Below, in no particular order, we introduce three new F&B spots you should check out in Shenzhen!
1. Half Ton Brewery
Image via Half Ton Brewery
Chegongmiao has long been a haven for delicious local restaurants and shopping, but was never a prime destination for partaking in Shenzhen’s booming craft beer scene – until now. With the opening of its new Chegongmiao location in August, Half Ton Brewery is offering a sizeable selection of both locally brewed and imported beers, as well as a diverse menu focusing on burgers and other pub eats.
Is there a more quintessential pub food than a nice, juicy burger? We don’t think so, and thus we opted for the brewery’s namesake Half Ton Burger (RMB78) as our entree. With the owner’s recommendation, we paired it with the house-brewed gold porter.
The burger features a hefty Australian beef patty topped with cheddar cheese, bacon and Half Ton’s special sauce. We appreciated the quality of the beef, which was cooked just right with a tiny bit of pink in the center. While the bacon is a little tough, the cheese and accompanying thick-cut fries round out the burger nicely.
The gold porter is a unique beer, named for its light amber color. The brewers adapt it to a local palate by using less malt in the brewing process and adding flavor with locally brewed coffee beans, resulting in a lighter and more easily drinkable beer. Don’t be fooled, though – it still boasts plenty of flavor and a respectable 7.5-percent ABV.
Price: RMB70-100
Who’s going: Chegongmiao hipsters and professionals
Good for: unique local brews, solid burgers
Nearest metro: Chegongmiao (Exit C), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Half Ton Brewery.
2. Life on Mars
Image by Jonathon Zhong/That's
Like David Bowie, you may sometimes wonder: is there life on Mars? We don’t know for sure, but we do know that there is a Life on Mars cocktail bar in Shenzhen.
We ventured into OCT Loft in search of this bar on a Friday evening. It was just days after Typhoon Mangkhut and signs of the destruction could still be seen here and there. Destructive as the typhoon was, though, it had not blown away the bar staff's hospitality.
After a firm handshake, the bar’s owner introduced us to the menus: one set menu and one seasonal menu. The set menu, which consists of a wide variety of alcoholic beverages ranging from fruity and floral to refreshing drinks to hard liquors such as whiskey, rum, mezcal and gin, amongst various others, was quite the eyecatcher with its artistically designed metal cover. The seasonal menu, while only containing one page, is updated every two weeks to one month with newly designed drinks.
Out of the many drinks on offer, we began by sampling the so-called ‘crowd pleaser’ Lavender Lady (RMB98). It’s a mix of Beefeater gin, lavender, peach, kaffir lime leaf, lemon and egg white. The brew was refreshing with a mildly fruity-sour flavor and on top of it all was a layer of creamy egg white that exuded a pleasant lavender aroma, perfect for relaxing the mind after a long and busy day.
Price: RMB90 on average
Who’s going: cocktail lovers, art lovers, adventurers, social enthusiasts
Good for: unique and customized cocktails, cozy chats, great photos
Nearest metro: Qiaochengbei (Exit C), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Life on Mars.
3. Nic's Burger
Image by Jonathon Zhong/That's
We were loath to pick just one burger off Nic’s menu, but eventually settled on the biggest piece of meat on offer: the double decker cheese burger.
We visited on a quiet night and the server was able to present our food to us within five minutes of taking our order. When the waiter set the burger in front of us we nearly fell off our stool: the gargantuan stack of food came comprised of tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles and two thick, greasy, beef patties.
Served alongside the burger: crispy, thick French fries that proudly displayed their humble beginnings as potatoes with brown skin visible around the fries’ edges.
We knocked back our double cheese burger with a cool glass of lemonade, which, we must admit, was far too tart and honestly unenjoyable.
After burying the burger deep inside our bowels, we decided to sample the outlet’s bacon jalapeno wraps. Comprised of toothpick-impaled jalapeno peppers wrapped in bacon, this dish was a pleasant surprise and we found the flavorful morsels neither too spicy nor too tame.
Price: RMB50-100
Who’s going: folks that got lost on the way to Tictac Pong
Good for: hangover food, greasy burgers
Nearest metro: Gangxia (Exit C), 16 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Nic’s Burger.
Read more Shenzhen restaurant reviews and bar reviews.
[Cover image via Half Ton Brewery]
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