It’s been one hell of a year to say the least, particularly for those of us based in China. We’ve seen ‘The Tweeter in Chief’ launch (and then halt) a trade war between the world’s two leading economic powers, Fan Bingbing disappear and then reappear (with a major fine to pay) and another record-breaking Singles’ Day haul for Alibaba. To wrap up 2018, our editorial team has put together a list of the year’s most unforgettable viral stories, recounting major occurrences that defined the worlds of sports, tech, arts, fashion and food. Here’s to another year of eclectic, weird and wonderful life in China, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Below, in no particular order, we share our favorite eateries to debut in Shenzhen in 2018:
1. Altitudes
Image by Jonathan Zhong/That's
Occupying the 117th and the 118th floors of the Ping An Finance Center, Altitudes is truly a ‘castle in the sky’ at nearly 600 meters above the ground. Walking out of one of the fastest elevators we’ve ever taken, we were immediately greeted with a stunning 360-degree view of the city. On the inside, the restaurant presents a simple, minimalist design that spans space and time: with a giant painting of a Greek mythological figure and a Japanese rock garden combining to present an eclectic visual experience.
Altitudes offers four types of F&B experiences to choose from: fine Cantonese cuisine on the 117th floor and the lunch buffet, afternoon tea and night bar on the 118th floor.
Altitudes’ buffet options come off as being a bit limited compared to those at five-star hotels. But what the buffet lacks in options they make up for in taste. All of the ingredients are said to be carefully selected from around the world by the kitchen team led by Chef Zhou, who has been devoted to making the best Cantonese food possible for 20 years, and transported fresh to Altitudes’ kitchen.
Price (lunch buffet): RMB420 plus 15 percent
Who’s going: business people, office workers, Cantonese food lovers
Good for: vertigo, fresh food with a view
Nearest metro: Shopping Park (Exit D), 2 minutes’ walk
Read our full review here. See listing for Altitudes.
2. Kenichi
Image by Rason Wu/That's
With a menu touching on both Japanese and Taiwanese cuisines (but mostly Japanese), Kenichi draws a valid and under-appreciated connection between these two island regions.
While a large portion of the menu is given over to fish-based dishes, like sashimi, crab rolls and sushi, the folks at Kenichi know precisely how to tenderize a good steak. We began our feast with the grilled rib eye (RMB680), which was tender, juicy and pulled apart at the slightest touch of our teeth.
We finished our evening with a peanut butter old fashioned (RMB88). While we’ve tried peanut butter beer, we’ve never had a peanut butter cocktail. On first sip, it tasted quite the same as a glass of whiskey. After a second or two, however, the sharpness of the whiskey gave way to a sweet aftertaste. We went back for another taste, and then another. Needless to say, we were charmed by this new-fangled old fashioned cocktail.
Price: RMB200-400
Who’s going: Japanophiles, meat-freaks
Good for: sashimi, tenderized steaks, fancy cocktails
Nearest metro: Convention and Exhibition Center (Exit D), 2 minutes’ walk
Read our full review here. See listing for Kenichi.
3. The Butchers Club
Image by Jonathan Zhong/That's
The area around Shopping Park is packed with an array of burger joints, so you may rightly ask what makes The Butchers Club stand out from the rest. Well, we say it’s the dry-aged beef, in which the restaurant takes great pride.
Our first pick of the evening, however, was the lobster sub (RMB198). And boy, were we excited when it arrived at our table. Comprised of a hotdog bun stuffed with lobster meat, the ‘sub’ is made using all the various edible bits of a Boston lobster and cooked the classic way.
Next, we tried a classic dry-aged beef burger (RMB90), which comes with tomatoes, pickles, bacon, cheese and a generous hunk of beef. Drizzled with juice, the beef inside this hearty burger comes from three different parts of the cow.
Finally we tucked into our last dish of the day: the Australian grass-fed steak (RMB248), which came with black pepper sauce, mustard mayo, grilled vegetables and truffle fries. A superior cut of cow, this steak is among the finest we’ve tried in Shenzhen.
Price: RMB150-250
Who’s going: Bostonians, beef lovers, carnivorous folk in general
Good for: burgers, dry-aged beef, substantial portions of meat
Nearest metro: Shopping Park (Exit D), 2 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for The Butchers Club.
4. Bésame Mucho
Image by Adam Robbins
While we’re able to find tacos in just about every district these days, when it comes to authentic Mexican cuisine, the city is starving. Bésame Mucho is rapidly making a name for itself by serving up the hidden flavors of Mexico. Gone are sizzling fajitas and other Tex-Mex staples. Instead, patrons are met with traditional tastes from all over the country.
We recommend starting your meal at Bésame Mucho with a tangy tuna ceviche (RMB38). Embodying the ethos of Bésame Mucho to do something different, this seafood dish is turned literally upside down with the tostada crowning the carrot, cucumber and spring onion mix.
Continue your gastronomic journey with the Oaxaca region’s tlayuda (RMB88). Familiar-looking yet unlike anything we’ve experienced from Latin cuisine, the team at Bésame Mucho have brought the classic street dish inside and turned it into a vegetarian culinary experience. Fresh onions, tomatoes and leafy greens top a homemade mole-covered roasted tortilla. While traditional, the crispiness may have been too sharp of a contrast from a meal that’s been gentle and delicate.
Price: RMB150-300
Who’s going: romantic couples, festive friends
Good for: culinary exploration, meeting and making friends
Nearest metro: Nanshan Station (Exit D), 13 minute walk
Read our full review here. See listing for Besame Mucho.
5. Magpie
Image via Magpie
Magpie is tucked inside A5 in tones of brass, wood and deep cerulean blue. The summer menu finds a lamb Wellington (market rate), Scotch egg (RMB40), ragut of game meat (RMB75), tartare of horse (RMB70) and so much more protein. The veggies are also impressive: “some tomatoes” (RMB60) piled in a basil-rich olive oil, with a confident smear of burrata on the bowlside; and red rice (RMB60), a rich warm porridge with carrot butter and chunky beetroot purée.
Price: RMB200-400
Who’s going: OCT-Loft visitors, venturesome diners
Good for: creative fusion fare, seasonal surprises
Nearest metro: Qiaocheng East (Exit A), 18 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Magpie.
6. Orale
Image by Bailey Hu
Flautas: crispy and crunchy with a chipotle tang, the taquito-like treats – along with an array of other North Mexican dishes – have found their way to Shenzhen. Órale dishes out authentic (also, halal) Latin cuisine in Shenzhen’s tech district. Since our review, they have moved five minutes down the road to a new space, also in the Huaqiangbei area, which is larger and more comfortable for visitors (sounds like a win to us!) And for the alcohol-inclined they have also brought in beers on draft, as well as a new range of soft drinks and coffees – sign us up please!
Price: RMB45-65
Who’s going: Latin food lovers, office workers
Good for: authentic Mexican food, flautas
Nearest metro: Huaqiangbei (Exit D) one minute
Read our full review here. See listing for Orale.
7. Art + Canteen
Image by Adam Robbins
Near Aohu Gallery and a new sculpture-adorned riverwalk, Art+Canteen is one of the rare finds within Longhua New District that earns four stars from diners. The white fish (RMB108) is a best seller, with a Sichuan pepper coating and a heat that builds as you crunch into broth-soaked baby lotus root. It’s good clean fish with few bones and a refreshing lemon infusion to balance that broth. New Zealand lamb chops (RMB98) arrive in three attractive cuts, seared and coated in spices familiar to any chuan’r shop. They’re only marred a bit by the abundance of cumin – better reserved for hiding inferior meats – and the habit of cooking meats longer than necessary. Ask for medium rare. Insist, if you must.
Price: RMB200-400
Who’s going: art village daytrippers, locals in the know
Good for: elegant entrees, creative dates over wine
Nearest metro: Qinghu (Exit D) 29 minute drive
Read our full review here. See listing for Art + Canteen.
8. Westwood Fire & Smoke
Image by Adam Robbins
On our visit, the prime rib (RMB388/8 oz, RMB688/16 oz, RMB988/32 oz) was generous, dense and rich with an herb crust that brought a welcome pinch of salt to the slow-cooked beef. The process delivers meat that is infinitely more tender than the ‘medium well’ typical in China. Fire-roasted zucchini and homestyle mashed potatoes were simply perfect. The savory-sweet pork chop was even better, though on the typical menu the grain-fed pork is limited to slow-roasted spareribs (RMB268).
Price: RMB350-750
Who’s going: lovers of America’s livestock, home cooking and way of life
Good for: beef prime rib, pork and wine
Nearest metro: Hi-Tech Park (Exit A), 6 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Westwood Fire & Smoke.
9. BOA
Image by Bailey Hu
BOA strives to present itself as a high-end venue for both food and nightlife and, with roving purple spotlights and fancy place settings, it succeeds. The lobby and anterior dining area, for instance, is outfitted as an imitation patio with all-glass walls and drape-y canvas ceiling. The food is also unabashedly luxe. A mouthwatering slab of aged Black Angus (RMB348) comes glazed to a subtle sweetness and topped with lightly-seared foie gras. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also avocado-wrapped caviar sushi, priced at RMB98 a piece.
Price: RMB90-250
Who’s going: hungry high-flyers, trendy bar-hoppers
Good for: unique fusion food, luxe-loving dates
Nearest metro: Sea World (Exit A), 6 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for BOA.
10. Morton's Grille
Image by Adam Robbins
From the glass-lined dining room that seats 130, or the seven private rooms, we can spy a few distant hills and the ongoing construction that reminds us this city isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Servers present the day’s finest cuts, each held to such rigorous standards that the USDA portion of the menu (nearly half the cuts) weren’t available on our visit. The remaining Australian beef is perfectly sumptuous. The two-inch fillet of the porterhouse (RMB728/650g) is a masterpiece, finely demiglazed so it only needs a touch of sea salt to reach perfection. As with the fall-off-the-bone pork ribs (RMB98), slathered in barbecue sweetness, the portions are massive.
Price: RMB100-1,500
Who’s going: shoppers and workers of Futian, steak lovers
Good for: exquisite dining, power lunches
Nearest metro: Shopping Park (Exit D1), three minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Morton's Grille.
Read more Shenzhen restaurant reviews, cafe reviews and bar reviews.
For more 2018 Year in Review coverage, click here.
[Cover image by Adam Robbins]
0 User Comments