When you're ready to step outside the Chinese food box and try something different - and I don't mean eating innards or crunchy bugs - I'd definitely recommend making your way to Southern Barbarian. Proprietor Feng, himself from Yunnan, prides his kitchen for fresh ingredients brought up from Yunnan province and his Yunnanese chef. You'll get authentic local flavors served up in a clean, cozy restaurant and BBQ.
- Friendly owner - I love a place where the owner will chat and make recommendations.
- Cozy, unassuming space. The emphasis is on good food.
- Unique dishes you won't find in every other restaurant - eat it here, or go to Yunnan.
- Excellent value, you won't believe you ate that much for so little.
- Kid friendly - just ask for a special dish if it's not on the menu.
- May be a bit difficult to find as it's tucked way down inside an art "mall". Stay on target!
- It's small so you might find you'll have to wait for a table. Better to book ahead.
- Southern Barbarian
- Area E, 2/F Ju'Roshine Life Arts Space 56 Maoming Nan Lu or 169 Jinxian Lu (after 9pm use Jinxian Lu entrance).
- Tel: 136 2179 7634
- Open: Daily 11am-10pm
- Note: Cash only
Not so with Southern Barbarian. Not only is the concentration on really good, authentic, unique dishes, but the atmosphere is warm and friendly. It's easy to imagine this becoming a weekly stop, a neighborhood place.
Proprietor Feng has created an exclusive space in Shanghai food by bringing a Yunnanese chef to his kitchen and plying him with ingredients unique to the region. The food is simple, tasty and imaginative. And they don't use any MSG, the flavors don't need any augmentation.
Now to the food: start with the charcoal grilled aubergine with tomatoes and chili, you'll never believe eggplant could be so tasty. Move on to smashed peas with Yunnan ham that will taste familiar yet is distinctly local. The wild mushroom chicken casserole is really nice on a cold winter's evening and the fried goat cheese is so tasty you'll probably have to order a second one. Dinner for four is an amazingly good value, just over 200rmb (US$25) excluding drinks.
