Here are all the new restaurant, cafe and bar openings we featured in our July 2017 issue:
Restaurants and Cafes
Godfather Bistro
Despite the name, rather than pastas and thin-crust pizza, Godfather specializes in authentic American cuisine. The house steak (RMB148), which alternates between Argentine Black Angus and Australian Angus rib eye, is a prime example. Our medium-rare cut of Argentine beef is soft and flavorful, even without the aid of a buttery ‘black pepper sauce.’ The accompanying steak fries are fresh, with a hint of crispiness. An American cheeseburger (RMB60) is just as satisfying, with a juicy patty, melted American cheese and lightly cooked onions inside sturdy buns.
Price: RMB100-150
Who’s going: Hong Kongers, meat lovers
Good for: real American food, late-night snacks
Read our full review here. See listing for Godfather Bistro.
Minikor
With a modern interior and evolving Korean fusion menu, Minikor is decidedly non-traditional. We start off with a surprisingly alcoholic, but refreshing Korean makgeolli and Sprite cocktail (RMB58) served in a frosty metal bottle, before the kimchi gimbap with mashed tuna (RMB62) arrives. The gimbap is accompanied by American cheese and jalapenos, giving it a slightly sour, spicy kick, which is mellowed by the tuna. The fried chicken wing platter with salad and kimchi (RMB88) is meant to capitalize on the popularity of Korean fried chicken, but eschews the expected spiciness and is, unusually, battered with breadcrumbs.
Price: RMB40-120
Who’s going: curious diners, moneyed housewives
Good for: decor excellence, chilled makgeolli cocktails
Read our full review here. See listing for Minikor.
Udog
Originally introduced to us as a dog cafe, of ‘cat cafe’ ilk, Udog instead welcomes you to bring your own dog – or purchase one of theirs. Besides doubling as a pet store, Udog also offers nail clippings, an animal spa and professional pet photos, which are absolutely adorable.
The menu offers no surprises: an Americano for RMB25, a cappuccino for RMB28 and so on. The perhaps-a-fad mint cheese tea (RMB26) is as good as any we’ve had and the spicy sausages (RMB26) are served after a session in the convection oven. Portions are fair for the price, but will reheated meat prove a draw when you’ve just passed two of the city’s best restaurants?
Price: RMB60
Who’s going: Shekou pet owners
Good for: Affordable coffee, reliving pet store memories
Read our full review here. See listing for Udog.
Bars
Haploid
The speakeasy Haploid has 16 signature cocktails, including the refreshingly tangy ‘I am Groot’ (RMB80). It comes in the guise of a potted plant, with a sprig of mint balanced atop an Oreo-crumb ‘dirt’ topping. The Yuan Yang drink (RMB98) is a little more traditional, adding whisky to the Hong Kong blend of milk tea and coffee. It comes served with a special treat, however: two triangles of toast, paired with a tube of Chivas-infused condensed milk.
Price: RMB80-160
Who’s going: trendy bar hoppers, cocktail sippers
Good for: creative concoctions, feeling fancy
Read our full review here. See listing for Haploid.
Luxury
The drinks here are premium priced, but the quality matches the cost. The first page of drinks on the bilingual menu is original to Luxury, the brainchildren of the head bartender, known simply as ‘Feng.’
Feng’s kiss – the drink, not the action – uses single malt whisky, pineapple and orange juice (RMB88) . In Chinese we’re told it’s like a real kiss: the first ‘taste’ is sweet but then it turns strong and a bit bitter. The RMB88 girl’s skirt has another moniker that invites a double entendre, but it’s also a sweet sip that should be taken seriously. By the time our lips touch the ice at the bottom of this egg-white-topped drink, we’ve deemed it one of the best ‘girly’ drinks we’ve had in recent memory.
Price: RMB100
Who’s going: in-the-know cocktail connoisseurs
Good for: quiet dates, drinks with a story
Read our full review here. See listing for Luxury.
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