If we had a kuai for every time a restaurant or bar on Xingsheng Lu suddenly shuts down and magically reappears a few days later with a new name and decor, we’d be rich. It leads one to assume there's a bad batch of mojo going around the street.
Perhaps that's why the three owners at M9 Mable Nite Club (previously Mezomd, Hola Espana, El Espanol, Gaudi and a few more, we’ve since lost count) are sticking to a healthy dose of superstition; they’ve named this restaurant after their nine family members whose names all start with the letter M.
For those on the street, drinks are M9’s bread and butter, and there’s plenty here to wax lyrical. For a fragrant, cotton-candy-like start, order the M9 (RMB69), a concoction of Rio, rum vodka, gin, tequila and blackcurrant beans. Traditionalists will love the cold sangria (RMB59); it’s rich and fruity.
Now, for the food. There’s Spanish, there’s Japanese, there’s Thai – there’s even local and continental delights peppered in. So much, you say? Yes, but to our surprise, it’s also so good.
With former 5-star hotel chefs at the helm, the portions are generous, well presented and there’s a fine attention to detail that is consistent in almost all dishes.
The Spanish style shrimp and mushroom (RMB88) is a must-have, accompanied by bisque that bursts with the warmth of rich butter, garlic, chili and fresh herbs.
The Thai beef salad (RMB49) is first-rate too; warm bits of beef in a mélange of greens and cherry tomato are topped with crunchy fried noodles for texture. Tapas dishes like the avocado and crab on toast (RMB58) come with a sharp hit of wasabi and actual crab bits – no frozen stuff here.
For mains, try the Australian wagyu M5 short ribs (RMB328), cooked using sous vide for a perfect start, or the flame grilled beef skewers (RMB108), a visual treat that requires a waiter to pour a shot of vodka over it in a show of flames.
If you want a dish that challenges your palate, order the French sauerkraut fish (RMB63). This main, with its pungent, fishy brine, Sichuan peppers and spoils of seaweed, is not for the faint-hearted.
M9’s Japanese offerings – especially the tataki dishes and sashimi – are worth a try. Order the black and white sesame crusted tuna with sesame sauce and orange slices (RMB83). It’s clean, simple and with just a few ingredients, it shines on the plate.
More exotic numbers like the New Zealand deer hot pot (RMB198/500grams) may not cater to everyone’s palate, but rest assured, it appears to be well received – our neighbors sopped it up like they’d never seen food before.
With shisha (RMB120) to complete the night, M9 Mable Nite Club (read: less night club, more, restaurant and bar) may just be exactly what the street has longed for – though its menu could do without the Chinglish errors.
Price: RMB 150
Who’s going: Xingsheng regulars
Good for: Tapas, tall beers, European-style mains
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