Finding good barbecue in Shanghai can prove quite difficult, but with the opening of Lil’ Laundry, the search just got a lil’ bit easier...
Lil’ Laundry, a spin-off of the popular gastropub Liquid Laundry, opened last month in the Shanghai Centre in Jing’An...
The restaurant, about half the size of the original, still offers up a meat-centric menu, but this time they’ve turned their eye on the American South rather than British pubs for inspiration...
One of the reasons it’s so hard to find decent BBQ here is because of Shanghai’s strict laws about kitchen ventilation and chefs not being able to smoke meats for fear of fines. But chef Simon Sunwoo has found a way to keep the law away and offer up some tasty, tangy and smoky fare right here in the heart of the city.
Case in point, his phenomenal “Good Ole Boy”, smoked brisket and homemade slaw on a toasted bun...
Best I’ve had in China to date! The only problem for me though was that the menu listed this sandwich as served with “Carolina Mop Sauce”, which I expected to be vinegar based, but it came out with a thick, sweet BBQ sauce, more Texan style. Still good, but just not what was advertised.
And here we have yet another killer burger in Shanghai, and this one’s a doozy...
The “Meat Me” burger is made of ground aged premium beef, Australian brisket and chuck, topped with layers of house bacon, pickles and four kinds of cheese...
Grilled to a perfect medium rare, as you can see. Outstanding!
One menu item they did fortunately carry over from Liquid Laundry is the bucket of their outstanding fries and homemade dipping sauces....
If it ain’t broke, as they say...
One other highlight for us was the smoked rabbit and wild mushroom terrine...
Wrapped in bacon, of course...
As with the main restaurant, Lil’ Laundry is owned by Boxing Cat Brewery (which was just sold to Budweiser) so carries a full selection of their beers on tap, including a few of the LL exclusives, like the Workday IPA and Miami Weiss...
They also have a small brewing facility on-site here and rumor has it that Lil’ Laundry will have a couple of exclusive brews of their own soon to pair with some of the new menu items...
What you see above is all from their lunch menu, but I’ll be heading back for dinner soon enough.
As happens when any successful restaurant spawns a sequel, debate has arisen about which Laundry folks here like better. For me, there’s no need to chose; from what I’ve seen so far, Lil’ Laundry clearly separates itself from the original and we’re lucky there’s enough room in this town for two exciting eateries like these!