Oldie but Goodie is a monthly column where we feature noteworthy restaurants, cafes or bars that have been open at least six months and are worth a try.
Despite its eight-year history, Belle Epoque Club still feels like a hidden gem. When we visit for lunch on a weekday, the chandelier-dotted main dining room is mostly empty, as is the outdoor lakeside patio. Inside, a soothing soundtrack plays as waiters bustle between striped chairs and neatly folded napkins.
It’s a sedate setting embedded in a swath of lush foliage – in other words, the polar opposite of downtown Shenzhen.
Local OCT residents, businessmen and digital nomads flock here for that reason, or so General Manager Jimmy Ang tells us. And the environment isn’t the only attraction: The new and improved menu (including a 10 percent service charge) boasts a broad selection of both French and Chinese cuisine, from a short rib steak topped with foie gras to kungpao chicken.
What we sample, and the offerings of special set menus (RMB288 and up), however, tend towards the European. A seafood and fruit salad (RMB78) arrives first, with large, well-seasoned shrimp and scallops nestled alongside mango and papaya slices. It’s followed by a bowl of creamy chowder with a layer of light puff pastry baked on top (RMB88).
The highlight, though, is the sea halibut, a brand-new dish that pairs grilled, tender white fish with a light, lemon-y sauce. The bed of asparagus underneath is pleasantly firm, as are other vegetables arrayed decoratively across the plate.
We’re told the restaurant also has an extensive wine and drinks list, although we politely decline an afternoon tipple. It’s time to get back to the CBD and end what feels like a brief respite from the bustling city.
See listing for Belle Epoque Club.
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