restaurant review | Sugared & Spiced

Issimo

Add: 2/F, 931 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Taixing Lu / 南京西路931号2楼, 近泰兴路
Tel: 3302-4997
Hours: [breakfast] 7~10:30am [lunch] 12:00~2:30pm [dinner] 6:30~10:30pm
Website: www.jiashanghai.com/web/RoomsAndRestaurants/detail/Restaurant/eng/
Price: [lunch] 118~148 RMB/set [dinner] 300~400 RMB/person [brunch] 288 RMB/person
Visited: Feb 2012

Just came back from Issimo‘s re-opening party, an absolutely raucous event filled with people having a very good time. The 12-meter-long olive-wood counter was covered in a sumptuous spread of focaccia, grissini, mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled olives, ham and salami of all sorts, not to mention the cohort of waiters waltzing around with plates after plates of hors d’oeuvres…

2014 update: venue closed.

“More mozzarella? Some olive oil and pepper? Tomatoes! How about some olives? Bread, ah yes more bread!” The friendly chefs behind the counter served with such passion, I couldn’t resist anything they put on my plate. Not complaining.

Champagne, refilled a little too promptly for my own good.

Continue Reading →

2012/02/202015/09/29

[Shanghai] The Grumpy Pig

restaurant

The Grumpy Pig

Addess: 65-4 Maoming Bei Lu, near Yan’an Lu / 茂名北路65-4号, 近延安路
Tel: 6217 3355
Hours: [Sun-Thu] 11am~10pm [Fri-Sat] 11am~12am
Price: 100~200 RMB/person
Visited: Feb 2012 (visit 2)

Small, comfortable, bare brick walls, Edison amber light bulbs, with a succinct and pork-heavy menu. Welcome to The Grumpy Pig.

Continue Reading →

2012/02/122015/09/28

[Shanghai] Bikini

restaurant

Bikini

Add: 47 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Lu / 永福路47號，近復興路
Tel: 6433 6511
Hours: 6pm~2am
Price: 45~65 RMB/hot dog, 38~310 RMB/”snacky”
Visited: Feb 2012

For some sexy and “very hot dogs”, visit Bikini. Named after a famous Spanish disco from the 1970s, El Willy’s adult film-themed sandwich/hot dog joint is small (only four tables) and simple. Choose from the selection of “very hot dogs”, “hot and pressed”, and “snackies”, which don’t really make a satisfying meal, but for a mid-afternoon or late-night snack, they might be just right.

Soft-core porn posters on the wall, on the table, on the door.

Continue Reading →

2012/02/112015/09/24

[Shanghai] Inagiku at Marriott Hotel City Centre

restaurant

Inagiku 稻菊

Add: Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre, 2/F, 555 Xizang Zhong Lu, near Fengyang Lu / 西藏中路555号2楼, 近凤阳路
Tel: 2312 9888
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am-2:30pm [dinner] 5:30pm-10:30pm
Website: www.shanghaimarriott.com/dining
Price: [lunch] 130~580 RMB [dinner] 600 RMB+
Visited: Nov 2012

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

The recently opened Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre houses a few high potential restaurants, one of them being Inagiku. The restaurant originally began as a small tempura joint in Hamamachi back in 1866, and as its popularity grew, Inagiku opened its first international branch at the Wardorf Astoria in New York, and it can now be found some very fine hotels like Four Seasons Hong Kong, Shangri-la Manila, and Park Hyatt Beijing. Overseeing the Shanghai branch is veteran Inagiku chef Shinji Morihara, who puts together an extensive offering of premium sushi, teppanyaki, and the famous Inagiku tempura.

The interior is fresh and contemporary with navy blue and blonde wood. The main dining room, featuring separate sushi and tenppanyaki bar, overlooks the Winter Garden. The space also includes five private dining suites, seating up to 10 guests.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Inagiku at Marriott Hotel City Centre" →

2012/02/082015/09/28

[Shanghai] M1NT Restaurant

restaurant

M1NT Restaurant

Add: 24 Floor 318 Fuzhou Lu near Shandong Lu / 福州路318号24楼, 近山东路
Tel: 6391 2811
Hours: 6:00pm~late
Website: www.m1ntglobal.com
Price: 400+ RMB/person
Visited: Jan 2012

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

Dinner at M1NT Restaurant to try some of Chef Grant Brunsden’s specialties.

Tones of red and gold, funky music on high, open theater kitchen, and the Bund view. The menu is modern European with very heavy Asian accents – lots of yuzu, miso, wasabi, shiso, and the likes.

Continue Reading →

2012/01/312015/08/31

[Taipei] James Kitchen 大隱酒食

taipei

James Kitchen 大隱酒食

Address: 65 Yongkang Street, Da’an District, Taipei / 台北市大安區永康街65號
Tel: (02) 2343 2275
Hours: 11:00am~2:00pm, 5:30pm~12:00am
Price: 300~400 NTD/person
Visited on: Jan 2012

In times like these, nothing feels quite so comforting as a little piece of the past. That’s the charm of restaurants like James Kitchen 大隱酒食 (Da Yin Jiu Shi). Despite the fact that it opened only 4 years ago, the restaurant looks as if it’s been there forever. The refurbished interior and down-to-earth service foster this illusion, as does the familiar, unthreatening menu with its nostalgic lineup of 扁魚白菜滷 braised cabbage with flat fish, 菜脯蛋 fried eggs with dried turnips, 炸蚵酥 fried oysters, and 蔥香豬油飯 scallion lard rice.

大隱酒食 James Kitchen

Storefront

Sign

The restaurant is small, so book ahead. They do have a second location on the same street in case the space fills up. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the address and phone number.

Continue Reading →

2012/01/302015/08/31

[Taipei] Cafe Flat White

taipei

Cafe Flat White

Add: 12, Alley 41, Yongkang Street, Da’an District, Taipei / 台北市大安區永康街41巷12號
Tel: (02) 3393 8872
Hours 12:00pm~10:00pm
Price: [drinks] 90~220 NTD, [food] 160~200 NTD
Visited on: Jan 2012

Update: cafe now rebranded as KIOSK.

The small alleys of Yongkang Street hide a good number of stylish cafes, Cafe Flat White being one of them. If you are lucky enough to find yourself a seat here (they don’t take reservations), it’s a perfectly comfortable spot to spend the afternoon.

Cafe Flat White

Front yard

Signage

Plenty of heart has been poured into the making of Cafe Flat White, and it shows.

Continue Reading →

2012/01/292015/08/31

[Taipei] Diary

taipei

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE and follow me on TWITTER or WEIBO!

Diary

Address: 53 Dong Feng Street, Taipei / 台北市東豐街53號
Tel: (02) 2706 3553
Hours: 3:30pm~1:00am
Price: 600~1,000 NTD/person
Visited on: 2012-01-28

There is no signage outside of Diary, but the warm glow that exudes from its floor-to-ceiling glass storefront easily attract passerby. Walk in, and the buzz instantly envelopes you. It’s a stylish place filled with good-looking people having a very good time. They are sipping beautiful cocktails and nibbling off a menu that offers a snapshot of what young people in Taipei crave right now. The decor is industrial chic, with exposed concrete walls and roof beams, softened by the warmths of antique wooden tables and subdued lighting. Open kitchen, but of course.

Continue Reading "[Taipei] Diary" →

2012/01/292015/08/31

[Taipei] Joël Robuchon Macarons & Canelés

taipei

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE and follow me on TWITTER or WEIBO!

SALON DE THE de Joël Robuchon

Address: 3/F, Bellavita, No. 28 Song Ren Road, Taipei / 台北市信義區松仁路28號 BELLAVITA 3樓
Tel: (02) 8729 2626
Hours: 10:00am~10:00pm
Website: www.joel-robuchon.net
Price: [macarons] 80 NTD, [afternoon tea set] 1,040~1,200 NTD
Visited on: 2012-01-27

A little angel showered me with some macarons and canelés from SALON DE THE de Joël Robuchon. Thank you! These cuties made my day :)

The packaging was simple and considerate. There was an ice pack attached to the plastic box to keep the macarons cool, and inside the plastic box there was a pack of desiccants to keep the macarons dry. Each macaron rests snuggly within its own square, and none were bruised (before they met my teeth).

The traffic light trio: lemon, rose, and pistachio.

Continue Reading "[Taipei] Joël Robuchon Macarons & Canelés" →

2012/01/292015/08/31

[Taipei] L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

taipei

Like my FACEBOOK PAGE and follow me on TWITTER or WEIBO!

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Address: 5/F Bella Vita, 28 Song Ren Rd, Hsin Yi District, Taipei / 台北市信義區松仁路28號Bella Vita 5樓
Tel: (02) 8729 2628
Hours: 11:30am~2:30pm, 6:00pm~10:00pm
Website: www.joel-robuchon.net
Price: [lunch] 1,280~2,880 NTD/set, [dinner] 3,000~6,000 NTD/person
Visited on: 2012-01-26

The dramatic black and red decor, with a sleek dining bar surrounding a central open kitchen. Yes, you are at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Like the rest of the workshops around the world, L’Atelier in Taipei fosters an interactive atmosphere between diners and the kitchen, separated merely by a counter. A vibrant and convivial vibe permeates the air as chefs experiment and create while diners witness the preparation of dishes right before them. Everyone is part of the action.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Bar seats