Archive for the ‘jingan’ 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] Spread The Bagel X Amelia’s Jams
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The Pantry
Add: 90 Nanyang Lu, near Xikang Lu / 南阳路90号, 近西康路
Tel: 138 1871 9543
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 7:30am~6pm [Sat-Sun] 8am-6pm
Website: www.bytheco-op.com
Prices: [cookies] 35 RMB/bag of 5 [bagels] 45 RMB/half-dozen [jams & chutney] 35~45 RMB/jar
Visited on: 2012-06
If you remember my post on Strictly Cookies, I had an absolutely sugar high afternoon in Lexie’s kitchen space where she fed me just about everything in her delicious repertoire. I was back there again this week for a little rendezvous with Christine Asuncion from Spread the Bagels and Amelia Heaton-Renshaw from Amelia’s Jams, two of Lexie’s buddies from The Pantry. Uh oh, here comes another afternoon of serious overeating…
Please note that the pictures below were not taken at The Pantry, but at a separate kitchen space.
In the picture above, from top left to bottom right: White Knight (white sesame), Cinnarella (cinnamon raisin), Parmesan Pleaser (parmesan), Plain Jane (plain), Cocoa Fever (chocolate chip), and Everything Supreme (everything!) – 45 RMB for a half-dozen.
Bagels might look simple to make, but it’s actually a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. At Spread the Bagel, the whole drill takes about 16 hours in total and involves steps of making the dough, flavoring, letting it rise, shaping, letting it rise more, chilling, letting it rise more, boiling, then baking. This gives the bagels a shiny, caramel-colored crunchy exterior and a dense chewy interior, which, when paired with freshly-whipped cream cheese (available in regular, scallion, honey walnut, etc.), is just about as simple (yet gratifying) as breakfast gets.
[SHANGHAI] Brunch at Jing’An, The PuLi Hotel
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Jing’An Restaurant
Address: 2F, The PuLi Hotel and Spa, 1 Changde Lu, near Yan’an Xi Lu / 常德路1號2樓， 近延安西路
Tel: 2216 6988
Hours: 11:30-2:30pm, 7:00-10:30pm
Price: [brunch] 398 RMB + 15%/person
Website: www.jinganrestaurant.com
PuLi Hotel’s Jing’An Restaurant – adorned with dark woods, bamboo screens, lotus flowers, and huge plate-glass windows overlooking Jing’an Park – is one of my favorite places in Shanghai. Brunch here is a lavish affair, with two buffet tables in addition to a la carte orders of main courses and desserts, plus the optional free flow of Moet & Chandon Brut or Moet & Chandon Rose. What else can you ask for?
Jing’An Resaurant
Table setting
Buffet tables
I usually don’t like buffet food because mass production usually leads to subpar quality, but the buffet tables at Jing’An are quite nicely put together. What they entail: a fresh seafood station, charcuterie selection with dressing, roasted meats, freshly baked breads and pastries, imported cheeses, pickled station with pickled eggs, cucumbers onions and marinated mushrooms, fresh salad selection, a variety of homemade condiments, and fresh fruits. Yes, it’s a lot of food.
Smoked salmon, charcuterie
[SHANGHAI] Afternoon Tea at The PuLi
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The PuLi Hotel & Spa
Add: 1 Changde Lu, near Yan’an Zhong Lu / 常德路1號，近延安中路
Tel: 3203 9999
Hours: [afternoon tea] 2:30~5:30pm
Website: www.thepuli.com
Price: [afternoon tea 下午茶] 240 + 15% RMB/set, +100 RMB for Moet & Chandon Brut NV
Visited on: 2011-12-03
Please note that this is an arranged tasting, so my experience is possibly more positive than a regular visit.
In this cold weather, there’s not much better than spending a warm and delicious afternoon at The PuLi Hotel & Spa. The sun-filled lobby, an elegant space that feels a world away from the dizzying Shanghai city center, is a most ideal place to enjoy the hotel’s newly launched afternoon tea service.
The PuLi, a sunny afternoon
Christmas decoration
For a even more secluded experience, head upstairs to Jing’An Restaurant, an understated yet stylish dining room overlooking Jing’An Park. You can also choose to take the tea service out on the terrace, but let’s save that for a warmer day…
Jing’An Restaurant
Table setting
Instead of the typical three tier tea stand, we were presented with a gorgeous wooden lacquer box, and instantly I knew PuLi’s afternoon tea would be different from anything else I’ve tried in this city.
[SHANGHAI] Kush
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Kush
Address: 98 Yanping Lu, near Xinzha Lu / 延平路98号, 近新闸路
Tel: 5175 9822
Hours: 11:00am~10:00pm
Website: www.kush.sh
Price: [starters & salads] 36~59 RMB, [mains] 47~69 RMB, [drinks] 30~60 RMB
Visited on: 2011-11-03
Please note that this is an arranged tasting, so my experience is possibly more positive than a regular visit.
After a most gratifying but artery-clogging meal at Kota’s Kitchen, I sought respite at Kush (“happiness” in Sanskrit), a vegetarian cafe serving light-hearted dishes. Lentil burgers, vegetarian pastas, hummus wraps, green smoothies…the dishes here can be hit or miss, but we all need a meal like this once in a while.
Kush
Counter
The place is small, with only 4 tables available. The decor is simple and light: blonde wood, white tabletops, and a scroll of The Heart Sutra hanging on the wall.
Decor
Seats
Numb from the freezing weather, I skipped the cold appetizers and went right into the hot dishes. I liked the Lentil Burger (59 RMB), complete with greens, sun-dried tomatoes, chives, walnuts, corn, avocado slices, fresh tomatoes, and pesto on toasted buns. It’s a wonder how meatless burgers can taste this good.
[SHANGHAI] M & S Cafe
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M & S Cafe
Address: 4F Marks & Spencer, 863 Nanjing West Rd, near Shimen 1 Rd / 南京西路863号玛莎百货4楼，近石门一路
Tel: 6218 2558
Hours: 10:00am~10:00pm
Price: [lunch] 30~60 RMB
Visited on: 2011-11-10
For those of you working near the Nanjing West Road subway station, here’s another lunch idea for you: M & S Cafe, up on the 4th floor of Marks & Spencer. I’m not a fan of this retailer in particular, but its cafe is not a bad place to rest your feet or to grab a quick lunch.
M & S Cafe
Sandwiches on display
Cakes and cookies
Today’s Light Meal
“Today’s light meal” is Moussaka (59 RMB), a hearty Greek/Middle Eastern lasagna-like dish. Layers of sauteed eggplants, tomatoes, minced meat, béchamel (white) sauce, sprinkled with cheese, then baked to a glorious golden brown. Rich, filling, comforting.
[SHANGHAI] Fu 1015 福 1015
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Fu 1015 福 1015
Address: 1015 Yuyuan Lu / 愚园路1015号
Tel: 5237 9778
Hours: 11:30am~3:00pm, 5:30~10:00pm
Price: minimum spend 800 RMB/person
If you’ve read my previous entry on Fu 1039, you know that the Fu restaurants have established a solid reputation for serving refined Shanghainese dishes in nostalgic old villas. The newest and priciest addition to the series, Fu 1015, promises to be more extravagant in all aspects. So is it really that different from its siblings? Let’s find out.
Fu 1015 private room
Orchids
To fulfill the minimum spend of 800 RMB/person, Fu 1015 pre-arranges menus for all guests. Ours started with an Old Shanghai Smoked Fish 老上海熏魚 (58 RMB). Served hot, crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside, flavors all there. Well done.
[SHANGHAI] Fu 1039 福 1039
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Fu 1039 福 1039
Address: 1039 Yuyuan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu / 愚园路1039号, 近江苏路
Tel: 5237 1878
Hours: 10:00am~11:00pm
Price: 200~250 RMB/person (minimum spending 150 RMB/person)
The creators of the Fu restaurants – Fu 1039, Fu 1088, and the latest Fu 1015 – have a penchant for refurbished old villas hidden in discreet alleys. Take Fu 1039 for an example. It’s tucked away in an unobtrusive lane on Yuyuan Lu, one that you would certainly miss if you weren’t specifically looking for Fu 1039. Once you enter the beautifully illuminated mansion, however, you’ll be greeted with an understated luxurious air that can only be experienced in one of these thoughtfully restored old Shanghai villas.
Fu 1039
First floor
First floor
I personally prefer the first floor dining hall, which is more light-hearted with plenty of natural light. The 2nd and 3rd floor are more somber with dark furnishings and dim lighting, but those are also the floors where private dining rooms are located.
First floor dining room
The food at Fu 1039 are as refined as its ambiance. We ordered some 10 dishes that evening to share among seven people, and we were quite happy with most of them. Here’s what we sampled:
老上海薰魚 Old Shanghai Smoked Fish, 58 RMB
冰花醉雞 Marinated Free-Range Chicken in Shao-Xing Rice Wine, 58 RMB
[SHANGHAI] Cha & Living 春在中國
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Cha & Living 春在中國
Address: Rm 102, Building 1, 1107 YuYuan Rd, near JiangSu Rd 愚园路1107号1号楼102室, 近江苏路
Tel: 5403-5268 3430-7266
Hours: 11:00am-9:00pm
Website: www.chunzaidesign.com
Price: [Tea] ¥35~45, [Desserts] ¥35~45, [Tea Sets] ¥60
It was another miserably grey and rainy afternoon in Shanghai. Already 10 minutes late for my afternoon tea rendezvous, I scurried along Yuyuan Road while desperately looking for Cha & Living, the tea house where my friends were waiting. Then I found it, hidden inside one of the many creative quarters that have sprung up in Shanghai in the recent years. I pushed open the heavy wooden door and was ushered into a world of hushed elegance.
Cha & Living is actually a modern Chinese-style furniture designing company from Taiwan. Their Shanghai flagship store – filled with precious aged elm wood, thick sandalwood, bamboo, palm, lacquer – is an endeavor to integrate beautiful cultural items into everyday life. The thoughtfully composed space, a pleasure to look at from every angle, also functions as a tea house.
[SHANGHAI] Plum Gallery [2]
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Plum Gallery
Address: No. 1025 Nanjing Xi Lu, Lane 37 (near Maoming Bei Lu) 南京西路1025号37弄 (近茂名北路)
Tel: 5213 6565
Website: blog.sina.com.cn/plumshanghai
It’s been a while since I last visited Plum, and this small gallery has moved down the same lane in Jing’an Villa and transformed itself to an arts and crafts workshop space. If you are in the area, drop by and take a look at the quirky knickknacks they are selling at this place.
Here is a schedule of workshops, which should also be available on their blog.
