Inspired by the Ming Dynasty, the luxurious O’Bar sits proudly on the fifth floor of the well-known Nuo Hotel. Patrons can take advantage of a Zen Oasis on their rooftop terrace, or drink and dine under ambient lighting in their black-and-gold adorned bar and indoor seating area. This is five-star luxury and is worthy of an opulent date night with your nearest and dearest.

The cocktail menu is full of classic options, such a dry Martini. However there are a number of fusion takes on familiar tastes, and the menu is full of signature house cocktails that are reflective of alchemic traditional Chinese flavors, which are robust and adventurous. Take for example the Green (RMB 100), a mixture of Capucana Cachaca, pistachio, dry sherry, lime, Matcha and salt. Inspired by Chinese green tea, this modern blending of flavors pays homage to past times, with added extravagance reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty and its Emperors.

Dry Martini

I chose to go with something just as unique and lavish, the aptly named Luxury (RMB 100). This contained a bombastic mix of Mina Real Mezcal, rye whiskey, beetroot, hazelnut, lime, and the royal ingredient, saffron. Many associate saffron with Indian cooking, however it has a long history that first began in Tibet. Saffron made its way around Asia and surrounding countries along with other herbs and spices that traveled the silk road to be traded for newly discovered and exotic items. Saffron is used in many Chinese regional dishes, and so this cocktail again was a perfect reflection of luxury and Chinese culture.

“Luxury”

The Luxury is not for the fainthearted, and was presented in a diamond-shaped glass goblet which neatly sat in a display box adorned with dry flowers and one of the best macaroon I have ever tasted. The macaroon, at first, felt like an odd partnership for a cocktail but was pleasantly sweet, dissolved in the mouth like butter, and cut through the sharpness. I could have done without the huge display box, but appreciate the sentiment.

One surprise element of the evening was the bar’s cartoon-themed ‘Hero’ range of cocktails, inspired by some of the best-loved animated movie heroes and served in cute toy replica bottles that are great for fun-loving photo opportunities. This lightened the mood and reflected the laid-back atmosphere of the bar. They are five-star, but do wonderfully well not to take themselves too seriously.

I tried the Big Hero (RMB 100), which just has to be the star of the show from the beverages that were sampled on the evening. Made with coconut, roasted barley, pineapple, and lime, this was a decadent, sweet, and refreshing mix that reminded me of an extremely well balanced Pina Colada.

As bar snacks and dishes go, you can’t get more luxurious than the options available at O’Bar. From caviar (RMB 398) to more comforting staples, like cod fish and chips with tartar sauce (RMB 138), there is something for both of you to enjoy with your date night cocktails.

The caviar was sold out, which was such a shame as the dish promised nicely aged caviar with classic condiments (RMB 368). Yum! So I first went for a selection of tapas, which was washed down with a glass or two of Shiraz (RMB 150). The Spanish ham bruschetta (RMB 88) was salty and delicious, and the smoked salmon version was equally as nice (RMB 78). The quality of the ingredients meant that personally I would have preferred the ham and salmon to be served without the bread, as they don’t need this accompaniment. The San Sebastian Croquettes won the battle of the tapas and were served with a creamy tartar sauce (RMB 88).

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bruschetta

The duck confit followed (RMB 100) and to finish the meal, I indulged in the cheese platter (RMB 238). The duck leg was served on a bed of spinach with strawberries and blueberries. The salad was underwhelming, however the duck was gamey, moist, and delicious. The cheese platter was everything and more, with generous portions of blue cheese, Manchego, goat cheese, soft Brie, and Edam. Partnered with sweet poached pear, grapes, seeded crackers, and dates, I was in cheese platter heaven.

Duck Leg Confit

My nightcap was a generous pour of Baileys over ice (RMB 88). Sweet and creamy, this was a great substitute for a dessert after demolishing the cheese!

So much cheese!

This is a date night for those that would like to indulge a little and celebrate a special occasion. It’s always nice to splash out once in a while, and if you so happen to be staying the night in one of Nuo Hotel’s rooms, you’ll get to try one of Beijing’s best brunches! Have a night of Oriental bliss and head on down to O’Bar.

The latest addition to the artsy Lido area is Nuo Hotel. Every Saturday, the hotel converts its courtyard into an outdoor bazaar. The Nuo Market will feature products such as an Italian cold-cuts stall filled with fresh cheese and MIELE-branded products – olive oil, dry pasta, canned tomatoes, and more. Prepare for an at home or at hotel spa with skincare products, spa aroma candles, wooden jewelery boxes, ceramic aroma burners, cream-colored customized bathrobes and organic Pu-er tea infused bath accessories. Lavish your taste buds with Shangrila Farms honey in all flavors, aromatic dark-roasted coffee beans, freshly brewed wine, and beer.

If hunger sets in after the market, enjoy the N’Joy’s All You Can Eat Lobster deal that’s on for lunch or dinner on Saturdays (this deal is also available for dinner on Thursday and Friday until July 15).

For Sunday Brunch, head over to N’Joy to enjoy over 450 gourmet dishes from 10 different countries prepared by the hotel’s team of chefs at different stations. What is on offer? Scampi from Iceland and live-cooked mussels en cocotte, Fine de Claire No. 4 oysters shucked in the moment and a whole tuna disassembling ceremony performed. You’ve been served. Call 5926 8281/8282 or email fbreservations.beijing@nuohotel.com to book a reservation.

You can head over to the Si’de Park to take a stroll and play with the kids before heading home. Si’de Park has a tennis court, very neat playgrounds where the whole family can relax and have fun. You are bound to run into an old man flying a kite.

Photo: Courtesy of Nuo Hotel

The small orange disks that form a partial canopy to the spectacular outdoor park behind Indigo mall are more for style than function. But that’s not such a bad thing. And this is the time of year to appreciate them. During the summer, these circular sun blockers hardly keep this park from being the scorcher it is, but they’re funky—that’s for sure!

We love this park for its multiple sensory design. Not only is it cool looking, there’s sand and slides, spinning toys and a swing, and enough primary colours for a week’s worth of cheer. For the little ones and the mid-sized, this park is a winner. And every Saturday and Sunday morning, it’s brimming with happy parents, too.

What I also love about this park, (besides it being walking distance from my house), is the fact that it’s right next to the Indigo mall where plentiful lunch options exist. We generally play in the park for an hour or so and then retire to a restaurant to feed ourselves before returning home in time for my son’s nap. And this makes it a great place to connect with friends. Who doesn’t like a nice weekend lunch out?

So, who’s meeting me next week? I can be found sometime around 10:30am, face partially shaded by the shadow of an orange disk, with my hands and feet buried in the sand by a giggling toddler and pre-schooler. (Come rescue me!)

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift

Head out of town in the upcoming weekends before school opens to one the places below for a holiday feel that features relaxing, beautiful landscapes, and unplugging from the norm. These kid friendly places are nice to explore as they are located in the mountain or Great Wall sections of Beijing that will have the whole family itching for a little hike and much deserved R&R!

Shan Li Retreats
Situated 90km from Beijing, Shan Li Retreats are breath taking renovated traditional houses offering serene countryside. There are five properties in total: Poshang, Banpo, Qianjia, Shanjiaoxi, and Stone House all located close by each other in the Huangyankou Village.

There houses have a living room, fireplace, gardens access, kitchen, and range from one to three bedrooms. The integration of the buildings in the
Good for: Multi-family groups
Prices: RMB 4,500 per night (Poshang); RMB 1,500 per night (Banpo); RMB 3,500 per night (Qianjia); RMB 2,800 per night (Shanjiaoxi); RMB 900 per night per room (Stone House)
Local attractions: Hiking around is the main thing to do with trails marked by the owners.

Commune by the Great Wall 
Commune by the Great Wall was designed by Asian architects and won numerous architecture accolades, this boutique hotel initially had 12 villas that has now expanded to over 40 villas with replicas of the original 12. There are standard rooms, superior rooms, deluxe room, deluxe suite, Great Wall view, and presidential suites. Three to six guest rooms are located in one villa and people share a common living room.
Good for: multi-group
Price: Only know made available by email
Local attraction: the location has private access to an non-restored section of the Great Wall. To cool off, there’s a pool that has a poolside cafe near. There’s a kid’s club in that’s two floors and has a child-sized kitchen used for the cooking classes, complete with tiny aprons and chef’s hats, Poplar Kids’ Republic Library and bookstore that holds regular storytelling in English and Chinese, recreation room with a closed, padded play area for babies, a dress-up corner with national costumes (including a flouncy “Russian” dress, American cowboy outfit, and a diminutive Scottish kilt), and separate TV rooms. Child-care is also offered.

Cuandixia Village
Looking for a bit of history rich places then this is the place for you. The 400-year-old village has over 700 preserved courtyards from the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. It’s a two and a half hour drive to the site with a hike to the gate of the village at the foot of the mountain where the cars are left.
Good for: small groups
Prices: Varies on the guesthouses, courtyards, inns, and people’s homes agreed upon price
Local attraction: There’s a scenic area that requires a RMB 35 admission fee. A walk around the courtyards, temple, and hike are some of the activities to take part in. Only local cuisines are available and the restaurants use traditional cooking styles which can be a good chance to take photos and see how your meal is prepared.

Photos: courtesy of Commune by the Great Wall, Shan Li  Retreats & the Beijinger.

Nikita Gupta is currently an intern at beijingkids. Nikita moved to Beijing two years ago from Seattle, Washington. She is a grade 10 student at Western Academy of Beijing. She is passionate about writing and loves to read and play guitar.

Photos courtesy of Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park and Nikita Gupta

Following an extensive public consultation regarding the onerous nature of working weekends to make up for holiday periods, the government has released the 2014 holiday schedule (pictured above). Apparently, the public said "we love working weekends!"

Here’s the break-down. First, those of you who thought you wouldn’t be digging too much into your 2014 annual leave by staying away until early January, think again: only January 1 is a day off, and we’re kicking off the working new year on January 2.

For Chinese New Year/Spring Festival, to ramp up for all that jiaozi eating and firework igniting, Sunday, January 26 is a work day, with January 31 the first day off, until February 6. February 8 will be a make-up workday.

A bit of good news: the Qing Ming/Tomb Sweeping Festival holiday will be celebrated with a day off on April 7, with no make-up. Hooray!

The May 1 holiday will be observed, shockingly, on Thursday, May 1, followed by days off on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3. After all that fun, we’re sure you’ll want to be back at work on Sunday, May 4, so that no productivity is lost.

Another bonus: the Duan Wu/Dragon Boat holiday falls extremely early this year, on June 2, so we’ll be off for the normal weekend of May 31-June 1, and then off Monday, June 2, with no make-up.

After slogging through the summer, Zhong Qiu/Mid-Autumn Festival looks suspiciously like American Labor Day this year. The September 6-7 weekend is off as normal, followed by Monday, September 8 off to gaze (or bark) at the moon, with no need to work the following Saturday.

Gearing up for the week-long October 1 holiday, we will first work Sunday, September 28. The holiday is October 1-7 as normal, followed by a working Saturday on October 11.

Most schools have made necessary arrangements to fit these holidays into their 2013-2014 academic calendars by having half term breaks coincide with most holidays so as to maintain school days.

When considered carefully, it’s not the working weekends that are themselves so difficult – it’s that having to work the weekend means you can’t just burn one or two vacation days to extend to the holiday to the following Monday.

This article was modified and the original post was posted on December 12 on thebeijinger

Photo courtesy of cctv.com via thebeijinger

Everybody loves Sunday brunch. Not only is the food delicious, but brunches are also a great way to spend quality time with your family and kick start the day. Here’s a selection of family-friendly brunches around town, both old and new. All estimated prices are for two adults and one child (unless otherwise indicated). First, the tried-and-tested brunches:

1. In the city:

 Photo by The Bloom Family Photography

This past Sunday – as it was such a glorious day – we visited Si’de Park.

I’m always hesitant to say much about this park for fear the hoards at Chaoyang Park will suddenly realize they don’t need to be packed like sardines into the same green space and our quaint neighborhood park will be overrun by the masses – but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

There is a lot to enjoy at Si’de. Personally, I like the paths that wander through the trees and the greenery and watching children play at the pond. Even seeing the rivalries that take place on the courts – where teams vie for supremacy – can be relaxing.

However, the best fun is watching the sheer joy kids get out of jumping on the big trampoline tucked in the back of the park amidst the amusement rides. For 3 kuai, a child can have ten minutes (though the trampoline attendant tends to let the time stretch a bit) of unbridled silliness as they try and escape the physics of gravity again and again and again.

For Reina, whether it’s alone or with other children, the ecstasy of the trampoline is always a joyous occasion and observing her enthusiasm is priceless – even if it does take a bit of change out of my pocket.

Si’de Park is open daily from 6am to 9pm and there is no admission fee.

Photo by Christopher Lay