Archive for the ‘dinner’ Category
[SHANGHAI] Tang Gong 唐宫
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Tang Gong 唐宫
Add: 1/F, 103 Dong Zhu’anbang Lu, near Jiangsu Lu 东诸安浜路103号维景酒店公寓1-2楼, 近江苏路
Tel: 6251 6148
Hours: 7:30am-10:00pm
Price: 50~80 RMB/person
Knowing that I won’t be able to get any good dim sum in Paris (not at this price, at least), I went for a dim sum brunch at Tang Gong right before my departure. Cha siu sou, shrimp dumplings, roasted pigeons, turnip cakes, egg tarts, cha siu buns, chicken feet, stir-fried noodles with beef…The best part? We stuffed our faces, yet the bill came out to be less than 60 RMB per person!
[SHANGHAI] Pulau Ketam
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Pulau Ketam
Add: Xintiandi S. Block, Lane 123, 2-3 Xingye Lu, near Madang Lu
新天地, 兴业路123弄2-3号, 近马当路
Tel: 5306 3706
Hours: 11:30am~2pm, 5:30~10:30pm
Price: 400 RMB+/person
Visited on: 2012-07
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 with a menu that focuses on – you guessed it – crabs. 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.
[SHANGHAI] Sushi Naramoto 壽司奈良本
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Sushi Naramoto 壽司奈良本
Add: 1/F, 557 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu / 永嘉路557号1楼， 近岳阳路
Tel: 6230 0226
Hours: 5:30pm~late
Price: 1000 RMB/set
Visited on: 2012-07
I remember hearing about Sushi Naramoto when it opened last year and thinking: “Woa, really? More expensive than Sushi Oyama?” An omakase dinner set priced at a whopping 1000 RMB…curious, very curious. Let’s see what it involves.
Naramoto’s original sushi bar in Jing’An is currently being renovated, so we went to his second newly-opened location on Yongjia Lu, diagonally across from Surpass Court. The new Naramoto occupies the first floor of an old villa overlooking a tranquil garden, and I expected the setting to be very serene, but somehow the ambience was rather uneasy when I walked in. It was around 6:15pm so it was before the dinner rush, yet I was barely acknowledged when I entered, the waitresses were scurrying around to make seating arrangements, and no music in the air. Not a good first impression.
Here are the sushi chefs at work. Kenji Naramoto-san is the one in the center.
Appetizers: marinated mackerel and chopped tuna.
[SHANGHAI] Mercato by Jean Georges
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Mercato by Jean Georges
Add: 6/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu / 中山东一路外滩3号6楼, 近广东路
Tel: 6321 9922
Hours: 5:30pm-1am
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: approx. 300 RMB/person
Visited on: 2012-07
Please note that this is an arranged tasting.
When Mercato by Jean Georges opened last week at Three on the Bund, it instantly became one of the loveliest dining spots in Shanghai. It’s hard not to fall in love with this place, a stylish interior designed by Neri & Hu (the same folks behind The Waterhouse and Table No. 1) with a modern and extremely likable Italian menu. A charming evening, guaranteed.
The design at Mercato bridges the organic and natural with elegance and modernity, using a combination of reclaimed wood, warm leather, exposed steel, iron, and glass. Stylishly rustic, if you will. I especially loved the use of fresh herbs and vegetables, which added a warm and inviting touch to an otherwise very polished vibe.
Guests will first pass through The Mercato Bar, then arrive at The Pizza Lounge illuminated by an Italian wood burning oven. A perfect spot for a casual meal with a friend or two.
[SHANGHAI] Maekawa 前川
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Maekawa 前川
Add: 4/F, 1157 Hongqiao Lu, near Yaohong Lu / 虹桥路1157号4楼，近姚虹路
Tel: 6270 6107
Hours: 5:30pm~12am
Price: [sets] 600~1000 RMB, [a la carte] 300~600+ RMB/person
Visited on: 2012-07
If you are craving top quality nigiri sushi for dinner but want something lighter than a full-on Sushi Oyama-type of meal, try Maekawa. This understated sushi bar doesn’t have much superfluous flair to it, it simply serves very, very good fish.
Bar seats, always go for the bar seats, but yes tables and private rooms are also available.
Complimentary appetizer.
Maekawa offers kaiseki sets that range from 600 to 1000 RMB, but we were in the mood for nigiri sushi only and decided to order by the piece. The meal started with Hiramasa 平政 (90 RMB/pc), a type of yellowtail that’s regarded by the Japanese as one of the finest sashimi fish. Its pale pink flesh is firm, sweet, and rich with a higher fat content compared to the other yellowtails. What a luxurious mouthful! I almost want to say that I like this more than tuna belly.
[SHANGHAI] Kappo Yu 割烹雄 (2)
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Kappo Yu 割烹雄
Add: 33 Wuxing Lu, near Huaihai Lu / 吴兴路33号，近淮海路
Tel: 6466 7855
Hours: 6:00pm-11:00pm, closed on Sunday
Price: 690 RMB/person, drinks extra
Visited on: 2012-07
My first visit to Kappo Yu was not as stellar as expected, but after hearing a few more good words about it (some claiming it to be as good as or even better than my favorite Sushi Oyama), I came back again to give it another try.
The atmosphere at this tiny restaurant is toned down yet light-hearted, with soft jazz floating through air. Patrons sit across its beautiful lacquered red bar, which only accommodates around 14 people. A private room is available, but bar seats are of course the preferred choice.
Kappo Yu serves a 10-course seasonal menu (690 RMB/set) that changes monthly. Here’s this month’s menu, available in Japanese, English, and Chinese, and scrolls of drinks lists for guests to choose from (if you order sake, you will also have a chance to pick your own sake cup).
To my surprise, Terada Yohei – the man behind the bar – remembers me even though my last visit was over a year ago. What an amazing memory. He is a friendly guy who will happily engage you in conversations if he senses your interest, the only drawback is that he doesn’t speak English and Chinese as well as Oyama-san does.
[SHANGHAI] Le Bistro de L’Ouest
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Le Bistro de L’Ouest
Add: 287 Hunan Lu, near Wukang Lu / 湖南路287号, 近武康路
Tel: 6433 8561
Hours: 6pm~2am
Price: 200~300 RMB/person
Visited on: 2012-06
Have you ever heard of that “small French bistro” on Hunan Lu, the one that “doesn’t even have a sign”? Well, I finally had the chance to dine there for a friend’s birthday dinner, and oh my, what a roaring good time it was!
Le Bistro de L’Ouest occupies two floors of a non-descriptive lane house on Hunan Lu. There are no signs at the door, so make sure you got the right building number and just walk right in.
The birthday girl personally knows the folks at Le Bistro de L’Ouest, who orchestrated a lovely family-style dinner menu for her at the cost of 200 RMB per person, wine included. Here’s everything we had, starting with the bread basket.
Saucisson.
Escargots.
[SHANGHAI] Mr & Mrs Bund (2)
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Mr & Mrs Bund
Add: 6/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu 中山东一路18号6楼, 近南京东路
Tel: 6323 9898
Hours: [lunch] Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm, [dinner] Tue-Sat 6.30pm-4am, Sun-Mon 6.30pm-10.30pm
Website: www.mmbund.com
Price: [Lunch] 200~250RMB [Dinner] 400+RMB
It’s been a year and half since I last dined at Paul Pairet’s Mr. & Mrs. Bund (oh my, how time flies), and I was happy to be back again last week for another terrific meal here. The restaurant was quite full even on a Monday night, but I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised – Mr. & Mrs. Bund was recently ranked #95 on St. Pellegrino’s World Best Restaurants, the first restaurant in China to ever enter the list. I’m not too obsessed with these rankings, but the status sure is a recognition for Mr. & Mrs. Bund’s popularity.
Doesn’t this seating arrangement remind you of the Mad Hatter tea party from Alice in Wonderland? ;)
The meal, as usual, started off with a complimentary can of delightfully airy tuna mousse served with thin crisps.
[SHANGHAI] Franck
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Franck
Add: Ferguson Lane, 376 Wukang Lu, near Tai’an Lu / 武康路376号, 近泰安路
Tel: 158 2167 6767
Hours: [Tue-Fri] 6pm-10:30pm [Sat-Sun] 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm (Closed on Mon)
Website: www.franck.com.cn
Price: 450~600 RMB/person
Visited on: 2012-06
Despite all the negative reviews Franck has received (most of which targeted its service and price), I had a very charming dinner here just a few evenings ago. The prices are still up there, but the service has improved dramatically since the restaurant’s earlier days, while its ambience remained as bewitching as always with its Jazzy lounge music, exposed light bulbs, and dark wood furnishings. And the food? Fantastique.
The menu du jour, scribbled in French on two blackboards, offers a selection of hearty dishes that changes according to the availability of ingredients. Our waiter, a young Chinese man who has been working at the restaurant for 4 years, was knowledgable about the details of each dish and happy to explain.
[SHANGHAI] Shari
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Shari
Add: 630 Yongjia Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu / 永嘉路630号, 近乌鲁木齐路
Tel: 5466 0320
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 11:30am~2:30pm, 5:30pm-11pm [Sat-Sun] 11:30am~2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Website: www.shari-shanghai.cn
Price: 150~250RMB/person
Visited on: 2012-04
5 minutes before dinner, my friend called and said in an unsure voice, “I’m at the door, but this place doesn’t look like it serves sushi…” Indeed, the colonial villa in which Shari is situated in does not resemble a typical Japanese restaurant, but no one has ever decreed that sushi rolls can only be served in tatami-floorered rooms, right?
We started with an assorted appetizer plate (98 RMB), which included shari tofu (Japanese tofu mixed with mascarpone cheese), umani (Japanese traditional stewed clam), kamonegi (roasted duck and fried scallions with balsamic), tomato with avocado, onsen tamago (half-boiled egg with miso jelly), and nanbanzuke (fried white fish marinated in sweet vinegar sauce).
