Here are all the new restaurant, cafe and bar openings we featured in our September 2017 issue:
Restaurants and Cafe
Canton 8
This Shanghai sister of this newly opened InTown plaza eatery was recently awarded two Michelin stars, becoming the cheapest two-starred restaurant in the world. Although un-starred as of yet, Shenzhen's Canton 8 is the real deal – including prices that make you think you’ve gotten away with only paying half the bill. Our meal includes the best roast pork belly we’ve ever eaten as part of the BBQ platter (RMB88). Imagine crispy, yet not salty, skin upon a buttery layer of fat underneath. For a kick, we recommend the (RMB99) fried garlic shrimp: a spicy, salty crunchy crustacean pile that would invite stuffed mouths and crusted lips if it weren’t for our loose handle on tableside decorum.
Price: RMB150-200
Who’s going: locals and savvy foodies
Good for: affordable fine dining, attentive service
Nearest metro: Gangxia (Exit C), 11 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Canton 8.
Ciao Caro
Newly installed in Xiasha’s KK One mall, Ciao Caro is betting on a broad array of international dishes and craft beer to draw in customers. While the menu has pizza and burgers, its standout signature is a German-style roasted ham hock (RMB198): crunchy skin covers an ample layer of fat, while the meat remains tender, if a little dry. Luckily, it’s accompanied by gravy, sauerkraut and two potato-based sides, liberally sprinkled with more pork bits. For the health-conscious, the Parma vegetable salad (RMB38) is decent stuff, with a slightly nutty honey-mustard dressing over greens and a few slices each of meat and avocado.
Price: RMB40-80
Who’s going: families, non-dieters
Good for: budget-friendly Western food, craft beer
Nearest metro: Xiasha (Exit B), 8 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Ciao Caro.
For Times 2 Cafe
The spacious cafe sees low tables that seat four and are spaced far enough apart to lend a bit of privacy, heightened by the piddle of a mock waterfall running along a front window. On our visit, a pensive looking ‘roasting expert’ grips a stopwatch and snorts at the rattling Vortec Pro he has wheeled outside – part of what we’re told is the expert operation of the cafe, and fair enough, the rich dark roast latte (RMB30) hits all the right notes. Menu-wise, however, there isn’t much setting For Times 2 apart from other well-run coffee shops.
Price: RMB60
Who’s going: selfie-hungry makeup experts, long-legged coffee drinkers
Good for: spacious relaxing, cake discussions
Nearest metro: Dengliang (Exit E), 40 minutes (bus to Shekou Walmart recommended)
Read our full review. See listing for For Times 2 Cafe.
Bars
King's Bar
Tucked between two training centers, King’s Bar keeps it simple with darts, a smallish pool table and a long, wood bar bathed in an orange glow from a neon sign baring the business’s moniker. We’re told the eight-tap pour-it-yourself beer system is the first in Shenzhen. Using a touch screen, you select how much beer you want (500ml of Asahi for RMB28 for example), before paying and pouring the draft yourself. It’s novel – and it works, though rumor holds a beleaguered net connection once had the taps on the fritz.
Price: RMB100 for food and drink
Who’s going: Bao’an residents, nearby expats
Good for: solid food, affordable drinks
Nearest metro: Bao’an Center Station (Exit A), 5 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for King's Bar.
Mon Saigon
While the brick terrace on one side of Mon Saigon's bar has an uninspiring view of traffic and a coffee shop, the other shows off the best of Xiangmihu (‘Honey Lake’), complete with abandoned roller coaster ride. All the outdoor scenery comes with a downside, at least in the summer: due to sultry temperatures, drinkers won’t want to linger too long over iced drinks. Of the bar’s original cocktails, we sample a toffee tequila sour (RMB80) first; it handily straddles the line between sweet and tart drinks without skimping on liquor. Next, a blueberry mint julep (RMB80) goes down pleasantly minty, if not very fruity.
Price: RMB80-160
Who’s going: adventurous drinkers, whiskey lovers
Good for: creative cocktails, hot dates
Nearest metro: Xiangmeibei (Exit B2), 5 minutes
Read our full review here. See listing for Mon Saigon.
Read more Shenzhen restaurant reviews and bar reviews.
0 User Comments