I gather this spot has been a mainstay of the Wudaokou student pub scene for quite a while, so I was eager to try it. I'm always on the lookout for a good burger joint with authentic, western-style burgers and (ideally) quality beer, so, when an appointment took me to the neighborhood the other day, I quickly settled on Lush for a meal afterwards.
Pluses -- service was decent. Atmosphere was convivial and friendly. I got a great table with a panoramic view of the neighborhood. A musician was warming up, and, while I didn't stay late into the evening for whatever entertainments the place had planned, the sound system and acoustics seemed pretty well-balanced (I'm not a fan of eardrum-splitting decibel levels).
My main "beef" (sorry!) was the low quality of the burger. No, it wasn't the worst I've had in China. But that's not saying much. I don't expect "authentic" tasting ground beef in Chinese-style establishments. Which is why I never order beef unless I'm in a Western-style spot. Lush definitely seems to pass itself off as the latter. Not sure what the issue is, but I think they'd do well to review their beef sourcing.
OK, my other issue was the price and quality of the draft beer. I don't think "Lush" markets itself as a high quality, micro-brewery style joint. Which is good. Because it's far from it. I ordered the "larger" size offering from one of the two draft brews on offer, and it was just a normal pint glass. For seventy kuai. Ouch. And, it was a pretty insipid, stale beer. You can get a serious, high quality craft beer for 50-60 yuan at the usual Dongcheng/Chaoyang suspects. I then tried the other draft beer on the menu (a Belgian brew, so they claim), and, while this one was a lot larger -- probably in the 20 oz range -- it, too, was really mediocre.
"Lush" strikes me as the kind of place that is cruising on the strength of a great location and a one-time reputation as a hot hangout. It basically offers overpriced, student-quality food and drinks. What it doesn't offer is thoughtfully prepared food and a quality menu of craft beers.
Just know what you're in for and you won't be disappointed.
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Comments
Re: Tired Burgers. Overpriced Beer. Resting on Laurels?
Thank you very much for your revew hank9000.
I'm sorry to hear that you had a subpar experience in Lush. We certainly don't rest on our history or past glory, we work hard everyday in one of the most challenging industries in China. And it is essential to us to hear feedback from our customers to identify where we might be falling short. Craft beer is one avenue we have identified as an area where can make a marked improvement. We are making moves to change our draft offering to local craft, as well as change our pricing strategy. I'm sorry that move wasn't completed in time to affect your recent experience, but your review helps to illuminate that a change is needed and that we're on the right track, if not a little late to the station. So thank you again.
Our beef is imported from NZ, and ground fresh in-store daily. We made the change to freshly ground imported beef late last year specifically to improve quality. When you refer to the low quality of the burger, did my chefs cook the burger poorly or did you feel the flavor and texture were off? Did you find the flavor lacking or was it under-seasoned? Was it specifically the beef or was there an issue with the bun or the other produce?
Thanks again for your review. If you would prefer to respond privately, please contact me:
Josh@gunghopizza.com
186-1832-0237
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