[Shanghai] Table No. 1 at The Waterhouse

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[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] Cheers In Beer Delivery

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[Shanghai] Cheers In Beer Delivery

Cheers In

Add: 25 Yongkang Lu, near Jiashan Lu / 永康路25号, 近嘉善路
Tel: 6418 8400
Hours: 9am~10pm
Website: www.cheers-in.com
Tasted: Mar 2012

Why yes, Shanghai is certainly warming up! With the high at 22°C today, I say it’s beer time. Here are a few bottles delivered from Cheers In, a beer shop with 2 physical stores (click here for the addresses) and an online delivery service. Well then, let’s drink.

The afternoon started with La Trappe Blond Trappist (27 RMB, 330ml) from Abbey ND Koenigshoeven Brewery. Clear, sparkling, and golden blond in color, this beer has a fresh and fruity taste with a soft bitter aftertaste, and a smooth aroma with a bit of butterscotch and floral notes. 6.5% vol. alc., pouring temperature 8-12 ºC.

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[Shanghai] Beluga & Caviar Tasting at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo

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[Shanghai] Beluga & Caviar Tasting at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo

8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA

Add: 6-7/F, 169 Yuanmingyuan Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu / 圆明园路169号6－7楼, 近北京东路
Tel: 6087 2890
Hours: [restaurant] 6pm~12am [bar] 4pm~late
Website: www.ottoemezzobombana.com
Price: 600 RMB+/person
Visited on: Mar 2012

Spent the afternoon at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA for a Beluga vodka and caviar tasting. Royal Kaluga Caviar by the spoonfuls, Beluga Vodka Gold Line shots, followed by delicious canapés adorned with Imperial Caviar…life is not too bad after all.

What’s Beluga Vodka? Long story short – Russian natural malt spirit (meaning that it is fermented with natural enzymes, with no synthetic additives) undergoes filtration through quartz-sand for a 3-month period, then matured in resting tanks for around 30 days to refine its structure and taste. Check their website for more info.

Their premium line – Beluga Gold Line – is really la crème de la crème. It has a limited edition due to more complicated and prolonged production process, and each bottle has an individual number as a stamp of uniqueness and quality of the product. A shot of this smooth vodka with spoonfuls of Royal Kaluga Caviar from Holland & Wilde…perfect.

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[Shanghai] Brunch at Jing’An, The PuLi Hotel

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[Shanghai] Brunch at Jing’An, The PuLi Hotel

Jing’An Restaurant

Add: 2F, The PuLi Hotel and Spa, 1 Changde Lu, near Yan’an Xi Lu / 常德路1號2樓， 近延安西路
Tel: 2216 6988
Hours: 11:30-2:30pm, 7:00-10:30pm
Price: [brunch] 398 RMB + 15%/person
Website: www.jinganrestaurant.com
Visited: Mar 2012

PuLi Hotel’s Jing’An Restaurant – adorned with dark woods, bamboo screens, lotus flowers, and huge plate-glass windows overlooking Jing’an Park – is one of my favorite places in Shanghai. Brunch here is a lavish affair, with two buffet tables in addition to a la carte orders of main courses and desserts, plus the optional free flow of Moet & Chandon Brut or Moet & Chandon Rose. What more can you ask for?

I usually don’t like buffet food, but the Jing’An version is quite nicely put together. What they entail: a fresh seafood station, charcuterie selection with dressing, roasted meats, freshly baked breads and pastries, imported cheeses, pickled station with pickled eggs, cucumbers onions and marinated mushrooms, fresh salad selection, a variety of homemade condiments, and fresh fruits.


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[Shanghai] Restaurant Week at Table No. 1

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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] 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA

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[Shanghai] 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA

8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA

Add: Associate Mission Building,  6-7/F, 169 Yuanmingyuan Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu  / 圆明园路169号6－7楼, 近北京东路
Tel: 6087 2890
Hours: [restaurant] 6pm~12am [bar] 4pm~late
Website: www.ottoemezzobombana.com
Price: 600 RMB+/person
Visited on: Mar 2012

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

That evening at 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo, I ate way too much, and I drank way too much. But can you blame me? The Shanghai establishment of Umberto Bombana’s Michelin three star restaurant just upped the ante for fine dining in this city. Situated in the newly renovated Rock Bund development, the restaurant boasts views of Lujiazui and The Bund, but really, I couldn’t care less about the view – it’s the food that draws me.

To see my review of the original 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong, click here.

Our evening commenced at the bar. If you are overwhelmed by the lengthy menu like I was, let mixologist Dario Gentile whip up one of his original cocktail recipes for you. As I was in the mood for something sour, the Camomile Whisky Sour (80 RMB) was perfect.

Camomile Whisky Sour (80 RMB).

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[Shanghai] Sunday Fried Chicken at The Public

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[Shanghai] Sunday Fried Chicken at The Public

The Public

Add: Sinan Mansions, Block 2, 4/F, Lane 507 Fuxing Zhong Lu, near Chongqing Lu / 复兴中路507弄2号楼4楼, 近重庆路
Tel: 3368 9419
Hours: [Wed-Sun] 6pm~late
Price: [food] 100~200 RMB/person [drinks] 65~80 RMB/cocktail
Visited: Jun 2012

I was so curious about The Public’s Sunday Fried Chicken that I came back within a week of my last visit. The fried chickens here have been garnering great reviews since their Apothecary days, and many diners – despite bashing the place for its strict rules and unsatisfactory service (both have been effectively remedied since the restaurant’s rebranding) – reluctantly admitted that the chickens are a hit.

Here it is, a glorious plate of Whey-Poached Fried Chicken with Buttermilk Biscuits & Coleslaw (half chix w/ 2 biscuits 125 RMB, whole chix w/ 4 biscuits 240 RMB). Free-range, organic chickens that grew up on honey-fermented grains are seasoned (they say it takes 24 hours), battered, then deep fried to a satisfying golden brown. Under the crackling crunch is fragrant, juicy, and tender meat filled with flavor.

On a separate plate came the coleslaw…

…and buttermilk biscuits, which weren’t too shabby, but the restaurant staff still assured us that they are working on the recipe and will soon come out with a leveled up version of these buttery goodness.

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[Shanghai] Strawberry Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

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[Shanghai] Strawberry Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

The Peninsula

Add: 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Beijing East Road / 中山东一路32号, 近北京东路
Tel: 2327 6756
Hours: [afternoon tea] 2-6pm
Website: www.peninsula.com/Shanghai/en/
Price: 260 RMB or 340 RMB (with champagne) + 15%/person
Visited: Feb 2012

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

TSubtle tones of celadon green and ivory, triple-height ceiling with palatial columns, live music wafting down from the Minstrels’ Gallery performed by the Lobby String…it’s no wonder that having high tea at The Peninsula is every afternoon tea-er’s dream.

The Peninsula Afternoon Tea (260 RMB + 15%/set), a spread of exquisitely orchestrated British traditional fare, is served on a claw-footed three tier stand. If you are wondering why the set looks so pink, it’s because the current tea theme is strawberry – from finger sandwiches to scones to macarons, everything is adorned with a touch of pink.

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[Shanghai] Mistral

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[Shanghai] Mistral

Mistral

Add: 133 Fuxing Xi Lu at Yongfu Lu / 复兴西路133号近永福路
Tel: 6433 4261
Hours: [Mon] 5pm~12am [Tue-Sun] 12pm~12am
Price: 300~400 RMB/person
Visited on: Feb 2012

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

Mistral, a Spanish restaurant and tapas bar on Fuxing Lu, has got an understated storefront, a heavy black metal door, and a little TV scribbled with “turn off TV, turn on music”. First impression – quirky! – I loved it.

Enter the door, and it’s casual, rustic, with simple white-washed walls. The first floor has a few tables and a small patio, and the second floor has two private rooms and terrace seating – no doubt a nice spot on a balmy day.

So what’s in the name? “Mistral” is a strong wind from the Northwest of France that affects its eastern Mediterranean coast from Marseille to St. Tropez and is what makes the charming weather in these sunny regions. And the food? Rustic Spanish, with lots of French and a bit of Italian additions.


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