Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our November 2017 issue:
New Restaurants
Fuel
Have you ever been to a place and thought “Damn, am I really in Guangzhou?” That's exactly what comes to mind at Fuel, where endless attention, serious comfort and carefully orchestrated pleasures abound. An inspired French restaurant with an uber-cool bar and rooftop lounge in Party Pier, this fine two-floor spread is chic and swanky, with avant-garde furnishings and a classy vibe that transports you to what is to come.
Pushing the boundaries of technique is the tomato gazpacho (RMB88). Though not traditionally French, the combination of king crab, avocado puree and cold, refreshing soup poured over it is comforting.
For mains, the Fuel black cod (RMB288) is a must-have. The powerful depth of the black olive paste and natural sweetness of the caramelized onions adds an elevating dimension. Beef lovers will adore the slowed-cooked veal shank (RMB198) in a rich, piquant tomato cumin sauce.
Price: RMB350
Who’s going: foodies on an empty stomach, well-traveled gourmands
Good for: lushly presented dishes, imaginative flavor combinations
Nearest metro: Canton Tower (Exit A), 24 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Fuel.
Grand Trunk
Last month, we embarked on the relatively painless metro ride to Foshan with one burning question: why would a fast-casual naan burger concept from Washington DC choose Foshan, China of all places to launch its second shop? It turns out moving to China was an unexpected leap of faith for cofounder Kamran Cheema as well. “Expanding was always the goal, but China right off the bat? Probably not,” he says.
Invented by Cheema and his brother when they were kids (and often had to cook for themselves while their physician parents worked long hours), naan burgers are undoubtedly the main attraction at Grand Trunk.
We preferred the classic beef version over the Washington ‘Capital Chicken,’ as the former packs a punch of seasoned flavor (both RMB88 for a single patty, RMB148 for double).
Price: RMB200
Who’s going: Foshan visitors and expats, affluent locals
Good for: naan burgers, home-style South Asian cuisine
Nearest metro: Zumiao (Exit C), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Grand Trunk.
Guo Xiao Jiang
Guo Xiao Jiang (粿小匠), new on Tiyu Dong Lu, brings into focus one staple Chaoshan dish: kuy teav – a pho-like, rice noodle soup normally served in pork stock. The eatery crafts noodle soups topped with various cuts of beef, hence the range in prices (a soup with foreshank is RMB32, while one with tenderloin sells for RMB25).
For a side, try the oyster omelet (蚝仔烙, RMB22): a small dish prepared with oysters, egg batter and starch that’s a favorite in Chaoshan, Taiwan and Fujian. Best eaten with a touch of salty fish sauce, its outer layers are deliciously crispy and center juicy.
Though not perfect, Guo Xiao Jiang is a welcome step up from most Guangzhou eateries specializing in kuy teav, which tend to be quite remiss in their aesthetic – and sanitary – departments.
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: Tiyu Xi Lu shoppers, Ga gi nang (Chaoshan people)
Good for: beef rice noodle soup, oyster omelets
Nearest metro: Tiyu Xi Lu (Exit B), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Guo Xiao Jiang.
Mado
If you didn't guess by the photo above, Mado is all about ice cream (though it also offers a huge variety of baked goods, brunch, sandwiches, soups, salads, pizza and pasta). The ice cream recipe is unique given that it’s Turkish, and combines goat’s milk, sugar, salep (flour made from the root of wild orchids) and mastic (“a resin that imparts chewiness”) to create a stickier version of our favorite frozen dessert.
It’s so sticky that you can actually hang chunks of the stuff (at low temperatures) and carve it with a knife like you would Brazilian barbecue meat.
Dondurma, or Turkish ice cream, is served in flat ‘layers’ – not scoops – and is priced at RMB18 for one layer, RMB36 for two and RMB58 for four (or one ‘portion’) at Mado. We advise you splurge on a full portion, which works out to roughly two scoops of ice cream by traditional measurements.
Price: RMB80
Who’s going: anyone who likes ice cream, those who know the Mado brand
Good for: delicious dondurma, Turkish baked goods
Nearest metro: Taojin (Exit B), 2 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Mado.
Master Leung Mandarin Chicken Rice
You know you’ve entered a family-run, home-style Singaporean eatery when a pungent yet enticing aroma of chicken, lemongrass and garlic hits your nose in all the right places. Walking inside, you’ll spot a small white Merlion at the far end of the room, flanked by Polaroids of famous Hong Kong TV stars, inspirational messages and picture frames on the wall.
The BBC has called it “the kind of dish you’d cross continents to try.” An ensemble of four parts, the humble Hainanese chicken rice may look terribly boring and unsophisticated on paper, yet it’s extremely difficult to make. Cooked two ways – steamed and roasted – it comes served whole (RMB198), half (RMB108) or as a set with fragrant rice (RMB48), clear soup and a trio of homemade condiments.
Homegrown experts will tell you the most important part is the rice: it must be good enough to eat on its own. Whilst Master Leung’s soy-sesame drizzled meat itself is noteworthy, the rice falls flat, appearing slightly mushy and overcooked and lacking an aromatic smack.
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: homesick Singaporeans (and Malaysians)
Good for: local hawker stall favorites, learning Singlish
Nearest Metro: Taojin (Exit A), 8 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Master Leung Mandarin Chicken Rice.
New Bar
Phoebeer Brewpub
“We only drink craft beer,” declares a sign over a skull mural in Phoebeer Brewpub’s Liwan location. There, for over a year, the small craft beer bar has been a go-to destination for locals who appreciate hop-forward brews.
Now, with its recent expansion into a building on Yanjiang Zhong Lu in Yuexiu District, Phoebeer is able to offer craft beer lovers a total of 24 varieties on tap and, allegedly, over 200 different bottles, a number of which are crafted by Chinese breweries such as Jing A, NBeer and Panda (all RMB35 for 330ml and RMB45 for 500ml on tap).
On a Monday night roughly three weeks after opening, Phoebeer is more or less vacant. Maybe the shop’s inconvenient location is to blame, or maybe guests are simply turned off by the ‘oyster stout,’ which tastes of burnt wheat and coffee. Luckily, Phoebeer stocks less peculiar varieties as well, including Bravo’s lime wheat ale and Church Key’s hoppy lager (RMB35 for 330ml and RMB45 for 500ml).
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: local craft beer lovers, Pearl River tourists
Good for: a wide variety of brews, chill atmosphere
Nearest metro: Tuanyida Square (Exit B), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Phoebeer Brewpub.
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