The Place
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but China’s turning into a consumer-driven economy in a massive way. The next few decades will belong to a millennial Chinese generation who are educated in the ways of the world; of craft beer, and limited-release urban athletic footwear.
Executives at Anheuser-Busch InBev (the world’s largest brewing company) know this, and for that reason they’ve selected their golden child ‘local champion’ craft beer brand, Goose Island, to spearhead a bold new project that’s set to revitalize one of the shittier Shanghai streets that really ought to be less shitty: Maoming Bei Lu, just off Nanjing Xi Lu. Enter the Goose Island Brewhouse.
Brewing craft beers in-house alongside ‘elevated’ food experiences, the Brewhouse is just one of the concepts inside Fengsheng Li, joining the Hard Rock Café and more in an open-air complex that looks similar to the 1920s Art Deco lane house block that it faces, except that it was built last year.
For the record, said 1920s lane houses are slated to be demolished in due course. Call it the evil of urban revival, but hey, if it weren’t this it’d be another office block or mall. At least Fengsheng Li keeps semblances of old Shanghai architecture alive.
The Food
Maybe you caught our cynicism, but in truth, the food at Goose Island isn’t all that bad. Lots of it is actually pretty good, as in, it’s been given more than a cursory thought, with a proper chef and a fancy imported charcoal oven.
The beers are exactly what you’d expect at Goose Island – decent quality, plus a selection of house-made specials, all from RMB38. For those who like variety, you can get a flight of six for RMB95.
Plates like the grilled asparagus with sundried tomatoes and poached egg, served on a Himalayan salt slab (RMB78) burst with color and flavor, as does the large and appropriately gooey burrata cheese (RMB88), and IPA mac ‘n’ cheese (RMB58).
The Brewhouse Burger (RMB138) is also made with care; all charred pork belly strips so thick they can’t really be called bacon, topped with blue cheese, relish, smoked ketchup and a thick burger patty that you can request medium rare.
Other parts of the menu feel more like box-ticking than genuine chef-driven passion. Steaks, while certainly flavorsome thanks to the grill, are more rugged than tender, chunky French fries a little dry, perfunctory nachos and sandwiches that need a lot of work before matching up to other serious offerings in the city.
Food verdict: 1.5/3
The Vibe
It’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer magnitude of the place – it’s literally like dining inside a faintly posh and very shiny brewery.
Though the Brewhouse is undeniably beer forward, it doesn’t really feel like a bar, clearly catering more towards formal table diners than casual beer-lovers popping in for a pint. Comparisons to Liquid Laundry, which beats the Brewhouse in terms of both food and atmosphere, are inevitable. But hey, they’re both owned by the same company now, so whichever you choose, AB InBev wins.
Vibe verdict: 1.5/2
Total Verdict: 3/5
Price: RMB150-300 per person
Who’s going: locals and expats
Good for: groups, craft beer pairings
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