The Little Easy: A New Orleans Bar on SLT Bar Strip

This Friday, the 13th of April will be the official opening of a new bar in town called The Little Easy, a New Orleans bar with quality cocktails, craft beers, southern comfort food and live music.

This is Chad Lager‘s newest project, who is also known as the man behind Fubar, Grinders, Tun Bar and The Rickshaw (closed in 2010).

Teaming up with the guys from Slow Boat Brewery, he’ll be exclusively serving three of their craft beers (American Pale Ale, Citra Mango IPA & Amber Ale) on tap for RMB 40 for one or RMB 100 for three.

“The Little Easy is your place for Slow Boat craft beers, Hurricane cocktails, Cajun food and po’ boy sandwiches. Live New Orleans Jazz, Zydeco, and Blues. At the Little Easy, although the clock may say 2am, it’s all a matter of mind, body and spirit.” 

A New Orleans bar like the ones on the legendary Bourbon Street in New Orleans seems quite the change from the cozy, hidden speakeasy that is Fubar with its little “Dizzy Buddha” cocktails (click here for my previous “Buddha-licious” article on Fubar).

But the most fascinating part to me is the choice of location. From the secretive, under-cover location of Fubar, a speak-easy behind the front of Stadium Dog in Gongti, The Little Easy will be smack-dab on the cheesy, touristy Sanlitun bar strip right across from Sanlitun South Village.

This is renowned to be one of the worst parts of Sanlitun, with awful pop music blasting out and girls pole dancing in the windows.  This is the area I fear many clueless tourists accidentally end up while trying to find the infamous “Sanlitun Bar Street” of Beijing they read about in their travel books. I intentionally refuse to walk on this side of the street to avoid all the annoying hawkers shamelessly trying to lure people into their bars that are really nothing but over-priced tourist traps.  All that being said, perhaps The Little Easy will be the pivotal point that will change this hopeless strip into a new, better Sanlitun bar street.

“Centrally located on Sanlitun’s premier bar street – just look for the wrought iron railings and brick interior.”

Fingers crossed this marks the beginning of the end of that forsaken strip of tourist trap-bars-from-hell into a strip of quality bars with legit drinks, food and music.

The Little Easy Details:

• Address: 北京市朝阳区三里屯酒吧街54号 Beijing, Chaoyang district, Sanlitun Bar Street #54 

• Opening Hours: 11AM-late

A New Revolution: A Hidden Gem of a Bar by Yashow

Revolution in words: The cover of Revolution Bar’s Drink List

The Revolution I speak of is not an act of change in power, but rather a hidden little gem of a bar in the alleyway just west of Yashow Market that is covered head to toe in a red hue and communist decor and a drink menu full of cocktails with personalized, quirky names.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Revolution Bar:

The owner and main bartender Xiao Ming used to work at Fubar and I believe this bar is also affiliated with Chad Lager (owner of Fubar). This being said, the drinks are all legit. Like Fubar, they also offer Hendrick’s Gin (hooray!), Captain Morgan’s Private Stock and a bunch of other quality whiskeys in stock.

Although I was tempted to order a Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic, but I was curious to try one of their more creative concoctions and considering I was freezing this evening, I ordered one of the special hot drinks: a Hot Apple Toddy (RMB 50).  The drink tasted a bit more of lemon than it did apple, but it definitely hit the spot and made me feel all warm and toasty in minutes.

Revolution Bar’s Hot Apple Toddy (RMB 50)

After a few drinks, it’s natural to start craving junk food right? We asked Xiao Ming what food they offered and although they only serve French Fries, they were absolutely delicious (even a food as basic as French fries can be delicious, right?!) and an extra bonus is that they encourage hungry drinkers to feel free and order in GungHo! Pizza delivery!  A pepperoni pizza and an order of French fries was exactly what we needed and a great compliment to the drinks we were chugging down at Revolution Bar.

GungHo! Pepperoni Pizza Delivered Straight to Revolution Bar

With such a big inventory of good bottles and even Tiger Beer on tap, it’s no wonder Revolution Bar was full of happy drinkers Friday night and so busy, there was hardly room to make your way around. If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend Revolution Bar for early night drinks to kick off the night or a chill place to hang out all night with friends.

Review of Revolution Bar: West side of Yashow, Gongti North Road,
工体北路雅秀市场西侧; Tel: 6415-8776

Best Part:

• The drinks are legit – not only is the alcohol definitely real, the drinks are as delicious as they are unique and well-made. 
• The bartenders are both friendly and very professional. Clearly trained well with a background at Fubar, these guys are personable and really make an effort to know their customers and accommodate their needs.
• They have drink specials and seasonal drinks (I recommend to try their hot drinks during the cold winter months!)
• They are open 12PM-late (get your drink on early!)
• They let their hungry customers order in GungHo! Pizza Delivery! (they also serve some pretty awesome fries) 

Comments:

• It won’t be hidden for long, but this is a great little gem in the Sanlitun area that is a much better option than any bar on Tongli Studio (gross). 
• It’s nothing fancy and certainly not swanky. Quite the opposite actually. It’s down-to-earth and really low key. A good place for a few drinks with friends or a chilled out night in the Sanlitun area. I like the low-key vibe even when it’s packed out. 
• Drinks aren’t cheap, but they are worth their price – ranging from about RMB 40-50 per drink. 
• It’s not hard to find – just go down the alley on the west side of Yashow, just north of Nearby the Tree.  

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

• Drinks: 9
• Atmosphere: 8
• Service: 9
• Overall Experience: 8

Free Stella Artois Beer @ FUBAR

Hosted by Fubar and Vandergeeten, enjoy FREE Stella Artois this Monday, March 14 at 8PM.

First come, first served! Available while supplies last.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, March 14, 2011
• Time: 8PM
• Location: Fubar
• Address: Gongti Dongmen 10-11, Gongti  Behind a secret door inside of Stadium Dog.
• 工体东门10-11 Stadium Dog里面
• Tel:  6546-8364

Fubar Gets a Facelift

My list of reasons for liking Fubar only continues to grow. Even more so than before, Fubar is just like a speakeasy straight out of New York or London.

I’m not sure when exactly Fubar got renovated, but now it has two adjacent back-lit bars with an joining pillar doubling as a shrine dedicated to Hendrick’s Gin (awesome) and an upstairs level that wraps from the original upstairs seating around the top of the two bars and back down to the left.

And for those who missed my “Buddha-licious” article on Fubar, here is why I think Fu Bar continues to stand out among Beiing’s over-abundance of bars:

It’s a cozy, little speakeasy bar with a nifty, secret hidden door behind the bathroom of a hot dog joint.

Design of the space is hip and cool, while remaining unpretentious and cozy

Great atmosphere on weekends. Ladies should be happy to find the ratio of guys to girls is about 5:1.

It’s conveniently attached to Stadium Dog – great hot dogs to accompany your cocktails

Served in the cutest depiction of a big-bellied Buddha, their “Dizzy Buddha” cocktails (¥100) is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. You can select from a nice list of cocktails and the best part is that you get to take home the ceramic white Buddha as a great souvenir. (see below for pic)

Happy Hour drinks are almost half-off (6-9PM)


Robbie Hennebry jams with his guitar every Wednesday…making Fubar my new favorite place on Wednesday nights!

LumDimSum Snapshots of Fubar:

Fubar’s Address: Gongti Dongmen 10-11, Gongti  Behind a secret door inside of Stadium Dog. 工体东门10-11 Stadium Dog里面 Tel:  6546-8364

By George, I think you’ve got it!

George’s decor is slick and the drinks are wicked.

Friends always recommend the martinis and mojitos, but my top pick is the Passionfruit Caipirinha (RMB 50). Tangy, sweet, sour and bursting with flavor makes for a delightfully refreshing cocktail.

Word up to owner and mixologist George Zhou (previously with Q Bar) for creating a killer drink list and having available Hendricks Gin.

LumDimSum Snapshots of George’s:

Review of George’s: East Gate of Worker’s Stadium (2 doors south of Fubar, 工人体育场东门内12号 , Tel: 6553-6299

Best Part:

• Seriously good tasting cocktails all reasonably priced (most ranging from RMB 40-60)
• Hendrick’s Gin is available
• Newly cocktails are constantly being added
• Very slick decor with open patio, high-tables and stools and upstairs lounge

Comments:

• My only gripe is that the music is a bit loud and should be more chilled out.  Didn’t really match the rest of the vibe and style.

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

• Drinks: 9
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 8

CW Reader’s Choice Awards vs. LumDimSum

Unlike theBeijinger and Time Out magazines, CityWeekend lumps both the Dining & Nightlife Award Categories into one evening rather than split it up into two events. And for the first time this year, CityWeekend changed it up and actually kept the vote count visible to the public and made sure that every voter had a validated CW User Name Account.

If you are interested in comparing results, check out theBeijinger Restaurant Awards Breakdown posted here.  Time Out’s Restaurant Awards Breakdown is posted here.

I unfortunately was not in Beijing to attend the CityWeekend’s awards ceremony at Brasserie Flo, but word on the street was that it was packed and the turn-out was impressive.

If you haven’t seen the results already, here is a LumDimSummary Breakdown of all the winners in both the Restaurant & Bar Awards Categories:

CityWeekend’s Awards for Best Dining Categories:

• Best New Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Tamarind

  • LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

• Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: SALT

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

• Chinese Restaurant of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Zen5es

  • LumDimSum Vote: Karaiya Spice House

• Most Romantic:

  • CW Winner: Jaan

  • LumDimSum Vote: Capital M

• Best Value:

  • CW Winner: Kiosk

  • LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta

• Chef of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Mario Cittadini

  • LumDimSum Vote: Max Levy – Bei/Apothecary

• Best Service:
  

  • CW Winner: Maison Boulud

  • LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud

• Best Mexican/Tex-Mex:

  • CW Winner: Casa Latina

  • LumDimSum Vote: Casa Latina

• Best Italian:
  

  • CW Winner: Prego

  • LumDimSum Vote: Metro

• Best Japanese:

  • CW Winner: Nishimura

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hatsune

• Best French:

  • CW Winner: Maison Boulud

  • LumDimSum Vote: Maison Boulud

• Best Thai:

  • CW Winner: Purple Haze

  • LumDimSum Vote: Aroy-D (by Fulicheng)

• Best American:

  • CW Winner: Chef Too

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Indian:

  • CW Winner: Mughal’s

  • LumDimSum Vote: Punjabi

• Best Middle-Eastern:

  • CW Winner: 1001 Nights

  • LumDimSum Vote: Biteapitta

• Best Beijing Duck:

  • CW Winner: Fat Duck

  • LumDimSum Vote: Made in China (Grand Hyatt)

• Best Hot Pot:

  • CW Winner: Ding Ding Xiang

  • LumDimSum Vote: Hai Di Lao

• Best Burger:

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Pizza:

  • CW Winner: The Tree

  • LumDimSum Vote: The Tree

• Best Dessert:

  • CW Winner: Din Tai Fung

  • LumDimSum Vote: Comptoirs de France

• Best Steakhouse:

  • CW Winner: Grange (Westin Chaoyang)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Meat & Wine Co. (but it’s closed now)    I will need to find a new favorite steakhouse…
    

• Best Wine Selection:

  • CW Winner: Enoteca

  • LumDimSum Vote: Palette Vino

• Best Buffet:

  • CW Winner: Seasonal Tastes

  • LumDimSum Vote: Westin Chaoyang

• Best Sunday Brunch:

  • CW Winner: Bubbalicious (Westin Chaoyang)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Orchard

• Best for Families:

  • CW Winner: Din Tai Fung, Seasonal Tastes (Tie)

  • LumDimSum Vote: Orchard

CityWeekend’s Awards for Best Bar/Club Categories:

• Club of the Year:

  • CW Winner: Mix

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Bar of the Year:
  

  • CW Winner: Apothecary

  • LumDimSum Vote: Apothecary

• Nightlife Newcomer of the Year:

  • CW Winner: White Rabbit

  • LumDimSum Vote: Fubar

• Best Local Band of the Year:

  • CW Winner: The Redbucks

  • LumDimSum Vote:  The Redbucks

• Beijing-Based DJ of the Year:

  • CW Winner: DJ Blackie

  • LumDimSum Vote:  DJ KEZA

• Best Alfresco Drinking:

  • CW Winner: XIU

  • LumDimSum Vote: Q Bar

• Best Live Music:

  • CW Winner: Mao Live House

  • LumDimSum Vote: Yugong Yishan

• Best Cocktails:

  • CW Winner: Mix-The Westin Beijing Chaoyang

  • LumDimSum Vote: Glen

• Best Place for Singles:

  • CW Winner: Mix

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Best for Dancing:

  • CW Winner: GT Banana

  • LumDimSum Vote: BLING

• Best Sports Bar:
  

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Hardest Bar to Find:

  • CW Winner: Fubar Peking

  • LumDimSum Vote: Club Obiwan

• Best Pub Grub:
  

  • CW Winner: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

  • LumDimSum Vote: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

• Best Fruit Plate:

  • CW Winner: Destination

  • LumDimSum Vote: Bling

• Best Promoter:

  • CW Winner: Street Hustle Promotions

  • LumDimSum Vote: Acupuncture

Don’t Judge a Bar by its Cover: Stadium Dog & Fubar

Last night, Dan Goodman, Wokai Beijing Chapter President, hosted a casual get-together at Fubar for their Beijing chapter’s volunteers for good drink deals and holiday cheer.

This year, I encourage everyone to give a gift that keeps on giving and purchase a Wokai Gift Card.

I have a thing for secret doors and I love that Fubar is hidden behind Stadium Dog hot dog joint, down the stairs to the bathroom, where you will find a grey brick wall that slides open with the click of a button, leading you into a cozy, speakeasy bar serving find cocktails for great prices -1/2 off drinks from 6-9pm.

Hats off to Chad Lager, previous manager of Rickshaw and Tun Bar for serving up a great bar concept alongside quality hot dogs.

Review of Stadium Dogs: Gongti Dongmen 10-11, Gongti 工体东门10-11   Tel: 6546-8364 (65-HOTDOG)

Best Part:

• Choice of classic 100% beef American-style hot dog, Italian sausage, German Bratwurst, or Veggie Soy dogs for only RMB 20 each. Combo orders of 2 or 3 dogs, includes complimentary beer or drink
• Choice of white or wheat buns (which were a little hard)
• Add do-it-yourself toppings: cheese, sauerkraut, olives, onions, coleslaw, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, ketchup, etc.

Comments:

• Buns were a bit tough
• Tomatoes were icy cold
• They were out of a lot of things: no soy dogs, Italian sausage or German Bratwurst, only American dogs

Review of Fubar: Gongti Dongmen 10-11, Gongti  Behind a secret door inside of Stadium Dog. 工体东门10-11 Stadium Dog里面 Tel:  6546-8364

Best Part:

• The grey faux brick wall that slides open with the click of a button
• Cozy, welcoming interior with high ceilings and jazz music
• Pretty much half-off drinks happy hour from 6-9pm (Mixed drinks of Bombay or 42 Below at 30RMB is a real bargain)
• Easy access to great hot dogs

Comments:

• Unpleasant positioning of a big fan that hits you right after you walk in.
• Wokai’s group aside, not many other customers from 7-9pm