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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

‘Garbage Street’ is anything but when it comes to food

By Wu Huixin, Xu Shuyaoand Huang Gejiang | August 6, 2014, Wednesday | Print Edition

DON’T let the name turn you off. Laji Street has a great selection of food stalls along with some restaurants and cafes that make it a trendy hangout in Binjiang District, Hangzhou.

Laji means rubbish in Chinese, but the food certainly isn’t. Although no one knows how the street got its name, few care. They prefer to just drop by and leave with a bulging belly.

The summer heat tends to scare off some, making Laji Street’s roadside stalls less crowded than usual. For those who want the comforts of air conditioning, Shanghai Daily recommends these four places.

Sunhouse Cafe & Bar

Although located on a quiet residential block, this vintage cafe attracts customers due to a combination of savory food and unique decor. And the cute cats strutting about have also proven popular with many guests.

A group of friends own the cafe and they want customers to feel at home, which is why they handle most of the serving duties.

Sunhouse has the feel of being in western China as coarse red bricks and old knickknacks abound. A poster of the “Black Cat Detective,” a cartoon broadcast in the early 1980s, hangs in one corner.

On the second floor, a big shelf provides diners with a wide range of magazines and books, which they are free to peruse.

The bar offers both Western and Chinese food including spaghetti, steaks and sirloin stewed with rice. A meal will usually cost about 50 yuan (US$8) a person.

Live performances are held from time to time. Sunhouse also has a small flea market where customers can exchange items with each other.

Address: 713 Puyan Rd, alongside Laji Street

Tel: (0571) 8822-9875

Feng Bo Zhuang

Watch out for flying kicks, Feng Bo Zhuang has a kung fu theme. Get in the mood as classic kung fu movies and TV series are shown throughout the day.

In another playful touch, the owners mock the decor of ancient Chinese restaurants with their choice of a bamboo rooftop and walls, rough wooden tables and seats. Paintings depict kung fu masters showing off their skills.

Servers are clad in costumes that resemble the clothes worn by servants in ancient times. They also speak to diners using professional kung fu terms that further embody the theme.

As for the food, they serve pungent dishes from Anhui Province. Recommended eats include jiaohua chicken, a juicy roasted chicken baked with various seasonings, steamed meatballs stuffed with salted duck egg, and crispy tofu.

Address: No. 5 Bldg, Commercial Street, Binwen Higher Education Park, alongside Laji Street

Tel: (0571) 8805-9185

Maoo Coffee

After just one year, Maoo Coffee has opened numerous outlets around Hangzhou. The cafe has a cat theme as the name Maoo sounds similar to the Chinese character for feline (mao,è).

The cafe has a friendly white cat, which likes to be stroked by customers. The decor is a fusion of Japanese minimalism and IKEA style although a crystal chandelier adds a classic Western touch.

Try the mellow chocolate waffle, which is served with a vegetable and fruit salad. Paradise of Kitties is Maoo’s most popular drink, blending coffee, cream, vanilla ice cream and ice.

Address: Opposite Laji Street’s food court

Tel: (0571) 8838-3192

Big Head Carp Hotpot Restaurant

This restaurant has become increasingly popular since it opened last year.

The restaurant’s manager minces few words when getting to why the eatery is so popular.

“We specialize in cooking big head carp dishes,” he says. “We get our carp from the reservoir, where the water is clean, making the meat tender and smoother compared to others.”

And unusually for a hotpot restaurant, it doesn’t specialize in pork or mutton.

Other fish and vegetable dishes are also worth trying.

Address: 3999 Nanhuan Rd, alongside Laji Street

Tel: (0571) 8805-9185

Hangzhou


 

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