Archive for the ‘c. 150 – 299 RMB’ Category
[SHANGHAI] Nene
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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 on: 2012-06
A cute little place on Yongfu Lu with delicious, delicious pasta.
Open kitchen.
[SHANGHAI] SUN with AQUA 東京和食
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SUN with AQUA 東京和食
Add: Bund 6, 2/F, 6 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu 外滩六号2楼, 中山东一路6号, 近广东路
Tel: 6339 2779
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am-2:30pm [dinner] 6pm-11pm
Price: [lunch] 150+ RMB [dinner] 400+ RMB
Visited on: 2010-07
In my years of living in Shanghai and frolicking on the bund, never once I did step into Bund 6, until last week. I was meeting up with a friend for lunch in the area and felt like having Japanese at the moment. Given the limited number of Japanese restaurants on the bund, SUN with AQUA seemed like the only option we had…so in we went.
I haven’t heard much about this restaurant at all, so was surprised to find it a bustling full house when I arrived at 12:30pm. In case you were wondering, the pictures below were snapped after the lunch rush so the dining rooms look empty.
A popular lunch set choice at SUN with AQUA is Tokyo Komachi Bento 東京小便當 (160 RMB), which comes in the form of 8 small dishes along with assorted tempura, udon, ice-cream for dessert, and tea or coffee.
[SHANGHAI] Matto Bar & Pizzeria
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Matto Bar & Pizzeria
Add: Super Brand Mall, GF50, 1/F, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu, near Lujiazui Huan Lu
. 陆家嘴西路168号, 正大广场1楼, 近陆家嘴环路
Tel: 5081 0966
Hours: 10am~midnight
Website: www.mattopizza.com
Price: [lunch sets] 68~128 RMB [a la carte] 150~250 RMB/person
Visited on: 2012-07
Please note that this is an arranged tasting.
Matto, the new pizzeria by JIA Hotel, has been generating a lot of buzz lately especially among my friends in the F&B industry. “Great food at reasonable prices” is the phrase I keep hearing. Time to trek across the river to give it a try?
“Matto” is a light-hearted term meaning ‘crazy’, ‘mad’ or ‘wild’, and this style is certainly reflected in the restaurant design. The interior is a blend of industrial and natural materials infused with a sense of play – the hand-sketched graphics and MATTO characters on the black walls both add a sense of fun and personality.
Chairs imported from New York.
[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] 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] 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).
[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] Afternoon Tea at The Living Room, Park Hyatt (2)
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The Living Room at Park Hyatt
Address: 87/F, Park Hyatt Shanghai, 100 Century Avenue, near Dongtai Lu 世纪大道100号, 上海柏悅酒店87楼, 近东泰路
Tel: 6888 1234
Hours: [Afternoon Tea] 2:00pm~6:00pm
Price: [Afternoon Tea Set] 218 RMB + 15%, [Tea/Coffee] 60~65 RMB + 15%
Website: www.parkhyattshanghai.com
Visited on: 2012-02-24
I’m quite a fan of Park Hyatt’s afternoon tea set, but this time I went back to try their alluring array of à la carte desserts. Cream puffs, fresh fruit tarts, cheese cakes, mango puddings, chocolate mousse…ready for a sugar high afternoon?
The Living Room at Park Hyatt
The view
Caught this reflection by chance…please excuse the digression :)
Reflection
Reflected
Voilà, here they are. Classic French pastries baked fresh daily, just sitting there quietly in their glistening crystal shields, tempting folks like you and I with their alluring colors.
[SHANGHAI] Sunday Fried Chicken at The Public
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The Public
Address: Sinan Mansions, Block 2, 4/F, Lane 507 Fuxing Zhong Lu, near Chongqing Lu / 复兴中路507弄2号楼4楼, 近重庆路
Tel: 3368 9419
Hours: [Wed-Sun] 6:00pm~late
Price: [food] 100~200 RMB/person [drinks] 65~80 RMB/cocktail
Visited on: 2012-02-26
I was so curious about The Public’s Sunday Fried Chicken that I came back within a week of my last visit - a very rare occurrence to see on Sugared & Spiced. The fried chickens here have been garnering great reviews since their Apothecary days, and many diners – despite bashing the place for its strict rules and unsatisfactory service (both have been effectively remedied since the restaurant’s rebranding) – reluctantly admitted that the chickens are a hit. What’s the deal?
The Public
Bar
Here it is, a glorious plate of Whey-Poached Fried Chicken with Buttermilk Biscuits & Coleslaw (half chix w/ 2 biscuits 125 RMB, whole chix w/ 4 biscuits 240 RMB). Free-range, organic chickens that grew up on honey-fermented grains are seasoned (they say it takes 24 hours), battered, then deep fried to a satisfying golden brown. Under the crackling crunch is fragrant, juicy, and tender meat filled with flavor. It is a memorable bird indeed.
Whey-Poached Fried Chicken with Buttermilk Biscuits & Coleslaw
On a separate plate came the coleslaw…
Coleslaw
…and buttermilk biscuits, which weren’t too shabby at all, but the restaurant staff still assured us that they are working on the recipe and will soon come out with a leveled up version of these buttery goodness.
[SHANGHAI] Strawberry Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula
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Strawberry Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula
Address: The Peninsula, 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu / 中山东一路32号, 近北京东路
Tel: 2327 6756
Hours: 2:00~6:00pm
Website: www.peninsula.com/Shanghai/en/
Price: 260 RMB or 340 RMB (with champagne) + 15%/person
Visited on: 2012-02-17
Please note that this is an arranged tasting, so my experience is possibly more positive than a regular visit.
To step into the The Peninsula’s grand lobby is to enter a world of grace and elegance. Subtle tones of celadon green and ivory, triple-height ceiling with palatial columns, live music wafting down from the Minstrels’ Gallery performed by the Lobby String…it’s no wonder that having high tea here is every afternoon tea-er’s dream.
Peninsula Hotel Lobby
Live classical music
Table set up
The Peninsula Afternoon Tea (260 RMB + 15%/set), a spread of exquisitely orchestrated British traditional fare, is served on a claw-footed three tier stand. If you are wondering why the set looks so pink, it’s because the current tea theme is strawberry – from finger sandwiches to scones to macarons, everything is adorned with a touch of pink!
