Ling Zheng opened Panini Station in Shekou with little fanfare. It wasn’t much more than a window with a counter. Zheng didn’t advertise, but soon expats lingered day and night on the sidewalk outside the shop. The concept was simple: a few fresh, high-quality ingredients like homemade salami, imported cheese and fresh bread pressed into a piping-hot panini. In a town where it’s hard to find a decent sandwich, Panini Station shone bright.
Zheng recently expanded to a new shop in Houhai’s Coastal City. Blink and you’ll miss it – developers recently added a secret Starbucks and some lower cost, al fresco dining on the third floor, next to the Poly Cinema. Zheng’s shop is called Belgium Fries, where the star is hand-cut, never-frozen, homemade french fries. A no-brainer, but brilliant nonetheless – people in Shenzhen love french fries. Think of the taste and quality of fresh, thick-cut chunks of potato: unmistakable and highly addictive.
At the moment, Belgium Fries has medium (RMB25) and large-sized fries (RMB50), served in Chinese takeout boxes. However, order the fish and chips (RMB40) first. Most shops in Shenzhen serve enormous, flavorless fillets for this dish, but Zheng uses small cuts of fresh catch, hand battered and fried. The taste and texture is delicate and light. Calamari (RMB25) is also a must.
A bit more experimental are the crepes. Sadly, they were out of some of the sweet fillers like Nutella (RMB30/full, RMB18/half) and fresh berries when we went. Instead, we tried the caviar and fresh cream (RMB40/full, RMB25/half).
Crepes arrive homey and reminiscent of the Polish variety, a bit thicker and more of a meal than a street snack. It’s not for everyone but certainly worth a try.
For drinks and desserts, freshen up from those flavors of the sea with sorbets (RMB15/small, RMB25/big). A combination of fresh fruits and ice pureed on the spot, they might be a breakout hit in this muggy city. Flavors include banana vanilla, chocolate orange, apple lemon and mango coconut. Zheng also serves non-alcoholic drinks, like the virgin mojito (RMB20). With fresh lime, mint and soda water, it hits the spot without too much sweetness.
Price: Approx. RMB60
Who’s going: Fry fanatics, Poles, sorbet seekers
Good for: Hand-cut fries, real fish and chips, fruity fixes
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