Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our March 2018 issue:
New Restaurants and Cafes
Cakecho
Cakecho’s main draw is its ring-shaped desserts. Made with a cake base, flavorsome filling, creamy mousse topping and sweet crust, these delicious treats are a sight to behold – decorated to the point of being almost too pretty to eat. The ‘unicorn’ mousse came complete with a meringue mane, a glittery sugar horn and sleepy-looking eyelashes drawn in chocolate. The pineapple mousse was crusted with yellow sugar and speckled with chocolate, while green chocolate ‘leaves’ capped off the garnish extravaganza.
Taste-wise, the former had a touch of grapefruit flavor, while the latter was filled with pineapple jam. Unless you have an overwhelming craving for cream, though, the flavors are nothing to write home about. At RMB32 each, they are not exactly cheap either, especially for their small size. However, taste is secondary; you buy the mousses mainly for their Instagram-ready appearance, or to satisfy a date in search of cute desserts after a nice dinner.
Price: RMB60
Who’s going: fans of all things pink and cute; food photo fanatics
Good for: mousses, cakes, colored latte drinks
Nearest metro: Wuyangcun (Exit A), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Cakecho.
Doors
Doors is all about flair and theater; the result garners a boatload of oohs, aahs and WeChat likes, and quite rightfully so. Our selection of three salads – the Turkish, grilled marinated eggplant, and kidney bean – are not just a visual treat, but off-the-hook in terms of taste, aftertaste and presentation. Priced between RMB48-65, they’re decent value for money, too.
To complement the red wine, cocktails, liquors and raki, order red and white meat dishes in portions so that you get to try the whole lot: there are several varieties of beef, lamb and chicken that fit the bill. The lamb shish kebab (RMB106) melts with meaty juices, and Ceylan jumps in expertly, coming around to personally stuff bits of flavorful meat into crispy homemade pockets of lavash flatbread (RMB20). It melts so naturally on the tongue and makes for such fulfilling bites that it leaves you asking the obvious: "What else can I order?"
Who’s going: super extra taste lovers, those who got dough and like to eat it too
Good for: meat flamboyance, sensual seafood, Turkish delights
Price: RMB350
Nearest metro: Liede (Exit D), 8 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Doors.
Superlove
From fondant to cream, Superlove appears to have filled a niche. It looks pricey, and frankly, it is for a cafe. A tiramisu cup will set you back RMB78, but it does manage to lusciously hit the spot. Drinks can’t be counted as economical either: a hot latte is RMB38, a fresh orange juice costs RMB48, and teas are priced at RMB48/pot. Alcohol makes a guest appearance too: wines by the bottle from RMB388 to 5,880 and mojitos at RMB55.
Ready for the sweet stuff? The English high tea set (RMB298) is a layered spread of six sugary items and four savory, perfect for an indulgent party of two. But the piece de resistance is the Superlove afternoon tea (RMB398), a whimsical, smoke-filled experience wherein taste and aesthetic combine in a flavorful flight of fancy. Sweets hang from a glass-blown base in terrarium-like structures and small metal pails, creating a decadent tableau that will please the eye as much as the palate.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: dessert queens, men who enjoy carrying handbags for their female companions
Good for: guilty post-meal treats, Tiffany Blue selfies
Nearest metro: Liede (Exit A), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Superlove.
New Bars
Rozz-Tox
While technically not a new bar – Rozz-Tox was previously located on the fourth floor of celebrated Haizhu art space Loft345 – the Wuyangcun location is new, as is the addition of Rozz-Tox’s own craft beer label, Good Manners. Six of the bar’s 24 taps are currently earmarked for the brand's signature brews, although only five were in stock during our recent visit.
Eighteen other craft beers and ciders (and Asahi, randomly) round out Rozz-Tox's selection. Of the rest, we'd like to plug the standout Suan Ge Pi, brewed by Beijing-based brewery Jing-A. Sour, fruity and unapologetically tart, this drink is a must-try for Middle Kingdom craft aficionados.
Price: RMB55-85 per pint
Who's going: DJs, artsy types, beer buffs
Good for: dope beats, hoppy elixirs
Nearest metro: Wuyangcun (Exit A), 5 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Rozz-Tox.
Douta Unmanned (Bottle) Shop
While technically billed as a ‘shop,’ Douta arguably shares more in common with a bottle shop than the name (which harbors no mention of alcohol) lets on. Alcohol is clearly the main draw here and the owners evidently know that: having aimed the establishment’s towering, robot-like beer vending machine towards the road. Whoever the shadowy, beer-loving character is that owns Douta, they’re clearly betting the shop’s glowing white lights and alluring beer selection will lure in aimless passersby.
Located in Wuyang Xincun, Douta Unmanned Shop boasts a decent range of alcohol, although it lags considerably behind JSL’s famous bottle shop when it comes to selection. Here is a sample of the boozy elixirs that were available when we popped in: Jiang Xiaobai baiju, Rio alcopops (alas, no yogurt-vodka blend), Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Duvel, Kronenbourg 1664 and even Chicago-based craft beer highflier Goose Island.
Price: RMB17-25 (per beer)
Who’s going: urban wanderers, bottle shop bros
Good for: unsupervised drinking
Nearest Metro: Wuyangcun (Exit A), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Douta Unmanned (Bottle) Shop.
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