Protest in Guangzhou: Why would you burn garbage?
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Barbie Spa: For the cosmopolitan plastic beauty in you
Interview: Coco Zhao, from jazz to M. Butterfly
Week Around the Ists
WHAT TYPE OF DRUNK ARE YOU? When you get pissed out of your mind, are you a harmless drunk? A violent drunk? A poetic drunk or what? We all prefer not to meet a violent drunk because that's just trouble, and it's then up to somebody like a Zapatas bouncer to take him out. Loquacious drunks, like a German acquaintance, are pains in the backside, but it's usually easy to make a quiet exit. Then there are also the obnoxious squeeze me-kiss me drunks, the super grouch drunks, the "I'm-the-best-and-everybody-should-love-me drunks", the hyper-giggly drunks and the teary, tree-hugging-love-everybody drunks. With lots of Christmas drinking coming up, be sure to stay in control as much as possible. Whatever type of drunk you are, just remember if you irritate the wrong fella at the wrong moment, you're likely to get your lights punched out...and you might actually deserve it.
AVENUE BAR (101 Wuning South Road 武宁南路101号) Avenue is quite a new bar located on the north-west corner of the Wuning-Wuding Road intersection, a few blocks north of Jing An temple. Predominantly of the dark wood look, there are some sofas in the area inside the entrance, a decent length bar with solid wooden bar stools and dim lighting. The range of beers and spirits is very standard, with bottled Hoegaarden at RMB40 the most eye-catching item on the menu. Draft Carlsberg is a good deal at just RMB30 for a pint, or 2-4-1 during happy hour which goes till 10pm. Other drinks are all buy two, get one free anytime. Wine drinkers will be disappointed, as there are no wines by the glass and only a few bottles of nondescript French wine priced from RMB280 a throw. Food is not available here. Avenue is managed by Ellen, a local chick with good English and who is responsible for keeping the MP3 music ticking over (a very good and wide selection here, with requests gladly taken). The other bar girls are young and shy, but easy on the eye. Apparently, Avenue has a very swish bathroom, but we've never stayed long enough to need it. This neighbourhood bar is suitable for nearby residents looking for a few drinks before either heading home or seeking somewhere with more action. Each time we've been there, there have always been a few foreigners downing a pint. For you 'non-Jing An-ers' though, it‘s probably not worth the time and taxi fare.
INTRODUCTORY COCKTAIL WORKSHOP Ruby Red will host an introductory cocktail work shop this Saturday (December 8th) with 'hands on' tuition. Coaching will be given by an instructor from Xiegaoshan, the local experts in cocktail making who also import a range of fine and rare liquors. The class will begin at 7.30pm. Cost is RMB60. For further information and bookings, please contact Ruby Red on 6234 3031, or e-mail: info@rubyred.co.nz. Sounds interesting.
ODDS AND ENDS
- Malones has taken over space in Thumb Plaza in Pudong, and is due to be operational there in early 2008.
- Enoteca is planning to open a second wine bar and restaurant on Taicang Road.
- Paolo, former bar manager at Trader Vics, is now at Club Mao.
- Ayuka, Martini Bar's star bartenderess, is back in the saddle after a break due to a swimming pool accident. Welcome back, Ayuka! Winopete and LB missed you.
- Tim Allen and Sean McIlroy, CEO and Operations Manager respectively for Theme Pub Company (Sasha's, Zapatas, O'Malleys), will leave Shanghai and Theme Pub Company at the end of this week to set up a chain of Thai fast food restaurants in Australia. The first store will be in the Melbourne CBD.
- Napa Wine Bar, an ASC-supported venture, had its soft opening last week. It is located near the JW Marriott. As soon as we media minnows are officially informed of the fine print, I'll bring you all the gory details and exact address. Unofficially, we heard it'll stock about 400 of ASC's wines, with about another 200 wines from other importers. We also heard that they intend pushing the food a lot. Let's hope they are not too aggressive with this, otherwise Napa will very quickly go the way of the dodo when it has barely hatched.
- An Australian-themed restaurant and bar called Kakadu is due to open soon in Luwan district. Another Outback clone?
- An industry source has whispered in our ears that the whole Moon River Diner chain is up for sale. Apparently internal bickering and slow sales at some venues were catalysts behind the decision to seek a buyer.
- Need booze and need food too? For something simple, go for beer and pizza at New York Style Pizza. Ideal for take away as well. A reasonable priced range of beers is available to go with that Hell's Kitchen pizza we like so much. New York Style Pizza recently opened up in Bangkok (on Soi Thonglor, we believe).
- Over in Taipei, Bob Marshall will leave Carnegies next month after a very successful 6-year stint as its first GM.
HAPPY DRINKING!!!!
Picture of a Shanghai drunk from 2 dogs
Winopete is Shanghaiist's resident drunkard. Email tips, recommendations, news and gossip about Shanghai's bar scene to drink at shanghaiist dot com.
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Interesting gossip about Moon River. Kind of surprising too - I see the owners / managers eating together all the time and they seem to get along just fine.
Real shame too - one of the few places that hasn't suffered a precipitous decline after opening or been filled with disgusting lecherous old western guys.
I hope it is just a rumor.
Nice piece Pete! Good review of Avenue as I always mean to head by there but its just out of the way enough that I haven't.
And thanks for adding the Odds and Ends section as really those are cool to know. Hope the good news is all confimred and the bad news just rumours ;)