It’s difficult to write objectively about somewhere like 4Corners – a place that has provided the setting for some of the greatest nights we’ve had in Beijing, or just about anywhere, for that matter. Known for its legendary after-hours gatherings, a night at 4Corners often had the look and feel of an out-of-control house party. Less a regular bar, more an alternative social club, it remained one of the few places in Beijing where everyone knew everyone else. And if that sounds cliquey, it wasn’t. As one regular put it: “4Corners was where I’d go to meet like-minded people. It’s how I got to know Beijing.”
Now in its third incarnation, after a lengthy period of landlord wrangles, contractual disputes, shutdowns, demolitions and hastily designed renovations, 4Corners is back. But can it recapture that strange and potent alchemic mix of people, place and time that made all those Friday nights so great?
“Never mind all that, the main thing, is we’re open again,” jokes owner and founder Jun Trinh. It’s a sentiment no doubt shared by many, especially after word began to circulate earlier this summer of the bar’s imminent demise. “Things looked bleak for a while,” admits Trinh. “But as you can see, it all worked out pretty well.”
Indeed it has. The new look 4Corners, though considerably smaller than before – having lost both the front room and upstairs areas – has managed to maintain much of the bar’s original style and ambience, while making more use of the spacious open-air courtyard. “It forced us to rethink the space,” says Trinh, from behind his newly installed antique wooden bar, located on the west side of the courtyard, in what used to be the bedded chill area.
“From the very beginning, we always wanted to have a restaurant and bar, not a party place. But then we got a name for being this crazy party spot and it just stuck. The great thing [about losing half the space] is that now we actually have a chance to do a restaurant and a bar – to start again.”
So does that mean no more parties?
“What we really don’t want any more are crazy nights where it’s totally packed, people are bringing their own baijiu and beer from the street, and no-one’s giving a crap about the cocktails we make,” says Trinh, who last week caught a girl attempting to bring in a duffle bag stuffed full of imported beers. (“We were like, ‘what are you doing?’ And she says, ‘bringing beers.’ So, we say, ‘no you can’t do that,’ and she’s like, ‘you guys changed,’” laughs Trinh.)
Has 4Corners grown up, we wonder? “I think everybody who’s been with us since the beginning has also matured – I hope,” says Trinh, with a big smile. “We’ve been here for three years – that’s a long time in Beijing. The parties were great, great times. But now we want to raise the bar somewhat. Try something different.”
A big part of Trinh’s plans for the new look 4Corners is based around food. Also a talented chef, Trinh hopes that his new menu will attract a slightly older, more discerning crowd. “I feel like Beijing is kind of starving for more contemporary cuisine. I feel like a lot of restaurants that open up in Beijing are following the old model of opening a Spanish restaurant, a Vietnamese restaurant, a Pho restaurant,” he explains.
“I’m trying to make a menu that’s interesting. Everything is fresh and new and I’m making almost all of it myself. I’ve gotten to the point where I want to work with everything, if possible. Combine it all together without making too much of a mess of it.”
Not unlike the comedown after the party, then? “Yes, exactly! You’ve spent the last three years going wild, and now you want some great food... and a damn good cocktail to take the edge off.”
0 User Comments