UPDATE: Ruijin Cajun has re-opened in a new location in Jing'an. See our coverage of it here, and a listing here.
The Place
In Shanghai, land of mediocre and expensive restaurants, Ruijin Cajun’s wild, messy and unpretentious modus operandi is a tall glass of water. No foie gras this, truffled that, sous vide so and so.
For proprietors Nathan Power and Matt Rea, their journey from touring pop-up kitchen to finally having a permanent address has been long, and they've gathered something of a cult following thanks to their heart attack-worthy Louisiana-style cooking.
Owning a restaurant in Shanghai is expensive, so Ruijin Cajun shares its digs with Kangaroo Bar, a dive frequented primarily by college students of varying levels of inebriety (but not rowdiness; don't forget we're in China).
The food
One look at the drinks menu reveals the cause of their wastedness – come here and it's almost obligatory to try the cocktails: Hand Grenades and Hurricanes (RMB60). The latter was surprisingly peachy and strong. If you like your drinks sweet and heavy, this one's for you. Those of milder tastes better stick to beer (RMB30).
Our favorite dish at Ruijin Cajun was the crawfish étoufée (RMB60), perhaps the most quintessentially Cajun dish of them all, served with simple white rice.
We were unconvinced at first sight. Why was it served on a long, flat plate? A bowl would have been infinitely more practical. But it was delicious, hearty and a dish we'd eat again in a heartbeat.
Swamp fries (RMB30 for small portion) were less captivating. We couldn't help thinking these were just cheesy fries with tomatoes on top. Still, nothing wrong with that if you're in the mood.
Also not that great was the surf and turf po'boy (RMB65), which sees battered shrimp and beef together in a halved baguette, served with fries and a whole lot of mayonnaise. Wholesome portions, but not better than something you can do yourself.
Luckily, Ruijin Cajun brought it home with their sausage cheesecake (RMB45 a slice). Sausage in a cheesecake? Yup, that's right, it's savory. I guess where I'm from we call it 'quiche,' but since Ruijin Cajun's is laden with cream cheese, 'cheesecake' is not an inaccurate description.
Other winners were the Andouille dog (RMB35), with a juicy, made-in-house Andouille sausage. This guy's as good a hot dog as you'll get anywhere in Shanghai, although next time we definitely want the swamp dog, which comes drenched in shrimp étoufée and remoulade (we didn't get this on account of the swamp fries we ate earlier).
After some wait, a plate of fried eggplant sticks (RMB35) arrived. These are good when drunk with beer, although we wouldn't have minded a milder sauce to go with them than the tangy tomato one they were served with.
Food verdict: 1.5/3
The Vibe
We were planning on saying that Ruijin Cajun isn't the kind of place you'd bring a girl on a first date, but maybe this is exactly the kind of place you should bring her. If she digs right in with open arms, you'll know she's a keeper.
Service is friendly, but a little on the over-attentive side. This is the kind of food you definitely don't want to be watched eating – we'd prefer it if the fuwuyuan would just leave a big pile of napkins on the table and let us get on with it. Still, better over-attentive than under.
Vibe verdict: 0.5/1
Value for money
It's hard to argue with the value that Ruijin Cajun provides. For under RMB100 per person, you'll leave literally stuffed. For RMB200 you'll probably be wasted too (especially if you're drinking Hand Grenades, which have five shots of liquor each).
Overall, this place is one we would happily bring our friends too for drinks and dinner, and we can't wait to see how these guys develop Ruijin Cajun to its full potential.
Value for money: 1/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 3/5
Price: RMB100 per person
Who's going: local college kids, young expats and locals
Good for: American food, Cajun food, hot dogs, drinks, casual eats
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