Since his debut in 2000, the mercurial Han Han – blogger, author, race car driver, teenage heartthrob, song writer and nascent movie producer – has been lauded as both the voice of his generation and the embodiment of the selfish post-80s personality. With the new title ‘restaurant owner,’ he continues to function just outside the box.
Nice Meeting You is a bubbly space named after the famous writer’s most recent book. Like Han Han’s persona, it is engagingly attractive, relentlessly light hearted and often confusing – full of feel good vibes that vacillate between clever and pleasantly vacuous.
Thankfully, the part-time bad boy is nowhere near the kitchen, opting instead for serious culinary muscle by way of Alan Yu. The Shanghai-born, US-raised chef has worked in several illustrious kitchens around the world, including the original Jean Georges in New York and Michel Richard’s Citronelle in Washington, D.C. In Shanghai, he cooked at Le Plantane and, more recently, 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana – an offshoot of the three-Michelin star original in Hong Kong.
Here, Yu appears to have let his hair down and it looks a little wild. One gets the sense of maybe being led on some vaguely madcap adventure, far from the high-falutin’ food of Yu’s former years. On the menu are beef nachos (RMB22) and monkfish liver pate (RMB35). Sous vide eggs (RMB32) and squid ink fried rice (RMB68). Strip loin (RMB69) and pork cartilage (RMB22). It is a veritable hodgepodge of things that young Chinese people, after being exposed to the wider world, may be interested in eating. But the question is, do they deserve to be served together?
Our jury of taste buds is still in hot debate. Cold tofu with tomato salsa (RMB18) has a brash Chinese name that translates to “You’ve never eaten my tofu” (你没吃过我的豆腐). Unfortunately, the tremulous white block – while soft like custard and redolent of sweet, fresh soy – drowns beneath an overly acidic topping. It’s true, we’ve not encountered this combination, but we are unlikely to return to it. Same goes for Beijing duck quesadillas (RMB38). We were tired of them when they came into vogue in the 1990s. They don’t do well in revival.
Spicy beef tongue tacos (pictured below, RMB48) are a surprising winner. Two hard corn shells are almost invisible beneath a mountain of cool, shredded lettuce, drizzled with Mexican crema and queso fresco. At the very bottom are layers and layers (and layers) of tender meat. While the zing level is minimal, there is lots of flavor in the thin, grilled slices. Make me cry baby-back ribs (RMB118/half rack, RMB156/full) are another meaty triumph, slow cooked sous vide, then finished in the oven and slathered in a thick, sweet, smoky sauce. The half portion is generous, plenty for two.
Already, Nice Meeting You is one of the hottest restaurants in town. In the evenings, you will have to fight with a crowd of trendy 20-somethings for a table in this lively space. Thanks to cheerful, efficient service (staff are required to say “Hello, nice meeting you” upon each guest’s arrival), big portions and an attractive venue – full of light, blond wood and high ceilings – Han Han’s latest venture is sure to be a commercial success.
But despite the bluster (there a manifesto about loving life on the menu), tongue-in-cheek dish names and eclectic offerings, Nice Meeting You is really just a pleasantry. As a critic once wrote, “Han Han is more careful and conservative than you think… despite his fast driving, he is not going to take any risks.” The same goes for his food. Expect three more of the same restaurant to open over the next year.
Photos by Rachel Gouk
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