Armada Swells: Daze to Open in Unchartered Territory
Cu Ju owner Badr Benjelloun has announced he'll be expanding his fleet and moving into unchartered waters when he takes over the space currently known as Zap Urban Eatery in Sanlitun this week. Benjelloun says he'll launch Daze with an opening bash in December.
He gets the keys on Friday, but won't be ready for an official opening for a few weeks yet.
His announcement in full:
Well, this is as much of a secret as the fact that Milli Vanili didn't really sing their own songs, but yeah, there will soon be an upgrade/addition to the F&B scene in Beijing. The team behind Cu Ju, the award winning hutong sports/rum/Moroccan bar in the hutongs is commandeering the Zap ship. Hutong privateers are not your typical kind, so we will not be throwing anyone overboard to feed the sharks, to the contrary, we're expecting them to be part of the Family so the things and the people we love about Zap will remain there: The great staff, the fantastic coffee and the friendly atmosphere.Well, what's changing?
1) Food: there will be many new offerings on the menu, emphasising a low carbon footprint: organic vegetables, Tavalin bagels, yunnan cheeses and hams, just to name a few.
2) Drinks: expect some amazing diverse wines, including one of the better selections of local wines in the city from 1421, Helan Shan, Jiabeilan and Hanson amongst others. And a whole lotta of gins
3) Atmosphere: The Sanlitun area could do with a little soul and a little culture. We'll be looking to bring that in with regular screenings of movies, documentaries and a soundtrack of beautiful Chinese music. A cozy cultural oasis and art lab.
4) And the name? Daze
Zap Urban Eatery
I asked Badr if we could expect any kind of facelift to the current look of Zap. His answer? "Lotsa stuff."
Disclosure: Badr Benjelloun is the CTO of True Run Media, parent company of the Beijinger.
Email: p.ryding@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @pjrydo
Weibo: PaulRyding
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Photos: The Beijinger/Zap Urban Eatery
