Here are all the new bar and restaurant openings we featured in our August 2018 issue:
New Restaurants:
Alan's Kitchen
Image via Alan's Kitchen
Helming the kitchen at Alan’s is the awardwinning Alan Yu himself, a Shanghai-born, American-raised executive chef. Yu has served at 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong and Shanghai, as well as cooktops at some of the most desirable Michelin-starred locations in New York and Washington DC. Currently running Le Rivage and Alan’s Bistro in Shanghai, Alan’s Kitchen is his latest establishment in our humble South.
The one page, leather-bound menu is undoubtedly short, but there’s a ‘less is more’ philosophy here. For appetizers, start with the burrata cheese (RMB78), with fresh rocket, grape fruit and a light balsamic dressing. Colorful, albeit on the smaller side, this fresh starter comes with a drizzle of crunchy hazelnuts, adding a textural component.
The beef Wellington is one reason to dine here. It seems like a crazy idea for any chef (unless your name is Gordon Ramsay) to pursue, as it’s one of the hardest preparations to pull off. A chunk of tenderloin is covered with Parma ham under a spread of finely chopped mushrooms and then packaged individually in a light puff pastry. Sitting on a buttery bed of potato puree with a rich red wine jus, the meat is well-cooked and the pastry flaky, although a decent touch of seasoning is needed to bring this dish up to snuff.
Price: RMB300
Who’s going: fans of restaurants like Li Chateau, chilled beef lovers
Good for: swanky mall meets, dress-down fine dining
Nearest metro: Huacheng Dadao (APM Line), 2 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Alan's Kitchen.
Drunk Lou Lan
Image by Tristin Zhang/That's
The lifeless remains of the ancient Kingdom of Loulan, located in Xinjiang’s Tarim Basin, are no place for drunken revelry. But inside Drunk Lou Lan restaurant, which is housed on the fifth floor of GTLand Spring Plaza, cracking a couple of ice-cold Xinjiang beers is a matter of course.
Topping the recommended list of specials is the ‘naang pit grilled lamb chops’ (RMB98/288). A mixture of pepper, salt, cumin and flour is applied to the boney portions of lamb before they are baked on the inner wall of a clay oven that’s also used to bake naang. When removed from the oven, the lamb chops have a crisp, golden skin. Eaten with a blend of ground red peppers and cumin, this lamb dish will sate any carnivore’s appetite.
Another recommended dish is the popular ‘hand grasped lamb’ (RMB38/118/288), a popular steamed mutton dish consumed in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Tibet that comes with a mixed sauce of sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar.
Price: RMB80-120
Who’s going: after-work white-collars, Northerners
Good for: a meaty meal, Xinjiang eats
Nearest metro: Zhujiang New Town (GTLand Spring Plaza Exit), 3 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Drunk Lou Lan.
Supin
Image by Tristin Zhang/That's
Boasting a farm-to-table approach, Supin guarantees that garden-fresh, organic produce is used in the preparation of its handsome brunch and salad selections. The dedication to freshness is apparent in the strangely named ‘healthy nut beef and guacamole with beef fruit’ (RMB68): mozzarella, sliced avocados, beef and tomatoes are layered on a piece of bread, with mayo and guacamole applied in between. This dish is sided by a mixed, green salad and mashed potatoes.
We strongly recommend sampling the ‘double flow heart egg tuna salad’ (RMB58), which matches tuna seasoned with black pepper together with baby carrots, poached eggs, cucumbers, yellow peppers, snow peas and lettuce. The flavors are heavenly, bridging the gap between the robust and the delicate.
On top of cakes, croissants and pies, hungry patrons may also opt for a hearty pasta. For drinks, the menu offers run-of-the-mill coffees, teas and juices, as well as several rice milk choices.
Price: RMB50-100
Who’s going: Shamian explorers, health-conscious folks
Good for: brunching, organic salad
Nearest metro: Huangsha (Exit F), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Supin.
New Bars
Dragon & Phoenix Street Bar
Image by Matt Bossons/That's
Tucked away in an unassuming side street, a few blocks east of the popular nighttime hangout Taigucang Wharf, sits a seemingly out of place late-night destination: Dragon & Phoenix Street Bar, fittingly named after the neigborhood it resides in (Longfeng Jiedao).
There are two beers on tap: Tiger (RMB32/500 milliliters) and Hoegaarden (RMB58/500 milliliters) – both at prices that seem fitting for the more frequented pubs of Zhujiang New Town, but a bit steep for this low-key backstreet bar.
Dragon & Phoenix also has a respectable collection of whiskeys. Though the menu lists only 29, the owner tells us that there are over 40 and the shelf behind the bar does seem to boast a huge selection (though we couldn’t be bothered to count).
As it is still in the developing stages, there are currently no major meals available for order. And while there is a selection of snacks, they are not particularly cheap: peanuts will put you back RMB18, while offerings like spicy chicken feet, chicken wings and Japanese-style pizza go for RMB38, and fire beef or six-flavor French fries cost RMB58.
Price: RMB50-65 for whiskey, RMB33-58 for draft beer
Who’s going: Haizhu locals, people who got lost on their way to Taigucang
Good for: sipping whiskey, escaping the expat bar crowd.
Nearest metro: Fenghuang Xincun (Exit A), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Dragon & Phoenix Street Bar.
Guu's Cigar and Whisky Lounge
Image via Guu's Cigar and Whisky Lounge
At Guu's, your heart may skip a beat as you go past the earmarked glass cases and over to the bar. Under the auspices of bartenders in starched white shirts, your preferred poison will have to be either aged, rare or elusive, as you won’t find Johnnies, Jims or Jacks around here.
The menu is divided into regions: Speyside, Highlands, Lowlands, Islay, Campbeltown and Islands, following pages with more pours from Japan and Taiwan. The premium likes of Macallan 12 sell at RMB88 per glass or RMB1,780 per bottle, Glenfiddich 30 at RMB500 per glass or RMB8,500 per bottle, or Laphroaig 10 cask strength at RMB320 per glass or RMB4,500 for a bottle. Price wise, it’s strategic, so as to attract the right (read: wellheeled) crowd.
Cocktails run upwards of RMB80, and there’s just a smattering of them to tempt. Order a Trinidad Sour (RMB120); the rich and alluring concoction of rye whisky and Angostura bitters is balanced with orgeat (almond syrup) and fresh citrus.
Private parties are prevalent here and booking out the entire space is possible if spending exceeds RMB20,000 (RMB30,000 on weekends), with fine dining meal sets catered by Wilber’s.
Price: depends – the older it is, the more it costs
Who’s going: connoisseurs and moneybags, those seeking a private hideaway
Good for: distilled collectibles, fulfilling a Winston Churchill reverie
Nearest metro: Kecun (Exit B), 10 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Guu's Cigar and Whisky Lounge.
Read more Guangzhou restaurant reviews, cafe reviews and bar reviews.
[Top image by Tristin Zhang/That's]
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