Convenient location and creative drinks at Haploid

A couple weeks ago we went out to dinner with our good Chinese friend Marshall. Marshall lives here in Shenzhen and knows some really cool places. Some of these places require a hefty taxi fare or multiple transfers on the metro. They are definitely worth the effort, don’t get me wrong. But then there are the places that are more… “convenient,” I’ll say. Before I get to that…

Dinner at McCawley’s

Marshall suggested we meet for dinner at an Irish pub near Coco Park. We’ve been to McCawley’s a few times and it’s always been great. In addition to their extensive drink menu they make a variety of dishes we’re familiar with. Their nachos are amazing. Their salads are crisp and fresh. They have an all-day breakfast that we haven’t tried but that catches my eye every time I look at the menu.

Consistently great food

Aubrie played it safe and ordered the pulled pork sandwich she knows and loves. Marshall had fajitas that came out sizzling and smelled delicious. I rolled the dice and had a McCawley’s burger. I don’t usually order burgers but it was well done. And well-done. I’m the only one in the family that eats their beef well-done and I happily chew it under constant criticism. I understand that the rest of the Walters gang thinks the meat tastes better when it’s a little more pink and a little less brown, but I just need it brown. I’ll eat a hockey puck. It’s fine. Understand me, the McCawley’s burger was NOT a hockey puck. But it was beautifully brown.

Ever the backbone of our health-consciousness, Kim ordered a chicken sandwich but asked for it to be wrapped in lettuce in place of the bun. This was common practice for us back home but the request often gets lost in translation here. Thankfully, the grill master came out to confirm her request. She was happy.

After-dinner surprise

As it was a school night, I thought we’d be heading back home after dinner. I’m lame, I know. Marshall had other ideas though. He said he was taking us to a bar and since I enjoy an adult beverage (or five) and I happily complied. Having a good friend who is also Chinese is convenient in Shenzhen.  Around the corner and a short walk later, we found ourselves inside Haploid, a speakeasy in downtown Shenzhen. Kim and I had been to a speakeasy in Portland, ME called Lincoln’s and it was so much fun. We love these things!

For our readers who don’t know what a speakeasy is, it’s a bar tucked away from plain sight. You have to know it’s there to know it’s there, if that makes sense. Technically, a genuine speakeasy serves alcohol illegally but I’m pretty sure the ones we’ve discovered are on the up-and-up, even though they are sometimes not convenient to find. They originated during Prohibition in the US and had I been alive during that time, I’m sure I would have been a regular patron.

Around, in, down and up

So part of the fun of finding a speakeasy is physically FINDING it. Had we not been with Marshall, our entrance probably would’ve taken a lot longer. I can’t tell you how to get into Haploid, but I can say it will be worth the struggle. Once inside, we went upstairs and found some cozy chairs and a couch to hang out in. The room felt like a swanky living room; it was dark, the furniture was soft and inviting and we sat around a huge, sturdy coffee table. Had it been bright enough in the room, we could’ve played a board game while enjoying our drinks.

The menu was as entertaining as our drinks were delicious. These bartenders are serious about their craft and you can see and taste it in their products.

Brazen, feminine, brash and preserved

Above you will see a pink One Night Stand in the foreground with a Marilyn Monroe in the back. The ingredients of each drink escape me but the details remain. The One Night Stand appears to be prepared for lovin, convenient and complete with condom clipped to the side of the glass. Upon further inspection, the condom was actually a wet nap. Elegant Marilyn arrived in a stylish retro handbag alongside a lipstick made of chocolate.

Below, you see Marshall firmly gripping his Prey while my Mummy lies dormant behind. The cool thing about speakeasies is EVERYTHING. They are so hip. Drinking out of a paper bag on the street might make you look like a bum. In a speakeasy there is no judgement. And the Mummy came with gummy worms! No further detail required.

If you are in Shenzhen, check this place out. I am ethically bound to not tell you exactly where t is, but we will happily take you near the entrance and let you figure it out! If you are not in Shenzhen, try to find a speakeasy near you! Think of it as an adult Easter egg hunt. If you strive for a convenient entrance to Haploid, feel free to creep on their Facebook page. But I’m not even going to tell you how to get to that, either.

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