Since I’m undergoing dental treatment and can’t eat anything spicy or irritating, the restaurants I tried during this trip to Changsha basically lacked any local characteristics. So, I’ll just jot down some casual notes…
Heisenberg
Let’s start with food. First, I tried a German restaurant located on the 7th floor of IFS. It’s situated in a rooftop garden, but there’s a door connecting directly to the indoor mall, so you don’t have to worry about the weather when entering the restaurant or going to the restroom. Although the restaurant is named after a famous physicist, it actually reminded me of Breaking Bad.
The ambiance is great, with plenty of sofas and large, well-spaced tables. You can even see the giant KAWS statue outside the window; while many people queue up out there to take photos, watching from inside the restaurant feels very relaxed and comfortable. The service was also quite good.
I ordered the platter recommended on Dianping, which included pork knuckle and sausages, along with two beers. The beer tasted great—actually better than the food. The pork knuckle skin was a bit tough, though the meat inside was okay. The sauerkraut was average and nothing special, but the sausages were good. Overall, if this place were in Shanghai, I probably wouldn’t highly recommend it, but for Changsha, it’s pretty decent.
TORO MaKi Sushi
Next is a small Japanese restaurant on the 4th floor of Huachuang Plaza. A structure built in the middle of the mall serves as the dining area, with a sushi bar next to it. The Japanese style is evident throughout the shop. The environment is a bit cramped with limited seating, and sometimes it’s hard to find a server, but the service itself is still very good.
The biggest surprise was definitely the food. At this price point, the quality is incredibly satisfying. Everything from the salad to the beef tongue and grilled avocado was delicious. Highly recommended.
Luguang Cafe
Ranked No. 1 coffee shop in Changsha on review platforms, it’s located next to a mobile service hall. Parking here is truly a nightmare—the only available lot is right in front of the service hall, but since it’s always packed, cars line both sides of the road, making the risk of getting a parking ticket very high. It basically depends on the traffic police’s mood… The cafe is on the second floor above a convenience store; the entrance isn’t very easy to find, but once inside, you realize the space is surprisingly large. I really liked the white-themed decor. There are only two staff members, so they struggle to keep up, especially on busy weekends.
The owner handles most of the coffee-making himself, which must be exhausting. For espresso, they offer two blends—one darker and one lighter—as well as pour-over and some creative coffee drinks. I ordered a Dirty and a Latte, and was very satisfied with the coffee quality. This place actually reminds me of ‘Thirty-Three’ in Changchun that I introduced before, except it’s much larger and feels a bit understaffed. Still, it’s definitely worth a visit. If I get the chance to go back, I’d love to try their Coconut Cold Brew and Affogato.
Yiwai Coffee
This cafe is located upstairs in the Hunan Museum. The name is pretty quirky, and the space is massive with a great atmosphere. It wasn’t too crowded, though one downside was that I rarely saw anyone cleaning or tidying up the tables. The cafe has two counters: one serves regular coffee, milk tea, and food—many people come here just to check in for the cakes and takeaway cups… The other counter specializes in specialty coffee. Naturally, as someone only interested in coffee, I headed straight for the specialty counter. They offer a variety of pour-overs and SOE options. I ordered two lattes; although the cups were a bit tall with narrow openings, the coffee quality was solid. Overall, if you’re visiting the museum, stopping by here for a cup of coffee is a great choice.
Photos in this post taken with SONY A5100 + 16-50 f3.5-5.6, edited in Lightroom.
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