I guess one good thing about the new Yashow Market in Sanlitun is that it ain’t crowded. Nor do you need to waste time wondering what to eat in that top-floor food court–there’s only one restaurant. Although I live close to Yashow, I’ve avoided the “new and improved” version, pretty sure it would be–and is–a far cry from the prior free-for-all of vendors and bargain hunters. Then again, there is finally an MLB store to serve the millions thousands dozens of baseball fans in the area, particularly those who root for New York and Los Angeles–Yankees and Dodgers merchandise seems to make up 80 percent of the items. At least they won’t have to worry about elbowing their way through fellow shoppers. (By the way, the saleswomen working there has little future as a closer. After telling her thrice I was “just looking”, and having her say “no problem” and then going right back into her pitch, I escaped by hitting the road.)
The good news is Burger King is finally coming to Sanlitun–it narrowly missed beating Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia region, which saw its first BK open when I was there a few weeks ago. Try to keep up, Sanlitun! Yes, I’m sure some burger aficionados will turn up their noses, but it’s a nice addition as far as fast food goes. And by the looks of it, those flame-broiled burgers should be available in a few days. Want to pair them with wine? A branch of CHEERS is also open, on the west facade of Yashow, with its usual lineup of wines plus beers from craft brewer Shangri-la in Yunnan.
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So true. At least the DVD store made the cut, and it still has a somewhat hidden section for storing stock during those so-called crackdowns. The “Modern” ice cream shop on the west side has surprisingly tasty ice cream on a stick. I recommend the coffee flavor–only CNY 10. There’s also a concentration of tailors on an upper floor, though I don’t know about quality or reputation.