[Shanghai] Table No. 1 at The Waterhouse

Table No. 1

Address: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家園路1-3號1樓, 近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2918
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 6~10:30pm
Website: www.tableno-1.com
Price: [lunch] 178 RMB+15%/person, [dinner]300~500 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2012 (visit 1, 2)

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

I love Table No. 1 in daylight, but it is even more charming after dark. With candles lit on every table, this minimally decorated dining room becomes quite a romantic spot, and whether you are here for a date (choose a window seat) or a friendly gathering (choose a communal table), this place will not disappoint.

Our table looked into the interior courtyard, across which we could see some actions from the kitchen.

There’s also a semi-private room available for those looking for more seclusion.

I started the meal with a Dirty Lychee Martini (80 RMB), muddled lychee fruits shaken with lychee liqueur and Absolut raspberry vodka, while my friend went for TN1. Mojito (80 RMB), muddled mint leaves and lime mixed with Havana Blanco rum and topped with soda. Thumbs up to both.

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[Shanghai] River Suite at The Waterhouse

The Waterhouse at South Bund

Add: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家园路1-3号,近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2988
Website: www.waterhouseshanghai.com
Visited:  Mar 2011

If you’ve seen pictures from my previous post on The Waterhouse, you already have a good idea of what its style is like – broken tiles, exposed bricks, rough edges, and plenty of rust…the design is certainly not for everyone, but for those who do like it, take a look at its River Suite. Like the public spaces in the hotel, the suite has a minimalistic and bare look, but is comfortable nonetheless. A few characteristics that stood out: large bed to lounge on, open wardrobe, and an exposed bathroom (nope, no blinds…)

What’s included in the room: flatscreen TV, DVD player, safe, fridge, bathrobe, iPod docking station…and free wi-fi, thank you very much.

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[Shanghai] The Waterhouse at South Bund

The Waterhouse at South Bund

Add: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家园路1-3号,近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2988
Website: www.waterhouseshanghai.com
Visited:  Mar 2011

The Waterhouse at South Bund, a venture of Singaporean hotelier Loh Lik Peng, is a 19-room boutique hotel reconstructed from a 1930s warehouse. Designed by Shanghai-based  Neri & Hu, this thoughtful restoration successfully infused modern touches to the original structure, resulting in sharp contrasts of the new and the old. Broken tiles, exposed bricks, rough edges, and plenty of rust, complete with eclectic furnishings and random phrases written haphazardly all over the building, The Waterhouse design is undoubtedly one of the most unique in town.

For pictures of the River Suite where I stayed at, click here.

The design of The Waterhouse has been applauded by those in the know – it is on the Conde Nast “Hot List” for 2011, as well at the list from Travel + Leisure, CN Traveler, and Concierge.com.

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[Shanghai] Restaurant Week at Table No. 1

Table No. 1

Add: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家園路1-3號1樓, 近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2918
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 6~10:30pm
Website: www.tableno-1.com
Price: [lunch] 178 RMB+15%/person, [dinner]300~400 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2012 (visit 1, 3)

By the time I got around to making Restaurant Week reservations, most of the places that I’d like to visit are already fully booked. I was glad to find, however, that Table No. 1 – one of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai – still had open spots. Lunch it is.

The dining room, designed by Neri & Hu, is spare, plain, rustic. It quickly filled up after I snapped this picture, but somehow the space never got too rowdy even with a full house. Bonus points for that.

The cuisine at Table No. 1 is characterized by the use of fresh, seasonal, and top quality ingredients. Take this starter for example: salmon tartare, quail egg, radish, cucumber and tea vinaigrette – clean plating, refreshing flavors.

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[Shanghai] Table No. 1

Table No. 1

Add: 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nan Lu / 毛家園路1-3號1樓, 近中山南路
Tel: 6080 2918
Price: [lunch] 158 RMB+15%/person [dinner]300~400 RMB/person
Website: www.tableno-1.com
Visited: Feb 2011 (visit 2, 3)

I had an instant good feeling as soon as I stepped into The Waterhouse. It’s chic in the unusual way of broken tiles, exposed bricks, and rough edges, charming especially during the evening with elusive candle lights adorning the tables. Its contemporary European restaurant, Table No. 1, is ran by Jason Atherton, one of Gordon Ramsay’s protégés, and offers some very interesting dishes. Yes, it’s got one of those menus that have you perusing for twenty minutes before deciding what to order.

While the dinner a la carte menu is difficult to choose from because there are so many good-looking items, the lunch menu is much more succinct: 2 appetizers, 3 mains, and 2 desserts, priced at 178 RMB (+15%) for three courses.

The first appetizer, a rabbit rillette, was topped with a satisfying layer of duck fat and encircled by a beautiful mix of pickled vegetables, gelée, and toasted walnuts. Served with two pieces of bread, drizzled with olive oil and grilled to perfection.

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