We knew everyone back then.

Besides John Bull Pub, what are you favorite bars and restaurants in Beijing?

Because of the traffic, I usually go to local restaurants, but I'm impressed with Hatsune (Japanese restaurant) and the Orchard. For a nice glass of wine, the Aria and the Press Club Bar in the St. Regis – I know the guys there, they're nice people. But I really need to get out more.

What's your cure for a hangover?

Drink Gatorade or Pocari Sweat and then go to the gym. It's painful, but it works.

Final Sips

Time is running out for spending fantastic fall nights on a rooftop or deck. A few options: Big Easy (relaxing), Suzy 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 the Ah-Q Jazz Orchestra bring down the house at CD Jazz Café, catch their show on Thursday nights. Trombonist Matt Roberts, a former Dow Jones dude and now BlackInc China partner, says the house has been packed of late and he's trying to figure out an encore. Ah-Q was playing at Ice House but the club, being a blues bar, wanted a, um, blues band, which makes you wonder why they hired a jazz one to begin with. ~ Steak & 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. 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 a 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 out 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.

This newsletter was originally mailed Thursday, October 6.

Welcome to the first issue of my yet-to-be-named e-newsletter. This one is strong on bar and restaurant write-ups and includes one very ironical “irony of ironies” story (see Fateful Day at First Café below) that shows Beijing isn't quite as big as it seems. Comments, questions and constructive criticism (and potential names for this e-newsletter) are welcome and will be addressed in later issues.

Wining about Beijing

The annual Hilton wine fest a couple of weeks ago filled two floors of the hotel, with over 160 producers from Canada (How often is Canada listed first when it comes to wine? Go Canada!), Italy, Australia, the US, France, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Germany, Austria and other grape-growing nations. I tasted 52 wines – these were sips, not full glasses, my friends – along with the buffet, for a measly RMB250 (US$30).

I also looked like a total poseur by writing tasting notes on my little black pad – unfortunately I forgot my turtleneck sweater and Robert Parker book or I could have really stood out. But when you're going through enough labels to make a deck of cards, you need a way to remember what was good, bad and ugly. It's funny how my early notes use descriptions like “fruity,” “fresh,” “acidic” and “earthy,” while later ones are more, uh, creative: “hints of Sprite,” “honestly mundane,” “this grape's got [sic] identity crisis” and “tastes like birch bark” (which I'm pretty sure I've never tasted). It's also funny how you think a wine tastes like, say, birch bark, but then the distributor approaches and says it has “a delicate nose, a full body and a passionate finish” – and you suddenly realize it's true! (And, in the case of this description, get turned on.) When the same expert points out the “notes of Saskatoon berries,” you swear you can taste them even if you're never eaten, seen or heard of this fruit, or know where Saskatoon is (it's in Canada, which at least in this inaugural newsletter, ranks first in wine. Go Grape White North!).

Thanks to Stefan Fleischer of Palette, who explained his company's wines and had us taste each of them in the proper order. (Stefan is opening a coffee shop in the art district – Dashanzi – more details to come). Beijing's other four leading distributors were also there – ASC Fine Wines, Montrose, Torres and Summergate. By the way, to those who know that my cell phone and I parted ways that night, it was not lost, I repeat, it was not lost. The phone was stolen. I clearly remember putting it down at 9:34 PM (26 minutes left to taste!) to exchange business cards and in minutes later it was, so to speak, Gone with the Wine. Be careful fellow tasters. Cell phones disappear as quickly as that last glass of Bollinger's…

Holy crab cakes!

If I were a woman, I would marry a guy like Chef Dan Segall, who cooks up a storm at the Louisiana Restaurant – yes, the Hilton again – and is friendly as all get out. I was lucky enough to try Dan's topnotch crab cakes, lamb chops, and pecan pie with ice cream, all courtesy of the hotel's general manager, Vlad Reyes, who invited a bunch of us to dinner after we checked out the Hilton's most excellent new executive suites. Note: Vlad is not only an entertaining dinner host, but also – little known fact – arranged several hundred marriage ceremonies while working in the hotel industry in the Maldives. So, if you ever need some last-minute vows…

This was my fourth superb dinner at the Louisiana and the place should be a nominee for that's Beijing magazine's annual restaurant awards. In any case, Dan, who hails from Massachusetts, deserves special credit for this last meal because, on that very day, his Boston Red Sox slipped behind the New York Yankees in the pennant race. Grace under pressure.

Sir Laugh-a-lot

Another guy making Beijing better is Rich Robinson, who for the love of humor organizes the Chopschticks comedy shows here and in Shanghai. Two hundred people came to the Ice House on September 17 to see John Bush and Tom Shillue, the two comedians Rich flew in from the US (Tom managed to equate being denied sex by a particular sweetheart in high school with him carrying two increasingly swelling mailbags – with every letter in them being addressed to her and eager to be delivered.) Kudos to Rich and Cherry for making the project a success: check www.chopschticks.com for the next show.

To my horror and delight, Rich bought me a martini. Horror, as my last Ice House martini had “notes” of kerosene, and delight, since I rarely get free drinks and this one was good. Take it as a sign from Buddha that Ice House is poised to be, as many expect, a major player on Beijing's high-end bar scene.

After the show, a few of us took John and Tom on a tour of some Beijing night spots. It's hard to beat the spacious rooftop deck at Suzy Wong on a cool fall evening. Funnily enough, my colleague Lige arrived and remembered Tom from a show he did on 72nd Street in New York – five years ago. If that feat of memory wasn't enough, she recalled three of his jokes, two of which he had told us at the show just a few hours earlier.

Fateful day at First Cafe

It is a sad day when your favorite pub is resigned to the empty bottle heap of history. I'm talking about a place where you hang out with homies, take friends visiting China, and hold birthday, going away and Thank Buddha It's Friday parties; where you show up alone and usually meet somebody you know and, if not, chat up the soul on the next stool.

It's bad enough when such a place is razed for a new, and about to look old in two years, apartment complex or shopping mall. It's worse when things go awry due to clashing egos. The latter has happened at First Café with the departure of George and Echo, the place's only two bartenders and arguably the city's best. (Even my New York City-living, martini-loving friend Ro loves the drinks.) Let's forget the dirty details about whether George and Echo were fired and forget that the bar has been neither demolished nor seen its door shuttered, the simple fact is that the place will never be the same for its most loyal patrons and some of the friends I have made there, including Oliver, Sherry, Joan, Kay or Janet. (This is even worse than when Buca Buca, which had the best martinis in Taipei, shut up shop.)

I've given out 120 First Café business cards and taken 50 friends, colleagues, clients and acquaintances there over the past year. It was a cozy spot with great ambience, a good clientele and, most importantly, bartenders who know their craft. At the same time, I and other patrons have told management many times to do something or lose their bartenders. “No one listens to people with curly hair,” as the old Chinese saying goes, and now we must wait, with great thirst, for George and Echo to pop up in a new locale. I met up with them shortly after the Fateful Day at First Café – it created a good excuse for us to sample three 12-year-old whiskies I brought back from vacation – and they have some new tricks up their sleeves to concoct even better martinis.

The big question now: Will First Café continue along the familiar path of many other small bar and restaurants? A cozy place opens and offers something unique in the way of drinks, food, ambience or service; it builds a cult following and those supporters bring their friends; it starts booming and everyone takes credit (the managers assume it's their administrative genius; the bartenders or chefs their creations; the customers their gratis marketing); a key manager, bartender or chef leaves and quality slips; the place continues to boom for a few months on the momentum of pre-fallout days; then there is a drift to mediocrity and, often, closure. Time will tell, but just as an excellent martini has a last slip, so, too, do good bars come to an end.

[Ironies of ironies – when I arrived in the Bookworm tonight to send out this newsletter, who did I end up finding across from me but – Echo and George. Being the little eavesdropper I am, I heard them talking to an investor about the new bar they are opening in a few days – right in front of First Café. More on this later, but suffice to say I heard the phrase, “What's the cheapest gin we can use?” Let's give the benefit of the doubt to them for now.]

Special delivery

A colleague and I recently phoned in sandwich orders to Sequoia Café at 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. But 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's possible to quickly deliver good food in the CBD (Stone Boat, take note).

Beijing in brief

Beijing has started an etiquette program for taxi drivers and not a moment too soon. I've never been ripped off by a driver here, but have received a fair share of bad attitude. Most drivers are decent and it's too bad they're pulled down by a significant minority that desperately need some “thought reform” ~ By the way, the new and spacious taxis introduced during the past year are a godsend. Standing on the eleventh floor of my building and watching those two-toned vehicles – each painted in a primary color with a single gold stripe – zip by is like watching tropical fish in a tank. ~ To those who complain about getting horrible hangovers from five-dollar, all-you-can-drink bars, get real. What else do you expect from drinking the lowest-grade alcohol around? ~ The new Bookworm is open and with its 14,000+ books for loan, three spacious lounge areas, tasty sandwiches and wireless, it's even better than before. ~ More on the Bookworm in the next issue as well as write-ups on the John Bull Pub tequila tasting, Beer Mania, Beijing holiday adventures, and Jim McGregor's new book One Billion Customers. It's getting a lot of press and McGregor will give talks both to AmCham-China (www.amcham-china.org.cn) and the Bookworm (www.beijingbookworm.com) on September 11. ~ JB.