Dog's Dinner: Strange Mix of Hot Dogs, Whiskey, and Coffee Bounds Into the CBD
Despite having no shortage of Western fast food options around town, Beijingers craving a hot dog can feel like they’re barking up the wrong tree, with precious few restaurants catering to frankfurter-inclined diners. In that regard, Bubble Dogs & Bowtie is of a rare breed, but the options that it does put forward are unlikely to have your barking for more.
Located in the CBD’s Central Park, the recently opened cafe, whiskey bar, and restaurant is cutesy enough with its neon sign and etchings of cartoon legs on its picture windows. Inside is pretty snug, with a half-dozen seat counter and a handful of tables and chairs. The food menu is, sadly, equally narrow, with only two hot dog options available: the souped-up RMB 45 Bubble Dog and the plainer ketchup and mustard-covered RMB 38 Just Dog.
After about a ten-minute wait, the well-portioned Bubble Dog was served (with a fork). Topped with a mild but flavorful salsa, relish, cheese, and an "oh China" serving of tortilla chips, this will likely satisfy but won't have you running back.
The limited food menu will make it tough for Bubble Dogs & Bowtie to compete with the more creative and eclectic Funky Dog in neighboring Chaowai Soho, but it does have a few other features that should help it stand out. For one: a well-rounded coffee menu. Highlights include lattes and cappuccinos (both RMB 38), eight filtered coffees (RMB 48-128), and, unique for Beijing, a RMB 35 piccolo "baby" latte. You won't be disappointed by the latter thanks to its storm-cloud-thick upper layer of foam, and tantalizing bitter acidity.
READ: We Dig the 'Dogs at Funky Dogg, Chaowai Soho
And just when you think a dog can’t learn any more new tricks, there's Bubble Dogs' Bowtie Whisky Bar in a nook behind the dining area's cash register.
The lounge sports a slate-grey bar and a surprisingly wide selection of whiskey. While it would also be nice to have a few cocktails to choose from (for now Bowtie is keeping it simple), there was little to quibble about the RMB 90 glass of Talisker that the barkeep picked off the shelf.
The combination of whiskey bar, café, and hot dog restaurant is certainly a strange one, and Bubble Dogs & Bowtie has no shortage of neighboring competition, including the aforementioned Funky Dog, Central Park neighbors Straight Spirit whiskey shop and bar, and No. 17 Café. Despite that, part of us hopes that the completely random array of offerings here will help this underdog to at least see the dog days of summer.
Bubble Dogs & Bowtie
Daily 10am-1am. Bldg 101 A, Central Park, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新城国际1号楼底商101A
While you're there... here's our scoop on Justin, the best fine-dining CBD restaurant you've never heard of.
Photos courtesy of Bubble Dogs & Bowtie, Kyle Mullin
