Here are all the new restaurant openings we featured in our July 2017 issue:
New Cafes
Brasston
Brasston, a vegan and gluten-free dessert shop with a secret (which you can discover in our full review), occupies a prime spot along the Pearl River in Haizhu District. Its large windows in front are perfect for people watching or taking in views of the charming riverside promenade across the street.
Named in part after ‘brass,’ which cofounder Tsui Chong describes as a “pretty yet low-profile material" used to make everything from instruments (he loves jazz) to wires ("they connect things, like we do people"), Brasston strives to be 'subtly chic,' i.e. the opposite of tuhao gold.
Its founders are vegetarians who care deeply for animals and try to connect that passion with their work. During the next Chinese Valentine’s Day (the Qixi Festival) in August, for example, Brasston will be selling boxes of chocolates with a romantic gift, the proceeds of which will be used to help stray animals in Guangzhou. Pets aren’t only welcome at Brasston – in the future they may even enjoy a menu of their own.
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: ladies, Sebastian (La La Land)
Good for: vegan and gluten-free desserts, Wi-Fi with a built-in VPN
Read our full review here. See listing for Brasston.
Long Fung
Tucked away on the top floor of a pure white building on Miaoqian Xi Jie in Dongshankou is a newly-opened, homey cafe. To savor a cup of coffee in Long Fung, patrons need to first pass through a stationery store and boutique selling independent designers’ brands housed in what’s been named the ‘Bad Market.’
Long Fung is still tweaking the menu, but there are two desserts – caramel pudding and panna cotta (both priced at RMB20 and disappointingly small) – available so far. Options for cold brews, on the other hand, are as abundant as they are dynamic.
Here, cold-brew coffees are served in glass bottles, along with a glass containing one sizable sphere of ice. You’re able to choose from about 10 coffee bean varieties from Africa, South America and other regions, which are roasted daily to different levels. The style of roast affects the coffee’s bitterness, so ask the staff for a recommendation if you’re unsure what to order.
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: lady-bros, the soft-spoken
Good for: cold brews, chitchatting
Read our full review here. See listing for Long Fung.
New Restaurants
13 Factories
Located on Huasui Lu between Social & Co. and McCawley’s, 13 Factories could easily be considered the subtlest, most hush-hush re-opening of 2017. Under the radar for a few years now, it has what could be described as a cult following, and we just rediscovered why.
The oldies prevail from the previous menu: chicken ‘n’ buttermilk waffles (RMB68), southern mac & cheese (RMB75) and BBQ chicken (RMB65) are done generously and wholesomely, with nothing to fault except the fact that the portions are so large, you’ll need a doggy bag. The Cajun jambalaya (RMB68) takes a humble piece of tilapia and blackens it just perfectly, on a bed of seasoned rice that lingers long after you’ve engulfed every grain.
Then there’s the new, or shall we say, rejuvenated, entrants: the chipotle chorizo and cheddar taquitos (RMB45) tastes just as good as it sounds, with a cooling tequila-infused dipping sauce. Lunch is well priced, so it’s no surprise that 13 Factories is often packed with consulate folk looking to sate themselves before attending to burgeoning crowds of visa seekers.
Price: RMB120
Who’s going: cool kids who can pronounce chipotle, Cajun and jambalaya
Good for: all-American fare
Read our full review here. See listing for 13 Factories.
La Medina
It used to be craft beer (Tipsy) and specialty coffee (Pressroom) that brought us to 289 Art Space. Now, it’s falafels, hummus, lamb tagine and cocktails, in a setting that works just as well for lunch as it does late-night drinks. La Medina – named after the maze-like medina (or ‘old city’) quarters in Morocco – is set away from the road in a quiet section of the park, making its outdoor patio secluded enough for working or gazing into the eyes of your unexpectedly chivalrous Tinder date.
Ordering a round of tapas is essential to experiencing all that La Medina has to offer. Try the shrimp chermoula (RMB58), marinated in a pungent herb sauce, and, for large groups, the mezze platter (RMB110), a collection of homemade hummus, carrot chermoula, taktouka (a zesty puree of tomatoes and green pepper), homemade marinated olives, Moroccan salad and homemade merguez, or mutton- and beef-based sausage.
Price: RMB250 for dinner, drinks
Who’s going: anyone who misses homemade hummus, falafels and couscous
Good for: Moroccan cuisine, an intimate bar experience
Read our full review here. See listing for La Medina.
Noodle Bar
We’re not sure what’s up with Huasui Lu. First, we had Dumplings Café, which tried to convince us that jiaozi and coffee work well together. Now, Noodle Bar has moved in on the very same street, and is attempting to fuse noodles and draft beer (not in one dish, thankfully – just served together). Fun fact: it’s a food combination that’s frowned upon in traditional Chinese medicine.
On our visit, Noodle Bar was offering just three select noodle dishes: chef shrimp laksa (RMB58), beef king laksa (RMB52) and laksa dry noodles (RMB43). The shrimp laksa is composed of a boiled egg, tofu, sprouts, fresh shrimp the size of one’s thumb and thin noodles typically used in ramen. Liu utilizes both chicken soup and oil extracted from frying the shrimp to prepare the broth, which gives the dish a satisfying depth of flavor. But at RMB58, it’d better be tasty.
As for the ‘bar’ part of the moniker, well, it isn’t ready yet. Two imported draft beers are listed on a temporary menu, but we’re told more will be available in the near future. In the meantime, cold brew coffee (RMB25) was recommended to ward off the heat outside.
Price: RMB70
Who’s going: hungry pupils, curious passersby
Good for: robust laksa, a quick lunch
Read our full review here. See listing for Noodle Bar.
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