Restaurant News: Time Zone 8 Sushi Bar & Q Mex

In case you missed my article last week on Time Zone 8′s newly opened sushi bar serving Hatsune Sushi (hoorah!), check it out here.

Still in soft opening, this back-to-basics exposed brick and cement design is already showcasing a basic menu including some of Hatsune’s classic sushi rolls disguised under new names. Example: their “Red Dinosaur” Roll is actually Hatsune’s legendary 119 Roll.

After a week of traveling in Southern China with the entire LumDimFamily, the first stop once we were back in Beijing was straight out to 798 Art District with two very specific goals: to show off the new Time Zone 8 Sushi Bar space to my Lum-tourage and seek out old propaganda posters for my brother to bring back home as souvenirs for his friends.

A true 798 expert, Time Zone 8 owner Robert Bernell not only gave us a tour of his new space, he shared his top picks for must-see exhibitions and sights in 798.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Time Zone 8 Sushi Bar: 

Time Zone 8 Sushi Bar Entrance Reception Area

Time Zone 8 Sushi Bar Dining Space (Now Open)

Time Zone 8 Sushi Bar Main Dining Room (Finishing Up Final Touches)

Time Zone 8 Sushi Bar

The new Sushi Bar space is tucked in just behind the original Time Zone 8 Western Restaurant and Bar area.

With the sun shining and their trademark bright yellow umbrellas open, the space was crammed packed even at 5PM in the late afternoon with a buzzing ambiance of happy diners and even the bar area was bustling! (See pic below) 

More exciting news in Beijing’s ever-growing restaurant scene:

Beijingers can look forward to the upcoming opening of Q Mex, a new project by the great people behind Q Bar.

“Q Bar owner Echo Sun was at the vanguard of bringing quality creative cocktails to Beijing; with Q Mex she will be building on her strengths, focusing her palette on nuanced pleasures of both food and drink.  The restaurant will feature a contemporary setting, innovative menu, and open kitchen showcasing gourmet Mexican food; the bar will feature an Agave-inspired bar design, a cool lounge setting, and Echo’s artistry in mixology, including refreshing variations on the margarita and one of the largest Tequila collections in Asia.”

- Chris Ruggles, Chief Marketing Officer of the Q Enterprises

The opening of Q Mex is planned for early June 2012 and they will be located just below Kro’s Nest, across from D Lounge in the Sanlitun Courtyard (South Sanlitun).

My mouth is already watering at the thought of sampling their scrumptious tacos, salsas, and tamales alongside some guaranteed-to-be-awesome-and-creative cocktails and margaritas.

Stay tuned for more updates!

St. Paddy’s Day Parties: Go Get ‘Em Lucky Charms!

One of the most spontaneous, sloppy holidays of the year, St. Paddy’s Day will no doubt have the majority of all party-goers stumbling over themselves for another pint of Guinness and crawling to the next Irish pub.

The top spot to be this year would hands-down be the Irish Ball at the Renaissance Beijing Capital as Beijing’s Irish community will guarantee you a night that’s so good, you most definitely won’t remember it.  But if you didn’t get a ticket already, you’re out of luck as this event’s totally sold out.

Fear not, if you aren’t making your way to the Irish Ball, you can always hit up the usual list of suspects – Paddy O’Shea’s and are most likely going to be the most packed out as these two pubs are instinctively what first comes to mind when considering Beijing’s top Irish Pubs, but there will be a parade of parties across town with a range of drink deals from Danger Doyle’s RMB 30 for a Guinness beer deal (only on the condition that you’re wearing green), Bar Blu’s buy-one-get-one-free Guinness deals and Q Bar’s Green Cocktails.

Here are a few great sources to track down the perfect St. Paddy’s Day Party for you:

• theBeijinger’s Breakdown of St. Paddy’s Day Parties – Luck of the Irish: St. Patrick’s Day 2012 in Beijing

• CW’s Breakdown – The Big Badass List of Everything St. Patrick’s Day

• eChinacities.com – Shake Your Shamrock! St. Paddy’s Day Events in Beijing

• Agenda’s List – The Best St. Patrick’s Day Events in Beijing

Happy St. Paddy’s Partying!

Green Fairy Magic: Q Bar’s Absinthe Fountain

“Join us today at Q Bar and experience the green fairy firsthand.”

You hear of seasonal drink menus and killer drink deal promotions, but a bar promoting Absinthe for an entire month?  And not absinthe cocktails either, they are promoting a Fountain of Absinthe. This promotion definitely caught my eye and with the guys behind Q bar doing this, you can rest assured it will be done properly.

“We’re serving it using the traditional “French Method,” a flame-free preparation in which cold water is dripped over a sugar cube until the water is evenly displaced into the Absinthe. The Absinthe fountain (pictured above) allows multiple drinkers to simultaneously louche their absinthe, the transformation from a dark emerald to a lovely light green color that occurs when water is added to absinthe. The absinthe fountain was a fixture in France and New Orleans absinthe parlors because the steady flow of water produces a superior louche, resulting in better color and better flavor. The absinthe fountain is one of the best ways to drink absinthe, and certainly one of the funniest.”

I still remember one night in college when my friend’s brother brought us a bottle of Absinthe from Arizona because I was told it was so deadly, it’s illegal to sell in California.  Whether or not that’s true, I have no idea, but after a jello shot or two of absinthe, I was so sick I thought I was going to die.  So although a fountain of absinthe may be appealing to many, it scares me more than anything else.  So essentially this post is for all you brave souls who dare take on absinthe and experience “the magic of the green fairy”.

If you are a fan of Q bar’s outstanding cocktails, I urge you to venture into trying their new Absinthe Fountain and let me know how it goes!  Hopefully your experience will be better than my previous Absinthe episode. *fingers crossed*

For those of you who would rather pass on this Absinthe Fountain, but still enjoy Q Bar’s cocktails, they have a great happy hour deal from 6PM-9PM Mondays-Thursdays.

Q Bar Contact Details:

• Address: 6/F, Eastern Hotel, Corner of Sanlitun Nanlu and Gongti Nanlu, Chaoyang District
• 朝阳区三里屯南路工体南路交叉口逸羽酒店六层
• Tel: +86 10 6595 9239
• Email:  drink@qbarbeijing.com

Warm Up with Q Bar’s Hot Winter Specials

Known for their quality cocktails and excellent bartenders, Q Bar‘s winter specials are definitely up to par with the rest of their drink menu.

Out of their four winter drinks, I tried both their Hot Toddy and Coretto.  Their Hot Toddy is quite possibly one of the best drinks I’ve ever had – a soothing and delicious mix of bourbon, honey, fresh lemon and hot water. While I prefer the Hot Toddy above all others, the Coretto was also a yummy mix of hot chocolate and Amaretto.

Hot Toddy RMB 50/Coretto RMB 45

A cozy setting with plenty of comfy sofas to lounge about and a long bar to get a close-up of the masters at work, Q bar is a great destination for quality drinks and chilled-out tunes.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Q Bar:

Q Bar’s Address:

Top floor of Eastern Inn Hotel, 6 Baijiazhuang Lu (the south end of Sanlitun Nanlu), Chaoyang District

朝阳区百家庄6号（朝阳门医院北门东100米）三里屯南路逸羽连锁酒店顶楼, Tel: 6595 9239

http://www.qbarbeijing.com/

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

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