Hey Nao! | Nifty drinks & neon dragons in Sanlitun
Hey Nao! It’s so Beijing to go on vacation for a few weeks and return to a half-dozen new bars / restaurants in your neighborhood. In my case, the most striking — and welcome — […]
2020! New Year’s Eve parties in Beijing
Beijing is set to ring in 2020 with dozens of New Year’s Eve parties. Here is a bunch of options for a fun night in our fair city. My suggestion, as with last week’s Christmas […]
Christmas ho-ho-holiday 2019 meals in Beijing
The Christmas season is upon us and Beijing provides a bounty of holiday meals and deals for those who want to get into the spirit. Here are a few dozen options. My advice: RSVP, RSVP, […]
Hoo Ray again! Pebbles marks a decade of tasty Mexican fare
When it comes to the pursuit of culinary authenticity, few have gone above and beyond like Ray Heng of Mexican restaurant Pebbles. Quick example: during a menu test this year, he gave us blue corn […]
Extra specials | Now 130-plus deals listed
My focus last month was Maovember and Grape Wall. But I did manage a few updates of the food deals and drink deals pages. We now have 130-plus deals listed so you can eat, drink […]
Double hottiness | Spicy delights at The Rug
I’ve really enjoyed a pair of dishes with fiery twists at The Rug this year. The first pairs fiery Sichuan peppercorn sauce with pork neck (tender!) and soba noodles, then adds a sweet edge via […]
As The Worm Turns
The Bookworm is dead. So I unearthed the 900-word play that I wrote there one afternoon in 2009. It features a hit man, a gerbil, a guy writing a novel about being an English teacher […]
Brian’s back | Chef McKenna returns to Beijing
Brian McKenna is back. If you lived here a dozen years ago or so, he was a larger than life chef that began his Beijing stint at Blu Lobster (now Azur) in the Shangri-la Hotel […]