Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our February 2017 issue:
New Restaurants
Ate Tee Monkey
Ate Tee Monkey, or, as its menu reads, ‘ATMonkey,’ sits near the Old Heaven Book Store on the outskirts of the emulated bohemian vibe that defines the OCT Creative Park area. Twinkling lights hang from the walls around the ground level outside seating area where most patrons dine. Across from the outdoor tables, a long bar serves the usual Long Islands (RMB40), Singapore slings (RMB35) and a basic selection of whiskeys for around RMB35 per glass. The whimsy sometimes extends from the edifices and onto the plate with dishes like the RMB58 ATM beef burger, though the name is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, medium-rare beef is there, but so is a wafer of hash brown and slices of radish, with the deep fried mantou buns giving the thick stack a sweet taste. It isn’t unpleasant, but those hankering for a simple serving of meat will want to go with the German sausage platter (RMB68).
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: moneyed hipsters, date night couples
Good for: simian selfies, sugar highs, creative dining
Read our full review here. See listing for Ate Tee Monkey.
Bella Pizza
If you know a delicious taco and a doughy round thing that hooked up, tell them their child is going by the name la mexicana and being served at the new Bella Pizza. Having opened in December on a hard-to-find pedestrian shopping street in Xin Zhou Village, Bella Pizza shows none of the growing pains of a new business – with both flavors and foibles firmly established by former and current employees of La Casa, a Coco Park institution. Though there are some obvious La Casa holdovers – namely a focus on home-style recipes – staff stress that Bella Pizza is not just the Coco Park bar’s food in a different location, with la mexicana (RMB65/9 inch RMB85/12 inch) exclusive to the shop. On our visit, the flavorful pie of spicy beef, jalapenos and onions is cooked in a conveyor-belt oven only after the pizza sauce is made from scratch.
Price: RMB50-85
Who’s going: La Casa food fans, neighbors
Good for: Homemade-style pizza, fresh ingredients
Read our full review here. See listing for Bella Pizza.
Caroline by Les 5 Chef’s
Coco Park is not a place one associates with history, but at Caroline by Les 5 Chef’s, there is 600 years of it – at least if you believe the writing (and drawing) on the wall. Stretching across about a quarter of the restaurant, a mural illustrates the Dax family’s 600 years as restaurateurs. The main takeaway? Sometime after World War II, Harald Dax, one of the main men behind Les 5 Chef’s in Shekou, received the family recipes, and now those recipes – or dishes influenced by them – are being served in a well-lit underground location in Futian’s CBD. When you visit Caroline, we recommend diving into the wiener schnitzel and potato salad set (RMB58) for a main, while dabbling on the light cherry cheesecake, one of a rotating cast of sweets, to cap off your meal.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: white-collar workers, frugal foodies
Good for: value for your money, weekday lunch sets
Read our full review here. See listing for Caroline by Les 5 Chef’s.
Bars
Ciao Amici Whisky and Cocktails
Shenzhen Software base has become the city’s hottest spot for bar hopping. This month, we took a look at Ciao, which is notably always full – even during weekdays. Cocktails here are works of edible art, each adorned with sprigs of pine or chunks of fruit and whole spices. We recommend the Lilium Fizz (RMB118), which comes with baked egg white on top and a base of old Tom, a kind of sweet gin. When we bring the glass to our lips, the frothy egg white is trailed by fruity apple and fresh lemon juice, creating a creamy yet thirst-quenching first sip. Besides the drinks, Ciao offers main dishes and snacks such as pork knuckle pate (RMB68), served with pickled peppers. There’s also the odd best seller: smoked beef tongue skew (RMB118). Don’t judge it before you try it – the succulent meat is as tender as rib-eye steak but not greasy.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: demanding customers, tuhao
Good for: free perfume, making a proposal, sweet cocktails
Read our full review here. See listing for Ciao Amici Whisky and Cocktails.
Mod
Before you ask, there is no special meaning behind Mod’s name. It was chosen because it’s simple, easy to remember and three letters long. So what sets Mod Bar apart? Well, juice. An avid juicer founded the establishment to offer up favored mixes discovered over the years. The non-alcoholic Mod chao green (RMB45) is colored as its name suggests, and includes apple, celery, spinach, lemon and ginger. It’s a blend you wouldn’t expect to work, but the ginger and lemon hold the drink together – albeit with a kick you wouldn't imagine could come from a pulpy green beverage served in a mug. The Mod funk green (RMB65) is the chao’s sassy cousin. It has the same base ingredients, but lets its hair down a bit with a healthy dose of Tabasco and vodka, creating a spicy mix not recommended for the easily offended.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: health conscious drinkers, Frankie’s wanderers
Good for: cold pressed juices, getting dates tipsy
Read our full review here. See listing for Mod.
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