In our new feature Mifan/Mafan, we cover the latest restaurant and bar openings in the form of bite-sized reviews. Here are the best openings of the past month, because all we hope to do is answer a simple question: is the rice worth the hassle?
Infusion Room
The Infusion Room’s keypad-lock-and-no-sign combo either ensures that IR is the coolest bar IRL, or that its customers have to flail their arms at the window to get someone to let them in. We fell into the latter camp, but once inside, no matter – the osmanthus-infused Aged Negroni (get it? Infusion Room) is one of the city’s few RMB100 cocktails that’s genuinely worth the price.
江湖味道 (Rivers and Lakes Flavor)
Could this be the world’s first industrial-chic Xinjiang restaurant? Exposed brick, metal fittings and Uighur graffiti make an unusual – though completely welcome – backdrop to some chuan’r munching. The menu features all the classics, excellently made but prepared with a little more spice than you might expect.
TRB Bites
TRB Bites is Temple Restaurant Beijing’s new casual concept, but if this is your idea of casual, then LOL. Apart from one wasabi rice krispie treat, elegantly presented, this place is as high-end as ever. That’s not a bad thing, of course. In true TRB fashion, we were tended to like delicate princesses, and surprised with plate after plate of bonus ‘bites,’ which ran the gamut from crispy chicken skins with jam to tiny dried shrimps. Bites is still technically in soft opening, so that means they’re working out kinks , but we honestly can’t see any kinks to work out. Set menus start at RMB158 for three courses – an unbelievable deal.
Bungalow
Bungalow’s back! The tiki bar’s first incarnation opened for just long enough this summer generate buzz, then get shut down. But that’s OK, because its second location (currently in soft opening) is banging, and its drinks just as fruity and strong as we remember. Go quickly in case it gets shut down, but we’re guessing that the more alcohol-friendly environment that is the Fangjia area will be more accommodating.
Crystal Jade
Maybe you know this Singaporean chain that does Hong Kong dim sum from Shanghai. Sounds like a restaurant with schizophrenia, but Crystal Jade does good-value xiaolongbao and noodles in unpretentious, yet pleasing surrounds. If our office were closer to Indigo Mall, we’d be there more often.
Fang Bar
Fang Bar offers “serious cocktails for not so serious people” says owner Zak, and yeah, we just copy-and-pasted that description from his WeChat because that sums it up so well. Fang is surrounded by the budget bottle shops of its Fangjia Hutong neighbors, but has serious cocktail clout: the Journey West (RMB65) blends Xinjiang grapes, dark rum and sugar for a caramelly sweet, yet highly drinkable effect.
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