Though I must say, my efforts did not go unrewarded, as whilst on my search I came across a familiar face.  A face I have seen plenty of times in my travels to Chengdu over the years.  The face of Grandma.  Or shall I say Grandma's Kitchen.  


Located on the 5th(or 6th) floor of Imix Park, Grandmas has opened up shop serving a variety of fairly well prepared, yet decently priced western food.  The menu includes everything form steak to pizza, burgers, sandwiches, buffalo wings, and even a selection of Mexican dishes.

Wanting to sample a couple of items, I went with the Montana BBQ burger and an order of burritos to satisfy my craving for mexican, Both ringing in at just under ¥50.
  
The burger, topped with bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce was both large as well as delicious and was accompanied by some OK crinkle cut french fries.  

The burritos, an order of 2, come in either chicken or beef(I had the Chicken), and come with sour cream and a side of beans and rice.  The burritos were also quite good, though the minuscule portions of beans and rice were an embarrassment.  Good, not great,  Gramma's is a welcome addition to the growing number of Chongqing's Western food restaurants.

Sorry that posting has been nonexistent for the past month or so, as I was fortunate enough to spend spring festival outside of Chongqing.  I'm back, and re-acclimated and plan to bring you all sorts of Chongqing goodness for  the year to come.  

First off, I want to share with you a couple of nuggets done by 2 DJs who currently call Chongqing home.  The first is "Brand New Year," which is pretty much a musical 'Happy New Year' card by Chongqing's very own DJ/turntablist Slim Doctor.  

The second nugget "Grilled Dweez Sand wedge," is a mix by current CQ resident Dweezy, who brings us roughly an hour and a half of mostly hip-hop and "bass music."  

Hope you enjoy!

So, I recently heard about Chongqing's latest independent Pizza restaurant, and how it is 'the best in Chongqing.'  I've previously heard similar statements about both Nova and the new high-end Italian restaurant Xixili(Sicily/西西里), both in Nanping.  Now, I'm poor, and Nan Ping is far, so I've yet to try Xixili, and my only experience with Nova was when a friend dropped a couple cold slices off at my place(though I must say, even that was delicious), so I'm not fit to declare Sam's Chongqing's best pizza, but if you're in or around Jeifangbei it is most definitely worth the trip.  Like it's predecessor Suzie's, Sam's Pizza is housed in an apartment, which can be strange if its something you're not accustom to, but gives it a relaxed, homey feel if you can get used to it.  

The tone was well set as I was presented with a complimentary basket of bread sticks(more like twigs), and a glass of water as soon as I was seated(its the little things...).  And more points were scored when the waitress placed a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a bottle of tabasco shortly before my first pizza arrived.   Wanting to try as many of the menu options as possible without breaking my belly or the bank, I asked if I could have them make me a split pizza, which they were more than happy to do.  So my first course was a 10 inch, half bacon and sausage, half bacon and potato(¥48).  Both were quite good, though I give the edge to the bacon and potato.  What impressed me most was the amount of toppings Sam put on the pizza.  Every inch was covered in meat, vegetables, and a thick layer of cheese.  So much so that at times the crust had a difficult time of holding up.  

I also had to try the parma ham pizza(¥28 6 inch), as prosciutto is a personal weakness of mine.  The prosciutto on this pizza is typically accompanied with arugula, but being as arugula is not too common in China, it was substituted with shredded romaine lettuce, which wasn't bad, but unnecessary. 

My final course was the spaghetti Bolognese(¥22).  The portion was a good size, the noodles cooked to perfection, the bolognese sauce was thick and tasty, though it could of used a tad bit more salt and pepper for my liking.   


To get to Sam's, walk around the corner form #88(bar) and up the short flight of stairs just past the "Laidekuai" milk tea stand.  To use the elevator, type in the number "17" on the key pad next to the lifts, and it will tell you which elevator to take, A, B, or C.  Get off on the 17th floor and take a left to #1705. Or call 63746126 for delivery within Jeifangbei.

Address: Jiaochangkou Hengtong Yun Ding, Building B, 1705 
              较场口恒通云鼎B栋1705，《88号酒吧楼上》电话63746126

One of the clearest memories I have from my early teaching days here in Chongqing, is of a student telling me she was from the Sichuan town of YiBin.  Upon her saying this, the other students in the class got all excited and told me about a noodle  dish form her home town called YiBin Ran Mian(YiBin "Burning Noodles").  The enthusiasm the students showed for the dish inspired a curiosity in me that would not be settled until I tasted it.  Which didn't happen until a chance encounter years later, after I moved to the Shapingba neighborhood Gong Ren Cun(工人村).  I was returning home around 3am when I ran into an acquaintance getting out of a taxi near my house.  I asked what he was up to at that time of night and he told me he was going to eat YiBin ran mian.  Now, my Chinese isn't very good, and back then it was even worse, but even after two or so years I remembered those words. "YiBin ran mian."  And according to my acquaintance the place he was going was 'famous' for their version of the dish.  

Many a time I have been told by Chinese friends of the deliciousness of one dish or another.  "You have to try this sheep's anus, Its so delicious!" Or, "Have you eaten pig snout?  It is very delicious."  Often times flavors and textures that are considered delicacies or "delicious" here, don't translate as such to the western pallet.  This whoever was not the case with YiBin ran mian which lived up to the hype surrounding it.  

Though served a number of different ways, with a variety of meats, vegetables and seasonings, the traditional style, for witch my neighborhood xiao chi is famous(apparently ranked #2 in Chongqing), is a dry noodle dish, dressed in a bit of chili oil and topped with peanuts, green onion, and yacai(芽菜, dry pickled sprouts) and is a great menu option for the vegetarians out there.  If you're an avid meat eater you can add beef(huan ran mian/焕然面), or go for the ran chaoshou(燃抄手) which is pork wontons with all the ran mian fixings.    

YiBin Ran Mian is located in Shapingba gongrencun, just off of Hanyu Lu,roughly 100 meters from the traffic light(take a left if going up the hill, the restaurant will be on the left across the road from a large gymnasium [现代书城]).

[map]

This weekend is full of event and entertainment options all around the city.  Here is a quick rundown of some that might be worth checking out...

Tonight(Friday) in CIqikou "Tangcu Laowai,"  Chongqing's newest ex-pat pop band will be debuting a handful of new material at 16 Bystreet Music Bar. Check out the video of their performance at Nuts Club a few weeks back...

Saturday Night is jam-packed with events all over town.  At the Sheraton Hotel on  Nan Bin Lu, the Chongqing International Women's Organization are hosting their 7th annual Christmas Ball.  The Dinner, Dance and auction is held every year to raise money for Chongqing area school children.  

At CiCi Park it's the DJ/VJ duo B-Side.  Apparently VJ Sonar keeps it old school and uses a VCR to provide the visuals, while DJ PAncake Lee lays down the Soundtrack.  It should be pretty cool.

And at Nuts Club on Saturday Chengdu garage/grunge rock band The Hit will play, followed by Dalian post-rock band Spiral Cow, and the indie-rock stylings of Which Park. 

**disclaimer** The writer of this post will be DJ'ing at the Tangcu Laowai event, creating a conflict of interest.

Crass?  Maybe a little, but if I got your attention then it was worth it, because this one is for a good cause...
This Saturday, December 10 the Chongqing International Women's Group will be putting on their 7th annual Christmas Charity Ball.  Tickets for this year's event need to be purchased in advance and are ¥650, with all proceeds going to benefit the lives of  Chongqing area school children.  
The 7th Chongqing International Women's Ball starts at 6:30PM at the Sheraton Hotel(the twin gold towers) on Nan Bin Lu.  Check out this website for more details.

As the Wall Street Journal and World Architecture News have reported, CapitaLand(the Singapore based company that owns the Capital Retail[jia mao] department store in Shapingba), have pretty much bought Chaotianmen and plan to add a massive mixed-use complex right at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.  The impressve project designed by world renowned architecture firm SafdieArchitects will feature six new towers, four of which connected by a 'garden bridge,' and will take an estimated five years and $3.1 billion to build.  Check out the video presentation of the project below:

We here at CQ Scene have yet to write about Ciqikou(Chongqing's "old city"), because we honestly never thought we had to.  Pick up any guide book or check out any tourist website about Chongqing, and Ciqikou is sure to be amongst the 'to-do' list.  Ask any local to recommend places to check-out, and chances are Ciqikou will be one of their suggestions.  And though the main drag of the old city is campy and post-modern, we agree that it is worth checking out, as a stroll off of the beaten path can not only offer a glimpse of genuine(not your Hongyadong) old-school Chongqing architecture, but also lead you to some decent shops, cafes, and one cool ass bar.  

That bar being 16 Bystreet Music Bar.  A chilled out, cafe-esque bar just above the waterfront, with ample terrace space making it one of the best places in the city to enjoy a cold beer in the summer.  And as the name suggests, it is in-fact a music bar, and serves as an intimate venue perfect for, but not limited to (there's a hip-hop show there this Saturday) folk/acoustic(ish) shows.  

There is a good selection of domestic and imported beers starting at 15 RMB, and proper cocktails starting at 30 RMB. 

To get there, walk through the main entrance of Ciqikou and take a right on the main strip toward the water.  Walk down the first flight of stairs you come to and take a left on the restaurant terrace just after the Perfect Time Youth Hostel.  You will walk past quite a few tables before the bar will appear on your left.   

横街16号音乐俱乐部 
磁器口 嘉陵江边 龙隐门往左50米，穿过两个馆子的雨棚就到 ； 或者：宝轮寺大门对面巷子下梯坎到江边

Thats right, "Lazer Dubs."  And "Drum Step," "Beatboxing Solo," "Drum Bass Hip hop."  All of that and I'd almost guarantee more at this Friday night's part at Nuts Club.  Shanghai based, international party brand The Antidote, responsible for some of the more memorable parties in Nuts Club's short history, return once again with DJ/producer/celebrity chef? CONRANK.  We had a few words with the Shanghai via UK transplant, who became a weibo sensation as "Chaofange."  

CQSCENE:  Chaofange, what’s that all about?
CONRANK: Well, its all been a crazy, random journey. I went to cook fried rice on the street for fun, some girl took a video of it, and next thing you know, I'm getting calls from friends saying I'm on the national news, and the front page of Sina and Tudou. I kinda freaked out first of all. Its been a lot of fun, i used to aspire to be a chef when i was 18 or 19 so i have really enjoyed it. I did  a night in a shanghai restaurant called "Azure" recently and it was fully booked, was dope, but i haven't cooked it for anyone apart from friends since then.

How long have you been Djing/producing, and how’d you end up doing it in China?
I have been loosely Dj'ing since i was about 15 and i bought a pair of Soundlab DLP-1's, they were awful belt driven turntables, but i used to stand there for hours with a Diamond D instrumental and Super Duck Breaks, but it was pointless with those decks, it was a long time until i could afford 1210's that i bought off Kela and after that there was no looking back. As for production, i got into Logic Express about 8 years ago, and started selling my beats to clients for corporate video's, i never thought i would ever be good enough to actually make tracks that would gain any serious recognition, and it wasn't until my fiancé  to me told me to pull my finger out and take it more seriously, that i got in the studio and really focused. Regarding China, a few years ago i got booked by Antidote to come and play in The Shelter, in Shanghai. That was my first experience of China, and a year on i decided i needed a break from the UK and i wanted to experience life in another part of the world, and Shanghai was my choice.


You’re the first and only person I’ve heard use the term “Lazer Dubs.”  It sounds cool as hell, but what is it?
Hhahahaa, actually that was Michael from Antidote being funny, i have no idea. I quite like it though, maybe it could be a term for a CD dubplate (Taking into account that its burned user a lazer.) 

You, and a large part of the music you play/create, have your origins in the UK.  How, if at all, has living in China influenced or changed your “British”(for lack of better words) style?
Where you live will always influence what you do, ranging from the weather to the people you meet. I couldn't really put my finger on how it has, but recently i sent a promo to a producer in the UK and he said he could tell by the mixdown and sounds that i had been in Asia for a while. Also i'm now involved with a rapper and a beatboxer from Taiwan and we are making dubstep/grime under the name 'Lo-Fire', check outwww.soundcloud.com/lofire 


When you hear/see the word Chongqing, what comes to mind?
Hot girls & hot food.


What should we expect from the party?
Well it's a partnership with one of the dopest most respected events in Asia, 'Antidote' so expect madness on the dance floor, and me dancing like a fool on the stage. Apart from that just expect a lot of fun, heavy DnB & dubstep and a lot of Gin & Tonic's. So far the tour has been  awesome and each party has ended up becoming a sweaty rave, with crowd surfing and drunken tomfoolery. So yeah, i hope Chongqing is no different.

Its been a while since I've done one of these, partially because it feels like a waste of time, and partially because recently, there have been few acts out here that I have been excited about seeing.  Thankfully, that trend has come to an end, with a diverse weekend line-up featuring some cool-ass music.  
First of the cool is Wuhan band Mini Train Heart 小火车心.
I first read about them over on Andy Best's  blog(one of the best around for Chinese indie music), where he said that "By the end of the set you felt like you'd been on a journey with the band."  That,  and some things about humor, retro-electronica and the Smashing Pumpkins, got me to give them a listen, and the listening has sold me a ticket to there show(11/17 @ Nuts).   Now,  I'm a child of the 80's who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so its not hard to sell me on the combination of synthesizer and lo-fi, shoe-gaze guitar.  Add to that a danceable drum-beat, like on the first track  就是那种感觉(Is a Feeling), and you've got me in the pocket.  

The second track 危险人物(Dangerous) reminds me a bit of early Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, without sounding at all emulative.  Again, a great way to get me on board.  

Another weakness of mine, and a sure-fire way to get me through the door is Funk.  Anything "funky" for that matter, which  Gāofēng & G. Eleven(11/20 @ Nuts) are.  The band have a skilled blend of funk, r&b, and blues that is fun and rare(in Chongqing at least) if not original.  The first track Walk Slowly deep, heavy funk bass-line that is lightened a bit by an acoustic guitar, making for a smile inducing ass-shaker.  

The second song 独舞(Solo) is starts out with a heavy bass drum, smooth-jazz vibraphone, and a disco guitar riff that brings more of a smirk than a smile to your face, as you nod your head to the perfect blend of cheesy and groovy.