After a facelift and a sizable menu update, Laizhou Bar has reopened on Fumin Lu. The new space is brighter and cozier, and the menu now goes beyond Sichuan cuisine to include a modern take on flavors from Yunnan and Guizhou.
It’s a thoughtful update, and easily the strongest version of Laizhou Bar so far. The food’s tasty! Check them out below.
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The Space
The interior feels noticeably lighter and way comfortable than before. More importantly, it finally makes sense.
The main dining room opens toward the bar, lined with comfortable banquettes in soft, light tones. A handful of seats face the long bar, perfect for casual drinks with a few bites.
Tucked further inside is a cozy nook that leads into another large room, almost playroom-like in feel, giving the space a sense of movement rather than one long dining hall.
There’s even a lounge area between the terrace and the entrance to the bar.
Laizhou Bar is operated by Laizhou Distillery, a Chengdu-based spirits producer that makes its own vodka, gin, single malt whisky, and fino. Those spirits anchor the cocktail menu and even show up in a few dishes.
The Food
The food menu honors its Sichuan roots, but now includes neighboring provinces Guizhou and Yunnan, along Shanghainese influences from their Shanghai-native chef.
It’s somewhere between modern and familiar: contemporary plating, traditional flavors, the occasional fusion combo, and creative reinterpretations. There’s a lot that’s new, though crowd favorites like the spicy pork ribs, mapo tofu with bone marrow, and arancini with Iberian ham and bamboo are still around.
New Dishes at Laizhou Bar
One of the standouts is Fengshui and Fortune (¥88). It’s a lofty name for a dish that’s basically a jazzed up chicken salad.
Poached Qingyuan chicken sits front and center, glossy, juicy, and nicely taut. Around it are shallots, both raw and pickled, scallions, peanuts, pomelo, crispy wonton strips, fried taro, and crispy chili crumble, served with ginger and scallion oil. Call it a salad, but it works just as well as a bar snack, and a very good one at that.
The Guizhou Style Salmon (¥128) leans a little more modern. Instead of river fish, Laizhou uses pan-fried salmon, paired with a sour Guizhou-style tomato broth enhanced with bacon, mixed mushrooms, pickled chili, and tree tomatoes. It’s bright and citrusy, and has that distinctive aroma from litsea pungens that makes you want to dig in immediately. It’s a dish that calls for rice!
Then there’s the Sichuan Boiled Beef Noodles (¥48), which I genuinely loved. Maybe it’s the use of Nissin instant noodles, which soak up the broth almost instantly that makes it deeply comforting. The soup itself is house-made, built on beef stock, chilies, and spices. It’s tangy, spicy, and warming, topped with thin slices of Angus beef that gives the dish its luxe feel.
The Kungpao Beef (¥88) is destined to be the new crowd pleaser. Tenderloin cubes are tossed with leeks, peanuts, and sesame seeds, imbued with the numbing spice and fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns. The deep-fried potatoes are a highlight, too: crisp on the outside, sauce-soaked with a slight chew, and soft in the middle.
As for Shanghainese influence? The Braised Pork with Abalone (¥108) aka hongshaorou. Made with Kurobuta pork, the belly is fat rendered and tender, soaked in a rich sauce fragrant with five spice. The abalone is tender with just enough bite. Served over rice, it’s pure comfort.
For something lighter and snacky, there’s the Seaweed Battered Fish (¥68). Yellow croaker is battered with seaweed and fried until airy and crisp, served with yuzu soy sauce spiked with huadiao wine.
Roasted Razor Clams (¥68) are served over vermicelli and topped with fragrant XO sauce. It’s like a dressed-up version of street-style grilled clams. The cold dish of Laizhou Yellow Wine Whisky Drunken Shrimp (¥68) features four plump shrimp done drunken-style, finished with a splash of the distillery’s own peaty whisky for extra depth.
If you’re into richer textures, Trotters with Pickled Chilies (¥68) is solid. The trotters are cooked until tender, then fully deboned into thick strips. They’re braised with radish in a tangy sauce of pickled chilies, soy sauce, and spices, served with deep-fried dough sticks that are clearly meant for sauce-soaking.
On the more creative, Western-leaning side is the Dongpo Lamb Shanks (¥108). Fork-tender lamb sits over thick mashed potatoes, finished with a sweet-savory dongpo sauce scented with dried orange peel.
The Laizhou Fino Whisky Tiramisu (¥38) also follows the east-meets-west narrative. Ladyfingers are swapped out for airy ma lai gao (the steamed dim sum cake), soaked with espresso and Laizhou Fino whiskey, layered with mascarpone, and finished with cocoa powder. It’s a surprising, clever, and well-executed twist!
In Summary
With a brighter space and its most confident menu yet, Laizhou Bar feels settled in the best way. The food is a balance between comfort and creativity, offering a bit of something for the diverse crowd that passes through the Fumin Lu nexus.
Top three favorites: Kungpao Beef, Fengshui and Fortune (chicken salad), Braised Pork with Abalone.
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Laizhou Bar
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