Where to find a less preppy Sanlitun

This is Sanlitun (三里屯): Beijing’s equivalent of Clarke Quay. And like its Singaporean counterpart, Sanlitun is upmarket with big brands and chi-chi restaurants. The centre is a pretty collection of buildings with full length glass windows while two-storied shophouses make up the fringes.

Naturally this western wonderland in the far east attracts 20- and 30-somethings with yuan to burn. And how they turn up in droves for medium-rare steaks, Hunan food, giant burgers and other nightlife bric-a-brac.

I actually admire the sleek glass-steel architecture. It’s a nice change from the kitschy white tiled buildings with loud golden characters emblazoned across the front. Beautiful, but it lacks spontaneity and a little heart.

That, I found in an alleyway of dingy entrances and crudely lettered promotions; just past the BBQ seller from Kashgar and beyond an army of cigarette vendors.

There’s Shooters, a shots/cocktail bar where wooden, unfinished decor ruled alongside with loud, beaked-faced youth who snatched dice from long tables with black plastic holders.

Here’s another dive bar, Lau Wu (Tapas Bar – House Rum; Sanlitun Bei Jie, Opposite Tongli Studio; Tel: +86 010 6402 5086), with a Cuban theme. There are mojitos, caprinhas, and cigars. But its best lie in the tall cylinders of rum spiced with bananas, cloves, honey, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, or coffee.

Vodka infusions are more common as its neutral palate absorbs flavours well. But with rum, it has a tropical bite that tampers with whatever’s inside it. According to the bartender, a Beijinger, he was taught how to do it by a Frenchman and it takes a month for the flavours to properly seep into the rum.

If you make it there, go for the spicy shot. It’ll put a sweat on you – even in a howling winter night.

Chupitos: Interactive Shots Bar

Billed as an “interactive shots bar”, Chupitos, hopes to corner the “by-the-way, let’s grab a shot before going to the disco” niche. It’s cosy, and the best part about it are their innovative shots.

The bar’s run by two lovely ladies, Cherilyn and Jamie, who won the Martell VSOP Ultimate Startup Space Contest. That gives them a rent-free space for six months and S$20,000 seed money to start up their bar.

Being a shots bar, it has a variety of shooters that range from sweetness and all things nice to really potent MFs such as the Absinthe Bohemian where a sugar cube is set on fire and left to drip into green Absinthe.

Or the Milo Godzilla which comes in a milo coated shot glass. It’s milky and alcoholic – but I really don’t see how we’re going to lick the milo powder off the glass.

One of the bar’s highlights would be the Mister Jay, the fire-flairing bartender who hails from the Philippines with his bag of cheeky magic tricks. He’s a fun chap, especially with the ladies. But then, who wouldn’t love a man who makes them laugh?

 

If Chupitos in Singapore is anything like the hole-in-the-wall shooter bar in Spain, then I’ll loving this place for some time to come.

Chupitos is at #01-02B Clarke Quay, 3C River Valley Road.

Pandan Cake	Pumpkin Pie
Kiss of Death	Molecular B-52