Perhaps he was never away, but I've seen so little of Luga in the past year that I had wondered what he was up to. There was talk he was getting out of Beijing, had moved to America, or was planning to open a caviar lounge on the rooftop of the Workers' Stadium. And then the doors of a bar swung open and in he swaggered, Luga, legend of Sanlitun, with a massive grin on his face.

Some years after American foodies declared banh mi their new darling of the sandwich world, the Vietnamese street snack has landed in Beijing. And it’s thanks to good old Luga. Well, and Jun Trinh, his very able Canadian-Vietnamese chef. Remember Luga’s Pho Pho on the terrace opposite Tongli Studio? It became Luga’s Baan Thai. And now it’s Luga’s Banh Mi. They only had to buy a couple of new letters to change the sign this time – clever, eh? The basic sandwich, featuring a crusty baguette filled with pate, mayonnaise, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, and your choice of meat, from five types of cold cuts to roasted chicken, beef, pork belly and meat balls in tomato sauce, costs RMB 26 and up. Pho and Vietnamese appetizers are also on the menu.

Mexican food in Beijing has never seemed as authentically Hecho en Mexico as Casa Latina. Sure, there have been places that real Mexicans have recommended but they proved short-lived (stand up, El Fogoncito and Casa Mexicana), leaving the market open to domination by watered-down Tex-Mex. Here, though, the mouthwatering menu lives up to its promises.

If you didn’t see our post on the subject already, the Global Times was all hot under the collar yesterday with a lengthy report on the news that The Rickshaw has scrapped its original formula of burritos, cheap drinks and televised sport. “Burrito brawl!” “Sanlitun Tex-Mex high noon!” “copycat-cuisine combat!” - read the original story here. So out go the burritos, in comes a new menu and a more upmarket approach. Look out for a post on the all-new Rickshaw early next week. Meanwhile, over at the Villa, does Luga have something up his sleeve? …

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