A Drink with Danzel Foo – Singaporean, Beijinger-Wannabe, and Assistant President of Beijing Capital Grand
A Drink With is a regular column in which we ask Beijing personalities to tell us about their drinking habits and preferences. This issue, we talk to Danzel Foo, a Singaporean, and assistant president of Beijing Capital Grand (Capital Outlets), who has experienced Beijing in the hot and cold ways.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, what brought you here and what that was like?
A true blue Singaporean, I landed here in 2007 during a grey and cold winter now almost 10 years ago! Desire and curiosity brought me here, and my dad always encouraged me to return back to my “roots” to gain a better understanding of our ancestors. However, coming straight from year-round 28-34 degree temperatures, I underestimated Beijing winter and was far too underdressed. Upon my arrival, I remember staring out the car window for more than an hour, watching rows and rows of snow-covered trees, and white and gray buildings (often seen in Korean drama series back home). One of my earliest life-changing experiences here was witnessing the “not-to-miss” 2008 Olympics in Beijing, which helped solidify it as the first Chinese city in my mind, and why I came back this February after living and working in Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Shanghai for the past six years.
How old were you when you first started drinking?
I started at the age of five, unofficially – it was sabotage when my fifth uncle handed me a glass of some yellow-colored drink that was meant to be a “special-tasting pineapple juice.” As a five-year-old child, I liked all fizzy drinks, so I took it without hesitation, but it was actually pineapple-flavored beer (back home in Singapore, we often drink beer with pineapple, strawberry, and apple flavors). It tasted weird, but I still managed to finish it. Officially, I started drinking at the age of 13 during “functions” (closed-door ticketed parties with snacks, pop music, disco lights).
What’s your favorite drink? Has your favorite drink changed over time?
Chile Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta red wines for now … gin and vodka in my 20s, bourbon and whiskey in my 30s, and, last but not least, white and red wines in my 40s. The new cycle is around the corner.
What’s next? What’s your golden rule of drinking?
Not to eat too much and to avoid oily food. I also learnt from my Chinese colleagues to drink yogurt before drinking and to be happy throughout the session.
What’s your most outrageous drinking experience?
Waking up the next day to discover myself in a public telephone booth or holding onto the toilet in my bathroom. But again that was when I was in my 20s. I am a sober drinker most of the time. What’s your idea of a good night out? Bottles of great red wine, fun companions, exciting conversations, a “leave us alone” surrounding (unless service is needed), as well as relinquishing cell phones after first few group photos are taken at the start.
Where’s your favorite place to go drinking?
Post Mountain (Art Space ), and Glen Classic. Post Mountain is best for multi-faceted entertainment experiences – from exhibitions to live music to film and art, and ending with some mouthwatering snacks and bottles of chilled wine. The comfortable soft leather sofas and oversized armchairs at the bar are partial draws to Glen Classic. The tailormade advice from the barman on your likes or dislikes is also something to game for. At Nanluogu Xiang, I’ve discovered a place Xiao Xin’s Café to order a piece of creamy cheesecake coupled with a bottle of Qingdao beer. It can be yummy under a hot sun.
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure
Photos Courtesy of Danzel Foo