[Shanghai 上海] Moon Coffee 月球咖啡

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Moon Coffee

Add: 9-B, Alley 275 Anfu Road
Tel: 13310169107
Hours: 11am-7pm
Price: [coffee] 22-75 RMB [pastry] 29-33 RMB
Visited: Jan 2016

I dropped by Moon Coffee on a quiet Monday. There were only two other guests this afternoon, and as they soon departed after my arrival, I had the luxury of enjoying the cafe – tiny as it is – all to myself. It’s tugged deeply inside an alley on Anfu Road, definitely not somewhere you’d stumble upon, and that in itself is a charm. Upon entering, there was Erik Satie and the smell of freshly ground coffee floating in air, with mild sunshine seeping in through the windows…a perfect winter afternoon moment.

我在一個安靜的周一去了月球。這家咖啡店深深的藏在安福路的小弄堂裏,隱秘的相當迷人。一進門,空氣裏除了有新鮮研磨的咖啡香氣,還飄著 Erik Satie 略帶惆怅的鋼琴曲調,以及透過窗戶滲入,微弱溫柔的冬日陽光。店裏本來有兩個客人,而他們離開了後整個下午就我一人獨享這美好的空間。

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Moon Cafe has two tables and a few stools. Standing at the bar on the day of my visit was A-Tang, a soft-spoken coffee barista from Hainan. We had a lovely chat, mostly about coffee and a little bit about music, after which he kindly shared with me his playlist of that afternoon, consisting of Erik Satie and piano pieces in similar style. I’m listening to the playlist as I write, all that’s missing is a good cup of coffee.

月球只有兩張桌子和一些板凳。我到訪的那天站在吧台的是阿堂,一個說話輕輕柔柔的海南男孩。我們聊著咖啡的事,也說了一些音樂,最後他把那個下午 Erik Satie 風格的 playlist 推給了我。我現在邊寫著邊聽著,就差一杯好咖啡了。

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[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 上海] Rumors Coffee 魯馬滋咖啡

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Rumors Coffee

Add: 1, Alley 372, Xingguo Road
Tel: 6249 7510
Hours: [Sun-Thu] 11am-7:30pm [Fri-Sat] 11am-10pm
Price: 55-100 RMB/coffee
Visited: Nov 2015

I’ve known about Rumors Coffee since they opened on Hunan Road five years ago, and though I never ventured inside, I’ve always been intrigued by this tiny Japanese cafe that serves only hand dripped coffee. They opened a second location on Xingguo Road just over a year ago, and upon my return from Paris, I finally paid this place a visit…and what a charmer it is!

其實早在五年前,魯馬滋在湖南路上開了第一家店時我就注意到它了。雖然沒進去過,卻一直對這家小小的日式手沖咖啡店感到莫名的興趣。一年多前他們在興國路開了二店,而我趁著從巴黎搬回上海這個機會,拜托朋友介紹了我認識咖啡店的老板中山先生和中山太太。一去,就完全喜歡上這個地方了。

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Before opening this shop, Keiichi Nakayama had a corporate job in Tokyo and travelled to Shanghai from time to time for work. Liking what he saw, he decided to move here with his Shanghainese wife, and together the two of them started their first cafe in 2011 to bring good hand dripped coffee to this city.

開咖啡店之前,中山先生在東京做著一般上班族的工作,偶爾會來上海出差。因爲喜歡咖啡,因爲喜歡上海,他和中山太太決定搬來這裏,兩個人一起開了專做手沖咖啡的魯馬滋。順帶一提,中山太太是上海人,說話非常溫柔,有機會找她聊聊天,心情會很好哦。

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[Shanghai 上海] BoboLEE Cake

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BoboLEE Cake

Add: delivery only
Tel: [cake order] 400 910 1314 / [service] 13911193107
Hours: 9:30am-6pm
Website: www.boboleecake.com
Price: [18cm whole cakes] 380-668 RMB [wedding cakes] 8888 RMB
Visited: Oct 2015

I wasn’t aware of BoboLEE Cake before they contacted me, and after browsing through their website filled with beautiful cake photos, I immediately accepted their invitation to visit the studio. On this sunny morning, I was greeted by Bobo the cake artist himself and his partner Andrew, who takes care of the graphic designs and public relations of the business. I was planning to just eat my cake and go, but the two boys were such gracious hosts that I ended up spending hours there chatting about cakes, cakes, and cakes.

其實在收到BoboLEE Cake的來信之前,我幷沒有聽說過這個蛋糕品牌,不過在浏覽他們美麗的網站後,我馬上接受邀請去參觀了他們的工作室。當天接待我的是蛋糕師傅Bobo本人以及負責媒體工作的Andrew,這兩個大男孩實在太可愛了,本來打算吃完蛋糕就拍拍屁股走人的我居然在他們的工作室裡聊了好幾個小時(當然蛋糕也沒少吃,哈)。

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Originally from Shandong, Bobo was an interior designer before changing career at the age of 35. He first completed an intensive 3-month pastry program at Cordon Bleu Tokyo, and immediately went to the U.S. to study from famed cake designer Maggie Austin for another 3 months. About a year ago he settled in Shanghai, and is now fabricating beautiful sugar flower-adorned cakes at his delightful studio space in the former French Concession area.

Bobo Lee,山東人,本來是位室內設計師,35歲時決定轉行做甜點。他首先在東京的藍帶完成了三個月的密集甜點課程,隨後馬上飛往美國和知名的翻糖藝術家Maggie Austin學習。一年多前他來到上海,在徐彙區的老公寓裏租了個地方,就這樣開始了整天泡在工作室裏做蛋糕的日子。看這些他一朵朵親手塑造出來的翻糖花,是不是太美了?

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[Shanghai 上海] Speak Low

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Speak Low

Add: 579 Middle Fuxing Road, near Second Ruijin Road
Tel: 6416 0133
Hours: 6pm-late
Price: [2nd floor] 70-90 RMB/cocktail [3rd floor] 110-220 RMB/cocktail
Visited: Oct 2015

There is a quiet little shop on Middle Fuxing Road called “Ocho” selling a neat range of bar tools, many of which curated from Japan by one of the Japanese shop owners. It’s sleek enough to make bartenders drool, but I suppose this doesn’t really concern the rest of us who don’t make cocktails for a living?

復興中路上有家安靜的小店叫做 “Ocho”,裏面陳列著各式各樣的調酒用具,聽說其中不少是老板從日本特別挑選來的精品。這些亮晶晶的東西看起來的確漂亮,不過你說,我又不是調酒師,這跟我沒什麽關系吧?

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But not so quick. You see, there is something curious about this mannequin pointing its finger to the book shelf on the left…

慢,別這麽急。你看這個人偶,如此果斷的指著自己左邊的書架,是不是有點奇怪呢?

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[Shanghai 上海] Sunny Hills 微熱山丘

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Sunny Hills 微熱山丘

Add: 2F, 133 Yuanmingyuan Road
Tel: 6236 3300
Hours: 10am-8pm
Website: www.sunnyhills.com.cn
Price: free tasting,  120 RMB/box of 10, 180 RMB/box of 15
Visited: Oct 2015

Sunny Hills, a pineapple cake brand from Taiwan, is now available in Taipei, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. The Shanghai branch, located on 133 Yuanmingyuan Road right behind The Peninsula, is a bright second floor space composed of not much other than an elongated table, meant for people to rest their feet and have a pineapple cake…for free.

台灣的鳳梨酥名店微熱山丘似乎生意不錯,在上海、香港、新加坡、和東京都開了分店。上海的分店位于圓明園路133號2樓,就在半島酒店後方,雖然離外灘不遠,卻是個相當安靜舒服的區域。店內設計明亮,不小的空間裡就放了一個長桌,讓客人歇歇腳,喝杯烏龍茶,當然還能品嚐鳳梨酥…而且一切免費。

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For those who haven’t had pineapple cakes, these are rectangular pastry shells wrapping thick, chunky pineapple jam. Sunny Hills prides itself in using freshly harvested sun-ripened pineapples indigenous of Taiwan, resulting in a fragrant, and especially tangy pineapple filling. The outside pastry shell is also made with care, using flours from Japan, butter from New Zealand, and eggs from a Taiwanese farm apparently renowned for using classical music to inspire the breeding process (?).

微熱山丘使用台灣八卦山的土鳳梨,原味熬煮而成的內陷比一般常吃到的要酸上一些,而且保有了果肉的口感。外皮的用料也有講究,用的是日本面粉、紐西蘭奶油、和據說是聽古典樂長大的雞生的蛋(真的嗎?)。

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[Shanghai 上海] Grains

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Grains (venue closed)

Add: 202 Wukang Road, near Fuxing Road
Tel: N/A
Hours: [Mon-Thu] 8am-6pm [Fri-Sun] 8am-7pm
Price: [coffee] 25-50 RMB [pastries] 8-20 RMB
Visited: Sep 2015

It’s Franck Pecol at it again.  After Franck, Le Petit Franck, Rachel’s, and Farine, his most recent project is Grains, a stylish coffee shop located on – you’ve guessed it – Wukang Road. It’s a sleek space with beautiful interior design and some charming outdoor seats to match. They roast their own beans daily before the shop opens (more details below),  source mini croissants and pain au chocolat from their very own Farine, and rumor has it that the space will turn into a bar in the evening…sometime in the future.

Franck Pecol又開新店了。繼法式餐館Franck,小酒館Le Petit Franck,漢堡店Rachel’s和面包店Farine之後,Pecol先生最新的項目是間名叫Grains的咖啡店。你猜他開在哪裏?沒錯,又是武康路。這裏的咖啡豆每天早晨在開店前新鮮烘培,可頌和餅乾等則由自家的Farine提供,加上漂亮的設計和舒服的戶外座位,也難怪每到周末就門庭若市。

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[Shanghai] Quan Er 荃二 (2)

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Quan Er 荃二

Add: 1 Alley 76 Wuyuan Road, near Changshu Road
Tel: 186 2165 1927
Hours: [Thu-Fri] 8-10pm [Sat-Sun] 3-10pm (closed Mon-Wed)
Price: varies
Visited: Sep 2015

I had previously told you about 荃二 (Quan Er), a tiny boutique on Changle Road filled with beautiful ceramics and other knickknacks collected from Japan. It has since moved to Wuyuan Road to a bigger and brighter space, with a charming loft design. In case you had missed the info last time, here it is again: I met 文林 (Wen Lin), one of the three shop owners, years ago through a magazine interview. A soft-spoken man from Sichuan, Wen was then the Associate Director of the lifestyle section at Bund Pic and travelled often to Japan for work. Throughout the years, he and his colleagues have accumulated an impressive collection of miscellaneous goods, and decided to open Quan Er to share this with like-minded others.

之前曾介紹過的日式雜貨店荃二,最近搬了到五原路。新的空間更大更明亮,而且還有舒服的夾層設計。跟店主之一的文林認識是在去巴黎之前,通過雜志訪問的緣故。四川人,相當安靜沈穩,跟他說說話似乎血壓都降低了。之前是外灘畫報生活版副總監的他,由于工作的關系經常去日本,幾年下來和同事們收集了不少手工藝職人的作品。想想不如開間店,分享給同樣愛好的人,于是就有了荃二。

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[Shanghai] Chang Zuo 長作

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Chang Zuo 長作

Add: No. 2, Alley 764, Changle Rd./ 長樂路764弄2號
Tel: N/A
Hours: N/A (no specific info during soft-opening)
Price: [drinks] 40-68 RMB [pastries] 40 RMB
Visited: Sep 2015

Just opened 2 months ago, Chang Zuo 長作 is the newest outlet by Chinese fashion brand/select shop Dong Liang 棟樑. Located on Changle Road, this beautifully renovated structure includes a first floor cafe, topped by 3 levels of boutique space displaying a carefully curated selection from independent designers, as well as Dong Liang’s own creations. The design style is a mix of modern and wabisabi, with careful attention to details. It’s exactly my cup of tea.

荃二文老板的福,我在回上海的第四天就發現了棟梁于長樂路上新開的 “長作“。 一樓是咖啡館,二至四樓則是與棟梁合作的獨立設計師作品陳列室。整個空間非常漂亮,許多小細節都做的相當用心,而且雖是新店,卻已有種沈澱過,令人安心的穩重感。

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