DaliDali: Andingmen's Cocktail Newbie w/ Crucial Dianping Hacks
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Dianping
(dianping.com) is king in our fair capital, as any foodie or barfly
worth their salt will tell you. Better make that starmaker, seeing as
the F&B directory and reviewing platform is ubiquitous enough to
draw hordes anywhere with high star ratings. So when Lao “Lincoln” Hu saw that his DaliDali
cocktail bar had cracked the coveted Dianping top ten for Beijing's
Dongcheng District (through a system that awards points based on
positive comments and users' rankings), he was pleased, to say the
least. After all, he only opened the bar a month ago, after cutting his
teeth at the hugely popular neighboring Mai Bar.
Owner Lincoln cut his teeth at Mai bar
Even
cynics that scoff about such rankings being rigged won’t be able to
deny how popular the Andingmen bar is upon stepping inside. The softly
lit venue was bustling on what we assumed would be a sleepy midweek
evening.
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Most
of those patrons were chic young Chinese women ordering cocktails like
the Chinese Date Old Fashioned. A title that refers to jujube dried
dates, not the night-on-the-town variety, though DaliDali's rustic decor
and romantic lanterns do place it a prime date spot. The jujubes set
what should be a standard old fashioned apart with their savory and
fruity flavor, meanwhile, the Fitzgerald 1843 bourbon that Lincoln uses
to infuse the jujubes with is potent enough to make your vision as woozy
as the surreal artworks of Salvador Dali, from whom the bar takes its
name.
DaliDali's charming decor makes for a fine dating spot
Aside
from jujubes, other common Chinese ingredients are creatively
incorporated throughout the menu. The jasmine-infused negroni (also RMB
65), with the lip-smacking sourness of its vermouth, is balanced by a
gentle and earthy tea aftertaste that puts a new spin on the
increasingly omnipresent negroni.
Other menu highlights include
the Smoked Manhattan (made with rye, rose vermouth, Laphroaig ten year
old scotch whiskey, and Angostura bitters), the Gin Pesto cocktail
(featuring fresh basil, lemon juice, and syrup with its gin base), a
White Russian with coffee bean-infused vodka, a Lavender Moscow Mule
(its vodka is infused with those dried fragrant flowers), and a cherry
daiquiri. Additionally, prices for all of the above range from RMB
65-75, making DaliDali a standout in Beijing's increasingly costly
cocktail scene.
Their gin-based Spring Cucumber cocktail is light and refreshing
Some
of the Chinese patrons seated at the bar echoed that sentiment, adding
that they also enjoyed the fun usage of mainland ingredients, which they
would dutifully report back to fellow users on Dianping.
In that
regard, DaliDali is a compelling example of how Chinese consumers are
shaping the F&B industry in this age of apps. Judging by the dozens
of creative Chinese-inclined drinks, charmingly low-key atmosphere, and
Lincoln’s attentive and hospitable bartending, we're expecting to see a
lot more rave reviews of DaliDali to come, online and off.
DaliDali
Daily, 6pm-1.30am
15 Huayuan East Hutong (off Andingmen West Street), Dongcheng District
东城区安定门西大街15号
187 1506 9770
Photos: Uni You
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