Aside from their minimalist, low-maintenance frames, the often customized “fixies” have sustained their presence in the cycling world largely due to their quite literal fixed gear — with the pedals and cogs attached directly to the single gear (and therefore the rear wheel itself), the cyclist is in full control of the bicycle’s speed, acceleration and deceleration. Though many riders find the lack of a free wheel and impossibility of coasting somewhat strange at first, others find this way of riding highly addictive, as this level of control makes the cycle feel like an extension of the rider’s body, allowing for a fast and freeing ride.

With its cult-like following, “riding fixed” has become somewhat fashionable in major cities around the world, most notably San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, London and now Beijing. Gradually growing in visibility in the Chinese capital as well as Chengdu and Shanghai over the past two to three years, custom bike shops have sprouted up to bolster this eco- and urban-friendly means of transportation. Some of these independent shops, such as Beijing’s Natooke, enable everybody from the amateur enthusiast to the seasoned veteran to build custom bikes with the store’s own aluminum frames and forks, with a seemingly endless array of paint and accessory options limited only by the rider’s personal budget. Although customized fixed-gear bikes can easily ascend into the 30,000 RMB (US$4,733) price range, one can also build a basic, yet well-crafted and personalized fixie at Natooke for one-tenth of that.

Alongside the custom bike shops appearing in major Chinese cities have been a growing number of fixed-gear culture events and “crews.” During the last weekend of August on a hot Beijing day was one such event, the fourth installment of Fixed Gear Revolution, a weekend of crit and alley cat races, bike polo, and track stand and trick competitions that attracted riders from all over Asia. In addition to a number of ardent individual riders were a few brave souls who competed as members of a team. A handful of standouts, among them the newly established, Beijing-based team Big Dirty, proved their mettle, boasting two top-10 finishes in the gruesome 40-kilometer alley cat. Year-round, other teams like BD, or Factory Five – a team as well as a store based out of Shanghai — welcome new and experienced riders to take part in weekly rides to encourage and sustain China’s growing urban bike culture.

Though cities like Beijing and Shanghai are now more associated with cars and traffic than in their distant “Bicycle Kingdom” past, hopefully China’s nascent fixed-gear fever continues to grow, not just as a fad, but also as a dedication to the sport of cycling as well as a means to battle urban congestion and rampant pollution.

Inside R+D Lab (Courtesy of RAWR)

Founded by Parsons School assistant professor of computational and media design, Benjamin Bacon, and esteemed Chinese furniture designer, Naihan Li, the duo has set up their research laboratory and development factory in Beijing’s Caochangdi, a district known for its contemporary galleries and artist studios.  Set amongst the area’s ‘Red Brick Buildings,’ designed by Ai Weiwei, the newly outfitted research center is fit for the most innovative ideas in design and technology, specializing in practices from wearable technology and other product design to data visualization, and from gaming design to interactive architecture. Expanding beyond the boundaries of an average think tank, RAWR! has a fully equipped factory that enables designers to build working models of their prototypes.

RAWR! R+D Laboratory

Prototype Factory (Courtesy of RAWR)

Having just launched, RAWR! has already collaborated with a group of 20 Parsons’ students working in Beijing for the summer. Intended as an R&D center for young designers themselves, or for larger companies requiring rapid product design and production, RAWR! has a highly trained team capable of meeting the demands of this world’s rapidly evolving design and technology innovations.

For more information, contact Benjamin Bacon at me@benjaminbacon.com.

RAWR! 

Having seen the 600-year-old temple during his weekly jogs around the area, Lecleir worked hard to renovate the space, assemble and train a service-oriented team and develop a superb menu based upon local and organic ingredients.  Only open for the past five and a half months, TRB sits in an old Beijing hutong just at the Northeast corner of the Forbidden City.

Temple Restaurant Beijing, Exterior (Courtesy of TRB)

Zandie Brockett (ZB): What inspired you to create the restaurant in this atmosphere and how has influenced your menu?

Ignace Lecleir (IL): Trying to set up a restaurant in this surrounding is difficult because it’s very old. The most important thing for me was trying to find a way to respect the Chinese culture without doing too much damage. We opened up the space as much as possible, so that it pulls your attention outside. Inside the restaurant, we tried to create an environment that was very clean and slick. Almost like the big city feeling of New York. The idea was to integrate the big city feeling in the middle of a Beijing hutong.

Temple Restaurant Beijing, Interior (Courtesy of TRB)

ZB: Tell me more about your menu and your head chef.

IL: We have a culinary team composed of three Chinese chefs, one gentleman from London, whose role is the facilitator and gives inspiration to the team. We also have a Chinese pastry chef from the south of China. She speaks no English, but rather French. We try as much to support the local community, and so we work with local farmers and try to use organic ingredients. If we feel that we cannot find the right ingredients, then we go abroad. In that case we still try to stay as close as possible. The most exciting thing is to see how the local team is coming to understand flavors and pull things together.

‘Pulling things together,’ was an understatement, for the twelve-course lunch I was served incorporated interesting combinations, whether fresh baked breads imbedded with squid ink or bacon, fresh Boston lobster served with fois gras and a side lobster salad, or roasted young pigeon with cauliflower + green bean puree and crisped bacon, the plethora of flavors and delicately crafted presentation proved an excellent tasting of the multinational culinary talents. A personal favorite was the truffled soup with black truffle slice and tofu-like mushroom garnish; the creamy puree was warm and rich with earthy flavors. Further an olive oil poached black cod served with saffron potatoes quite literally melted in my mouth. For those who prefer the last course first, there was a series of desserts to please even the most avid sweet tooth. Starting with a perfectly creamy and somewhat iced cheesecake toped with a jammed passion fruit, it was followed by three quaint trays filled with chocolate truffles, jellied raspberry candies, white chocolate fondant, marshmallows found in plain, citrus and rose flavors, and finally, a deep fried fondant to finish the meal along side a shot of espresso.

Freshly Baked Squid Ink Bread

Truffled Mushroom Soup with Black Truffle and Tofu-Like Mushroom Garnish

Roast Pigeon with Green Bean and Cauliflower Puree and Crisped Bacon

Olive Oil Poached Cod served with Saffron Potatoes 

Additionally, the meal was paired with a variety of predominately white wines ranging in region, body, and fruitiness. TRB and their knowledgeable sommelier clearly exercised their large selection of wines, which Lecleir said to range in value form 280RMB to 100,000RMB. “We have different price points in our menu and in our wine list, so that you can come and find an interesting bottle of wine and feel like your like you’re having a good time. As from the service perspective, you will be treated the same whether coming for a special occasion or just coming to enjoy a western meal.”

Cheesecake with Passionfruit + many a wine pairing

Beyond TRB’s extensive wine list and well-produced contemporary European fare, I found the service to be restaurant’s strongest element. Given that new restaurants often take “some time to tango” as Lecleir says, TRB’s wait staff was surprisingly attentive and well equipped to provide their customers a comfortable meal. Despite many TRB staff coming from little to no service background, Lecleir works with his staff to train them for two hours daily; it’s no wonder the service mimics that found in a five-star hotel. “My goal is that they make the right decision without me telling them what to do. That’s why we train so much, because I feel that service should be very spontaneous and not pre-programmed. When the moment is there, you try to make an impact and understand what the customer wants; its really about emotions, about how you personally feel and how the other person feels.”

Lecleir clearly has dedicated his heart into the creation of TRB, yet the restaurateur speaks of the other food related activities he enjoys on his time away from the restaurant.

ZB: When you’re at home, what do you enjoy cooking for yourself?

IL: I usually like simple things. When I cook at home, I like to go to Sanyuanli market. I love that feeling of going to a market and going to look and feel the produce. I never have a plan, I just walk in, get inspired, see what’s fresh and just go home and try to put things together.

ZB: What is your favorite cuisine?

IL: I’m from Belgium, so we don’t have any spicy food. So when I first tasted Sichuan food, it was a very, very new experience. I have really taken a liking to it, especially in this kind of weather, when it’s a little rainy and during the winter. Actually, I crave it; I have to have it.

ZB: What is your favorite Chinese restaurant in Beijing?

IL: It’s actually down the street. It’s the state house representative restaurant for Chengdu.

Started as a side project, the brewery is currently only open during the weekend. Although given the town’s rather quite and small Alpine village feel, the citizens certainly enjoy catching up with friends over a weekend beer, as given our apartment’s proximity, I was able to hear the jovial laughs well into the weekend evenings.

Beautifully decorated with natural wood panels and copper brew tanks left in open for the public to see, the walls are filled with memorabilia of old (and current) Austrian beer companies as well as advertising plaques from soda makers in the 1950s. Surprisingly, several of these ‘pop’ makers still produce their sweet and fizzy drinks that were available at the Braü as a delicious and refreshing alternative to the ‘adult soda.’

So next time, you’re driving through the Austrian countryside and would like a tasty snack + beverage, stop by Erzberg Braü.

Raw barley ready to be cooked

Cooked barley

Beautiful coper-topped brewers

Adding hops to the beer

Empty bottles ready to be filled with fresh beer

I have journeyed to several corners of this vast and diverse world, yet I have seldom encountered the raw beauty of Earth coexisting with humanity with such ease. Despite the rapid population decline over the decades, the tranquil beauty of small town Europe is exactly what one would imagine it to be. It brings one into a state of serenity that can be described only though images, and so a series of landscapes that will transport you into its picturesque, postcard beauty…

Given the mine’s attraction, it has also become a tourist attraction. After a Hauly tour (the dumping part of the truck was convered into an encoled view deck with rows of benches) that crawled over the steps carved into the mountain’s side, we boarded a small train that once transported iron-filled rock in and out of the mine. Dissapearing roughly 300 meters into the mountain, I felt like I was on an Indiana Jones-like ride at Disneyland. It seem artificial with the sprayed concrete walls and dripping water. The toy train we were aboard only added to the affect.

It was cold inside. No, it was freezing. There was no light nor warmth throughout the snaking maze of tunnels that took over an hour to discover. Exploring a segment of the mine that was active in the mid-80s, the one-way guided path, movie clips + animatronics gave it the finishing touches and signature Disney stamp of approval. Liu Xiaodong surely seemed amused.

Our tourbus, aka the Hauly. Note the size of the person in the bottom right corner.

Liu Xiaodong looking so excited in his mine exploring gear

Liu Xiaodong’s brother actually looking excited next to the tourguide

Liu Xiaodong looking out from the Hauly

The view he was admiring

Hauly’s wheel that was nearly twice my height

Stlagmight growing inside the mine

Pascale, working with a small, assisting team, handpicks items to be featured in her seasonal collections. Basing each season around one of the five elements, namely earth, metal, fire, water and wood, as well as a paralleling color, she is able to transform the boutique into a space that takes on the feel of a residential dwelling. The addition of lifelike manequins found throughout the home provides that lived-in feel.

With a list of nearly 100 artists (predominately Chinese although incorporating a few internationals) to date with whom she works, Pascale uses an interesting model, one which combines that of a selling gallery with artists and exhibitions as well as a boutique store that sells a variety of goods. From hand-casted silver rings to a functional set of furniture, designed with the young and consistently moving generation in mind, as all pieces become portable shipping crates, each object and its creator is hand selected to participate in the season’s ‘exhibition’. Further Pascale annually choses a group of young and emerging talent with whom she decides to collaborate and to produce an exclusive line sold only at WuHao.

Although wrapping up its winter-water season, which was experienced while visiting the creative-shop at the end of April, the transition of WuHao into a new summer season, alined with fire and most likely a vibrant red or other brilliant color, will provide the modern and design-conscious connoisseur a plethora of goods to fill their homes and personal wardrobes.

A room of Naihan Li’s movable, crate furniture

Funky hand-made silver jewelry by Su Chun Rong and Serge Thoraval

One of the boutique’s rooms that have become a sleek home office, custom wallpaper to decorate

A few racks of Christopher Raeburn clothing as if in your own lofty wardrobe 

The courtyard pond transformed into a mirrored, quite literal ‘reflecting pool’

Old Kang (bed with wood burning stove underneath to provide warmth in the winter) converted into a tea room

Small details around WuHao, including a strange dragon-like swimming lizard

The French, three Michelin star chef, Yannick Alléno has selected the talented Maxime Gilbert as the ‘Chef de Cuisine’ to execute his quarterly creations as well as Florian Cousteau to run the restaurant’s pastry kitchen and ‘library’. Both chefs, despite being under 30 years of age, have close to 20 years of experience between the two of them.  Having started working at the young age of 16, Gilbert has worked both in Yannick’s Royal Mansour Marrakech Hotel and the 3 Michelin-starred, Le Meurice in Paris. Cousteau, at the age of 24, is the youngest pastry chef in Beijing and he comes from roughly 10 years of experience working with the famed Pierre Hermé in Paris.

The S.T.A.Y. Duo: Florian Cousteau (left) and Maxime Gilbert 

Brian Chan, the designer of S.T.A.Y. Beijing incorporates the restaurants community table concept into the ambiance, with large tables and tasteful lazy-susans to allow for easy access to the shared foods. At the far end of the big and open, yet cozy restaurant lies a ‘pastry library’ to showcase Cousteau’s delightful desserts and to allow visitors easy browsing during the brunch dessert buffet. Further, S.T.A.Y. incorporates other aspects of Chinese dining culture, indirectly helping attract Chinese clientele, such as chopsticks. After asking Gilbert about using these beautifully crafted Yannick Alléno chopsticks to eat his foods, he mentioned that the chopstick is the most universal utensil, as it allows one to eat the most of delicate of dishes.

S.T.A.Y.’s Community Table

A view of the restaurant

And one of the bar

As for the meal itself, there was a continual serving of plates from the kitchen that were perfectly cooked, seasoned and presented.  A few highlights included the canapé of a fresh, cold and crispy red radish dipped in a melted butter, similar to how a strawberry would be coated in chocolate, with a sea salt garnish. Amongst others, was a delicious breaded and deep fried gougeonette fish served with a homemade tartar sauce. After the refreshing starter, came my personal favorite, a sea urchin shell filled with sour cream, quail eggs cooked in a ‘bain marie,’ or water bath, and then topped with Shrencki caviar. Together, these ingredients combined for a perfect mouth-feel; it was savory, yet sweet, but also smooth from the custard and textured from the caviar. Presented neatly in the perfect spherical shell with a rounded hole in the top, this dish alone deserves three thumbs up.  Of course I cannot forget the seared Scallops en meurette and the lamb saddle. Although having never acquired a taste for scallops, I must admit it is rare for me to try a scallop that has been cooked to perfection to avoid the often times rubbery and tirelessly, chewy shellfish, but Gilbert’s was one. Further, his lamb saddle was presented in a manner paralleling service at the finest of steakhouses. Plated solo, the lamb came with a variety of garnishes included, potatoes puree, sautéed spinach and mushroom, potatoes as well as a vegetable gratin.

The variety of canapés

Sea Urchin, Quail Egg + Caviar

Last, but certainly not least, was the grand finale of the meal: a meter long dessert tray.  As my eyes bulged at this enormous mountain of sweets, Gilbert noted “you sign a contract when you order the meter, you eat the meter.” Atop the long, metal ribbon sat a plethora of treats from cheesecake + strawberry balls coated with white chocolate and almond chips, a cocoa-coconut banana that consisted of a caramelized banana laying on a bed of chocolate with Malibu-infused coconut mouse, and a pink macaroon biscuit with strawberry sauce, fresh ruby red grapefruit slices with a vanilla custard. Just to name a few, Cousteau’s delectable creations were “not too sweet, yet light. You can eat the full dessert after a big menu…you wont feel like eating a big brioche,” but you do want a bit of sweetness to round out the pallet. Although Cousteau clearly has a talent with his flours and sugars, butters and creams, he says his secret is, “I put all my love inside my desserts.”

The mouth watering dessert meter

Macaroon, ruby red grapefruit + strawberry dessert

Passion fruit sorbet + chocolate mouse dessert

Still in its first year, Gilbert feels that “you really need to spend one year first to understand the seasons and the produce. We know the seasons of the produce in France, but every country is not really the same.” Both Gilbert and Cousteau are dedicated to incorporating the freshest of local and international products, importing from around the world, but strangely only lemons from the US. Despite finding it challenging at times to have their high-quality, food import standards in Beijing, they welcome the task at hand and find it to be a learning experience; one that parallels opening a fine dining restaurant, yet ‘casual’ by their notions, in the lesser developed ‘foodie’ environment of Beijing.

Been given a sneak peak to the new summer menu, I highly recommend that one visits to taste the new duck foie gras terrine with passion fruit and coffee jelly as well as their black pepper Wagyu beef filet served with gratin dauphinois.  I further suggest a weekend brunch visit so to browse Cousteau’s dessert library, which is staffed by a team of six, so to participate in the dessert making process yourself. But if that isn’t reason enough to make the trip to Western Beijing, just west of the zoo, Gilbert + Cousteau have kindly offered JingDaily readers a free dessert upon their next meal; all that is needed is to mention ‘dessert’ + ‘JingDaily’.

Florian Cousteau hard at work in his dessert library

Both Gilbert and Cousteau were refreshingly welcoming given their all-star status of heading Alléno’s Beijing location. It is surprising, and somewhat shameful that they were not included in Timeout Beijing’s 2012 food awards, as I find the dynamic duo to create a fresh and innovative menu rivaling that of Maison Boulud; their presentation alone is truly a work of art. Yet with that being said, the chefs at Boloud and Migas, another upscale eatery in Sanlitun’s Nali Patio, are of the closest of friends with Gilbert and Cousteau. The two would even call Maison Boulud to be one of their favorite restaurants in Beijing, amongst DinTaiFung, Migas and of couse, S.T.A.Y.

It is clear that the young team has slowly found their groove despite having spent less than a year in Beijing and I can only imagine the tasteful creations the two will contrive over the years to come.

The weekend consisted of a plethora of activities including meeting the artists whom I work for, having dinner with my boyfriend at my favorite Pure Lotus and a dumpling lunch with some of her local friends, browsing the 798 arts district, pampering ourselves with manicures + pedicures, visiting a local market and cooking dinner together, and of course, shopping for goodies that are only to be found in China. Filled with laughs and stories, I will remember those few days for decades to come. But knowing how young and able she is, I will most likely be paid another visit by this inspiring and wise woman during the time that I call Beijing home.

Nana with her freshly manicured nails

A crowd forms around Nana as they are amused that this 86 year old woman looks so young!

Nana buying some vegetables at Sanyuanli Market, Beijing

Nana buying some chicken for her famous chicken soup that we will go on to make that evening

My nana and I at the airport before her departure