The Place
TV-show The Rap of China has spawned celebrities, a wave of musician wannabes and – apparently – a restaurant near Shenzhen’s High Tech Park.
The eatery is located on the second floor of a building that seems better suited for peddling obscure phone sensors than the semi-soul food on offer.
DJ equipment sits on a table in the center of the small space, and behind that, a wall sports graffiti by 4pm, a local group that has been decorating Shenzhen underpasses.
The Food
The beef and cheese sandwich (RMB28) arrives, looking every bit like something you would be served at the back of Jesus’s Food and Wine – which is to say buttery, large and home style.
We’re told a ‘master’ from Hong Kong helped with the virgin drink recipes like the RMB20 ‘Fantast Scented Tea,’ which contains a secret flower-derived ingredient from Thailand. It also tastes a lot like a pixie stick, though we’re assured it doesn’t have too much sugar.
In short, solid, simple food at reasonable prices – as long as this is the food you’re into.
The Vibe
Rather than a marketing cash grab, Trap’s employees do seem invested in the music style being pumped through four ceiling mounted speakers, namely rap and a bit of trap – and the grungy tracks match the decoration (or lack thereof) for a polarizing DIY vibe.
With a cigarette burning in one hand, the proprietress shows us iPhone videos of after 8pm events when Trap stops serving food and focuses on drinks, DJs and rappers.
Trap strikes us as the type of messy nook that real artistry sometimes springs from, something sorely lacking in Shenzhen – or it could just be an odd place to get a sandwich.
Price: RMB80
Who’s going: tech workers and rap fans
Good for: simple food, walls you can write on
Nearest metro: Hi-tech Park (exit B), 13 minutes
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