8 New Restaurants That Are Open Right NOW

Looking for a restaurant that's new and open right now? Here are eight restaurants to suit your needs, from yakiniku-yakitori to Korean barbecue, Vietnamese, Thai, pizza, and more.

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High Yaki

Address: 481 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Yueyang Lu 建国西路481号, 近岳阳路
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 6pm-10:30pm

High Yaki is a Japanese restaurant in Shanghai that specializes in yakitori, yakiniku, and dry-aged wagyu for the grill. It is fantastic.

High Yaki serves top-of-the-line beef, some of which is dry-aged to coax out those deep, nutty flavors buried within the folds of muscle and fat. The Australian M7-M9 cuts are the dry-aged cuts, ranging from 14-45 days. There are also a dozen kinds of yakitori on offer, mostly for ¥15 a skewer.

Yakitori: Chicken ventricle (L) and cartilage (R)

If there is some kind of surefire formula that makes a restaurant good, it seems that High Yaki has cracked it.

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Botong Sikdang

Address: 101B, 1/F, 660-686 Jiujiang Lu, near Guangxi Bei Lu 九江路660-686号1层101B, 近广西北路
Hours: 4:30pm-11pm

Botong Sikdang is a Korean restaurant that is all about grilled pork and banchan. This cozy, lovable slice of Korean hospitality is courtesy of the team behind Jeju Izakaya, Belloco and Professor Lee.

Volcano Cheese Egg (¥48) – A stone bowl brimming with fluffy egg baked over with cheese.

Here’s the catch: No bookings accepted, walk-ins only. Go early or be prepared to wait a while. But definitely go. (Average check is around ¥150.)

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Pho To Shop

Address: 974 Wuding Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu 武定路974号, 近胶州路
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 11am-10pm

Delivery: Eleme, Meituan, Sherpa's

Pho To Shop is a casual Vietnamese restaurant in Jing’an operated by the same people behind Cyclo. Think of this eatery as an express version of Cyclo—an abridged menu of Vietnamese favorites suitable for a quick no-frills meal.

It’s nothing fancy, but the food is tasty and is considerably affordable.

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Garlic Barbecue

Address: L107-108, 285 Jianguo Dong Lu, near Madang Lu 建国东路285号L107-108，近马当路
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 11am-3pm

Garlic Barbecue is an American barbecue restaurant in Xintiandi. It’s run by a group of Turkish friends, including the owner of Garlic, a popular Turkish restaurant in Xuhui.

Beef Brisket (¥48/100g)

The brisket is so beautiful. Smoked for hours, the hunk of fat-rendered meat wobbles on the counter as they cut into it. It’s anything but dry. Unless you take a piece of lean meat, I guess. The ribs are also bone-tender, flavorful, and juicy.

Pork Ribs (¥48/100g)

If you've heard about Garlic Barbecue, then you also know that they operate within certain hours—that still remains true. They‍ only serve from open (11am) until sold out, which is around 2:30pm. If you're currently "working from home" this might be a good opportunity to make Garlic Barbecue's lunch hour.

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KIN Urban Thai Kitchen

Address: 45 Yongkang Lu, near Jiashan Lu 永康路45号, 近嘉善路
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 11am-late

Delivery: Eleme, Sherpa’s

KIN Urban Thai Kitchen is a casual Thai restaurant in Shanghai. It’s more of a cafe, and serves a few northern Thai-inspired dishes like Nam Prik (chili dips) and Khao Soi (egg noodles in sweet yellow curry).

Nam Pla Chicken Wings (¥68) – The wings are coated in a viscous caramelized fish sauce glaze. They’re piping hot, sticky and spicy. A real highlight.

Khao Soi Yellow Curry (¥78) – A Chiangmai classic of egg noodles in a thick, sweet curry. It’s a massive portion, and is heavy and rich from the coconut milk. Recommend sharing.

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Pass Residence

Address: 318 Julu Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu 巨鹿路318号, 近茂名南路  
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 10am-midnight, Food: 12-9:30pm
Delivery via WeChat: Blackbird Cabinet

Pass Residence is a natural wine bar and café that serves an Italian-inclined menu of antipasti, pastas, and pizzas.

Confit Duck Pizza (¥90) with spiced tomato, beetroot relish and goat cheese

It’s a great spot for an alternative workspace during the day, lunch to follow. Evenings are well suited for casual dinners and wine buffs.

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Popot

Address: 406-1 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Yueyang Lu 建国西路406-1, 近岳阳路
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 8am-9pm

Delivery: Eleme, Meituan, Sherpa's, WeChat: popot博朴

Popot is a quaint café in Shanghai that does fine-dining recipes in eco-friendly and sustainable glass jars. While most of the food is traditional French fare, some dishes have a Southeast Asian twist.

Popot Hummus (¥58) with a touch of curry

Pork Cheek Confit (¥78) with green vegetables – Pork confit in chicken stock, served with fresh peas. (Portions are larger than they appear!)

It’s comfort food and tasty, and the price points are great.

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Chameleon

Address: 5/F, 90 Shaanxi Nan Lu, near Jinxian Lu 陕西南路90号5楼, 近进贤路
Tel: [phone]
Hours: 11am-1am
Delivery: Meituan

Chameleon is cocktail bar and restaurant by Carson Xie and Eddy Yang, two talented mixologists/operators who are among the best in the business.

Five Spice Chicken (¥70) – Free-range chicken, cucumber, garlic crumbs, scallion and peppers. A highlight.

The menus are largely Shanghai-inspired, but also include influences from Jiangnan (bamboo ham soup), Guangzhou (ginger chicken and char siu), and Sichuan (hotpot spices and pickled cabbage), and Yunnan (plateau rose).

Yellow Claw Gimlet (¥80) – A twist on gimlet. Made with sanai (sand ginger) infused gin, homemade citrus juice, and lime. Tastes like Sichuan style pickled pepper chicken feet. (Image provided)

Drinks are infallible, obviously, with the two mavens at behind the bar. The menu lists a cornucopia of China-sourced ingredients and infused spirits that peaks the interest of even the most discerning imbibers.

Now doing delivery via Meituan, and they serve (EDIT: no lunch) lunch. New opening hours: 6pm-1am.

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