3 New Openings: ma-ia-ki, Oliang Bangkok Bistro, Efes
Vos Families group opens ma-ia-ki, a yaki restaurant in Surpass Court, Thai restaurant Oliang Bangkok Bistro at Hengshan 8, and Turkish restaurant Efes expands to Puxi.
Yakitori
ma-ia-ki
📍 Bldg 2, Surpass Court, 570 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu 永嘉路570号永嘉庭2号楼, 近岳阳路
📞 17521730213
🕒 Sun-Wed, 6pm-11:30pm; Thu-Sat, 6pm-12:30am
From the Vos Familles group comes ma-ia-ki, a yaki restaurant in Surpass Court. (Vos Families is the same group behind SOiF, Suzie, le Daily, Ottimo, and theWarehouse.)
ma-ia-ki (read: my-yaki) opened late last year. It's a relatively small restaurant with an open kitchen counter that seats 16. There’s also a private rooms for six, and al fresco seating on the terrace that’s waiting to be utilized once the weather cooperates. The vibe is casual and unpretentious, made lively with a groovy, upbeat playlist.
I say “yaki restaurant” because the focus at ma-ia-ki isn’t just chicken (yakitori), but also dry-aged pigeon (yakihato). The pigeon, which is dry-aged for seven days, is undeniably the star of the menu. Other dishes, which range from chicken skewers to sushi and even cuts of A5, are also worth their salt.
Chef Guo Wenfei, pictured above, is the master behind the grill. He’s spent 17 years in Japanese restaurants practicing the art of grilling.
As for drinks, ma-ia-ki has a selection of wine and sakes curated by group sommelier Yonex Zhang, an extremely talented somm. I interviewed him here. In addition to his extensive knowledge of wines, Yonex is also well versed in Japanese liquors, and has spent a year in a Japan brewery to sharpen his palate. If he isn’t at ma-ia-ki, one of his understudies will surely make a recommendation.
I highly recommend trying the Chiebijin Koucha, a black tea umeshu liqueur from Japan. It’s quite special, and has sweet, fragrant, and floral notes, suitable towards the end of the meal. It's the bottle on the right in the photo above.
Autumn Breeze (¥98) - Shochu, pear, osmanthus, cream, lemon, nutmeg.
ma-ia-ki also has a handful of signature cocktails as well as classics and highballs.
Thai
Oliang Bangkok Bistro
📍 No. 107, Bldg 5, 8 Hengshan Lu, near Wulumuqi Nan Lu 衡山路8号5号楼107单元, 近乌鲁木齐南路
📞 64411117
🕒 Daily, 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Oliang Bangkok Bistro is a casual Thai restaurant in Hengshan 8. It’s a modest eatery run by a close-knit Thai team, some of which are of Chinese descent.
Overall, the food was pretty tasty. The pork neck stood out, as did the fish custard, a steamed dish similar to that of otak-otak, a Malaysian variation.
Service was brisk, but very friendly and polite. Good for a casual, tasty meal.
Turkish / Mediterranean
Efes (Puxi)
📍 600 Huashan Lu, near Wulumuqi Zhong Lu 华山路600号, 近乌鲁木齐中路
📞 18121161177
🕒 Sun-Thu, 11:30am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11:30am-10:30pm
Turkish restaurant Efes finally expands to Puxi after 10 years serving in Pudong.
Located in a quiet section of Huashan Lu, the décor at Efes is modest if not plain, and the service is warm and welcoming. It’s not as polished as Pasha, but it’ll do in a pinch if you’re craving Turkish food in the neighborhood. They also have two covered terraces that flank the entrance, which are dog-friendly.
On the menu are Turkish classics with an emphasis on kebabs and grill platters, featuring meats in the form of chops, shish, and kebabs. They also have pides with an array of toppings, and a couple of seafood options.
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