Burger Brief: Four Ace Magic Bar Combines Magic, Food, and Liquor at Sanlitun Soho

Burger Brief takes a look at some of the attendees of the Beijinger's 2017 Burger Cup. In this edition we visited Four Ace Magic Bar, a contender for the honor of Beijing's Best Burger, for which voting is now open.

Magic is not usually associated with hunger, unless of course you recall David Blaine's glass box stunt in which he fasted for 44 days suspended by the Thames while belligerent Londoners tossed eggs at him from down below. That got everyone salivating.

Four Ace Magic Bar, which opened in April in Sanlitun Soho, isn't attempting anything nearly as flashy or unhygienic, instead opting to pair simple Western food staples with a well-stocked bar and staff that can make your card disappear, reappear, disappear again, and then reappear some more in some variation on the theme.

However, in doing so, it has opted to fulfill a niche market sorely lacking in Beijing: a place where magic and alcohol can comingle while your sandwich evaporates into your stomach through rigorous movement of the jaw.

The space itself sits somewhere between a steampunk parlor and David Copperfield's front room; cogs and antler chandeliers hang from the ceiling, magic multi-depth murals, and packs of cards and Van Gogh paintings affixed to the wall, while comfy maroon leather chairs and dark wood table invite patrons in. The whole lot together looks a little uncertain of itself but has the added benefit of providing a foreboding sense of mystery to your meal.

The menu, which takes a very Blue Frog (but thankfully cheaper) approach to dining with its salads (RMB 45), soups (RMB 32-45), pastas (RMB 45-68), pizzas (RMB 88-108), steak and fish mains (RMB 118-238), and desserts (RMB 35) will stop short of taking your breath away but are all well put together and are commendable for their attention to detail, each looking exactly like their printed counterpart.

Highlights include pan-fried sausage sandwich with black pepper sauce (RMB 68), which despite its square bun being unable to hold the awkwardly protruding meat, makes for a homey combination of multi-grain bread and well-seasoned wurst. Best yet, you get two of these for your buck as well as a side of fries. So does the slightly misleading Energy Sandwich (RMB 88), which makes for a hearty breakfast-style combo of beef patty on a baguette with a side of egg, bacon, and pickles. Misleading because the size of it is more likely see you fall into a meaty coma rather than jump through rings of fire. The pizza and salads are nothing spectacular but do the trick, so to speak.

If Four Ace is able to harness its niche appeal as well as some of the higher-end equipment that they've secured, including projectors for visual tricks, then there's no reason that they can't draw crowds for birthday parties and events. The latter will be particularly successful in management make the most of China's lax drinking age laws, positioning the bar as a place for children's parties while the parents post up at the bar, drinking from its sizable range of whiskeys from around the world, served by the bottle or the glass, as well as its extensive cocktail menu (RMB 120-185). For now, however, Four Ace will need to pull something out of its sleeve to truly set itself apart in the cramped hat that is Sanlitun's dining scene.

Four Ace Magic Bar
Daily 9am-2am. 3-117, Bldg 3, Sanlitun Soho, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (8571 8683)
朝阳区工人体育场北路三里屯SOHO 3号商场3-117

To vote for Four Ace Magic Bar in this year's Burger Cup, click here.

The Beijinger 2017 Burger Cup is sponsored by Bon App, Job-in, and Left Hand App.

More stories by this author here.

Email: tomarnstein@thebeijinger.com
WeChat: tenglish_

Photos courtesy of Four Ace Magic Bar