Memoirs of Beijing

If you live alone, on a business or leisure trip, don’t know how to cook or do not have the time to cook at home, you may be one of many who frequently dine out in Beijing.  Dining out daily can be very expensive but here are some simple ways to save money and enjoy a night out:

1.  Avail of Promotions, Discounts or Coupons

Group buying sites such as tuan800.com or dianping.com can offer you discounts or coupon at restaurants.  Local credit card companies also tie up with restaurants offering discounts when using their credit card for payment.

2.  Don’t Use the Packaged Utensils and Wet Tissues

If you’re up for an adventure or think that the restaurant you’re eating is hygienic, inform your server that you will not use the packaged utensils and wet tissues.  They usually cost from RMB 1 to 5 and is added directly to your bill.

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Sweets are my Waterloo and ice cream is just one of them.  My first taste of Cold Stone ice cream was in 2009, when my mom and sister convinced me to try one.  Since then, I was hooked and as a birthday present, my friends gave me coupons to this store. 

Price Increase

I usually try to eat Cold Stone once a week when my boyfriend is here or when I’m with my friends for dessert.  When I purchased a small cup of my favorite Strawberry Banana Rendezvous in the end of October, the cost was still RMB 27 without waffle.  However, when I went there yesterday, a small cup costs RMB 30.  They also removed my Strawberry Banana Rendezvous from the menu and replaced it with Strawberry Chanson de Paris (strawberry ice cream, strawberry, banana, cotton candy, graham cracker pie crust).  I haven’t checked the other prices but that’s the most notable increase.

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On February 3, 2010, Emerald City Smoothie will open its doors and welcoming locals and expats who are seeking healthy, great tasting nourishment for their body!

Emerald City Smoothie was founded in 1996 in Seattle, Washington when a man turned his dual passions-for healthy, great-tasting smoothies, and helping others achieve their health goals-into a business. Washington state is home to 46 Emerald City Smoothie locations and the corporate office. We have over 64 stores opened nationwide including: Washington, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Connecticut and are proud to announce our first international location serving Beijing. “We have been referred to as the Starbucks of Smoothies”, states EVP, Business Development Jim Baskett.

As best stated by our mantra, we stand for everything that is fresh, healthy, nourishing and flavorful. We are committed to enhancing the everyday lives of our customers—body, mind and spirit.  That’s why everything that can be bought in the store are healthy products such as smoothie, juice, tea, sandwiches, protein powder and vitamins.

At present, they are still in their soft opening stage.  All products are 15% off.  If you’re someone who has a sweet tooth, inform them so they can add a bit more sugar to suit your taste.  I suggest trying Island Breeze and Mini-mass if you’re into the strawberry banana flavor.  Half of their fruits are imported while the other half are locally produced.

I know I know.. why drink a smoothie during winter time?  Hey, it’s warm inside the building and it’s a good meal alternative.  So, what are you waiting for, head out to their flagship store in Beijing.

Address:  3/F, Gateway Plaza, 18 Xiaguangli, East Third Ring North Road, Chaoyang, Beijing                      (北京市朝阳区东三环北路霞光里18号佳程广场A座3楼)

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Chocolate  n.   a food prepared from ground roasted cacao beans (source: Merriam Webster dictionary)

As a chocolate lover, chocolate has been part of my diet almost every day.  My friends envy me as I don’t seem to gain weight when I eat this confection.  I’m quite fond of milk chocolate, chocolate with mint, chocolate with orange and white chocolate.  I usually veer away from dark chocolate as it taste bitter and strong. 

Awfully Chocolate is a cake and ice cream shop from Singapore which opened two years ago in China.  They sell three types of chocolate cake namely: all chocolate, chocolate banana and chocolate rum & cherry.  They also sell Hei (黑), their own premium dark chocolate ice cream. Read the rest of this entry »

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Designed by world famous architect Philippe Starck, this bar boast of opulent furnishings and European class that stands out in Beijing.  With a floor area of 6,000 sqm and located on the F floor of LG Tower, people who wanted to be seen and impressed flock to this bar.

In my almost four years stay in Beijing, I’ve been to this place only three times.  The first time was two years ago with my travel buddy, hoping to try out the promo they featured in cityweekend.  When we arrived, we were advised that there was no promo and the staff can barely speak English.  To top it off, taking photos is a no-no.  We just ordered some sandwiches and soda and left the place disappointed.

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Hooters in the US is known for their beautiful, well-endowed servers.  When Hooters opened in Beijing in 2007, foreigners particularly men flocked the restaurant hoping to be served by these beautiful, well-endowed servers.   However, they were disappointed as Asians are not known to be blessed with big breasts.  Reviews at that time were focused on their servers and not their food.

In any case, I only got the chance to visit this place last month after church.  It wasn’t full as it’s a Sunday and to make up for their lack in bust size, they perform a 30 second dance routine almost every half an hour.  Service was great and the place is filled with flat screen TV tuned in to different sports channel.

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If you’re a Christian expat, you might be worshipping at BICF 21st Century.  If you’re like me, you would be one of the people who attend the 1130am worship service and thus will come out hungry afterwards.  Luckily, Lucky Street (好运街) is just beside 21st Century Hotel.

Lucky Street is a block of restaurants and bars for the hungry and night owls.  In this stretch, Sukhothai beckons to all Thai food lovers.  They have the traditional Tom Yam Kung Soup (RMB28/bowl), Som Tam Thai (Green Papaya Salad, RMB 29), Pad Thai (Rice Noodles with Shrimp and Peanuts, RMB 36) and Rung Nok (Sweet Bird’s Nest with Thai Coconut Milk, RMB 68).  The food their is tasty with a twist of Chinese to cater to the local people.  The interior of the restaurant is typically Thai and they also sell Thai jewelry and gift items.  Oh yeah.. slide the door to your right and not push when you enter the restaurant.

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This Italian restaurant is a London chain with branches in Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bucharest, Athens and Thessaloniki.  It is located in Sanlitun at the back of The Village.  They have live music every night, long extended bar and alfresco dining.

The walls in the restaurant are filled with photos of stars who ate in their branches worldwide.  The bar has floor to ceiling cabinets filled with liquor and wines.  The food is fantastic and I’ve eaten a fair share of Italian food in Beijing.  They start you off with free bread with 3 different dips (olive paste, tomato, cream).  I ordered a pizza (RMB 85) which is a favorite of Faye Dunaway.  The pizza is filled with mozarella cheese, tomato sauce, ham, olives, anchiovies and pepperoni.  The pasta (RMB 80)  was heavenly especially the ravioli.  The sauce was creamy and tasty.  A can of coke is RMB 25 each.

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Kempi Deli is located at the 1st floor of Kempinski Hotel in Lufthansa Area. This deli is well-known in Beijing for its cake, pastries and bread. As a cake lover in Beijing, it’s quite difficult to find a cake which is delicious, not too sweet, not filled with lots of fruits and affordable.

My journey to Kempi Deli was due to my colleague’s birthday. At first, I was planning to purchase a cake from the Landmark Hotel but they didn’t have one readily available. I was contemplating going to Ritan Park area to purchase my favourite cheesecake but it’s just too far. So, I ended up walking to Kempinski Hotel from my office.

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Located in the hidden courtyard at the back of Pacific Plaza in Sanlitun. Duck De Chine is one of the new Peking Duck restaurant which opened up in Beijing. Ken, Bianca and I ate there after attending a birthday drinking session.

The area where the restaurant is located is quite nice and perfect for a garden wedding. It has a homey feel and serenity that is hard to find in a bustling city like Beijing. The ambiance inside the restaurant is one of elegance and quiet beauty. Brown bricks, red lamps, champagnes in cabinets and black cloth tables. It’s a good place to impress your friends and enjoy Beijing’s famous duck.

As for the food, it was superb and perfect! A gong sound accompanied the start of the duck cutting. They have several fill-ins to put along with your duck which wasn’t oily and was cooked just right. The sweet and sour pork reminds me of my mom’s cooking. The only downside is the rice we ordered never came out.

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