Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our December 2016 issue:
New Restaurants
Kabir's Indian Restaurant
Shenzhen has few Indian restaurants, and out of those, even fewer are worth visiting. But Kabir’s Indian Restaurant has managed to make a name for itself quickly, its reputation growing largely by word of mouth. Lamb chops (RMB88) here are cooked in curry sauce and served with fresh vegetables. Pair them with cheese naan (RMB25) or vegetable pulao (RMB30), an Indian rice dish. To cool down after the hot eats – you’ll need it if you opted for the spiciest option – Kabir’s drink selection focuses on in-house specials, including a beverage simply named ‘special’ (RMB50). It is served in many flavors, including a zesty strawberry number that comes in a glass rimmed with sweet, pink sugar. The Tokyo iced tea (RMB50), like its Long Island cousin, is strong enough to skip you through several steps on the road to inebriation.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: Indian food buffs, family meals
Good for: spicing up an evening, challenging the boss to karaoke
Read our full review here. See listing for Kabir's Indian Restaurant.
L'etoile
Unlike most new spots that initially make an impact with their menu, L’étoile has lit up the Shenzhen food scene with its events, which have seen some of the highest quality imported ingredients ever served in the city. Even the bread is imported from France and while a 10-hour bread flight verges on the absurd, it shows the seriousness (or perhaps severity) with which food is treated. Chefs rotate and dishes change according to the night, but from what we’ve seen the sky-high quality never wavers. On the heavy side, the goose foie gras (RMB188) is served on a sweet baked apple, balancing the liver’s rich taste. Mild-flavored codfish and spring vegetables (RMB248) doubles down on freshness with a green vegetable sauce. The main dish is a 120-gram beef tenderloin and potato tartlet (RMB358). The juicy steak alone is reason to plan another visit.
Price: RMB360
Who’s going: moneyed couples, French foodies
Good for: impressing a date, proposing, a four-hour French vacation
Read our full review here. See listing for L'etoile.
Luna
The rib-eye (RMB320) is where Luna shines brightest, with a soft, almost buttery feeling when chewed. Lee is right in saying it’s a quality of meat difficult to find in Shenzhen. It’s a quality of meat difficult to find in many places. The flavorful chuck steak (RMB195) comes in thin slices as part of Luna’s meat platter (RMB550 to RMB650), but despite a narrow cut, the seasoning isn’t lost. The drink menu is extensive, including whiskeys and other classics like the bloody mary and Long Island iced tea. Both are RMB50, as is the house special, the dragon’s breath, made with a mixture of dragon fruit, lime, soda, pomegranate syrup and vodka. The alcohol is masked by a sweet and sour balance, though the edible seeds tend to clog the straw.
Price: RMB300
Who’s going: Steak lovers, Shekou foodies
Good for: Getting your drink on while eating fine beef
Read our full review here. See listing for Luna.
New Bars
Chill
Entering Chill, we find a haven from the terrible weather; viewing their back-shelf stock, our spirits also begin rising. The two-floor layout offers plenty of space for customers, explaining why cubicle dwellers have welcomed the lounge with such zest. Bartender William Zeng smiles, chatting away in fluent English as he begins serving our drinks. The Pina Isla (RMB98) flows across the palate, with a distinct fruity tang, created by a mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and grilled pineapple. Asking for a stronger drink produces the Mafia (RMB98), a tart mix of rye whisky and an artichoke-based bittersweet. Each sip packs a bite.
Price: about RMB150
Who’s going: fans of Compass, IT dudes, overseas returnees
Good for: cozy ambiance, chilling out and warming up
Read our full review here. See listing for Chill.
Mad Bar
Mad Men ad man Don Draper would hate Mad Bar. One can imagine his wide-shouldered, bespoke suited figure suddenly halting as questions play out across his face. ‘Why is the bar shaped like my 1962 corvette? Why is a huge painting of me on the wall? Why is a quote from my ex-wife emblazoned on the menu?’ The point is, Mad Bar is not a recreation of the late 1950s boozy haunts featured on the television series, it’s a theme bar, and it goes for the theme hard. Perhaps Mad Bar’s main allure is allowing you to try drinks favored by characters on the spirit-laden TV show. The gimlet (RMB90) enters stage right. Favored by Draper’s ex-model ex-wife, the pink drink employs only Hendrick’s Gin, lime juice and rose syrup. The premium spirits sitting on the three-tiered, backlit shelf mostly justify the prices of around RMB100 a glass, but with the bar’s second-floor location in high-rent Coco Park, prices could even be considered low.
Price: Around RMB100
Who’s going: Mad Men fans, cocktail kooks
Good for: craft drinks, rating Don Draper’s paramours
Read our full review here. See listing for Mad Bar.
Read more Shenzhen Restaurant Reviews and Shenzhen Bar Reviews.
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