Strolling along the Tai He Gang Road in the Yue Xiu district, it's easy to imagine that you have suddenly, as if by supernatural force, been transported out of Guangzhou.
Non-Chinese faces abound and no bustling Cantonese restaurants are to be found. Instead, a Middle Eastern butcher shop, a European-style cafe, an Italian pizzeria - and, if you can find it, a little place called NoXXi.
At first glance, NoXXi gives one the impression of an exclusive clientele: small, hard to find and discovered primarily by word-of-mouth. According to NoXXi's charismatic Australian manager, Dallas, that's definitely part of it. With dark circles under his eyes, looking like a man with an inhuman sleep schedule, he explains that a bar can have great ambience, tasteful music and strong drinks (all of which NoXXi has), but what counts most is the people that hang out there. Once you've settled into NoXXi's intimate atmosphere, all the flaunted RMB in the world won't help you if you don't know how to chill. Obnoxious drunks beware...
Which could pose challenges, since NoXXi has an unspoken appeal as an "afterhours" joint, the kind of place vampyric types, ready for the next leg of their evening's debauchery, seek out after everything else has shut down. Once inside, late-night revelers are greeted by a sinful interior of hot red and black, somehow cozy and dangerous simultaneously. Skilled dj's keep the sound system throbbing with exotic mixes as Dallas whips up cocktails from his considerable arsenal. He says he understands that drinking in bars is seriously hard on the pocketbook and, well, at 45 to 55 RMB, drinks at NoXXi aren't exactly cheap. However, one can count on getting a well-crafted beverage that doesn't skimp on alcohol, like so many other bars in Guangzhou.
For all that, you probably wouldn't consider NoXXi a place to have dinner. Think again. With a full menu complete with a variety of salads, appetizers and grilled dishes, NoXXi provides a strong alternative for western-style dining in Guangzhou. We sampled the smoked salmon with artichoke hearts, mixed greens and capers (45RMB) as well as the grilled pork kebab (68RMB), served in a wrap with cucumbers, tomatoes and sauce. Both were of ample proportions, and neither disappointed. But... the real star from NoXXi's kitchen may very well be the burgers. Of course, you didn't hear it from me.
(by Stephen Roach, photographed by Kaisheng Lu)
Noxxi's washroom, which is "hard to find".
Add: 1 Floor, Ru Yi building, 20-1, Tai He Gang Road, Yue Xiu District, Guangzhou. 广州市越秀区太和岗路20号之一如意大楼1楼
Tel: +86 20 8768 5588
International Strikes Kill 9 Afghan Police 
HK Staff Work Some of Longest Hours in World 
Beijing Opens Three New Subways ahead of Olympics