A new game for you!

Since even the formerly indefatigable Gary seems to have run out of steam on the band naming game, and the bar naming game has never really taken off (although they are both still available, if you want to go and make a contribution), I offer you a new piece of frivol.... something I was discussing with The Weeble the other night.

We noted that there have already been some fairly positive rumblings about the new Vietnamese place in Sanlitun, Luga's Pho Pho.

We also noted that Luga - long honoured as a great copyist, in the great tradition of the Chinese people - is showing a remarkable ability to transcend genres.

His first venture, the eponymous Luga's, was a straight steal from the old Saddle. (Quite literally! He managed to get the previous incumbents bumped from their lease, and took over the space, keeping almost everything - the menu, the chef, most of the staff - identical. Many people decried this as extremely underhand, and advocated a boycott. But, frankly, this is just the way business is done out here: if the Saddle owners were blindsided by it, I'd blame their naivety more than Luga's devilish cunning. And Luga has in fact managed to improve the venue in certain ways. I have a soft spot for the guy - he's a more astute businessman, and much more focused on customer relationship building than the Saddle people ever were.)

That was just the beginning in what is now emerging as a masterplan for world domination.

First, he doubled the size of Luga's by taking over the adjacent space and knocking through. Then he opened up the much grander Luga's Villa around the corner (a would-be sports bar, which critics sneer is again rather too obviously aping the model of Rickshaw and/or Saddle Cantina - the other successful venues started by the Saddle team [for whom Luga once worked!]), complete with an 'authentic' Mexican restaurant, Casa Mexicana, upstairs (although I'm not sure that anyone has yet been to it - it might as well be under quarantine!). And now, the Vietnamese bistro in the space above the original Luga's.

The question is..... what next??

A giant expat sports bar - Luga's Duck & Goose?

A late-night snack shop - Luga's Gyros or Luga's Fish'n'Chips?

An Irish bar - Durty O'Luga's?

The possibilities are nearly endless! Share your thoughts with us.

Although, I fear The Weeble may already have come up with an unbeatable entry. He suggests renaming the Tongli enclave where Luga's empire was born as..... The Lugation Quarter.