The Beijinger – November/December 2017: As the Dust Settles: A Year in F&B Defined by Bricks, Resilience, and Resurrection
And just like that, another year in Beijing is coming to a close, except this time we’re left to piece together what’s left of the city after having the planning equivalent of a brick upside the ol’ noggin’. In total, 2017’s “beautification” onslaught brought F&B business in the hutongs, as well as in a number of other notable hubs, to a messy and frustrating end. But the effect has been bittersweet, with many of those affected having since started looking elsewhere for new opportunities or already settling into new digs, bringing great food and drink to new communities. We’ve decided to make that resilience the focus of our cover feature this issue, taking a deeper look at what is left as the dust settles, and interviewing those who were unlucky enough to be in the line of concrete fire.
Elsewhere in the issue, Jeremiah Jenne frames the recent renovations within the context of Beijing’s former commercial hub, Dashilan. We also honor those venues and individuals that have demonstrated their staying power prowess via our annual industry-insider balloted Dining Hall of Fame awards. In contrast, Tracy Wang gives us a look at Beijing’s newest contenders on the scene, including Jing-A’s Xingfucun Brewpub and the almost-too-pretty-to-eat cakes of Art de Sweets. There’s also Lievito, Ramo, and a first look at what promises to be a jolt to Beijing’s underground club scene in the form of Zhao Dai.
In our Get Out section, I’ll guide you through China’s (if not the world’s) best-preserved walled city, Pingyao; Robynne Tindall details what to see, eat, and do in Laos’ UNESCO Heritage city of Luang Prabang; and Tautvile Daugelaite rummages around Beijing to bring you the city’s best vintage shopping opportunities.
Finally, in Meet, Kyle Mullin speaks to the incredible Nigerien troubadour Bombino before his show at Yugong Yishan on Dec 12, as well as Mokihi’s effortlessly cool proprietor, Moto Uchiyama.
With that, we here at the Beijinger would like to say thank you to all of you that made 2017 special for us and we can’t wait to continue bringing you the best of Beijing come 2018.
Tom Arnstein – Managing Editor, the Beijinger
Read the issue via Issuu online here, or access it as a PDF here. Otherwise, grab a hard copy at your favorite outlet around town in the coming days!
Photo: Dave's Studio