Imagine those posters you’d find in Urban Outfitters – an elk head pieced together with magazine scraps or an artsy print of the phrase “Where did it all go wrong?” Now toss in a few ergonomic oak chairs and dangle a molecular-shaped chandelier overhead. There you have it: Sanhe Cang, the hipster haiku-lover’s paradise.
Marketing itself as a ‘seafood, wine and tea lounge,’ Sanhe Cang is an equal mix of Western and Japanese with decor that flawlessly follows suit. An island bar greets patrons first, positioned prominently on the ground floor. A wall of alcohol separates the mixologists from the sushi chefs, who tend quietly to sashimi on the opposite end of the stand-alone countertop.
Wine bottles are stacked to the ceiling on the left, while a spacious loft hosts the bulk of seating on the right. The scene is polished yet playful – white lights dangle gracefully from railings above as MTV blares on surrounding flat screens.
Dishes range from the fried and familiar to the ultra-exotic with a mix of fusion, Western grub and slippery seafood. White clam miso soup (RMB25) is a bold starter, but derives much of its flavor from excess salt. The asparagus bacon skewers (RMB18), on the other hand, are mild with a hint of savory cheese and arouse warm memories of potlucks back home. Unfortunately, the ‘bacon’ turns out to be grey, thinly sliced pork – the kind you’d dunk into a hot pot.
The prawn and cheese tempura (RMB38) – a lightly battered roll stuffed with shrimp, cucumbers and carrots – leaves the best impression, despite the fact that it doesn’t include any cheese (a detail that proved irrelevant after one bite). And the mayonnaise dipping sauce, which we were initially skeptical about, surprisingly enhances the overall flavor.
It’s rare to spot sea urchin on a menu, so when you see it, you order it, if only for a solid Instagram post. We requested a whole sea urchin (RMB88) the moment we laid eyes on its spikey figure, but the waiter either thought we were joking or decided he’d do us a favor by not processing the order. An hour later (after reminding the staff), our prickly prey arrived in a bowl of ice adorned with floral sprigs and a wooden ornament.
The roe (which we later found out is the urchin’s gonads) smelled foul and tasted twice as bad. We doused the sour, sulfur-scented goop in soy sauce and wasabi before wrapping it in two layers of seaweed. Yet still the intolerable flavor came through, unmasked and resilient. Not all exotic delicacies, it would seem, taste like chicken.
Thankfully, Sanhe Cang’s cool chardonnay (RMB48) carried us through the somewhat traumatic gonad-gobbling experience. Shooters (RMB35), cocktails (RMB43-48) and draft beer (RMB38) also stand by to ease troubled tongues.
Between nonstop hits from the soundtrack Begin Again and downstairs pool tables (coming soon), Sanhe Cang promises a laid-back – but gastronomically thrilling – night out.
Price: RMB150
Who’s going: Japanese history majors, ripe intellectuals
Good for: First dates, fried sushi
> See listing for Sanhe Cang.
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