August rounds out the hot and humid season, when just the mere thought of cooking strikes fear in the depths of our hearts. Luckily, there are some new restaurants eager to help us avoid that chore.

The hottest news of the summer, JUJU – a freeflow Korean BBQ joint previously situated at Three on the Bund that fell prey to the COVID fallout – is back, baby! Mark Klingspon (owner of the Cannery) is reviving this Shanghai mainstay in none other than the previous Cannery space on Yuyuan Lu. “JUJU always felt like a job unfinished…like the right thing at the wrong time. Now that Korean food has really hit its stride in Shanghai, we feel those vibes that set us apart previously still give us a place to play,” says Klingspon.

The star of the show is, of course, the meat – a carefully curated selection of 6+ cuts by JUJU’s “Beef and Ganbei Director,” Luis of UYYU Uruguay Wagyu. Aside from charcoal smoke-imbued meats, expect home-style comfort classics like doenjang jjigae, beef bone soellongtang, dwaeji kalbi (spice-rubbed pork ribs), and buldak “fire chicken,” plus some fun fusions like K-poutine, and K-churros with makgeoli cream, miso salted caramel, and gochugaru-berry jam. On the drinks front, there will be eight tap beers, highballs, slushies, whiskeys, and – of course – lots of soju, makgeoli, and somaek (soju-beer) bombs!

“Before moving to Shanghai, I worked in Seoul for two years and fell in love with the city’s food and drink culture. JUJU is an homage to backstreet BBQs where rounds of drinks in the eponymous JUJU tent bars lasted until sunrise,” adds Klingspon. And to mirror that vibe, JUJU will sport an audio bar with a vinyl DJ and MC set-up featuring a hip hop and K-pop heavy playlist, free flow food and drink deals, a massive graffiti display as the space’s focal point, and bombs, bombs, and more soju bombs!

Look forward to an opening around mid-September with over 100 seats for BBQ, plus another 60 seats scattered throughout the dining and bar area.

A new New World-focused wine bar and bistro from the Ottimo Group (the group behind many Shanghai wine concepts over the years like SOiF, Vinism, Suzie’s, the Warehouse, Ottimo, Le Daily, and Japanese izakaya Ma-ai-ki), Horse and Cow is drawing in big crowds along Xiangyang Lu with its daily RMB99 two-hour freeflow wine deal. The wine list is extensive, matched with a variety of Italian fusion pasta plates, mostly falling in the RMB58-88 range. There’s also tap beers, basic cocktails, and a bass thumping sound system, ideal for spilling onto the street, glass of wine in hand, as the weather mellows.

Another wine bar worth the stopover, Neighbors on Jiaozhou Lu swung open its doors earlier this summer, serving coffee by day and wine pours by night, with a particular emphasis on champagne, sparkling wine, and whites. Wines are available by both the glass and bottle, with simple snacks, like jamon iberico to match.

The cross-cultural Chef Dario, of upscale Italian-Chinese open kitchen Cucina di Dario, has expanded his empire by opening Molo di Dario at the beginning of August on the first floor of the same building, on the always-bustling corner of Wuding and Yanping Lu. While Cucina di Dario is a highly experimental, ever-changing prix fixe menu that combines Dario’s polyglot origins (born in Wenzhou, raised in northern Italy) into one unified culinary philosophy, Molo di Dario sees more classics and a la carte daily specials options, yet still focusing on the same charcoal-grilled, China-sourced seafood ethos. Meaning “harbor” in Italian, it’s no surprise that many of the signatures spotlight the bounty of China’s waters, like wood-grilled yellow croaker, South China striped cuttlefish, and seafood risotto.

Adding to the long list of Yunnan style eateries in Shanghai comes another, 送送 by FINE, backed by the same team as Oror by FINE, one of the city’s hottest Bangkok style canteens. The same idea of taking everyday, homestyle dishes coupled with sophisticated plating and high quality ingredients applies here, this time covering Yunnan’s diverse minority population’s cuisines. Think passion fruit sour fish slices, pu’er shredded lemon chicken salad, fried pork ribs with mint and lemongrass, stir-fried beef with sour bamboo shoots, and more, all available along Yanqing Lu – much more convenient than a flight to western China.

French-inspired buffet restaurant Classique recently opened along Beijing Xi Lu, particularly geared towards workers in the area seeking cheap and cheerful western fare. For RMB98 during lunch hours (11:30am-2pm) and RMB198 for dinner (6-10pm), enjoy unlimited access to an expansive spread of duck leg confit, roasted chicken, papillote white fish, beef bourguignon, braised chicken hearts in red wine, seafood gratin, croque monsieur, quiche Lorraine, chicken rillete, pork terrine, ratatouille, and loads more dishes, plus a baker’s dozen worth of dessert options. In short, come with a full appetite…and probably some stretchy pants.

Another east-meets-west modern bistro, The Blend is just that – a blend of gastronomic offerings from around the globe, highlighting both classics and fusion through western techniques and Chinese ingredients. This Tongren Lu resto-bar sees flavor-forward plates that adhere to the Chinese philosophy of seasonal cooking, where “every dish is a dialogue about terroir.” Look forward to rare Yunnan mountain mushrooms, seasonal East China sea catches, fiery spices of Hunan and Sichuan, against the backdrop of French-style sauces. The dining experience is about “deconstruction, reconstruction, collision, and fusion,” the venue’s tagline.

More than just a grab-and-go restaurant, Urban Stroll is an all-day dining restaurant and shisha bar with an emphasis on Xinjiang and Middle Eastern flavors. Situated along Tianping Lu, diners are invited to try a wide variety of rice pilaf dishes, served up with all manner of lamb meat, pumpkin filled steamed manti dumplings, and baked samsa. Pro tip: Don’t miss the Dubai pudding dessert, a chocolate-pistachio lovers’ dream.

Thai bistro fare is Shanghai’s latest obsession, and another joint is added to the already stellar lineup with 蓬蓬·Pongpong on Sinan Lu, a pocket-friendly ode to the Land of Smiles. Elevated Thai classics – like pad krapao with a runny egg yolk, green curry, seafood tom yum, red curry, stir fried water spinach, and mango sticky rice are on offer, with most sharing plates falling in the RMB58-98 range. The first floor is centered around one large communal table, flanked by smaller two-person tables, a bar counter, and plants abound, while upstairs features more mixed seating for different size parties.

As Shanghai’s cocktail scene reaches new heights, another watering hole seems to open every day. This time it’s Bar P.J. by Yifu Jiang, of Bar O.J., conveniently located next door on Shaanxi Nan Lu. The retro furnishings are amped by playful touches – like Hawaiian shirt-clad bartenders and pineapples lining the wall, a nod to the bar’s full name, Pineapple Juice. The menu is equally playful, with tiki and other fruit-inspired libations, like a shiso and jalapeño margarita, a tequila soda of sorts with watermelon and matcha granita, and a pineapple coconut Irish coffee. Following its grand opening on July 31, Bar P.J. has already welcomed several guest shifts, like Chiang Mai’s White Rabbit Speakeasy and Harold Wu of La Escapada, cementing its position in Shanghai’s bar industry.

Another fresh drinking outpost, Opia is a minimalist style cocktail and wine lounge on Fumin Lu next to Chez Jojo with a standout rooftop terrace overlooking Shanghai’s sprawling skyline. The bar menu, written on a foldout fan, sports classics with a twist – such as a southside, espresso martini, neon negroni, clover club, bramble, and French 75, plus a few more inventive libations. Bar snacks are crushable Asian-leaning finger foods, like prawn toast, air-fried fish spring rolls, beef tripe with spicy mustard, stuffed jalapeño poppers, sea urchin turnip cakes, and the like. Stop in during the daytime for coffee or evening for cocktails.

Following a two-year stint, the three-story house party-esque live music venue and brasserie ROAM closed earlier this month after being closed in early summer for renovations and temporarily reopening in June. Word on the street is they may open again in a new space later on down the line. We can only hope…