the Beijinger

While other theaters are cooling down a bit after a recent spate of art festivals, the Olympic Park is limbering up for an exciting series of upcoming performances, including one from director Zhang Yimou. Way back in 1997, Zhang premiered his opera Turandot in Florence – but following his success in directing the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games, another performance of Turandot has been slated for October 6-7 at the Bird’s Nest.

Speaking of Zhang Yimou, the director says he has selected man-of-the-moment Xiao Shenyang (“Little Shenyang,” see photo above) to play a role in his upcoming thriller, Amazing Tales: Three Guns (三枪拍案惊奇), which should be on screens by the end of the year. Since early this year, this slim, tall comedian with smiling eyes has appeared on the cover of almost every major Chinese publication.

The Eatery at the Four Points Sheraton is launching a Saturday Brunch, which features a 50% discount for the first 15 guests and free RMB 180 French wine with the purchase of two RMB 368 brunches. In addition to the discount promotion, Saturday Brunch guests will be treated to a weekend food carnival experience.

'
Pleasingly done out in creamy-pale hues accented by fresh flowers, Juliette’s has the feel of a cool, upscale French bistro – but not the flavor. We visited for lunch (RMB 78 for two courses) and endured a wishy-washy starter of underseasoned asparagus with quail eggs cooked to hard, chalky yolks. Better was the tuna tartare – piquant with a pleasant, chunky texture. To follow, a perfectly cooked chicken breast was betrayed by a mushroom ragout lacking the deep, woody flavor chicken craves, resulting in a dish not rustic and rich but flighty and forgettable. Admittedly, there’s nothing so broken here that can’t be fixed, but a lunch menu should be a tasty, value-for-money showcase for potential evening customers. And on our visit, Juliette’s fell short.

Juliette’s
Daily 8am-11pm. 1/F, Tongli Studio, 43 Sanlitun Beilu (southwest of 3.3 Mall), Chaoyang District (6417 8188)

/ – screech – / a printing press grinds to a halt / – click, slam – / a flip cellphone is opened then shut / it is the arrival of a new kind of book … / paperbacks, hardcovers, classics, goodbye … / – thud – / the publishing industry falls to the floor / – sobbing – / her children are grotesque monsters / claws like werewolves and syntax of drug-addled simians … /

If you haven’t heard of cellphone novels, ask your teenage daughter about it. The phenomenon, rampant across Asia and taking hold in the West too (www.textnovel.com), has taken the art of text messaging – and the malleability of the written word – to another level.

Every day, the mercury in the thermometer inches higher. You have two options: stay in the sun and be miserable, or find your closest swimming hole and cool down the old-fashioned way. Here’s where to escape the heat.

Aesthetic, elegant, and diminutively diet-friendly, sushi is perfect hipster food. So it’s a wonder that fashionable Nanluogu Xiang doesn’t have more places like this.

Haidian is a strange old place for those of us who live in town. It seems to be full of students and people who are willing to travel some distance to act like students (or touch them). It’s not all like this, though.

Q Bar has been enduringly popular in the three years it’s been open – thanks in large part to its terrace. So why would they change it now?

The Three Shadows Photography Art Center in Caochangdi turns two this week, with perhaps the most remarkable thing about this birthday being how young they are!

In two years photographer couple RongRong and Inri have established a leading venue for contemporary photography in Beijing, complimenting a series of rewarding exhibitions with the provision of a publicly accessible library and dark room facilities. It is now hard to imagine Caochangdi without them.

Dedicated to traditional analogue photography and dark room techniques, they are nonetheless not doctrinaire, with their current photography prize exhibition, “Points of Impact”, showing a diversity of works from artists ranging in age from 14 to 40, with most of them utilizing digital technology.

Jen Lin-Liu is here for the food. The Chinese-American writer enrolled in a local cooking school in 2005, apprenticed with a chef, worked in restaurant kitchens both humble and grand, wrote about all of these experiences in her memoir, Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China – and then topped it off by opening her own cooking school, Black Sesame Kitchen. We recently asked her a few questions about words and woks.

An uprooting of Oz proportions has set Cappuccino down at the opposite end of Bar Street. Upon seeing the extensive makeover, visitors may well testify that they aren’t in Cappuccino anymore. Manager Ryan says they want to “excite new customers,” which explains the newly installed svelte pole-dancing beauties.

This Japanese bar lies off a sterile corridor of a Jianwai Soho tower; you need to buzz the doorbell to get into the building, then follow the signs pointing to the appropriate door. Once inside, it’s a cool little box of a bar, similar in layout to most Japanese bars, but funkier in its decor.

Cocktails (from around RMB 40) are Yao Xin’s main attraction, with a detailed menu giving hints about each drink’s flavor and star ratings to indicate popularity. Sake (RMB 40-150/180ml), Belgian beers and a smallish selection of malt whiskies, including a ten year-old Laphroaig and 15 year-old Balvennie, add variety to the drinks list.

Much of Beijing woke up to the news that the irrefutable King of Pop had passed away, much too early, at the age of 50. As his iconic songs are being blasted around the world right now, Beijingers, too, are mourning the loss of such a creative genius.


With his undeniable hits, it's hard to imagine that Michael Jackson would have wanted his fans to sit around and wallow. In addition to attending the myriad of MJ tributes going on around town, Beijingers can also support our local original artists, who may aspire to, one day, make a lasting impact on worldwide music as well.

Here are five musical acts worth checking out this weekend:

This Sunday, the Canada China Business Council will be holding its annual Canada Day Celebrations at the Canadian International School. Join the Canadian community and friends at one of the largest outdoor events in Beijing this summer!

This is a fantastic way for family and friends to enjoy a fun and casual day out. Highlights of the event will include the Beijinger sponsored Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest, where you can abuse your tastebuds and win cool prizes! There will also be BBQ, corporate exhibitions, a kids corner, and much more.

Time: 1pm-5pm

So, we're coming up on the one year anniversary of the monumental Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, and we're finally getting more light on the actual stats. As with most things, there is good news and bad news.

Bad news, the air quality was pretty scary. (surprise, surprise right?) Mr. James Fallows over at the Atlantic Monthly sheds some light through this dense fog of Beijing pollution here.

"...a joint US-Chinese governmental study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, has concluded that the air during the Beijing Olympics was far dirtier and unhealthier than in other recent Games..."

Hailing from Como, Italy, Alberto Alboreggia is a young chef in Beijing at Tavola, the uniquely decorated Italian restaurant located in the Liangmaqiao Diplomatic Compound. With work experience in five different countries – including cooking for royalty during his time in Jordan – Alberto brings an interesting combination of techniques to the kitchen. We sat down with him to chat about his adventures, cooking philosophy and his celebrity diners.

The booming capital of one of China’s poorest provinces, Guiyang embodies many of Guizhou’s most enchanting attributes – friendly people, fine food, a passion for leisure, and an abundance of natural beauty – and ties it all together with urban finesse.

Football news is up first in this week's sports roundup. Well, it's more football violence but the twist is that it's on the pitch and not off it.

Tianjin Teda's midfielder Tan Wangsong received a RMB 25,000 fine and 5 games ban for kicking Guoan's 'keeper, Yang Zhi, in the leg.