[Shanghai 上海] TASTE Shop

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TASTE Shop

Add: 105, Building 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road
Tel: 18221041418
Hours: 12:30-8:30pm (closed on Mon)
Website: www.taste-shop.com
Price: [coffee] 12-99RMB
Visited: Jan 2016

When I was wandering the tiny alleys of Tianzifang a few weeks ago, my attention was caught by this quietly stylish shop near the entrance of lane 210. “TASTE Shop”, it says. I went in for a quick round and was impressed by its selection of homeware, accessories, fragrance, tools, and other pretty knickknacks, mostly imported from Europe and Japan. I had no idea at the time that I would soon be introduced to the owners of this place via a mutual friend. “They are opening a cafe right upstairs and need pastries,” explained the friend, “You guys should talk.”

某次在田子坊閒逛時發現了一家很漂亮的店,叫做 TASTE Shop。不大的空間裏陳列了各式各樣有型的雜貨,大部分好像都是從歐洲和日本挑選來的。心裏想著這家店主品味真好,沒想到兩周後就通過朋友介紹認識了。“他們樓上要開咖啡店,想跟你討論下甜點,” 朋友是這麽跟我說的,“你們聊聊吧。”

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So I came back on a sunny day to meet shop owner Yutaka, a fashion designer-turn-visual merchandiser, originally from Tokyo but has lived in Shanghai for over 10 years. Together him and his Chinese Canadian wife Viko (photographer by profession) started TASTE Shop back in 2013. Since then, the space has evolved to what it is now – a select shop, an exhibition space, and most recently, a cafe.

所以我挑了個陽光明媚的日子回到 TASTE Shop,和店主之一的 Yutaka 碰了面。他是東京人,不過在上海住了10年,加上母親是上海人,中文說起來極順(順到我一度以爲他是個取了日本名字的中國人)。做視覺設計的他和攝影師太太 Viko 兩人一起在 2013 年開了 TASTE Shop,本來是家選品店+展覽空間,然後就在這個月,又多了個咖啡館的角色。

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The newly-opened cafe has so many chic details to notice. The menu, for example, is handmade – and by handmade, I mean even the paper itself is made by their staff.

這裏有太多漂亮的細節。比如說菜單是手工做的,而且真的是連紙本身都是店員自己做的,非常用心。

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Manning the cafe counter is Yutaka and his colleague Patrick. Both trained with Mr. A of Shinzan Mono (a coffee shop in the French Concession), but Yutaka specializes in hand drip coffee while Patrick does the espresso-based variations.

在吧台煮咖啡的有 Yutaka 和 Patrick,兩人都是從 “新參者” 咖啡店主理人小A那裏學的,不過 Yutaka 做手沖,Patrick做意式,一人一台機器玩的很開心。“新參者” 這家咖啡店我倒是第一次聽說,下次有機會去看看。

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[Shanghai] Chikalicious

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Chikalicious

Add: Shop 205a, Xintiandi, No.5, 123 Xingye Lu, near Madang Lu
Tel: 6333 9233
Hours: 11am-11pm (closed on Monday)
Price: [cake] 68 RMB [dessert set] 188 RMB (+10% service fee)
Visited: Jan 2016

Please note that this was an invited tasting.

My first time trying Chika’s desserts was 8 years ago in New York. I wasn’t a pastry chef back then but already had a serious sweet tooth, and I took the time to visit Chikalicious’ first (and only, at the time) shop at East Village just so I can try the famed 3-course dessert menu. When I heard that Chikalicious opened in Shanghai, I got curious – what would Chikalicious be like without Chika?

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Running the kitchen of Chikalicious Shanghai are two young pastry chefs of only 28 years old – Mauro from Argentina and Maya from Thailand (grew up in the U.S.) They both worked at Chikalicious New York before coming to Shanghai, but got there via very different paths. Mauro started in the kitchen during his teens, and made his way through quite a few Michelin-starred restaurants such as L’Arpège in Paris, Gordon Ramsay in London, and Nobu 57 in New York, as well as famed pastry shops like Gerard Mulot. Maya was originally an industrial designer, and it has been only a year since she officially started working in the kitchen, but her confidence and practiced gestures are not at all like a newbie. Before joining Chikalicious, she was previously at three Michelin starred Eleven Madison Park, where she spent some time both front of the house and in the kitchen.

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On another note, Maya personally wrote these “reserve” cards. Very pretty!

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[Shanghai] Tori-ichi 酉一

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Tori-ichi 酉一

Add: 509 Guyang Road, near Yaohong Road / 古羊路509号,近姚虹路
Tel: 5477 3661
Hours: 5:30-12pm (closed on Sunday)
Price: 120-150 RMB/person
Visited: Jan 2016

Tori-ichi 酉一 is a popular izakaya in Gubei area with quality food, reasonable price, and efficient service. A good choice for a rowdy gathering among friends if you happen to be in the area.

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Sake sake.

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Chicken liver braised in ginger (25 RMB).

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Grilled knee gristle (10 RMB/skewer) and chicken tail (12 RMB/skewer).

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[Shanghai] AUNN Cafe

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AUNN Cafe

Add: 1728 West Nanjing Road, near Huashan Road / 南京西路1728号,近华山路
Tel: N/A
Hours: 8:30am-10pm
Price: [coffee] 30 RMB+
Visited: Oct 2015

AUNN, short for “all you need now”, is an ultra spacious cafe recently-opened on West Nanjing Road, just off the busy intersection where Jing’an Temple is located. It’s run by an ex-Seesaw Cafe and, in addition to good coffee, features sleek 3D-printed RvR Chairs, Melting Pot Tables made from recycled materials, and Fresnel Lights built using transparent plastic of old CD, all from Dirk vander Kooij. Not too bad at all.

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[Shanghai] Thought for Food

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Thought for Food

Add: 357 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Taiyuan Lu / 建国西路357号, 近太原路
Tel: 3338 4666
Hours: [daily] 7am-10pm [Sunday brunch] 11am-3pm
Price: [lunch] 88-128 RMB [dinner] 400+ RMB with alcoholic beverage
Website: www.livingoctave.com
Visited: Dec 2015

Please note that this was an invited tasting.

One of the coolest spots I’ve discovered since moving back to Shanghai is The Living Room by Octave, a wellbeing center offering integrated and customized programs delivered by professionals in fitness training, nutrition, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, yoga, meditation, as well as life coaching and traditional Chinese healing. Before I tried any of these programs, however, I first went to their restaurant (I suppose you are not surprised), which is whimsically named Thought for Food. On the evening of my visit, dinner was orchestrated by the restaurant’s consulting chef Anthony Tam, previously at Nobu and Hakkasan London, now running his own place in Phuket.

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The design of the space is modern and sleek. I especially love how the kitchen directly faces the street, and all the actions are in plain view through the floor-to-ceiling window.

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This is the dining area, with a lovely-looking courtyard which I would love to revisit during the day.

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For us, dinner was hosted at Thought for Food’s private event area, a secluded and intimate space of wood and exposed bricks, made even cozier with candles and a live fireplace.

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[Shanghai] The Press / Flask

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Flask

Add: 432 Shanxi Nan Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu / 陕西南路432号, 近复兴中路
Tel: 3368 6108
Hours: [The Press] 11am-2am [Flask] 7pm-2am
Price: 35-70 RMB/sandwich, 90 RMB/cocktail
Visited: Nov 2015

You have seen The Press / Flask on my blog when I first visited in February. This wildly successful speakeasy bar has since updated its cocktail list, and also launched a delicious-looking grilled cheese sandwich menu. Time to revisit!

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You know the drill – pass through that vintage Coca Cola vending machine on the left, and you will arrive at the hidden bar behind. Flask is one of the hottest speakeasy bars in Shanghai at the moment – I arrived around 7pm for photos of the empty place, and by the time I left around 8pm, it was packed – even on a Tuesday night.

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As it was dinner time, I started with the grilled cheese sandwiches. First up was the Flask Melt (60 RMB), a three cheese melt with Bourbon honey glazed bacon on white toast. I liked how they brushed the toasts with garlic butter for that extra layer of aroma, but the sandwich is missing a wow factor…perhaps that could be solved by bringing out more of the Bourbon flavor.

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[Shanghai] Beef & Liberty

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Beef & Liberty

Add: Shanghai Center, 1376 West Nanjing Road / 南京西路1376号上海商城
Tel: 6289 5733
Hours: 11am-11pm
Website: www.beef-liberty.com
Price: [burgers] 75-95 RMB [sides] 25-35 RMB
Visited: Nov 2015

Happy to have discovered Beef & Liberty, an ideal place to satiate my burger cravings. They use beef from Tasmania reared on a natural diet of grass (never given hormones or antibiotics), grinded daily at the restaurant. So far I’ve tried four of their burgers – Chilli, Bacon Cheese, BBQ Pulled Pork, and Falafel – all good, though the Bacon Cheese and BBQ Pulled Pork definitely were my preferred. Details below.

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First, the drinks. Lemonade (30 RMB) for something light, milkshakes (55 RMB) and spiked shakes (75 RMB), for something heavy.

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First burger, Chili (89 RMB): beef, jalapeno slices, caramelized onion, cheddar cheese, butter lettuce, harissa yogurt. The beef patty is grilled to a lovely pink and juicy medium, sandwiched between toasted golden buns – very nice.

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[Shanghai] Paloma Cafe 白鳥咖啡

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Paloma Cafe 白鳥咖啡

Add: 198 Second Ruijin Road, near West Jianguo Road / 瑞金二路198弄-1, 近建国西路
Tel: 5466 6612
Hours: [Wed-Mon] 9:30am-9pm [Tue] 12-5pm
Price: [coffee] 22-45 RMB [cakes] 35-40 RMB [set] 55 RMB
Visited: Nov 2015

The rain persists in Shanghai, and on this particular morning I sought refuge at Paloma Cafe, a quaint little place perched on the 2nd floor of the busy Ruijin Road / Jianguo Road intersection. The cafe owner wasn’t there on the morning of my visit, though I heard from the staff that he/she is Shanghainese by origin and has spent some time in Japan. I was the only customer on this quiet morning, and happily enjoyed my coffee and cake while listening to the sound of raindrops falling outside.

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A cup of coffee and a piece of house-made cake goes for 55 RMB, a pretty good deal I’d say. My latte was nice, just don’t forget to request for a heavier dose of espresso shot since the coffee here tends to be more on the light side due to popular request. The Earl Grey rolled cake quite lovely as well, though the tea bits in the whipped cream bothered me a little bit. Loved the little bird motif on the plate.

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[Shanghai] UNDEF/NE

UNDEF/NE

Add: 105, Building 6, 50 Moganshan Road / 莫干山路50号6号楼105室
Tel: 2277 6299
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 10am-6pm [Sat-Sun] 10am-8pm
Price: [coffee] 25-35 RMB
Visited: Nov 2015

Trekked all the way up north to check out UNDEF/NE at the M50 art zone. Opened at the end of 2014, UNDEF/NE is a warehouse-turned-cafe / art gallery / event space by Shanghainese couple Jason and Nemo, who studied in England and worked respectively in finance and media before launching this project. I was just there for a cup of coffee and fell quite in love with this space, which feels spacious thanks to the high ceiling and open plan design, but also has its fair share of intimate nooks.

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The source of coffee beans at UNDEF/NE changes from time to time, and currently it is a boutique coffee roaster called Little Bean based out in Pudong. The coffee barista who served us used to work at Essence Cafe (质馆咖啡), and we were happy with our two cups of latte (30 RMB).

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[Shanghai] October on Instagram

I’m used to recording bits of my life on Instagram, but knowing that this is blocked in Shanghai, I’m selecting 25 snaps from each month and sharing them here on the blog. I’ve also included location details at the end of this post, do go check them out if you like what you see. October was an important month it for me as I moved from Paris to Shanghai during this time, and thanks to family and friends, transition to this new life has been smoother than I had expected. Here are some snapshots…

1. Visiting the newly-opened Chang Zuo for a cup of hand drip coffee.

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2. Like the minimalistic design here.

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3. Upstairs is the showroom for independent designers.

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4. Followed the hype to Mellower Coffee for a cup of “my sweet rain”. Why yes, that is a piece of cotton candy cloud raining sugar into my coffee.

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