Being lovers of Charlie's' burgers and shakes, we've been waiting a long time for the team to open its doors on this one. And now it's finally here – The Milkshake Bar is open for business.
Just a few doors down from Charlie's on Changshu Lu (in the spot formerly home to Captain Rooster), The Milkshake Bar is slinging giant shakes like this city's never seen before.
It all starts with a base of a classic Charlie's uber-thick milkshake, which is then loaded up with sweets stuck to the glass using slightly sweet cream that doesn't melt instantly – so it should stay pretty for those Instagram photos.
They then get topped off with donuts, Strictly Cookies ice cream sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, crispy wafers and, of course, loads of whipped cream – just try to forget about the calorie count for a bit, sometimes you deserve a glass of pure sugar and cream.
And finally, they light 'em up with a giant sparkler.
Besides milkshakes, owner Charles is using the space as a test kitchen to try out recipes for, well, stuff he really likes. At the moment, he's big on experimenting with Sichuan flavours playing around with sous vide dishes. Here's a few things he's come up with so far...
The Bang Bang Chicken sandwich
The Bang Bang Chicken sandwich piles loads of mala spice marinated chicken onto crusty bread with a zesty guacamole.
Avocado toast
A spread of hummus on thick-cut bread sets this avocado toast apart from others around town – and the avocado flower's creamy petals surround a runny sous vide egg.
Pork ribs
The pork ribs shred nicely from the bone, bringing nice tender bites of smokey meat soaked in tangy barbecue sauce.
Buffalo wings
For a throw back to Captain Rooster's chicken, try the super crispy buffalo wings made with the one and only Frank's hot sauce.
Sous vide burgers
And finally, there are The Milkshake Bar's sous vide burgers. The slow cooking method results in super soft, juicy patty that looks like it's almost rare inside, but this bad boy is cooked through and through – try the blue cheese and bacon burger.
The Milkshake Bar is in what they call 'super super soft opening' – the team is still experimenting with their recipes and menu offerings, so prices are accordingly lower until they figure it all out (a practice we wish would accompany all 'soft opening' warnings we so frequently hear at Shanghai restaurants). Plus, head in this week and say 'I LOVE MILKSHAKES' and you'll get a free beer. Soft opening hours Tue-Fri, 4-10pm; Sat-Sun midday-10pm.
The Milkshake Bar 75 Changshu Lu, near Julu Lu, Jingan district.
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