Here are all the new restaurant, cafe and bar openings we featured in our August 2017 issue:
Restaurants and Cafe
Hero Espresso
A light roasted, single origin Costa Rican Natural (RMB65) arrives at the table – not such a big deal, right? But it’s carried on a bamboo tray and poured from a sake bottle, which is wrapped in a hand woven ‘jacket.’ Though cloth coddled vessels might not signify quality ingredients, they demonstrate an eye for detail, which extends to the dirty (RMB28), a mix of cold Kowloon dairy and a double espresso featuring beans from Brazil, Ethiopia and Columbia. Hero Espresso would be at home in the artsy OCT-Loft area, yet it lacks the bohemian – or, some would say, pretentious – air that comes with being inside an officially designated art zone.
Price: RMB60
Who’s going: in-the-know coffee fiends
Good for: single-origin beans, quiet
Nearest metro: Gangxia (Exit A), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Hero Espresso.
Mambo
Mambo is a symbol of the Shuiwei Village's shifting character: a cute taco shop on a narrow street so clogged with delivery guys and shared bikes that our taxi driver refuses to enter. Inside, the food is fusion, with some interesting combinations: corn tortillas made using a family recipe, for instance, paired with nacho cheese in some dishes. Among the RMB15 tacos, the balance of spices in the beef chili con carne version tastes just right, enough that you won’t need to add in a dab of homemade hot sauce. A pulled pork and coleslaw taco is another well-executed nod to US cuisine, with tender, fatty meat and creamy salad, while the Greek chicken feta taco is light, if salty.
Price: RMB60-90
Who’s going: taco lovers, open-minded diners
Good for: creative fusion, modern Mexican
Nearest metro: Fumin (Exit D), 9 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Mambo.
Saffron
Saffron proves that a restaurant doesn’t need to dazzle with outlandish decoration or fusion cuisine: sometimes you just want the classics done right. The meal began with Indian staple samosas (RMB20) filled with a spiced-potato and pea-curry mix and contained in a flaky crust. For some of its standouts, like the expertly spiced mushrooms dish (RMB55) above, Saffron uses a tandoori oven, a round baking machine that simulates traditional cooking.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: Indian families, traders
Good for: a Bollywood soundtrack, fresh naan
Nearest metro: Hubei (Exit B), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Saffron.
Bars
Fury Brewing
Hidden on a side street in Shekou's Sea World, Fury has all the trappings of a sleek little hangout, with 20 taps housed behind a gleaming bar on the first floor. On the menu, each beer is broken down into components: the Fist of Fury IPA (RMB55 for 360ml), for example, uses three types of hops and has an IBU of 80. (For non-experts, it's a relatively bitter brew geared towards ‘old hands.’) The Drunken Master Saison – named after Jackie Chan’s comic masterpiece – has ‘medium-level’ bitterness with an IBU of just 35. It costs RMB50 per 360ml, and the first sip confirms the assessment: flavorful, but not overwhelmingly hoppy.
Price: RMB80-150
Who’s going: beer experts, fruity drink fans
Good for: unique brews, chilling with the crew
Nearest metro: Sea World (Exit C), 2 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Fury Brewing.
Perch
In a bird-themed cocktail bar, it’s easy to imagine things going disastrously wrong. Say, a cocktail-with-chocolate-bird-nest-and-boiled-quail-eggs wrong. Perch, thankfully, doesn’t fall for the over-themed trap. The most extravagant drink decor we see is a burned rosemary sprig laid across the rim of the oriole (RMB88 before tax and service charge). Elderflower syrup, lime juice and muddled rosemary mask beefeater gin while giving the mixture a bitter kick. Besides avian-themed drinks and bar snacks, another draw is Perch's location: walking distance from Chegongmiao Metro Station in an affluent area of the city sorely lacking after work spirit stops.
Price: RMB88
Good for: Futian after-work cocktails
Who’s going: bankers, cocktail connoisseurs
Nearest metro: Chegongmiao (Exit B), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Perch.
Read more Shenzhen restaurant reviews and bar reviews.
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