Article By Tammy Moss
A fter getting a little confused about how to get downstairs in the Songyuanarea just outside the South Gate, I stumbled across KUNI Blue, and felt a little pessimistic about what was to come. The bar front itself looks nice enough, but the area is currently under development so it’s lacking some atmosphere. I was soon eating my words. KUNI is the newest in the stream of supermarket-style bars that seem to be slowly but surely taking over Xi’an. Spread over two fl oors, there is defi nitely enough room here to escape the winter chill. Oh, and they sell tapas. Fresh, tasty tapas.
After being told to ‘take a drink’ I perused the shelves only to be pleasantly surprised that they had some classics from home. At half the price! KUNI has the typical beers we have come to expect at these bars, but with so many more. Amongst my favourites were a Hoegaarden Rose, some fruity ciders and the Japanese brand Asahi. For my fellow Brits – there was even Stella and Boddingtons. The good news is that you won’t be breaking the bank here as prices start as low as 12RMB.
The room itself is furnished well, if not a little sparse on the decoration. On walking in, the fi rst thing you see is the beer selection. At fi rst it can seem a little overwhelming. They defi nitely want you to see ALL that they have to offer. We’ve all had that moment in one of these bars where the waiter is stood next to you pointing out their ‘recommended’ beer (and by recommended we all know they mean the most expensive, and you panic and just pick the closest bottle to your hand). Here you won’t have that problem the staff left me to do my thing and choose at my leisure.
As mentioned earlier, KUNI sells tapas. It seems bars are starting to understand the concept of the ‘alcohol munchies’. I sampled many of their dishes, and they were all very good – both in presentation and taste, with some non-spicy options for those of us who want to hold on to our taste buds. For those who are not quite up to date with the latest tapas-Chinese-language, fear not, as I was told that there will be a saving grace. That thing we love and pray for: a picture menu. Not only this, but an English speaking waiter will be somewhere in the bar every night. So just hunt him down, point at the picture, and voila!
Though KUNI could just be seen as another supermarket bar, I would give it a go. They will be setting up a Beer Pong table, and a ‘Guess the Beer’ challenge, where you have the chance to win 6 bottles of beer. If the possibility of free beer doesn’t excite you, I’ll leave you with this: the fridges were switched on. And my beer was cold.
B101,Ying Xiang Song Yuan Square, Outside South Gate
( 碑林区南门外西侧松园下沉广场B101 (近烤古家) )
029-8557 8482
185-9188-2318
6:00pm – 2:00am
Average Price per Person /人均消费 : 60 RMB
PROS:
Economical prices; cold beer in winter; tapas
CONS:
Location is a little awkward at the moment
Tammy Moss is an English teacher, cat lover, and living proof that Chinese hospitals won’t kill you. She can be reached at reviews@xianease.com
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