The Deep Dish: VSports Serves Beijing-Style Pizza in Their Gongti Man Cave

As online voting continues for the 2017 Pizza Cup, The Deep Dish will be previewing a few of the restaurants vying for the title of Beijing's most beloved pie. So take a look, grab a slice, and pick the team you want to be victorious.

Those distraught by the recent acceleration of The Brickening and the loss of cozy watering holes like Cellar Door and El Nido are probably asking themselves, “Where will we go? Are we doomed to the clubs and bars of Sanlitun forevermore?” That’s not to say there’s no character to be found in Sanlitun, but when thinking of the area's least charming and intriguing bars, we tend to picture Gongti in all its aging, gilded, nouveau-riche glory; places like Vics and Mix.

The exteriors of the stadium-adjacent clubs – two large, white, nondescript blocks of concrete (during daylight hours, at least), facing each other with their comically similar names and functions – hardly represent the mayhem that occurs after dark each weekend. It seems an area specifically designed for youths to turn up and black out, intended to inhibit relaxation and thoughtful conversation and encourage blind gyrating among the lasers and bass.

Tucked beside Vics stands VSports, which looks to be an extension of its neighboring club, thanks to their shared facade. But looks can be deceiving; once inside VSports, you’ll find yourself in a cool, calm, and enormous grown-up sports pub with a well-stocked bar, arcade games, and countless television screens to broadcast whichever game you care to watch.

Despite its size, the space is divided and dark, providing an air of intimacy and all the fixin’s of the ideal “man cave.” There’s a pool table, basketball-shooting games, and claw machines for the young and young-at-heart. There are two extra-large projector screens showing the most important games of the day. Little pockets of seating throughout the restaurant each have their own televisions.

The menu can cater to anyone, whether you’re looking to splash out on wine and steaks with your boss or on a date, or simply enjoy a game over drinks with your friends. Their wine is typically sold by the bottle (RMB 259-2,999), while their bartenders are equipped to mix just about any cocktail you could crave for around RMB 65. The kitchen serves primarily Western and stereotypically “sporty” fare – burgers (RMB 70-150), ribs (RMB 180-350), wings (RMB 100), and steak (RMB 128-280) – along with pasta (RMB 50-70), soups (RMB 40-60), salads (RMB 50-80), and snacks and desserts (RMB 20-100). Last, but certainly most important, they serve pizza, including their frutti di mare, Beijing duck, salami, vegetarian, bolognese, margarita, and Hawaiian variations (RMB 68-88).

The Beijing duck pizza came on an ultra-thin crust – nearly as thin as the delicate pancakes Beijing roast duck is traditionally served with. The crust is topped with a generous layer of cheese, chunks of Beijing roast duck, slivers of cucumber and spring onion, and drizzled with the sweet brown lao Beijing bean sauce.

Being on such a thin, barely-there crust, I could easily eat the entire pie by myself and order more – especially when considering how delicious it is, with the fatty duck and ample, salty, greasy cheese balanced out by the sweet sauce and zesty spring onion. But maybe that’s the intention.

Craving more, VSports kept with their “Beijing + pizza” theme, bringing out their innovative “pizza chuan'r” – five small squares of pizza stacked on a skewer – which they served at our 2017 Pizza Fest at Wangjing Soho. The crust on these was significantly thicker than that of the Beijing duck pizza (so as to make it skewer-able), with the crunchy yet soft consistency of garlic bread, topped with plenty of tomato sauce (rare and refreshing in Beijing, bravo!), cheese and pineapple, handy for those of us at Pizza Fest struggling to stroll through all the attractions toting pizza, beer and a camera all the while.

Sure, VSports still lacks the hole-in-the-wall charm of smaller, more aesthetically inclined venues in the hutongs, and even within Sanlitun. But its vibe is its own – 100-percent dedicated to fun, but in a slightly more refined, sit-down environment than that of its neighbors. Anyone turning their nose up at this bar and restaurant because of its location in the heart of the hot mess of Gongti is missing out. 

VSports
Inside Workers' Stadium North Gate, Chaoyang District (5293 0334)
朝阳区工体北门内东侧 (5293 0334)

Haven't yet voted in our 2017 Pizza Cup? Simply scan the QR code below to have your say before the winner is announced on Oct 19:

Images: Mary Kate White, Giphy, courtesy of VSports