Yi... Where? You’ll Never Guess Where Barista Speciality Opened Their New Branch

It’s was an, ahem, unexpected move for Alex Liu, the owner of a popular cafe located in Beijing’s hottest neighborhood. And yet his next venture, six months after opening Barista specialty in Nali Patio is to open another branch in way out in Yizhuang.

Don’t act so surprised, my fellow Chaoyang inclined expats. For sure, Beijingers have long looked at Yizhuang as a south-end backwater, if not dismissing it as a small Hebei provincial town, separate from Beijing entirely. But that’s by no means the case these days, thanks to a development boom spurned by the headquarters of JD.com and other major corporate powerhouses, which has lead to the opening of Dazu Square, arguably the fanciest mall in Beijing that a majority of foreigners have never even heard of.

The new Yizhuang Barista specialty branch is not only the equal of its more famous Sanlitun counterpart – in many ways it is superior.

It’s almost an apples and oranges comparison, especially from the first look. Whereas the Sanlitun branch is matchbook box tiny, with a rugged and stripped down decor, this new location is shiny and futuristic, its central island counter looking more like the command center of the starship Enterprise than a regular old java shop. For Beijing coffee nerds, think of it this way: the Yizhuang Barista specialty is like Big Small’s Guomao branch or even a mini Bracket cafe, while the Sanlitun spot instead evokes something that you’d find in Sanlitun Soho.

I found the coffee to be just as on point at this Barista specialty as at its forbearer. Aside from the brand’s signature, swirly dirty coffee (RMB 35 per cup), and standard lattes, cappuccinos, mochas (RMB 35-40), I was especially pleased by the four specialty imports on offer. Among the available options, like Ethiopia Guji, Honduras, Colombian, and Uganda Eastern Sipi Falls Chema, I chose the latter because, frankly, I’d never heard it. That curiosity paid off, its whisper soft sweetness and faint cocoa qualities making for a refreshing departure from more bitter Ethiopian and Colombian that tend to dominate menus at most cafes around town. Added bonus: desserts like croissants and handmade coffee jelly.

All of that amounted to a more well rounded and varied experience than at the Sanlitun branch, which is as narrow as its floorspace. While Chaoyang dwelling coffee fans certainly won’t be tempted to venture all the way to Yizhuang to try this new cafe, it is heartening to see new neighborhoods grow into their own with attractive options for locals, in comparison to Beijing’s too long tendency to saturate Sanlitun and Gulou with such hot options. It’s also encouraging to see Barista Speciality owner Liu grow his business from its original Wudaoying location, to an attractive Sanlitun spot favored by plenty of foreigners, to a glitzy third shop in a neighborhood on the up and up. Indeed, all those positive notions should be enough to perk you up and put a spring in your step, just like Liu’s caffeinated brews.

Barista Speciality (Yizhuang)
Daily 10am-10pm. 2 Ronghua South Road, Bldg 7, F2-14, 2/F, Dazu Square (next to Rongjing East Street Subway Station)
荣华南路2号院 大族广场 （荣京东街地铁站）7号楼2层F2-14

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Photos: Dianping, Kyle Mullin