Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our November 2016 issue:
New Restaurants
The Perfect Pop
You’ll smell The Perfect Pop before you see it. Tucked away in a corner of Parc Central, the Hong Kong-based brand offers an alluring assortment of American popcorn made fresh upon order. The next time you’re on your way to a movie, dinner date or shopping spree (yes, you can munch on puffed corn in Zara, we tried it), swing by and see what The Perfect Pop has to offer. For the less experienced popcorn buyer, sales attendants are standing by to introduce each mouth-watering, nutty or buttery flavor to you. Alternatively, just remember to order the nut caramel flavor (RMB68-228). Smothered in luscious caramel and chunky nuts, these orgasmic flakes put Christmas tin popcorn to shame.
Price: RMB38-238
Who’s going: mall wanderers, hippy students
Good for: nutty popcorn, a break from healthy diets
Read our full review here. See listing for The Perfect Pop.
The Pizza Factory
Located in Haizhu’s Icon Mall near Jiangnanxi station’s Exit B, this new eatery offers patrons the option of designing their own pizza complete with unlimited toppings (yes, you read that right – unlimited). When arriving at The Pizza Factory, you will have the option of selecting one of its specialty pizzas or, as we would recommend, building your own. Start by nailing down a size, 9-inch (RMB58), 12-inch (RMB78) or 14-inch (RMB98), before choosing your desired sauce (tomato, pesto or white) and cheese. Once you have the pie’s foundation, it’s up to you to decorate it with delectable toppings – of which there is no shortage. Once your toppings are selected, your pizza will be baked and ready to eat in just two minutes.
Price: RMB70-100
Who’s going: young Chinese couples
Good for: picky pizza lovers
Read our full review here. See listing for The Pizza Factory.
Somewhere Else
From the team that brought you Social&Co comes a familiar but oh-so-original sequel serving quick, chunky lunches and long, lazy dinners. It’s a concept people have been asking for all along, and Aaron McKenzie – founder and owner of everyone’s favorite banoffee pie spot on Huajiu Lu – has been listening. Though not an Italian restaurant, Somewhere Else does a mean Bolognese (RMB48), homemade pesto with toasted pine nuts (RMB45) and, our personal favorite, homemade beef meatballs in tomato sauce (RMB55) served over your choice of spaghetti, penne or spirals. We’re told freshness and quality are a priority, so the tomatoes and olive oil are both imported, the ground beef is shipped in from Argentina and any cheese you see was pressed in Italy.
Price: RMB60
Who’s going: people who want to go Somewhere Else
Good for: great homely pastas, chunky salads, amazing daily cakes
Read our full review here. See listing for Somewhere Else.
Vietmiam
Stepping inside, one is instantly greeted by a feeling of softness – a product, perhaps, of the subdued lighting and plum-colored walls. Classic bánh mì – Vietnamese baguette sandwiches – varieties of pho and rice rolls dominate the menu, which also offers teas, iced coffees and specialty drinks. The Vietnamese vermicelli net roll with prawn (RMB68) is paired with an appetizing, mayonnaise-powered dip and sees an array of vegetables and fried prawns wrapped in a rice-noodle skin. Genuinely appetizing, the ingenious slice of mango on top makes the first bite extra refreshing. Not to be overlooked, pho – or vermicelli soup – is a must-order when you go out for Vietnamese. Give the classic, sliced beef noodle soup (RMB48) a try, which registers around a 4/5 on our pho-nomenal meter.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: pho cravers, curious shoppers
Good for: romantic ambiance, rice rolls
Read our full review here. See listing for Vietmiam.
Bar
Tiki Moon
Complete with a circular bamboo-and-lauhala hut, the watchful eyes of hand-carved totem poles and faux fires in cauldrons, Tiki Moon offers plenty of staged authenticity, including a full menu of cocktails and liquors that seem to fit the bill of the kitsch tiki culture. There are comfy huts around the perimeter and bartenders in loud Hawaiian shirts who look like they’ve come from Waikiki when it was first dredged up from the marshes. In rightfully tacky signature cups, one can choose from a MoloGini or a Voodoo (RMB68), a Tiki Island (RMB58) or a blue-ish drink called the Smokey Bottle (RMB58) that looks like it was washed up ashore with dry ice. However, the Del Boy (RMB68) won us over with layers of flavor from spiced rum, fresh pineapple, mango puree, and just-squeezed juices like guava, orange and lime.
Price: RMB80
Who’s going: island-life seekers and tiki-philes
Good for: sweeping city views, tropical libations
Read our full review here. See listing for Tiki Moon.
Read more Guangzhou restaurant reviews and Guangzhou bar reviews.
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