Good Bait's Travis Yuan Shakes Up Thai Inspired Cocktails at Bonus Track
After becoming known for its strong French, Italian, Indian, and Japanese restaurants, Caochang Plaza is now playing host to yet another locale: Thailand. Wares inspired by the sunny Southeast Asian locale are being brought to bear at this American Embassy neighboring courtyard by Travis Yuan, with his new project Bonus Track.
Yuan is no slouch in the cocktails department: he made a name for himself here in Beijing working at Wudaoying Hutong favorite Daily Routine, winning the People’s Choice bartender award at China’s Chivas Masters Cocktail Competition 2017, and mixing up highly refined cocktails at the now-shuttered Sanlitun south lounge Good Bait.
This new project couldn’t be more different from the glamorous, now defunct Good Bait. In fact, Bonus Track is aptly named in some ways, feeling small and secondary at first because it splits the same space with Caochang Plaza French eatery Bistro 108. What’s more, Yuan and his team only work shifts there on the weekends after 10pm. However, we implore you to set any misgivings you might have about the unconventional setup aside because Yuan’s new project is one of Liangmaqiao’s best late-night boozing spots.
READ: Rustic French Fare and Elegant Desserts on Offer at Liangmaqiao's Bistro 108
Take the Sawadeeka cocktail. Made with palm sugar, lime, and tom yum goong-flavored rum, it strikes the right balance between sweet and sour and is elevated by the latter ingredient’s subtle spiciness. We also recommend the coconut highball, which features coconut oil-washed whiskey and coconut water for a refreshing and summery yet deceptively strong mix.
Then there’s the Bonus Track Iced Tea, which features Thai tea-infused rum, condensed milk, and brewed Thai tea for a lip-smackingly bitter, exotically tinged combination. We like how each of the half dozen drinks on offer feature a few, strategically chosen ingredients, treading a fine line between creativity and unfussiness. That simplicity also keeps all their prices at a rock-bottom RMB 65, or about half what Yuan charged at Good Bait – in step with much of his Beijing upper echelon lounge brethren.
Yuan rounds the menu out with a handful of scrumptious Thai snacks. Highlights include the hearty and juicy chicken satay skewers doused in homemade curry peanut sauce (RMB 42 for four), deep-fried spring rolls (RMB 35 for five), delectable Thai style fried chicken, bowls of spicy Tom Yum Goong with wonton and rice noodles (RMB 45), and bowls of homemade mango ice cream (RMB 25). Though Yuan is known for his cocktails and for helping to oversee a top-notch music club, these Thai bites should also put him in good stead with Beijing foodies. Chalk that up to his recent stint in Bangkok, where he had the opportunity to study at Blue Elephant, a famed Michelin Guide restaurant.
Though we’d like to stop by this place at other times of day, its tight timeframe is understandable when you know that Yuan plans to expand his brand's offerings to include catering. In order to achieve all these goals, he's assembled a small but strong team, including Vivian Wong who tended bar at Infusion Room prior to joining Yuan, and Katie Ma has worked in food consulting in the capital for several years.
So yes, it’d be an understatement to say Yuan's bringing his A-game to this project, ensuring Bonus Track will far exceed your expectations, and become one of Beijing’s best late-night destinations.
READ: Raise a Glass to Beijing's Best New Bar Openings, May-Jul 2019
Bonus Track
Fri-Sat, 10pm-late. 104 Cao Chang Plaza (across from the American Embassy), 19 Tianze Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区天泽路19号草场商业广场一层104室 (美国大使馆对面)
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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of Bonus Track
