Hang Out with Hanggai: Hanggai Music Festival 2010

Sponsored by Time Out and jointly organized by Split Works, 13 Month records and the Lotus Center, the Hanggai Music Festival 2010 will take place in the idyllic setting of Anlilong Mountain Villa, a resort/organic farm in Shunyi.

With one main stage, the area will be set up to resemble a Mongolian tribal area (Time Out will be selling delicious Tiger Beer out of a yurt on the grounds), this is a chance to get out of the smoggy city and see Hanggai perform alongside of the best musicians and bands in China’s folk music scene.

The line-up includes Zhang Quan, Mamer & IZ, Shanren, Dawangang, Zhang Weiwei and Guo Long and Nanchang Erge.

For full line-up schedule, click here.

Tickets: 150RMB or 130RMB (presale before September 15), including a round-trip bus ride to the festival.  Pick up presale tickets at Yugong Yishan, Mao Livehouse, Mako Live House, 2 Kolegas, U-Speed Go-Karting, Solo Guitar Shop (Xinjiekou), Tiny Salt Coffee Club, Gulou 121 and Amilal. Buy tickets online through www.piaowutong.com or www.t3.com.cn. Or call the 24-hour ticket hotline at 400 818 3333.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, September 18

Time: 2PM – 9PM

Location: Anlilong Mountain Villa, Shanlixinzhuang Shimen Mudi, Longwantun Zhen, Shunyi district (6046 5331; 8460 3202). 顺义区龙湾屯镇山里辛庄石门基地.

Getting there and back: Shuttle buses (included in the ticket price) leave at noon on Saturday 18 from the north gate of the Workers’ Stadium (Gongti Bei Men). Return buses leave the festival venue at 9.15pm on Saturday 18. On Sunday 19, buses will leave the festival venue at 10am or guests will be transported to the station for the 918 bus, which returns to Bejiing by the highway.

Lodging: Attendees who bring their own tents can camp free of charge on the grounds – there’s room for about 200 people. Tents will also be available for rent.

LumDimSum Discovery: Mian Dui Mian 面兑面

Pork Noodles topped with Peanuts & Scallions (RMB 10)

There’s something to be said about a simple mound of noodles. It’s loved across cultures all over the world. Call it pasta, call it noodles, at the end of the day, it’s all starchy-goodness.

And while noodles are served in practically every Chinese menu in the world, only a few will highlight it as their signature dish.  Mian Dui Mian 面兑面 offers a simple menu with 3 noodle dish options -pork, braised beef or braised pork intestines – all range from RMB 10-18.  To compliment the noodles, there is a small selection of side dishes including pickled cucumber salad and marinated egg to name a few.

Out of the three noodle options, almost everyone in the restaurant, including our table, all ordered the same dish – Noodles with Pork Sauce topped with Peanuts and Scallions. I think that this exact noodle dish is what Marco Polo must have conjured when he took Asian-inspired noodles to Italy to eventually become Spaghetti Bolognaise.

This noodle dish is an interesting mix of flavors and texture, where Spaghetti Bolognaise meets Sichuan-style Dan Dan Mian.  And the best part? This massive portion of noodles (picture above is their small portion) is only RMB 10 and if that’s not enough for you, you can order an even large size for RMB 12 I think.

And unlike your average local noodle joint, this one is decked out in everything IKEA from its furniture and light furnishings to the water pitchers, you will feel that this noodle joint is cleaner, cozier and rather stylish if you will.  Guests can choose to sit at a long counter in front of the noodle station or on tables tucked inside a second room surrounded by glass walls for a very open, airy atmosphere.

Review of Mian Dui Mian面兑面: Right next to Exit B of Dongsi Subway Station, 7 Dongsi Toutiao, Dongcheng District,东城区东四头条7号 Tel: 6400 8781

Best Part:

• Big, heaping serving of Noodles – I recommend the Pork Noodles topped with Peanuts and Scallions (RMB 10).  It’s got the look and texture of Spaghetti Bolognaise with the Ma La “numbing” spice of Sichuan Dan Dan noodles.
• It’s super cheap - like “10 kuai for a meal” kind of cheap.
• Relatively clean space decked out in everything IKEA.
• Menu is limited to only a few items, so it’s straight-forward and simple to order.
• Casual dining space perfect for a quick lunch.

Comments:

• Noodles were great, but all of us ordered the same kind so we didn’t get to sample much else on the menu.
• Service is non-existent, so it’s more of a quick-service restaurant.
• Don’t expect anyone to speak any English.
• Space is quite small so seating is limited, but luckily you can count on patrons to quickly eat and leave and not linger around so if there isn’t a seat right when you walk in, you won’t have to wait long for one to be made available.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 5
• Service: 4
• Overall Experience: 6