restaurant | Sugared & Spiced

2012/08/272015/09/28

[Shanghai] Madison, Reopened!

Madison

Add: 3 Fenyang Lu, near Huaihai Lu / 汾陽路3號，近淮海路
Tel: 6437 0136
Hours: [daily] 6:00pm~10:30pm, [Sat-Sun brunch] 12:00pm~3:00pm
Price: [dinner] 300 RMB, [brunch] 100~150 RMB
Visited: Aug 2012

…And it’s back! After a few months of hibernation, Madison – one of my favorite places for brunch in Shanghai – soft-opened its new Fenyang Lu location just this past week. Poached egg with pig trotter croquette, stuffed brioche French toast, refried potato pancake sticks…I have missed you!

The new Madison is divided into two parts: part one is the original Madison concept, while part two “Madi’s” is a more casual gastro-lounge at a lower price point, and is also where brunch is served. Our table wasn’t ready when we arrived at the restaurant, so we commenced our midday drinking at the bar. Here’s a Madison Mimosa (55 RMB) made with bubble, orange juice, and ginger orange sorbet.

Madison is currently using the old brunch menu, but rumor has it that they will be introducing some new items starting next weekend. Here are some old favorites, many of them I’ve described here so will just present you the pictures this time: refried potato pancake sticks (30 RMB).

Poached eggs with pig trotter croquette, housemade English muffin, xo hollandaise (48 RMB).

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2012/08/272015/09/23

[Shanghai] Rui Fu Yuan 瑞福園

restaurant

Rui Fu Yuan 瑞福園

Add: 132 Maoming Nan Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu 茂名南路132号乙, 近复兴中路
Tel: 6445 8999
Hours: 11am-2pm, 5-10pm
Price: approx. 100 RMB/person
Visited: Aug 2012

I figure I should at least have one full-on Shanghainese meal before my departure for Paris, and decided to have the feast at Rui Fu Yuan 瑞福園. Unfortunately the must-order “大黃魚棒打小餛飩湯 yellow croaker soup with pork wontons” was already out by the time we got there, so be sure you either go early or reserve the popular dishes ahead of time. Here’s everything we ordered, all done quite well! Starting with this 黃瓜熗海蜇 marinated cucumber with jelly fish (39 RMB).

白切肚頭 boiled pork stomach (38 RMB).

弄堂烤菜 roasted vegetable (15 RMB).

本幫醬鴨 stewed duck in soy sauce (28 RMB)

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2012/08/252015/09/24

[Shanghai] Dinner at Jean Georges

restaurant

Jean Georges

Add: 4/F, Three on the Bund, 17 Guangdong Lu / 广东路17号, 外滩三号4楼
Tel: 6321 7733
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~2:30pm [dinner] 6:00pm~11:00pm
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: [lunch] 218 RMB+ 10% [dinner] 668~1458 RMB + 10%
Visited: Aug 2012 (visit 2, 3)

At the end of my internship at Jean George’s pastry kitchen, Executive Chef Lam Ming Kin and Pastry Chef Seani Lin very kindly treated me to an extravagant meal at the restaurant. Now am I lucky, or am I lucky?

Kin put together a special tasting menu for me and my dinner companions that evening. It looked similar to the Seasonal Menu (1458 RMB + 10%), but a few dishes have been substituted.

It all started with a glass of Perrier-Jouët…

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2012/08/212015/10/07

[Shanghai] Pulau Ketam

restaurant

Pulau Ketam

Add: Xintiandi S. Block, Lane 123, 2-3 Xingye Lu /  新天地, 兴业路123弄2-3号
Tel: 5306 3706
Hours: 11:30am~2pm, 5:30~10:30pm
Price: 400 RMB+/person
Visited: Jul 2012

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

The folks behind Haiku by Hatsune and Kagen Teppanyaki recently opened Pulau Ketam, an upscale Singaporean/Malaysian crab house. I’m not so familiar with this cuisine and was quite eager to try…but first, a chilled towel and a welcome drink at the door to cool down the summer heat.

We started the meal on a light note with an Organic Mixed Green Salad (138 RMB), a lush heap dressed in sweet orange vinaigrette and punctuated with crunchy candied walnuts. Crisp and refreshing.

Aubergine Tempura with Pork Floss (108 RMB), julienned aubergines fried to a golden crisp, then topped with sweet and savory pork tendon floss.

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2012/08/202015/09/24

[Shanghai] Ishimi 石見

restaurant

Ishimi 石見

Add: 991 Beijing Lu, near Nanhui Lu / 北京路991号, 近南汇路
Tel: 6217 9872
Hours: [lunch] 10:30am-2pm [dinner] 7:30-10:30pm
Price: 200~250 RMB/person
Visited: Aug 2012

A discreet little Japanese restaurant on Beijing Xi Lu with friendly service and simple, authentic dishes. The menu is only in Japanese, so ask the waitresses for recommendations if you need, or take a look at what we ordered below for some ideas.

Appetizer, okra with some kind of crunchy slimy vegetable (a type of seaweed?) bathed in vinegar sauce. Very tasty and totally woke up our palates.

牛肉と水菜サラダ (60 RMB), beef & mizuna salad in sesame sauce.

鰹たたき (85 RMB), katsuo tataki – lightly torched skipjack tuna with garlic and chopped scallions in vinegar sauce.

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2012/08/202015/09/28

[Shanghai] VUE at Hyatt on the Bund

restaurant

VUE Restaurant & Bar

Add: Hyatt on the Bund, 30/F, 199 Huangpu Lu, near Wuchang Lu 黄浦路199号, 外滩茂悦大酒店30楼, 近武昌路
Tel: 6393 1234
Hours: 6~11pm
Website: www.shanghai.bund.hyatt.com
Price: [dinner] 450+ RMB + 15%/person
Visited on: 2012-08

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

There’s nothing mind-blowingly inventive about the dishes at VUE at Hyatt on the Bund, but old time favorites like Caesar salad, lobster bisque, sirloin steak, and crepe suzette are done very well. The cherry on top? A ridiculous view of the Bund and the Lujiazui financial district.

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2012/08/182015/09/27

[Shanghai] Nene

restaurant

Nene

Add: No.106, 47 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Lu / 47永福路106室，近复兴路
Tel: 6418 5055
Hours: 11am~midnight
Price: [lunch] 98~138 RMB/set [dinner] 200~300 RMB/person [brunch] 198 RMB/set
Visited: Jun 2012

A cute little place on Yongfu Lu with delicious, delicious pasta.

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2012/08/182015/09/29

[Shanghai] Unico & Colagreco

restaurant

Unico & Colagreco

Add: 2F, Three on the Bund, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu / 中山东一路3号外滩三号2楼
Tel: 5308 5396
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 6pm~2am [Sat-Sun] 6pm~late
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: 500+ RMB/person
Visited: Aug 2012

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

Unico & Colagreco, the new tenant on the 2nd floor of Three on the Bund, is – as its name suggests – composed of two parts. Part 1 is Unico, a casual bar with signature cocktails and Argetinian tapas, and Part 2 is Colagreco, a Mediterranean-influenced fine dining restaurant by Mauro Colagreco, the first Argentinian chef to be awarded two Michelin Stars. Let’s take a peek at Unico first.

I didn’t spend much time in this space, but here’s a little expert from SmartShanghai for your info:

“The (tapas) menu plays off of a theme of compass coordinates. Take S-46°W-68°, for instance. That’s Patagonia, and it is expressed through flavors like ‘Fresh Crab Meat with Avocado and Grapefruit’ or ‘Clams with Smoked Eggplant Caviar and Criolla Sauce.’…Naturally, the cocktail list follows the same theme with selections from the Caribbean like el Presidente (Havana three-year rum, homemade sweet vermouth, and grapefruit bitters, with an orange twist), or their signature Cosmopolitan de Malbec, once again from Patagonia.”

While waiting for the rest of my dinner party to arrive, I sipped on a glass of Sparkling Mojito (180 RMB), the “sophisticated” version of the famous Mojito, with fine bubbles – Perrier Jouët Grand Brut, Havana 3Y rum, fresh mint, fresh lime, fresh lime juice, syrup.

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2012/08/172015/09/27

[Shanghai] Bouquet

restaurant

Bouquet

Add: 3/F, Xinhua Bookstore, 1829 Beijing Xi Lu, near Wanhangdu Lu / 北京西路1829号, 近万航渡路
Tel: 3372 7600
Hours: 11am~midnight
Website: www.bouquet-wine.com
Price: [lunch] 50~100 RMB [dinner] 150~200 RMB
Visited on: 2012-08

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

Hidden on the 3rd floor of the newly opened Xinhua Bookstore is Bouquet, a small wine bar with the ambience of a cozy, secluded attic. As the name suggests, the focus here is wine – there are some 100 choices by the bottle and a dozen or so by the glass – but the dinner menu is actually also quite attractive in itself. Executive chef Rafael Qing, formerly of Maya, has created a range of dishes that blend the east and west, with sizes that are meant to be shared. Could this be your new after-work hangout?

I particularly liked this corner of the room.

Wine, wine, wine, with Riedel glasses.

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2012/08/162015/09/24

[Shanghai] TAYA Japanese Restaurant 讚岐田野

restaurant

TAYA Japanese Restaurant 讚岐田野

Add: 1F 20-05 Far East International Plaza, 319 Xianxia Lu, near Gubei Lu / 仙霞路319号远东国际广场B栋1楼02-05, 近古北路
Tel: 6270 0253
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~1:30pm [dinner] 5:30~11pm
Price: [lunch] ~60 RMB/set [dinner] 100~200 RMB/person
Visited: Aug 2012

One of the best things to devour on a hot humid summer day like this is a refreshing bowl of cold udon noodles. While I couldn’t find somewhere as bright and airy as Taipei’s Tomitamaya, I did manage to spot a place with authentic udon: TAYA Japanese Restaurant. The interior and decor are nothing to sing about, but the udon noodles are the draw here.