theBeijinger’s Charity Super Quiz 2011

Think you’ve got what it takes to beat out Beijing’s top whiz master? Think you’re the king of utterly useless, random trivia knowledge?  (JUST KIDDING, I revoke my comment about trivia knowledge being useless as I’m sure you can find great use with random facts.)

In any case, I know how seriously hard-core Beijingers get when it comes to pub quizzes – there’s a reason why every freakin’ pub in Beijing hosts their own pub quiz night. So now you can put your knowledge to the test and come out for the ultimate pub quiz of the year – theBeijinger’s Annual Charity Super Quiz, the holy grail of pub quizzes with “tougher questions than ever” and all proceeds going to Ping An Medical Foster Home.

Hosted at Chocolate Club this Sunday, December 11, doors open at 6PM and questions start at 7:30PM. Round up your dream whiz team (tables are limited to teams of 10) and tickets cost RMB 100 including a free drink. 

“Whether you enjoy quizzes, charity or Russian dancers, there’s something in this evening for everyone.” – theBeijinger Team

This year’s event will include the following QuizMasters:

• Karl from Paddy O’Shea’s

• Jim and Anthony from The Kro’s Nest

• Tom from the Black Sun

• Josh from Lush

• Pat from the Green Cap

• Liz at The Stumble Inn

• Graham of the Irish Volunteer

• Julian from Tim’s Texas Bar-B-Q

• Alex from The Brick

• Jonny from The Bookworm

…Like I said before, this is the Holy Grail of Beijing Pub Quizzes!

Event Details:

• Date: Sunday, December 11
• Time: 6PM
• Location: Chocolate Club
• Address: 19 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区日坛北路19号
• Tel: 8561 3988
• Website: Click here.

Wu Loves Lush

I admit that this was my very  first time to Lush.  And before this weekend, I had only been out to the Wu once in the 5 years I’ve been in Beijing.  I have nothing against Wudaokou, but it is student-central and it’s a RMB 60+ cab ride from my Chaoyang hood.

Before going into Lush, I had pinned it down as something similar to the student hang-outs in Sanlitun like Nanjie, Kai Bar, Shooters…I was not expecting to stumble upon such a cool joint!  Lush is open 24/7 and it is packed 24/7 - mostly with students but the vibe is chill and full of energy at the same time.  I realize these are too opposites, but yet it works.  People are chilled-out while still having a great time because they feel at home when they come to Lush. I even overheard someone telling their friend that they call Lush their second home.

Located up the stairs from a bookstore, the staircase is lined with fun polaroid photos of party people and inside, the tables are full, the vibe is buzzing, the drinks are strong, the food is good, everything is half the price of Sanlitun/CBD and I instantly understand exactly why Lush is a Wu institution that continues to reign supreme in this student-run neighborhood.

Inconspicuous Exterior:

Coffee-drinking study spot by day and lively hangout by night, Lush is known for their great breakfast options, giant burgers, delectable desserts and amazing drink deals like their daily happy hour from 8-10PM with buy 2 get 1 free, bucket of 7 Tsingtao for RMB 70.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Lush’s Food:

Tofu Burger with smoked tofu, sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes and onions (RMB 45)

Lush Original Burger with a thick patty and carmelized red onions (RMB 50)

Check out theBeijinger review of this burger here.

Giant Chicken Caesar Wrap (RMB 30)

The “Cure-All” Hot Drink with Lemon, Ginger and Honey (RMB 20)

There you have it – Lush serves the food better than Blue Frog, Union Bar & Grill and many of the popular Sanlitun hot-spots.  If you agree that you, too, love Lush’s burgers, you can vote for them here on theBeijinger’s Burger Cup.

It really is SUCH a shame they are so freakin far away because I kind of like Lush…a lot. So although I wish it were closer to home, i’ll have to let Wu keep this gem since they had it first.

LumDimSum Snapshots of LUSH:

Review of Lush: 2/F of O2 Sun Bookstore in South East corner of intersection by WuDaoKou Subway Stop- Bldg 1, Huaqing Jiayuan, Chengfu Lu, Wudaokou,五道口华清家园1号楼2层 Tel: 8286 3566

Best Part:

• With Jade Gray and Rich Atkers behind Lush and Pyro Pizza, it’s no wonder this place is packed 24/7. Everything is well done and the places just oozes of their fun, personal and lively personalities.
• Open 24 Hours with Free Wifi and great coffee

• Popular Pub Quiz every Wednesday, Open Mic Night on Sundays and Live Music Every Friday night
• Happy hour daily 8-10pm: buy 2 get 1 free, bucket of 7 Tsingtao for RMB 70
• They offer a great set combo meals
• Cheap drinks and they guarantee nothing they serve behind the bar is fake alcohol (which says a lot!)
• Great tasty burgers that are giant and crazy cheap

Comments:

• It’s in the Wu, which is so far away, it should not still be considered Beijing.
• It’s packed 24/7 so not everyone can be seated straight away.
• I can’t comment much on the service since I had the big man boss take care of my order.  Needless to say, I was well-looked after.

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

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

In The Mood For Adventure

After staying in Friday night to recover from Hatsune’s 10 Year Anniversary the night before, I was in the mood for adventure Saturday morning.  I was up for anything as long as nature and physical activity were both part of the equation.

There are a few good people in Beijing I can consistently count on to be both spontaneous and outdoorsy and this time, I was lucky enough to tag along for a day of fun with none other than Pizza and Burger King Jade Gray (co-owner of Gung Ho! Gourmet Pizza Factory, and the man behind both Lush and Pyro Pizza in Wudaokou). One of my favorite people in Beijing, Jade is freakin hilarious and is always on-the-go whether he’s traveling, exploring or on a mission to just get out of Beijing for a day.

Thanks to Jade, I got my fix of the great outdoors as we zoom zoomed out of Beijing on his motorbike.

But first, we made a quick pitstop at Shunyi’s Olympic Rowing Park to see the University Rowing Race where crews from 10 universities around the world including Oxford, Qinghua, Harvard, Yale, and Cambridge,battle in a two-race competition.  Gung Ho! Pizza was the proud sponsor of New Zealand’s University of Otago rowing team.

We mistakenly thought it would be a good idea to rent this bike to ride alongside the boats as they raced, but then we realized that this cart is one of the slowest vehicles ever created.  A shame because it had so much potential.

Gung Ho! Pizza sponsored the University of Otago’s Rowing Team.

Check out the size of that oar.  (that’s what she said!)

After checking out the first of the two races that day, we were on our way to visit a spectacular spot by Miyun where you can swim in clean, natural pools of water surrounded by mountains.

Aside from a small group of Korean students and tourists around, there was really no one else around.  This place is incredibly beautiful with mini rock falls and tall mountains with sightings of the Great Wall perched just above. There is even a bit of sandy beach and shaded little benches to lounge about.

Run by a Korean couple, the area is well-kept and the restaurant served absolutely delicious Korean dishes with veggies picked from their own garden and high-quality meats to grill.

What an adventure!

LumDimSum Snapshots:

Battle of the Burgers: TheBeijinger’s Burger Cup

theBeijinger knows just how much we Beijingers all love burgers.

Now it’s find to find the King of Beijing’s burgers by pitting off various restaurants in Beijing from the famous Blue Frog, Lush in WuDaoKou, Fatburger, Let’s Burger, fast food joints like Burger King and Hollywood to fine dining restaurants like One East (Hilton) and Maison Boulud.

Sadly, I am ashamed to admit that there are even a few restaurants listed I have not yet tested out!  I will make a conscious effort to change this and try out Burgers & Beer in Shunyi, Lush and La Bamba in WuDaoKou and Lily’s American Diner in Shuangjing.

First Round Burger Match-Ups:

The Box Vs. Grandma’s Kitchen
1F Vs. La Bamba
Scarlett Vs. Hard Rock Cafe
The Den Vs. Luga’s Villa
Blue Frog Vs. One East
Paul’s Steak and Eggs Vs. Let’s Burger
Lush Vs’ Maison Boulud
Home Plate Bar-b-que Vs. Flamme
Peter’s Tex-Mex Vs. Village Cafe
Eudora Station Vs. Chef Too
Union Bar & Grille Vs. Burger King
Kiosk Vs. Rumi
Fatburger Vs. Hollywood
Paddy O’Shea’s Vs. Burgers & Beer
Lily’s Vs. Vineyard Cafe
Stumble Inn Vs. American Cafe

So there you have it Beijingers – now it’s up to you as a burger fan, make your voice heard by voting on theBeijinger’s website link here: The Beijinger Burger Cup: Voting to Decide Beijing’s Best Burger.

Voting closes on Thursday, August 11.

Time to Speak Up: theBeijinger 2010 Bar Awards

theBeijinger is switching things up in more ways than one.

Already beginning the initial phases of their magazine face-lift, theBeijinger most recently announced that voting for their 7th
Annual Reader Bar & Club Awards have commenced. This year, they have not only revised their nomination categories, voters can now choose their first, second and third favorite in ranking order (out of 8-13 choices) for every category.

theBeijinger 2010 Bar Awards Categories this year include:

• Best Cocktails
• Best Individual Cocktail
• Best Cheap Drinks
• Most Reliable Drinks
• Best Whiskey Bar
• Best Wine
• Best Beer
• Best Bartender
• Best Daily Happy Hour
• Best Ladies Night
• Best Regular Event
• Best Quiz Night
• Best Live Rock Venue
• Best Live Jazz Venue
• Most Beautiful People
• Friendliest Crowd
• Best Service
• Best Place to Find a Date
• Best Place to Bring a Date
• Sexiest Bar Staff
• Best Bar Food
• Best Late-Night Dining
• Best Hotel bar
• Best Student Hangout
• Best Nightclub
• Best Sportsbar
• Best Lounge
• Best Place for Dancing
• Best Business Networking
• Best Hidden Gem
• Best After-Hours Club
• Best Party of the Year
• Best New Bar/Club
• Bar/Club of the Year

Bars/Clubs with most category nominations include:

• Fu Bar
• Punk @ Opposite House
• d lounge
• Xiu @ Park Hyatt
• Apothecary
• Lush
• Centro @ Kerry Centre
• Q Bar

Vote now for your top picks here.

*Voting Ends May 6 & Bar/Club Awards Party Set for May 13 @ Mako Live House