[Shanghai] Yue 1525

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[Shanghai] Yue 1525

Yue 1525

Add: 2/F, 1525 Dingxi Lu, near Changning Lu / 定西路1525号, 近长宁路
Tel: 6225 8665
Hours: 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10pm
Price: 70~100 RMB/person
Visited: Dec 2010

A recently-opened Canotnese restaurant adjacent to the New World Mayfair Hotel in Zhong Shan Park.  Pleasant environment, good food, and friendly service. Until Dec 31st, lunch hour dim sum items are only 15 RMB each. There are only 15 days left, so hurry up and weave this into your itinerary!

The decoration is nothing fancy, but overall pleasant enough. Since the all the dim sum items were on promotion, we went straight to menu and ordered away. I’ve included the price FYI, but for now everything except the noodles and stir-fried vegetables (which are not on the dim sum menu) is 15 RMB:

XO 醬炒蘿蔔糕 Stir-fried turnip cakes with XO chili sauce (18 RMB).

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[Shanghai] T8 Restaurant & Bar (2)

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[Shanghai] T8 Restaurant & Bar (2)

T8 Restaurant & Bar

Add: Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu / 太仓路181号，新天地北里
Tel: 6355 8999
Hours: [brunch] 11:30am-3pm [lunch] 11:30am-2:30pm [dinner] 6:30pm-11:30pm
Website: www.t8shanghai.com
Price: [brunch] 258-498 RMB/person [dinner] 500 RMB/person
Visited: Dec 2010

Brunch at T8: 258 RMB for two courses, 328 RMB for three courses, and 498 RMB for four courses, all inclusive of a glass Perrier-Jouet champagne and illy coffee or tea (extra 198 RMB for free flow of champagne). Worth the money? Maybe.

We were exhausted after a morning of non-stop Christmas shopping, and were glad to be led upstairs to the tranquil and spacious lounge where brunch is served. The space is delightful – huge windows let in an abundance of natural light, fresh cherries adorning the tables, and Christmas music floating in the air. We sank into the plush sofa at the innermost corner as the waiter brought two glasses of Perrier-Jouet to our table. A most agreeable start.

Our first entrée, the crispy skin suckling pig with mojo sauce and cauliflower puree, was excellent. The skin was roasted crispy while the meat remained supremely tender and juicy. The mojo sauce, with its strong curry flavor, worked quite well with the pork.

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[Shanghai] The Purple Onion

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[Shanghai] The Purple Onion

The Purple Onion (venue closed) Add:  Lane 351, No. 16, Huashan Lu, near Changshu Lu / 华山路351弄16号, 近常熟路 Tel: 6248 8747 Hours: 11:30am-10:30pm Website: www.thepurpleonionsh.com Price: [lunch] 128 RMB/set [dinner] 200-250 RMB/person The Purple Onion serves David Laris’ Mediterranean comfort dishes in the former A Future Perfect lane house space. The secluded outdoor patio, now…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] The Purple Onion” →

[Shanghai] Mr. Pancake House

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[Shanghai] Mr. Pancake House

Mr. Pancake House

Add: 877 Wuding Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu / 武定路877号, 近胶州路
Tel: 6255 1648
Hours: 7:30am-10:30pm
Price: 30~50 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2010

This small pancake specialty shop in Jing’an area is so popular that they don’t even take reservations (not on weekends, at least). The food and the decor are just ok, but the the price is unbeatable – for less than 50 RMB, you get pancakes, sausages/bacon/ham, eggs, home fries, plus coffee or tea.  Better yet, they serve breakfast until 3:00pm!

On this particular Sunday early afternoon, we waited about 20 minutes before we got seats for four. A word on the outdoor seats – if you choose to sit outside, expect to breathe in excessive car fumes as you chow down the pancakes because you will be sitting next to a busy road.

Most of the breakfast sets are similar – 2 small pancakes, 2 eggs any style, home fries, and sausages/ham/bacon – my favorite being the German sausages. If you’d rather not do sets, the banana walnut pancakes (28 RMB) would be a safe choice, though they are pretty much just plain pancakes topped with banana slices, a dollop of cream, and a few walnut bits.

German Sausage Breakfast (48 RMB).

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[Shanghai] Le Creme Milano

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[Shanghai] Le Creme Milano

Le Creme Milano

Add: 173 Fumin Lu, near Julu Lu / 富民路173号, 近巨鹿路路
Tel: 5403 3918
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 1-10pm [Sat-Sun] 11am-10pm
Website: www.lecrememilano.com
Price: 25 RMB/small, 35 RMB/medium, 45 RMB/large
Visited: Nov 2010

Le Creme Milano is a delightful gelato cafe on Fumin Lu serving classic favorites such as stracciatella and tiramisu as well as seasonal flavors like mango and lychee. Fresh, light, and (relatively) guilt-free. There are 12 different flavors that rotate weekly, and we tried almost everything before figuring out what our taste buds craved the most. Pick 2 flavors with a small cup (25 RMB), 3 flavors with a medium cup (35 RMB), or 4 flavors with a large cup (45 RMB).

What I learned: gelato contains less fat (around 7% versus the 20% of ice-cream) and feels softer and smoother on the tongue, though it’s actually denser than ice-cream because it contains less air as a result of the slower churning speed during production.

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[Shanghai] Dakota

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[Shanghai] Dakota

Dakota

Add: 30 Donghu Lu, near Xinle Lu / 东湖路30号, 近新乐路
Tel:  5403 8906
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 11:00am-midnight [Sun] 11am-6pm
Price: [Brunch] 100 RMB/person, [Dinner] 200 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2010

2014 update: venue closed.

An American bistro located on Donghu Lu close to Sushi Oyama and El Willy. Lunch and dinner seem a bit overpriced, but come here for a comfortable brunch featuring classic items such eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, omelettes, Croque Madame, seafood chowder, and the likes. It’s simple, and it’s good. The wood-paneled and black leather chair interior is not my usual favorite vibe for brunch, but to occasionally diverge from the typical ‘sunny patio brunch’ path is not so horrible either.

Other than the items mentioned above, you’ll also see shrimp and grits, brisket hash, frittata, egg salad tartine, apple crepes, etc. If you come with a big group, there are some big plates to share as well: “roast leg of lamb served with bone marrow butter, salad, and duck fat frites”, and the “bone-in ribeye served with frisée salad, duck fat roasted potatoes, and béarnaise”.

We started with the Seafood Chowder in Sourdough Bread Bowl (50 RMB), which was thick and creamy with chunks of salmon and other seafood. The sourdough bread bowl was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A good start.

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[Shanghai] Hof

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[Shanghai] Hof

Hof Add: 30 Sinan Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu / 思南路30号, 近淮海中路 Tel: 6093 2058 / 6093 2052 Hours: [Tue-Thu] 11-12am, [Fri-Sun] 11-1am Price: [cakes] ~35 RMB [cocktails] 55-88 RMB Visited: Nov 2010 Chocolate. Chocolate mud cake. Orange chocolate mud cake. Orange chocolate mud cake with caramel. Orange chocolate mud cake with caramel and sea…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Hof” →

[Shanghai] Antique Garden

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[Shanghai] Antique Garden

Antique Garden

Add: 44 Sinan Lu, near Xiangshan Lu / 思南路44号甲, 近香山路
Tel: 5382 1055
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 11am~11:30pm [Sat-Sun] 11~12:30am
Price: [tea & coffee] 38-45 RMB [cakes] ~38 RMB [sandwiches] 79 RMB
Visited: Nov 2010

Very close to the perennially packed Hof on Sinan Lu, Antique Garden is a two-story cafe that doesn’t only sell coffee and cakes, but also antique furniture (real or fake, I really can’t tell you). The interior is dimly lit and decorated with random vintage pieces here and there. Though the teas and cakes are not extraordinary, Antique Garden is still an alright spot for tea dates and gatherings.

Carefully slip, please.

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[Shanghai] Anna Maya

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Anna Maya

Anna Maya

Add: 3 Taojiang Lu, near Hengshan Lu / 桃江路3号, 近衡山路
Tel: 6433 4602
Hours: 10am-10pm
Price: 110~150 RMB/set
Visited: Nov 2010 (visit 2)

Anna Maya has caught my eye several times before with its vibrantly yellow wall, but it wasn’t until this past week that I decided to give it a try. This vegan cafe is all about natural, whole, and unprocessed food – macrobiotic philosophy, if you know what that means (I didn’t). Let’s see what it entails.

The owner of the cafe, a cute little Japanese woman, greeted me as I entered the door. Upon my request to see the menu, she made detailed recommendations and explanations on the dishes, which all sounded surprisingly delicious even though there is absolutely no meat or dairy involved. The menu is of course hand-written and updated regularly with seasonal changes.

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[Shanghai] Chez Shibata

Categories shanghai
[Shanghai] Chez Shibata

Chez Shibata

Add: 24 Ziyun Lu, near Zunyi Lu / 紫云路24号, 近遵义路
Tel: 5206 5671
Website: www.chez-shibata.cn
Price: [pastries] 20~45 RMB [drinks] 23~38 RMB
Visited: Nov 2010

I love Japanese-French pastries. The alluring colors, fancy garnishes, and flavors out of the ordinary. It just so happens that Chez Shibata, the only patisserie in Shanghai serving such irresistibly beautiful pastries, is a mere 5 minutes away from one of my offices. I must have done a lot of good deeds in my previous life.

Standing in front of the Chez Shibata cake display is an utterly disorienting experience. I never know which one to pick. Fortunately, the waitstaff is quite patient in explaining each dessert, as long as you ask.

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