Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our February 2017 issue:
New Cafes
Louiswalk
After opening an eatery specializing in ze bao (a cooking method where food is fried in an earthenware pot), Cantonese food connoisseur Wisca Restaurant Group recently made another effort to enliven dim sum with its new eatery Louiswalk. Although dim sum varieties are limited, the written-on-the-wall menu offers some classic and a few innovative dim sum items, teas and coffees, as well as Cantonese desserts fit for afternoon tea. Lo mai gai – lo mai meaning sticky rice and gai chicken – is a time-honored dim sum treat wrapped in a lotus leaf. If you visit Louiswalk, try its lo mai without gai (糯米冇鸡, RMB12). The chicken is replaced with mushrooms, squid and peanuts, which are stuffed in a ball of steamed glutinous rice for a flavorful combination by all accounts
Price: RMB50
Who’s going: ladybros, curious passersby
Good for: afternoon refreshment, undisturbed ambience
Read our full review here. See listing for Louiswalk.
Wagas
A popular brand in Shanghai with more than 50 outlets in China, Wagas suits the health-conscious digital nomad who wants to upload a gigabyte of data online and write a press release by the time she finishes her carrot and mung bean salad (RMB40/58). She’ll leave feeling a tad more accomplished than she is full, unless she decides to splurge on the well deserving lemon tart (RMB35) served atop a hefty crust and guarded by a mound of heavy cream. Highlights on the lunch menu include the smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese, capers, onion and rocket (RMB58) and the falafel wrap stuffed with mango kale salad, red peppers, yogurt dressing and carrot humus (RMB55). If living in China has opened your eyes to the joy of a sandwich-less lunch, try the grilled salmon quinoa salad (RMB68) or savory penne with pesto, chicken, pine nuts and feta for RMB58.
Price: RMB90
Who’s going: health-conscious dudes on lunch break, unemployed shoppers
Good for: fancy fresh juices, edible dishes with kale
Read our full review here. See listing for Wagas.
New Restaurants
Alberto's Italian Pizzeria Trattoria
Alberto's extensive menu offers a fine assortment of Italian fare, such as the simple but appetizing Caprese salad (RMB58), a starter made of buffalo mozzarella, tomato and basil, which resembles the colors of the Italian flag. Other favorites include assorted cheese board (RMB128) and chicken cacciatore (RMB98), which is chicken fillet sauteed with tomatoes, capsicum, olives, mushrooms and white wine. Housed on the second floor of an old warehouse, the trattoria, rustic and inviting, melds contemporary decor with a taste of the past. The Chinese chefs here are further trained by their Sydney counterparts to ensure the right flavors come about. One bite of Alberto’s special pizza (RMB98) and you’ll know such effort is worthy of praise. Ham, pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, olives, capsicum and onions flawlessly coalesce on a crust, tempting even the pickiest foodie.
Price: RMB200
Who’s going: Italians in Guangzhou, pizza hunters
Good for: tiramisu, southern Italian delicacies
Read our full review here. See listing for Alberto's Italian Pizzeria Trattoria.
Mama's Crackles
Like all good, authentic Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, the crispy pork version at Mama’s Crackles is crunchy, sweet, slightly spicy, sour, salty and luscious all at the same time. And for just a modest sum of RMB20, you get to ingest Vietnam’s delectable history and culture. Everything here is cooked to order, and the bread is sourced from supplier that makes it just the way it should be. Try the lemongrass chicken for just a mere RMB18. Marinated so the flavors are retained, the protein is cooked quickly till white and succulent. A slater of butter, Van’s special sauce and chicken pate follows, and it’s then stuffed with pickled shredded carrots made daily at home by Van’s mother, cilantro, spring onion, cucumber and a thick slice of ham. Vegetarians should opt for the mixed mushrooms with black truffle oil and melted mozzarella. Enough said.
Price: RMB20
Who’s going: neighborhood folks, budget-conscious travelers
Good for: authentic (and cheap) pho, warm bites
Read our full review here. See listing for Mama's Crackles.
Morton's Grille
It’s with great excitement and relief that we announce Guangzhou now has a Morton’s of its own – excitement because the setup in IGC looks absolutely stellar, and relief because we finally have a restaurant that fills the gaping void between lackluster Western pub food and unaffordable five-star hotel fare. Morton’s famous happy hour is on every day from 5-7pm, serving a selection of drinks at RMB38 and bar bites for RMB28-48 instead of the usual RMB78-98. If you’re looking for the legendary free-flow steak sandwiches offered at locations back home, however, you may be disappointed to learn that the Guangzhou branch (like Shanghai’s) doesn’t offer the complimentary snack. But don’t fret: every meal begins with a generous loaf of warm onion bread free of charge.
Price: RMB250
Who’s going: anyone serious about steak, local high-rollers
Good for: the tastiest red meat in South China, epic city views
Read our full review here. See listing for Morton's Grille.
Read more Guangzhou restaurant reviews and bar reviews.
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