[Shanghai] Brunch at Madison

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[Shanghai] Brunch at Madison

Madison

Add: 3/F, 18 Dongping Lu, near Hengshan Lu / 东平路18号, 近衡山路
Tel: 6437 0136
Hours: [daily] 6pm-10:30pm, [Sat-Sun Brunch] 12-3pm
Price: [dinner] 300 RMB/person [brunch] ~100 RMB/person
Visited: Aug 2011

Madison is the hotspot for brunch in Shanghai. Take a look at some usual favorites at this contemporary American restaurant and you’ll want to make a reservation right away (which is highly recommended because this place is now always packed on the weekends).

Please note that Madison has reopened in another location.

I like to start my brunch at Madison with Spiced Hot Chocolate (52 RMB), a cup of Cacao Barry hot chocolate sparked with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili.

Poached Eggs (48 RMB) is a favorite among Madison advocates. Two perfectly poached eggs sit atop pig trotter croquette and house made English muffin, complete with a generous pouring of xo hollandaise sauce. Slice it open and out oozes the runny yolk.

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[Shanghai] Goga

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[Shanghai] Goga

Goga

Add: 1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu 岳阳路1号, 近东平路
Tel: 6431 9700
Hours: 6:30-10:30pm
Prices: 300~350 RMB/person (without wine)
Visited: May 2011 (visit 2)

I was eating so much during the week of my birthday that I really should’ve been stuffed beyond limit, but when good food is on the agenda, somehow that capacity is never reached. So there I was, sitting at Brad Turley’s Goga at the end of my gluttonous week, eager to try his famed Californian cuisine that has swooned so many. It’s a small, unpretentious place that can fit perhaps 20 people sitting elbow to elbow. All that crowding does not make a quiet room, but I was looking for a deliciously buzzy evening, and Goga was exactly the place to be.

Before we talk about the food, here are some tips about dining at Goga:

Tip #1: Make a reservation (6:30pm and 8:30pm slots available).
Tip #2: Arrive on time and keep an eye on your watch, as you will really need to clear out by the end of your two-hour slot for the next table of guests.
Tip# 3: Sit at the counter so you can see the kitchen in full action.

Our meal started off with West Coast Lobster Roll (90 RMB), a buttery brioche sandwiching chunky lobster salad with lemon tarragon aioli. Excellent.

The waiter then suggested the Torched Tuna Tataki (95 RMB), which isn’t currently on the menu but will be by next month. Beautiful slices of torched tuna were placed amidst a generous splatter of miso soy mustard, then topped with a scattering of furikake dancing across the plate. The wasabi flavor was a too overpowering for me, but if you are a fan of this pungent horseradish, give the torched tuna tataki a try.

Next came the Cast-iron Seared Nantucket Scallops (180 RMB), accompanied by perfectly cooked white asparagus, porcini mushrooms, and a lobster champagne nage. Supreme, must order.

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[Shanghai] Mr. Pancake House

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[Shanghai] Mr. Pancake House

Mr. Pancake House

Add: 877 Wuding Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu / 武定路877号, 近胶州路
Tel: 6255 1648
Hours: 7:30am-10:30pm
Price: 30~50 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2010

This small pancake specialty shop in Jing’an area is so popular that they don’t even take reservations (not on weekends, at least). The food and the decor are just ok, but the the price is unbeatable – for less than 50 RMB, you get pancakes, sausages/bacon/ham, eggs, home fries, plus coffee or tea.  Better yet, they serve breakfast until 3:00pm!

On this particular Sunday early afternoon, we waited about 20 minutes before we got seats for four. A word on the outdoor seats – if you choose to sit outside, expect to breathe in excessive car fumes as you chow down the pancakes because you will be sitting next to a busy road.

Most of the breakfast sets are similar – 2 small pancakes, 2 eggs any style, home fries, and sausages/ham/bacon – my favorite being the German sausages. If you’d rather not do sets, the banana walnut pancakes (28 RMB) would be a safe choice, though they are pretty much just plain pancakes topped with banana slices, a dollop of cream, and a few walnut bits.

German Sausage Breakfast (48 RMB).

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[Shanghai] Dakota

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[Shanghai] Dakota

Dakota

Add: 30 Donghu Lu, near Xinle Lu / 东湖路30号, 近新乐路
Tel:  5403 8906
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 11:00am-midnight [Sun] 11am-6pm
Price: [Brunch] 100 RMB/person, [Dinner] 200 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2010

2014 update: venue closed.

An American bistro located on Donghu Lu close to Sushi Oyama and El Willy. Lunch and dinner seem a bit overpriced, but come here for a comfortable brunch featuring classic items such eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, omelettes, Croque Madame, seafood chowder, and the likes. It’s simple, and it’s good. The wood-paneled and black leather chair interior is not my usual favorite vibe for brunch, but to occasionally diverge from the typical ‘sunny patio brunch’ path is not so horrible either.

Other than the items mentioned above, you’ll also see shrimp and grits, brisket hash, frittata, egg salad tartine, apple crepes, etc. If you come with a big group, there are some big plates to share as well: “roast leg of lamb served with bone marrow butter, salad, and duck fat frites”, and the “bone-in ribeye served with frisée salad, duck fat roasted potatoes, and béarnaise”.

We started with the Seafood Chowder in Sourdough Bread Bowl (50 RMB), which was thick and creamy with chunks of salmon and other seafood. The sourdough bread bowl was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A good start.

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