Bikini - Gourmet Drunk Food on Yongfu Lu
Our first time in Shanghai, having arrived after midnight, we picked up a cab outside of our hostel and told him we wanted to go to Yongfu Lu.
The smiling Chinese cabbie, having little to no knowledge of English, extended his arms outward and pumped his fists twice.
“Boom Boom” he shouted.
And that’s Yongfu Lu, the small stretch of bars and restaurants housed in a leafy side-street in the French Concession where late-night antics carry over to early morning hours.
Exiting the cab, we unknowingly stumbled into the newest, hippest, and most gourmet hot dog joint in Shanghai.
Bikini is a brainchild of charismatic chef Guillermo ‘Willy’ Trullas Moreno, the man behind Shanghai’s best Spanish restaurant, el Willy. The store is also affiliated with el Coctel, the stylish cocktail lounge located directly above Bikini on Yongfu Lu.
The sandwich shop is curiously decorated with an 1970’s adult film motif that somehow manages to be tastefully sleazy – making it a good fit for it’s still somewhat seedy location.
Offerings could be classified as inventive drunk food and aside from the hot dogs, the menu has a noticeable Latin influence. Though my latin style chorizo sandwich with chimichurri spread wasn’t large enough to be considered a meal and took quite some time to prepare, the combination of flavors and quality of the sausage made it worth the price.
Now a couple months older, Bikini had only been open for 4 days when we arrived in Shanghai.
So go to Shanghai. It is a remarkable city that is leading the way in an evolving nation. And if it is entertainment you seek, an all night binge of sorts, make your way to Yongfu Lu – The Boom Boom Street.
Roshni posing with "el Willy"
Scott Adam 