Archive for the ‘dining’ tag
[SHANGHAI] Dian Shi Zhai 點石齋小宴
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Dian Shi Zhai 點石齋小宴
Address: 320 YongJia Lu, near XiangYang Nan Lu / 永嘉路320号, 近襄阳南路
Tel: 5465 0270
Hours: [Lunch] 11:00am~2:00pm [Dinner] 5:30pm~9:30pm
Price: 100~130 RMB/person
More elegant than Old Jesse, less posh than Yuan Yuan and Jade Garden, Dian Shi Zhai falls squarely in the mid-range Shanghainese restaurant category. Its understated storefront and simple decor are oddly charming, and its dishes, though slightly on the salty side, do not disappoint.
Dian Shi Zhai 點石齋小宴
The door
Interior
Feeling rather lazy right now, I won’t explain each dish in detail, but I’ll leave you with the conclusion that everything we tried are worth ordering again. Do know that all the dishes we ordered were recommended by a frequent patron of the restaurant, so it’s possible that these are the best ones on the menu! I’ve typed up the dish names exactly as they appear on the menu (whether the English makes sense of not) so you can easily refer to them at the restaurant.
Left: Cooked vegetables 重料寧式烤菜, 20 RMB
Center: Cooked small dried shrimps with dehydrated bean curd silk 揚州開陽煮乾絲, 58 RMB
Right: Cooked crucial with scallion shallot 寧式蔥烤鯽魚, 38 RMB
Left: Cooked pork pieces and eggs with special sauce 本幫燒肉醬燴蛋, 78 RMB
Center: Vegetable rice 菜飯, 6 RMB
Right: Hen soup in clay pot 屯習老母雞沙鍋, 98 RMB/half a chicken, 178 RMB/whole chicken
Fried rice cake 糍飯糕
With so many Shanghainese restaurants in town – we are, after all, in Shanghai City itself – I can’t judge how high up Dian Shi Zhai is on the ranking. What I do like about Dian Shi Zhai is the quiet setting, the comfortably spaced tables, and of course the very satisfying dishes. By the way, reserve tables near the windows to avoid being seated at the center of the room, where you’ll feel waitresses brushing up behind you constantly.
Dian Shi Zhai 點石齋小宴
[SHANGHAI] El Willy [2]
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El Willy
Address: 20 Dong Hu Road, Near Huai Hai Road /東湖路20號, 近淮海路
Tel: 5404 5757
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 11:00am~3:00pm, 6:00pm~11:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Website: www.elwilly.com.cn
Price: Brunch 150 RMB/person, Dinner 250~350 RMB/person
It’s been almost a year since I last dined at El Willy, so I decided to drop by again for its popular Saturday brunch. The restaurant was packed – apparently people are still loving what’s served here – but my brunch experience was a combination of mediocre food and horrible service.
El Willy
Paella recipe
Let’s start with the service. We were seated near the doorway leading to the patio, and as it was very windy, we requested to be moved to an inner corner. The waiter refused to move us (a party of two), insisting that the table was reserved for a larger group, but 5 minutes later he seated another couple at that exact table. A very bad start.
El Willy
Then commenced the procession of passable but rather unimpressive dishes. First came the asparagus soup with crispy suckling pig and herb cream, which was not too bad except it was served lukewarm.
Asparagus soup with crispy suckling pig and herb cream
The organic salad was a real downer. The descriptions reads: “organic salad with salmon croque-monsieur, fresh apple, nuts, and balsamic vinaigrette“, but I totally missed the salmon “croque-monsieur” before the waiter pointed to the pathetic pieces of crisps sandwiching bits of smoked salmon. How can you call this “croque-monsieur”? I could’ve let this go – it’s not uncommon for food descriptions to sound more appetizing than the actual execution – but the waiter sneered at us in a “how dare you question the integrity of our kitchen” or “we do not cheat our customers” kind of manner. Now that was unacceptable.
Organic salad with salmon croque-monsieur, fresh apple, nuts, and balsamic vinaigrette
Organic egg with cauliflower puree, foie gras, and sweet wine reduction was pretty to look at, as the yellow egg yolk contrasted beautifully with the blue bowl. The foie gras was a bit stiff, otherwise this was a fine dish.
[SHANGHAI] Yuan Yuan 圓苑
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Yuan Yuan 圓苑 (Xingguo Lu Branch 興國路店)
Address*: 201 Xingguo Lu, near Tai’an Lu 興國路201号, 近泰安路
Tel: 6433 9123
Hours: 10:00am~10:00pm
Price: 150 RMB/person
吉士酒家 (Old Jesse) is my usual go-to place for Shanghainese food, but we all know that it’s impossible to get a seat at this ultra-popular restaurant unless you call a week in advance. So what do you do when a craving for 桂花糖藕 (lotus roots in sweet osmanthus sauce) or 紅燒肉 (braised pork belly) suddenly strikes? 圓苑 (Yuan Yuan) might just be what you need.
*Multiple locations available, check SmartShanghai or Dianping for details.
Yuan Yuan Shanghai Restaurant
The interior of Yuan Yuan is much nicer than most Shanghainese restaurants off the streets. Chic decor aside, the tables are placed at a comfortable distance from each other, something that’s not possible at the perpetually crowded Old Jesse.
Posh interior
Posh interior
These small dishes of appetizers are tasty and addictive (high in MSG?), but not complimentary! 5 RMB each, thank you very much.
Appetizers, 5 RMB each
The sizable close-up picture of 手撕鹹雞 (Hand Shredded Salted Chicken) on the menu was very drool-inducing, so I felt cheated when a tiny mound of chicken was brought to our table. Granted, the dish was delicately presented and quite delicious, but this did not justify the 78 RMB price tag, hand-shredded or otherwise.
手撕鹹雞 Hand Shredded Salted Chicken, 78 RMB
手撕鹹雞 Hand Shredded Salted Chicken
桂花糖藕 (Sliced Lotus Root in Sweet Osmanthus Sauce) is a must-order for me at Shanghainese restaurants, and the Yuan Yuan rendition did not disappoint. The lotus root was slow-boiled to a tender softness while still maintaining its texture. Together with the stickiness of the glutinous rice and the floral fragrance of the sweet osmanthus honey sauce, this was a divine dish.
[SHANGHAI] Lapis Sky Garden
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Lapis Sky Garden
Address: 7/F, 10 Baoqing Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu 宝庆路10号7楼, 近复兴中路
Tel: 6474-7979
Hours: 7:30am-1:30pm
Website: www.lapisskygarden.com
Price: [Drinks] 35~60 RMB, [Food] 150 RMB/person
The Lapis Group is quickly building a small collection of trendy hot spots in Shanghai – Lapis Lazuli, Lapis Thai, Lapis Casa, and most recently, Lapis Sky Garden. Sitting on top of the Lapis Casa boutique hotel, Lapis Sky Garden is an airy cafe/eatery/lounge with an outdoor rooftop garden and panoramic views of the French Concession. The food (Mediterranean cuisine to be exact) as been garnering negative reviews, so we skipped that and just went for the drinks.
Lapis Sky Garden
There are three sunrooms at Lapis Sky Garden, each adorned with comfortable cushions, an abundance of sunlight, and great views of the French Concession. These popular spots get snatched up quickly so be sure to make a reservation in advance.
The sun room
The trio
There is also an outdoor “rooftop garden” with a trickling water wall. Ideal for a balmy day.
Outdoor garden
