Reviews

The Nanjinger prides itself on the objectivity and impartiality of its reviews of restaurants, retail establishments, books, weekend retreats, etc. The Nanjinger receives no payment for the reviews herein, although on occasion, the item(s) under review may be donated by the vendor. Readers should be forewarned that places do sometimes close with little notice, either temporarily or permanently.

Reviews

The Invincible Jade, An Englishman in Suzhou

Frank Hossack -
By now, there must have been thousands of books written by foreigners in China about China, and the huge majority are mediocre at best. Two of the exceptions to this are Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporters Nicolas Kristof...
Reviews

Swing Dance Craze Hits Nanjing

Sophie Kirkby -
A world apart from square dances and Chinese traditional dancing, Jinling Yaobai Swing Nanjing classes have arrived in the city. Think 1920s America, where jazz music was in its prime, and imagine bustling bars with live music and energetic...
Reviews

Veggies Spoilt at Nanjing’s Cheapest Buffet

Faye Randall -
With the prospect of my new vegetarianism, I was in a panic, at a loss of how to keep myself nourished in China, a country renowned for including meat in every meal, wherever possible. I went to my closest...
Reviews

Reality Check; Bread, Check; Sourdough, Check; Café, Check

Renée Gray Beaumont -
Born in Scotland and raised in England, Isabelle Ma, owner and head chef at Real Bread Cafe in downtown Xinjiekou, speaks with conviction and passion when it comes to her life; cafe and bread. “Being a chef in Europe...
Reviews

Hot New Dog Let Out in Nanjing’s Xinjiekou

Kristen Wang -
We entered into the restaurant through wooden doors, the sports-themed decoration immediately eyecatching. Small but cosy, newly opened Rockin’ Bar might be just the place to rest after a hectic day of shopping in Nanjing’s city centre. Turns out the...
Reviews

Old Fish Need Not Learn New Trick

Sophie Kirkby -
On the arduous quest for a decent espresso in Nanjing, I stumbled upon the Fish Tank Cafe, an already well-established set up which began in 2012. As we are all aware, first impressions can often be deceiving in China,...
Reviews

Hotel Buffet Reinvented; And What a View!

Renee Gray Beaumont and Frank Hossack -
The luxurious Jumeirah Group has moved in and single handedly lit a fire up the rear of an already stagnating Nanjing industry; the hotel buffet. Raising the standard of buffet service to a much-needed, new level of chic and...
Reviews

No Worries, Mate! Battle of the (Aussie) Brunch; Round 2

Renée Gray Beaumont -
This month we explored the back streets of Taipingbei Lu on our way to No Worries, a Melbourne inspired café, located a hop and a skip away from 1912. What makes a café good? What makes it authentic; what...

Latest News

Frank Hossack -

Shanghai’s Railway Map Shifts East; Cross City to Hongqiao soon but a Memory

For years, Shanghai’s high-speed rail map has pulled passengers towards Hongqiao. That balance is beginning to change. New stations...
Frank Hossack -

Shiseido Sues Aldi over a ¥24.9 Primer that Resembles Its ¥540 Rival

Shiseido has sued Aldi China, the product's manufacturer and an Aldi Shanghai store operator over unfair competition, arguing that...
Frank Hossack -

Forty Tables Became Twenty; Then the Bookings Stopped

Susu has sold wedding banquets at one of the biggest hotels in her small town in northern China for...

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