Hey Lido-ers! Beijing’s getting nicer by the day and finding a cool place to call your go-to spot can be therapeutic. Sometimes just sitting outside with an icy cold glass of beer can make you feel like all this COVID-19 drama is behind us. But, while that’s still a somewhat distant dream, there’s hope for us here in Beijing as bars and restaurants start to get back on their feet again.

Xian at East Hotel has reopened The Craft Container, a favorite outdoor hangout amongst Lido parents, and is serving up comfort food all day. For now, the new dining restriction of three people per table still applies, so you can only hang out with two buddies at a time. It’s time to pretend like you’re The Bachelor and ask your buds the highly anticipated question, “Will you accept my cold frothy beer?”

Bask under the warm blue sky and enjoy the gentle breeze of Spring as 90s music plays on the speaker. While you zone out over a juicy wagyu beef burger, the lyrics of Butterfly by Crazy Town brings you back to the good old pre-COVID-19, pre-quarantine, and dare we say, pre-kid days.

Xian’s open Wednesday – Sunday from 11am until sunset, and Friday & Saturday until 10pm. Until the city’s completely back to normal, getting to Xian requires a different route than what you’re used to. Instead of heading straight through the hotel lobby, you need to go around the building and get your temperature checked at the entrance of The Craft Container before heading into the sunken outdoor seating area.

Photos: Mina Yan, unsplash, East Hotel

The epicenter of any decent Long Table should be a well designed and executed menu that engages the senses and elevates your dining experience above that of just merely working yourself through a few courses. The table should be a hub, with a layered combination of good food, drinks, conversation, and laughter.

Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun has long been a staple for craft beer lovers and has always provided some of the best smoked plates of meat to partner your hoppy choice of beverage, along with an assortment of pickled and salty sides. Now their new Executive Chef Simone Thompson is taking it up a notch with a monthly Long Table Series, which combines her love for regional and fusion fare from around the globe with family-style dining.

Designed to provide an intimate but communal experience, “Long Table” dining has always been one of my favorite ways to enjoy a love of good food, and the new series at Jing-A provides just that and then some. Prepare to be transported into other worlds, as you take a seat to partake of a generous three-course family-style meal with expertly paired craft beer.

Communal dining makes for fun times

Perfect for date nights with a twist, a dining experience with out-of-town visitors, or just for the love of making new friends, these suppers, held once a month, are what Sunday evenings should be made of. The specially curated menu at the launch of the series was impeccable and the perfect opportunity for guests to break from the ordinary and enjoy some of Jing-A’s most interesting and complex beers.

The Lychee Xanadu

Artisan breads with woody and herby dips were a welcome treat that you had to be cautious not to devour before the epic mains.

Sourdough, pita, and burekas, served with muhammara, hummus, and beetroot and zaatar dips

The lamb shoulder was melt-in-the-mouth, and rather than the sides taking up residence on the table as an after- thought, they supported the heady and robust flavors.

Slow-Cooked Smoked Lamb Shoulder

Spinach, red onion, and almond salad, mint, rocket, and lemon salad, and kohlrabi, orchette pasta

However the rich cardamom and dark chocolate tart with stone fruit compote was the perfect ending to a wonderful set of plates. The tart was balanced with richness, bitterness, and sweetness, and for those wanting less of a hearty hit of cocoa; there were beautifully light mandarin wheat syrup cakes with mascarpone. There’s not much else to say but yum – and please madam, may I have some more?

Cardamom, dark chocolate, and stone fruit tart, and mandarin wheat syrup cakes with mascarpone

The Lychee Xanadu reminded me of an elevated citrus cider and had a dry finish; wonderful for midsummer Long Table dining or alternatively dining alfresco. The collaboration with Jordanian Brewery, Carakale, produced a beer that was paired with the second course and was my favorite. Not too dry, with each sip revealing new hidden depths, full of spice and leafy tea notes. The Dongbei IPA is not for the faint-hearted, and packed a punch served ice-cold with an unusual but enjoyable full-bodied tang.

Each month, guests will be taken on a culinary journey to explore different regional fare or experiment with unique culinary techniques. The stars of the gastronomic experience will be both the cuisine and the craft beer, and Thompson and the team have done well to create the right kind of atmosphere that’s ripe for conversation and silence-inducing morsels of delectable food. Get yourself over to Jing-A Brewingpub Xingfucun for the next Long Table. Table is limited to 16 seats. You can thank me later.

Adults. RMB 338. 6pm – 9pm. Once a month (next date TBC). Jing-A Brewery, 57 Xingfucun Zhong Lu, Dongzhimen, Chaoyang District. www.jingabrewing.com/10 6416 5195

Photos: Nicole Bonnah, Pixabay

New Shunyi bar and restaurant Charcoal, recently played host to an all Irish stand-up comedy show. Comedian Ian Morgan was the host for the evening, and was joined by fellow comedians Colum McDonnell, and Colin Murphy. It was a great evening, with plenty of laughs, lots of swearing, and some brilliant put-downs to those who dared to heckle. The choice of venue, which Murphy likened to a meth lab with its craft beer tanks, was a great one. Visually, Charcoal is very impressive. It’s big, light with floor to ceiling windows, cool hanging bulbs, and in keeping with the restaurant’s theme, you’ll find burnt wood details throughout. Right in the middle is the huge shiny brewing room, beside a well-designed long bar. Large and comfortable seating booths, and a double sided fire place gives a homely feeling to the bar area, as well as the terrace.

Beijing is home to several craft beer venues and microbrews. Slow Boat Brewery, Jing-A, NBeer, and Great Leap Brewery, to name just some. Charcoal houses the brewery of Arrow Factory Brewing, offering some intriguing choices of craft beer and ale. The “Longbow Men English Session Ale” (RMB 30) is described as one of the easier to drink beers, with low bitterness. The “Seeing Double IPA” (RMB 35) is sweet with medium-full body and an element of bitterness. “Blonde on Blonde” is cloudy pale amber, with hints of caramel, giving sweet ale with medium body. “Dark Ages” is a creamier beer, with medium body. If you’re not a fan of beer, the cocktail menu is quite extensive (RMB 55-80). A few bottles of red and white wine are available, although the only white wine available by the glass is a chardonnay (RMB 36).

The food is BBQ, smoke, and pit cuisine. Jamaican jerk chicken (RMB 88) was well seasoned and the meat very tender. The Charcoal burger (RMB 88) had a good texture and was cooked as requested, with some tasty fries served alongside. The pulled pork sandwich was a real hit, a generous serving of tender meat, plenty of juices, and a zingy marinade. Service was a little slow, and some drink orders were mixed up. As they’re still in that soft opening period, we’ll give them the benefit. Charcoal is a nice venue, and when the patio opens up it’s likely to prove very popular amongst the Shunyi set. Look out for another night of comedy coming up in May, and there are rumors that comedy nights will become a regular feature on Charcoal’s events menu.

Charcoal
West end of Qingyuan Sanjie, Houshayu, Shunyi District (6040 8911) 顺义区后沙峪罄园三街西口

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: courtesy of Charcoal, Sally Wilson