Review: Slurp

Go to any second tier city in China, search for a day and you might strike lucky on a humble local restaurant run by young enthusiastic entrepreneurs. Bring that feeling back to Shanghai and you’ve got Slurp.

At some point, this city became too focused on big name chefs and restaurant empires to cultivate passion projects. This Yunnan noodle café in north Jing’an is a breath of fresh air.

Slurp offers simple, honest Yunnan dishes, and mains include either fried or soup noodles. A hearty shredded chicken noodle soup (RMB36) has a rustic charm, sultry slow-cooked broth and a zing of peppercorn spice.

A bowl of dry Kunming rice noodles (RMB29) features minced pork, peanuts and a positive kick, but could be a shade larger.

Slurp’s sides are satisfying too, especially a bowl of Halloumi-like goat’s cheese (RMB25). It’s gently fried and dipped in Yunnan spices and served with homemade berry compote. Just one bowl will not be enough. For a more spicy palate, a chili-drenched grilled tofu (RMB15) and bowl of dried spice-coated tiny potatoes (RMB15) had us reaching for a refreshing glass of mango juice (RMB15).

At these prices, Slurp delivers the goods but it will take numerous dishes to satiate a hungry belly. They’re on the right track to gain confidence and expand the menu. It's how passionate, engaging cuisine in an emerging location should be. We’ll keep a close eye on this one.