Pre-Dinner Drink Destinations to Knock Your Socks Off

Sanlitun has got new venues popping up every other day it seems.

So it’s a good thing you have LumDimSum to weed the good ones out and get the word out.

Three delightful new venues that have knocked my socks off:

• Apothecary – located next to Mosto, on the 3rd floor of Nali Patio

Run by the owners of the Japanese whisky bar Er in Maizidian & Chef Max Levy from Bei in the Opposite House, this is a no-brainer recipe for success.  Barely open for a few weeks, Apothecary has already accumulated record buzz for its quality drinks and Creole dining menu, which closely resembles my recent dining experience at Nola, but with more bar-friendly dishes and presentation.

• Tryst – located next to Alameda in the alley way across from the Sanlitun Village & Nali Patio

Only 20 square meters in size, this cozy, little joint is one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous bars I’ve seen.  Stunning interior design with elegant wallpaper, a crystal chandelier, and timeless antique pieces used for decor, Tryst is perfect for a romantic rendezvous, a destination for an intimate pre-dinner or post-dinner cocktail. And their cocktails were perfected by bar professional Jake Logsdon, so be careful to pace yourself because the drinks are all pretty stiff.

• Club Décolleté – Located in 1949- The Hidden City along with Duck de Chine, Noodle Bar, Taverna, and Club Glen

A dazzling and glamorous champagne bar inspired by the 1920’s Art Nouveau movement, recognized for its look of timeless elegance and class, Club Décolleté is an ideal venue for a romantic rendezvous, a girls’ night out, or an exclusive celebration. Club Décolleté boasts a fine selection of champagne cocktails, fresh fruit daiquiris, and champagne by the bottle. Champagne lovers will also be pleased to sample premium selection of champagnes available in tasting flights.

LumDimSum’s Gallery of Club Decollete’s Opening Party

Congratulations to Wilfred Kwok, successful owner of Glen Boutique Bar, Oden and newly opened Club Glen & Club Decollete in 1949-The Hidden City.

Club Decollete opened last night, Wednesday, December 2nd with an endless supply of champagne, cocktails, live saxophone, and tapas courtesy of 1/5 Taverna. EventPod also featured a live slideshow of all photos throughout the night!

You can check out the entire database of photos from Club Decollete’s Opening Party here.

But here’s a taste of Club Decollete’s Opening with LumDimSum’s photo gallery highlights:

Oodles of Noodles

1949′s got a lot of people talking about their newest additions: Club Décolleté and Club Glen (replacing 1/5 Taverna’s previous bar).  Club Décolleté is a dazzling new champagne bar with beautiful sparkling cocktails and fresh sparkling daiquiris where Club Glen is a member’s only lounge featuring premium whisky and cigars. Both venues providing a nice balance for both lovely ladies and gentlemen in each respective venue.

Aside from these two new additions, 1949-The Hidden City is also home to eateries such as 1/5 Taverna, Duck de Chine, Sugar Bar, and the quaint and cozy Noodle Bar, the smallest of 1949′s venues. With only 12 seats around the noodle station, guests quickly come and go for delicious bowls of noodles with high-quality ingredients and kung-fu chefs hand-pulling wheat noodles in front of you.

The Noodle Bar concept is quite direct – a concise menu with simple dishes, clearly specializing in big bowls of beef noodle soup (with beef brisket, beef tendon, or beef tripe), veggie dishes, and about 5 cold appetizer dishes. I recommend ordering the set menu for RMB 42 (bowl of beef brisket, tendon and tripe noodles with a small appetizer and Oolong Tea). With only 12 seats in total, this is a great spot for a quick, casual lunch with a friend or two (not more considering the limited seats).  It’s small and cozy rather than intimate and romantic. It’s not pretentious or aiming to be anything more than simply what it is: A Noodle Bar.

Noodle Bar Review: At 1949- The Hidden City. Courtyard 4, Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District, Sanlitun. Opposite Pacific Century Place South gate. Tel: 6501-1949

Best Part:

• Delicious bowls of beef noodle soup
• Nice Set Lunch Option for RMB 42 (Combo of Beef noodles, small appetizer and tea)
• Wait isn’t long (people come, eat, and leave rather quickly)
• Cozy setting and casual atmosphere with chefs hand-pulling noodles in front of you

Comments:

• There are only 12 seats, so it’s a bit complicated to arrive with more than 2 other people and expect to sit together.
• Not really a place to sit and chat and hang out (there’s more of an ‘eat-and-leave’ mentality)

I recommend this venue as a quick, casual lunch destination for people who love oodles of noodles for a reasonable price.

Warm Up the Weekend with Hot Pot

It’s mid-November and it’s already snowed heaps. Blame global warming, blame China for shooting too many chemicals into the clouds, blame whoever, but we need to cope with this year’s early drop in temperature.

I find comfort in Hot Pot, which seems to be the theme for this weekend:

You gotta play your cards right on this Friday, the 13th!

• Hot Pot & BBQ dinner at Kagen
• Bachelorette Party @ the new ladies’ champagne bar: Club Décolleté
• Dance crazy @ BLING.

Saturday, November 14:

• BLING: **DJ KEZA returns to BLING for a kick-ass performance, ‘Keza’s Golden Night’ this Saturday night!!!!  (I get giddy just thinking about it!)
• Vic’s Ying Yang Twins show – known for their “Whisper Song”.  For those who want to shake it (like a salt shaker).
• Hot Pot & Happy Niu Year Snowboard Movie Premiere hosted by Mellowparks @ Punk.

**NOTE:  The Human Beatbox and former member of the Roots, RAH ZEL will be performing exclusively @ BLING on Saturday, November 20. If you don’t know RAH ZEL, just watch his mind-blowing live performance of “If Your Mother Only Knew” on YouTube.

For those who missed my raving review of Kagen’s incredible Gourmet Month special, you can read up here.  As always, the more the merrier, so feel free to join the group for some quality Japanese hot pot and BBQ goodness. If not, then kick off the winter snowboard season right and join the party at Punk for big beats and big tricks. Movie premier starts at 11:30pm and tons of sick raffle prizes up for grabs throughout the night.

Ladies First: Club Décolleté

Tonight, Beijing just got a little more class with the unofficial, soft-opening of Club Décolleté in 1949 – The Hidden City.

A dazzling and glamorous champagne bar with a look of timeless elegance and class, Club Décolleté is destined to shine as the ultimate champagne bar for Beijing’s beautiful elite.

As explained by owner & creator, Wilfred Kwok (also owner of Glen Boutique Bar), Club Décolleté’s interior design was simulated to mirror the exquisite and gracious design of the prestigious cuvée Perrier-Jouët Champagne bottle. Décolleté’s canvas-textured walls were hand-painted with floral patterns lined with gold and its bold color combination of green and orange emulate the Art Deco style of Cartier’s 1920’s collection design style of sleek, streamlined forms to convey elegance and sophistication.  Dressed in velvet with plush sofa seating combined with the playful touch of French café style seating featuring Kartell’s modern and innovative Italian furniture, the intimate proportions and plush décor create an environment of comfortable luxury.

Located within the brick walls of 1949-The Hidden City, Club Décolleté is a jewel box within this entertainment courtyard oasis of dining, art and culture.  From its hand-painted walls to the sensual curves along the luminous gold bar, Club Décolleté upholds a sense of heritage and aesthetics, creativity, expertise, and a blend of art and innovation.

With its captivating femininity and sensuality, this deliciously decadent champagne bar is designed with women in mind and irresistible for champagne lovers alike with its suave, sophisticated, distinguished and classic yet contemporary nature.

This haven of style is an ideal venue for a romantic rendezvous, a girls’ night out, or an exclusive celebration. Club Décolleté boasts a fine selection of champagne cocktails, fresh fruit daiquiris, and champagne by the bottle.  In time, Décolleté will also serve a delectable assortment of tapas, fresh oysters, caviar, cheeses and desserts.

The seamless fusion of elegance and luxury and a passion for uncompromising service and quality makes Club Décolleté an experience that is indulgent and truly unforgettable.

Club Décolleté is a place to celebrate and be celebrated.

Club Décolleté: First floor bar in 1949-The Hidden City, Attached to 1/5 Taverna and directly across from Sugar Bar. Gongti Bei lu, behind Pacific Century Mall.

Best Part:

• It’s a venue designed for elegant, classy women (men will not be allowed in unless they are accompanied by women)
• It’s all about the bubbly.
• With Wilfred Kwok behind Décolleté, you can rest assured that every cocktail will be made to perfection
• From Thursday-Saturday nights the music features a DJ with a live instrument (tonight had the sax)
• It’s small & intimate
• It’s still a secret – as it literally JUST opened its doors to the public tonight

Comments:

• Club Décolleté has not officially opened yet, they are still using a temporary menu and have yet to start serving off their food menu, which is unavailable at this stage.  *I’m anxious to try chocolate covered strawberries with my champagne cocktail.
• Unless you know 1949, it’s quite difficult to explain to people how to get here. I just don’t get how people living in Beijing have never been to 1949 until now.
• Will be interesting to see how the dynamics of Décolleté will change once Club Glen opens just upstairs (member’s only lounge specializing in premium whiskeys and cigars).

A Tour of ‘The New Beijing’

It seems like a lifetime ago, but when I first moved to Beijing in 2006, I came as a student to study Mandarin at World Link Education.  Back in those days, everything was all play and stress-free – ah, the life as a student.  My crew’s regular hangout spot was Together Bar (which was recently demolished this summer and replaced with a park) and our regular party spots included none other than Babyface, Cargo, Bar Blu, Kai Bar, Suzie Wong’s and Vics (before the re-model).

Since then, so much has changed in Beijing pre and post the 2008 Olympics.

This October holiday, my best friend from World Link, Sophia Gericke came back to visit for 10 days – a visit that has been both refreshing and eye-opening.  It’s so easy to get caught up in all the small things and forget to see the big picture.  It’s hard to imagine that only a year ago, there was no Sanlitun Village, there was no Opposite House, no Bling, no Solana, no Legation Quarter, etc. etc.

With Sophia back in Beijing after a 3 years, I wanted her to experience the best of what I like to call, ‘The New Beijing’.

Having already lived in Beijing, Sophia had no interest in seeing any tourist attractions, so I was able to really give her a taste of Beijing’s new and improved dining and nightlife scene.

Here’s what the 10 day tour consisted of:

1. Sanlitun Village (Hatsune, Karaiya, Blue Frog for drinks, Panino Teca)
2. Opposite House (Alan’s Hotel Party in one of the suites, Mesh & Punk)
3. Solana (All-Star & Bling)
4. Legation Quarter Tour & dinner @ Capital M (Qianmen Pedestrian Street)
5. Park Hyatt’s Xiu
6. Olympic Green (complete with attending the Turandot Opera in Bird’s Nest)
7. 1949-The Hidden City: Club Décolleté, Club Glen, Sugar Cafe, Well Bar
8. Scarlett (Hotel G)
9. Glen Boutique Bar & Oden
10. d lounge
    

    Keep it Gangsta Party @ BLING

11. Vics (renovated)
12. Block 8‘s Ruby Khi (renovated)
13. Suzie Wong’s (unchanged)
14. Chocolate Club
15. Vineyard Cafe (best Sunday brunch)
16. Chef Too (Sunday brunch)
17. Regency Taipan (massage)
18. PurpleJade Country Club (spa)

ODEN: Contemporary Japanese Comfort

For the first time in a contemporary Japanese restaurant, the traditional Japanese stew, oden, is the spotlighted specialty dish on the menu.  Here at Oden, a modern yet intimate Japanese sake restaurant, they serve this popular Japanese comfort food along with cherished and innovative Japanese cuisine that perfectly compliment Oden’s unbeatable sake tasting sets.

Their specialty oden sets include premium products in a fragrant and nourishing soup made from scratch. Some of the consisting quality ingredients include abalone, giant prawns, bamboo shoots, and various other fresh seafood items flown in daily from Japan.   With the winter season approaching, this nourishing stew will be the perfect remedy to warm your stomach and enjoy among friends.

An oden set inclusive of the typical traditional ingredients is RMB 70, which can be upgraded to the oden special set at RMB 180 comprising of more premium seafood ingredients.

Oden aside, their small, focused menu also features a selection of appetizers, fresh salads, assorted sashimi, innovative sushi rolls (Foie gras sushi roll with fresh mango), premium teppanyaki grill items including Kobe beef sirloin steak and giant prawns, and Japanese staples such as their Inaniwa Udon noodles.

Last but not least, Oden features the best sake samplers in town. You can choose between three different grades of sake tasting flights inclusive of 8 premium sake samplers starting from RMB 160, RMB 260 & 360.  A sake tasting set of 16 is RMB 390.  If you’re not a sake lover, oden also serves a selection of high-grade plum wines, syochu and cocktails courtesy of neighboring Glen Boutique Bar.

With tall glass windows all around, everything dressed in white and a seating capacity of only 28 people, Oden’s simple Japanese style with a touch of traditional Chinese flair combines to create an original, stylish environment.  Utilizing a brilliant concept, Oden’s unique furniture is completely movable producing unlimited possibilities of 3-tier seating arrangements for a fresh look and atmosphere every day. Oden’s all-white design further accentuates the premium food and the white lace screens create an ambiance of intimacy and privacy in a contemporary, comfortable setting perfect for a date or a group of friends.

By the same owner of Glen Boutique Bar, Wilfred Kwok has never compromised on quality, always in a pursuit of excellence, to provide the highest quality and a unique experience in each of his four venues: Glen Boutique Bar, Club Décolleté, Club Glen and Oden.

I encourage you to experience Oden, new Japanese sake restaurant serving traditional Japanese comfort food together with the best sake tasting sets in town.

Oden:  203 Taiyue Suites, 16 Sanlitun Nanlu

三里屯南路16号，太悦203室

Phone: 6506 6700

Open Daily from 6pm-2am

*Note: Due to limited seating, Reservations are required before 10pm

Best Part:

• Foie Gras Sushi Roll with Fresh Mango: melts in your mouth and reason in and of itself to go back regularly
• Oden Sets – soup is made from scratch – it’s super healthy, nourishing, warms your stomach and soothes your body inside and out
• The menu is limited, but focused and extremely well executed – definitely quality over quantity
• Owner is Wilfred Kwok (creator and owner of Glen Boutique Bar, a Japanese whiskey bar with the best cocktails in town) so you know you’re dealing with a professional perfectionist who will deliver above your expectations
• Design is brilliant with the movable furniture – every day will have a different set-up and ambiance for a fresh, new look
• It’s open until 2am, so you can eat there late night

Comments:

• Max seating is 28 pax, so it’s a very cozy space – Note: Reservations are REQUIRED before 10pm
• A bit tricky to find – it’s located just beside Glen Boutique Bar (2nd floor of Taiyue Suites on Sanlitun NanLu) – the door is wooden with no signage – just an image of a stick figure holding Oden