Brad Turley | Sugared & Spiced

2011/11/302015/09/28

[Shanghai] Goga (2)

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 on: Nov 2011 (visit 1)

Another casual dinner at the small but delicious Goga, and this time I made sure to reserve a bar seat where I could see the open kitchen in full action. Alas Brad Turley wasn’t there that evening, but it’s good to know that his staff is able to manage the place without his presence.

We started the meal with something we haven’t tasted before – Sizzling Kampachi Sashimi (95 RMB) with fresh yuzu, white soy, and white truffle. A few irresistible slices of kampachi resting a a puddle of white soy and white truffle, delicious.

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2011/05/082015/09/28

[Shanghai] Goga

restaurant

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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