Archive for the ‘xintiandi’ Category
[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] Afternoon Tea at The Langham XTD
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Cachet at The Langham XTD
Add: 99 Madang Lu, near Taicang Lu / 马当路99号1楼, 近太仓路
Tel: 2330 2288
Hours: 6:30am~10pm [afternoon tea] 2:30~5:00
Website: xintiandi.langhamhotels.com
Price: [afternoon tea] 280~350 RMB/set
Visited on: 2012-03
After sampling afternoon tea sets at so many hotels in Shanghai, I think I’m just about done. There was, however, one last hotel that I wanted to try, and that is the Langham Xintiandi. I’ve heard good and bad things about the Tiffin Afternoon Tea served at its Cachet Lobby Lounge, and what’s better than coming here and tasting it for myself?
Cachet Lobby Lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows that span two stories, is a bright and airy space ideal for afternoon tea. The cherry on top? Live harp performance.
The tea-smelling set up at Langham reminds me of Smith & Hsu in Taipei. It’s an amusing and somewhat overwhelming experience to open bottles after bottles in an attempt to find the perfect blend. At the waitress’s recommendation, we settled with these two: The Langham Blend and Palm Court Exotic Blend.
The Langham Blend is, as the name suggests, the classic here. It’s a mix of first and second flush Assam, Darjeelings and Tippy Golden Orange Pekoe black teas that have been blended to create a refined and rounded flavor. The Palm Court Exotic Blend, on the other hand, is a blend of Chinese Fujian white tea with hibiscus flowers, rosehip peel and rose petals. I personally preferred the Langham Blend, though the girly girls might pick the Palm Court Exotic Blend for its pink hue. A fun detail is that tea at Langham comes with an hourglass, which guides you to steep the tea for exactly three minutes before pouring it.
[SHANGHAI] Hai Pai Afternoon Tea at Andaz
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Hai Pai at Andaz
Address: Andaz Shanghai, 88 Songshan Lu, near Taicang Lu / 嵩山路88号上海安达仕酒店1楼, 近太仓路
Tel: 2310 1720
Hours: [afternoon tea] 2:30~5:30pm
Website: www.andazshanghai.com
Price: 258 RMB + 15%/set for two
Visited on: 2012-02-12
Fellow afternoon tea-ers, here’s a new spot for you in Xintiandi. Andaz Hotel’s Hai Pai, a fusion restaurant with a modern Shanghainese spirit, recently launched afternoon tea service in both of its compartments. The right side is of a modern Shanghainese decor, while the left is in the style of a French bistro. I chose the right side for its floor-to-ceiling windows, though the music selection was curiously eclectic…Jay Chou + Lenka mix?
Hai Pai
Colorful chopsticks
Roast chickens on display
Hai Pai afternoon tea (258 RMB + 15%/set for two) is definitely one of the more affordable hotel afternoon tea sets out there. What it includes: the savory – 6 small dim sums, 2 cheese and ham sandwiches, 2 smoked salmon sandwiches and 2 mini lobster tarts; the sweet – 4 flavors of eclairs, 2 green tea madeleines, and 2 honey lemon madeleines. The size is about just right – it won’t leave you stuffed, but you probably won’t be needing a full dinner after this either.
[SHANGHAI] Éclair at Andaz
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Éclair at Andaz
Address: Andaz Shanghai, 88 Songshan Lu, near Taicang Lu / 嵩山路88号上海安达仕酒店1楼, 近太仓路
Tel: 2310 1720
Hours: 7:00am~10:00pm
Website: www.andazshanghai.com
Price: 18 RMB/eclair, 30~50 RMB/coffee or tea
Visited on: 2012-02-12
Éclair at Andaz specializes in – you’ve guessed it – éclairs. But before we go on, here are a few words on Andaz for those of you who are unfamiliar with this hotel collection. It is Hyatt’s new line of contemporary, boutique-inspired hotels, located in hip cities around the world like London, New York, and LA. Shanghai’s Andaz, opened only a few months ago in October 2011, is the first in Asia and the sixth in the world. Next time you are in Xintiandi, be sure to drop by and check out its chic designs.
Éclair
Interior
Back to Éclairs, where éclairs take center stage. These oblong-shaped pastries are made from pâte à choux, baked until crisp and hollow inside, then filled with flavored pastry cream and glazed with fondant icing. The word éclair actually came from a French word meaning “lightning” or “flash of lightning”…Why? Je ne sais pas.
Éclairs
Also available: a selection of chocolates, cupcakes, tarts, quiches, breads, and the likes.
[SHANGHAI] Ming Court 明閣 at The Langham Xintiandi
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Ming Court 明閣 at The Langham Xintiandi
Address: Langham Xintiandi, 5/F, 99 Madang Lu, near Taicang Lu / 马当路99号5楼, 近太仓路
Tel: 2330 2428
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~2:30pm [dinner] 5:30~10:30pm
Website: http://xintiandi.langhamhotels.com/restaurants/ming_court.htm
Price: [weekend brunch] 128 RMB/person [lunch] 250~300 RMB/person, [dinner] 300~500 RMB/person
Visited on: 2012-01-17
With its 2 Michelin star standing in Hong Kong, Ming Court at The Langham Xintiandi raises expectations. To test it out, I gathered a group of 5 hungry dim sum lovers to try their 128 RMB/person all-you-can-eat dim sum brunch. The verdict? It’s not 2 Michelin stars, but it’s an excellent deal.
Our private dining room, parasol
We were seated in one of the nine private dining rooms, a pleasant space complemented with smooth and considerate service.
Table
Table setting
iPad menu
The 128 RMB price tag covers everything on the menu except drinks, and tea comes at 25~35 RMB per person. Among everything we ordered (all are of satisfying quality), my favorites were 鮮蝦炸腸粉 (deep-fried rice rolls with shrimps), 明閣四喜餃 (steamed dumplings with shrimps, fish roe, crab meat, and dried scallops), and 鮮蝦雲呑湯 (shrimp and vegetable wonton soup).
[SHANGHAI] Godiva Cafe
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Godiva Cafe
Address: Shop 106 No. 5 Alley 123 Xingye Lu, Xintiandi 盧灣區新天地興業路123弄5號106號店
Tel: 5382 0715
Hours: 11:00am-Midnight
Price: 55-65 RMB/cake, 45-55 RMB/drink
Whisk and Hof dominated the chocolate dessert scene in Shanghai for a long while before Godiva opened its first ever chocolate cafe concept store in Xintiandi. It seems like the cafe is already quite popular, as the spacious 2nd floor cafe area was completed filled up when I visited. Is this because of the prestige, the convenient location, or the actual offerings of the cafe?
Godiva Cafe
Interior
Bar
The interior, dominated by warm chocolate tones, is nothing impressive but comfortable enough to sit through an afternoon.
Dessert showcase
We first tried the Godiva Chocolate Sin, described as “silky dark chocolate mousse with a chocolate glazed moist chocolate cake, layered with crisp chocolate ganache and crispy crunchies, accompanied by Godiva chocolate sauce and chocolate butter crunch almond crumble.” The actual cake itself was not bad but short of its lengthy description.
[SHANGHAI] T8 Restaurant & Bar [2]
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T8 Restaurant & Bar
Address: Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu, near Madang Lu
. 太仓路181号，新天地北里, 近马当路
Tel: 6355 8999
Hours: [Brunch] 11:30am-3:00pm, [Lunch] 11:30am-2:30pm, [Dinner] 6:30pm-11:30pm
Website: www.t8shanghai.com
Price: [Brunch] 258-498 RMB/person, [Dinner] 500 RMB/person
I was determined to come back to T8 after having a lovely lunch here during Restaurant Week, but of course with the multitude of restaurants in Shanghai, three months has past before I finally made it back here. So here it is, the long awaited post on T8, round deux. Brunch here is a sumptuous affair – 258 RMB for two courses, 328 RMB for three courses, and 498 RMB for four courses, all inclusive of a glass Perrier-Jouet champagne and illy coffee or tea (extra 198 RMB for free flow of champagne). Worth the money? Possibly so.
T8 upstairs lounge
Window decorations
We were exhausted after a morning of non-stop Christmas shopping, and were glad to be led upstairs to the tranquil and spacious lounge where brunch is served. The space is delightful – huge windows let in an abundance of natural light, fresh cherries adorning the tables, and Christmas music floating in the air. We sank into the plush sofa at the innermost corner as the waiter brought two glasses of Perrier-Jouet to our table. A most agreeable start!
A bubbly start
The world through a champagne glass
Our first entree, the crispy skin suckling pig with mojo sauce and cauliflower puree, was exceptional. The skin was roasted crispy while the meat remained supremely tender and juicy. The mojo sauce, with its strong curry flavor, worked well with the pork but overshadowed the cauliflower puree.
Crispy skin suckling pig, mojo sauce, cauliflower puree
Our second entree, the mushroom and Gruyere tart with cauliflower puree and asparagus, was equally appetizing. The buttery flaky crust was stuffed with a hearty Gruyere and mushroom filling and topped with juicy mushroom halves. The cauliflower puree, again, served more of a decorative purpose as it was basically indiscernible next to the other strong flavors.
[SHANGHAI] Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐
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Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐
Address: 18 Shuicheng Lu, near Hongqiao Lu / 水城路18号, 近虹桥路*
Tel: 6208 4188
Website: www.dintaifung.com.tw
Price: 100~150 RMB/person
*6 different locations available in Shanghai, click here for the list.
For many people, Din Tai Fung needs no introduction. This Taiwanese chain, with its remarkable consistency in quality and well-trained service, has been rated one of the top 10 gourmet restaurants in the world by NY Times and now operates in 9 different countries. Their soup dumplings (xiao long bao) are simply the best and easily make Shanghai’s famous local 南翔小籠 (Nan Xiang dumplings) look ridiculous in comparison. This place is always packed so be sure to make reservations.
Din Tai Fung Gubei Store
Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese pride
Clean interior and well-trained waitstaff
Some of our favorite starters, clockwise:
香辣牛筋 Spicy ox-tendon 35 RMB,
辣味小黃瓜 Sliced cucumber with chili and garlic, 23 RMB
什錦豆干絲 Shredded bean curd with seaweed and bean sprouts 19 RMB
香干馬蘭頭 Chopped wild vegetable and bean curd 22 RMB
特色蟹粉小籠 Steam pork and hairy crab roe dumplings, 86 RMB/10 pcs
[SHANGHAI] T8 Restaurant & Bar
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T8 Restaurant & Bar
Address: Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu, near Madang Lu
. 太仓路181号，新天地北里, 近马当路
Tel: 6355 8999
Website: www.t8shanghai.com
Price: Dinner 500+ RMB/person, Brunch 258-498 RMB/person
Restaurant Week Stop #2: T8 Restaurant and Bar, Asian-inspired fusion cuisine tucked away in one of the back alleys in Xintiandi. After a dismal start of Restaurant Week at Laris, I kept expectations low as I walked into T8. Sure, it’s a highly regarded restaurant (among Conde Nast World’s 50 Best), but so is Laris (#8 on Miele Guide Top 20 Restaurants in Asia). Fortunately, T8 turned out to be a much more pleasant experience and actually managed to impress with its artfully presented dishes.
One of the back alleys in Xintiandi
Goldfish at the entrance
Window sofa seats
I’m usually a huge fan of window seats, but dining at the T8 window sofas is potentially a very awkward experience. Because two sofas are arranged face-to-face, you will have complete strangers sitting directly across from you (albeit at a distance). Luckily for us, the people at opposite sofa moved…they probably sensed the awkwardness too.
Seems like every restaurant’s got an open kitchen now
Disliked the bread, liked the utensils
As part of the Restaurant Week, T8 put together the following menu (lunch 118 RMB/person):
~Appetizers~
Poached Local Baby Lobster
Spanish ham, asparagus, burnt onion mayonnaise, radish, crispy rice paper
