April 2009

The Beijinger May 2009: Viva la Musica!

"M" is for May, and "M" is also for music, which may be why so many music festivals are happening this month: transmitChina, the Ditan Park Music Festival, 13 Club’s metal festival, the metal festival at New Get Lucky, 2009 Midi Nights, Modern Sky’s Strawberry Music Festival, the Zebra International Music Festival, Ku-18 Club’s Afternoon Tea Concert Series, D-22’s Third Anniversary Party, the Beijing Drummer Festival, the NineGates International Jazz Festival, the Soho May Party Fun Fair (which may be the only festival with free admission) and Acupuncture’s Intro 2009 Electronica Music Festival. Get all the details in the May issue of the Beijinger.

If you miss out on all of the above, you can still get a chance to rub shoulders with some of Beijings’s brightest stars by taking a look at this month’s Dining Top 5, in which we reveal where rock stars satisfy their late night munchies. Who knew rock & roll could be cold noodles and vegetables? Find out who eats what in the May issue. Then go wait there for a possible sighting.

And who needs a festival to celebrate music anyway? Especially in a place like Beijing, you can be your own rock star – and we’ll show you how in this month’s PLA, “Party Like A KTVer.” Perhaps after some practice, you’ll find yourself a part of Beijing’s Music Universe (this month’s cover feature) the next time we do a Music issue.

Maybe ...

Agenda April 23rd to May 6th

For this issue’s cover feature, we speak to belly dancer Albena, who performs nightly at Uzbek restaurant Shash. Our Spotlights also feature mixologist Jackie Ho from Fez, chef Wang Wei from Middle 8th, China Culture Center founder Feng Cheng, and blind massage therapist Qi Hong from Beijing Massage Hospital. New openings for this issue include new branches of Hatsune, Ganges and Mirch Masala, Bandar Lounge, IFW and e.a.t.. The issue is rounded off by Lists of the best places for dinner entertainment, Southeast Asian cuisine, live music and buying cosmetics, and of course, fourteen days of Beijing’s best events!

The Beijinger April 2009: Eat Your Heart Out

The results are in! Da Dong Roast Duck, Element Fresh and Maison Boulud à Pékin are this year's Restaurants of the Year. Find out who else made the cut amongst Beijing’s dining establishments in the April issue of the Beijinger.

Also in this issue, a Q&A with the man of the hour himself -- Daniel Boulud. Find out what he has to say about reality TV, Beijing, and what love affair prevented him from ending up in China. Fuchsia Dunlop also chimes in on Sichuan cuisine, the qualities of a good cook, and her Top 3 cookbooks.

And in other eating-related news, we’ve got the Top 5 places to buy dining ware, drink Guinness and chow down on chicken wings; where to eat competitively in Beijing; and how to use a sandwich to land a record deal (DJ Recloose elaborates).

Plus: more than beer in Qingdao, Parisian delights, Maxim’s comeback, Manchester's Mayming, Juliette Binoche, Fethi Tabet and Panjir in a world music showdown, and – as usual – all the latest shop, restaurant and bar & club openings around town.