[Shanghai] TAYA Japanese Restaurant 讚岐田野

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[Shanghai] TAYA Japanese Restaurant 讚岐田野

TAYA Japanese Restaurant 讚岐田野

Add: 1F 20-05 Far East International Plaza, 319 Xianxia Lu, near Gubei Lu / 仙霞路319号远东国际广场B栋1楼02-05, 近古北路
Tel: 6270 0253
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~1:30pm [dinner] 5:30~11pm
Price: [lunch] ~60 RMB/set [dinner] 100~200 RMB/person
Visited: Aug 2012

One of the best things to devour on a hot humid summer day like this is a refreshing bowl of cold udon noodles. While I couldn’t find somewhere as bright and airy as Taipei’s Tomitamaya, I did manage to spot a place with authentic udon: TAYA Japanese Restaurant. The interior and decor are nothing to sing about, but the udon noodles are the draw here.

Miso sesame sauce cold udon (60 RMB), with skinny udon noodles.

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[Shanghai] SUN with AQUA 東京和食

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[Shanghai] SUN with AQUA 東京和食

SUN with AQUA 東京和食

Add: Bund 6, 2/F, 6 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu 外滩六号2楼, 中山东一路6号, 近广东路
Tel: 6339 2779
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am-2:30pm [dinner] 6pm-11pm
Price: [lunch] 150+ RMB [dinner] 400+ RMB
Visited on: Jul 2012

In my years of living in Shanghai and frolicking on the bund, never once I did step into Bund 6, until last week. I was meeting up with a friend for lunch in the area and felt like having Japanese at the moment. Given the limited number of Japanese restaurants on the bund, SUN with AQUA seemed like the only option we had…so in we went.

I haven’t heard much about this restaurant at all, so was surprised to find it a bustling full house when I arrived at 12:30pm. In case you were wondering, the pictures below were snapped after the lunch rush so the dining rooms look empty.

A popular lunch set choice at SUN with AQUA is Tokyo Komachi Bento 東京小便當 (160 RMB), which comes in the form of 8 small dishes along with assorted tempura, udon, ice-cream for dessert, and tea or coffee.

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[Shanghai] Cafe Paddy

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[Shanghai] Cafe Paddy

Cafe Paddy

Add: 394 Yongjia Lu, near Taiyuan Lu 永嘉路394号, 近太原路
Tel: 6466 8608
Hours: 11am~11:30pm
Price: [drinks] 25~45 RNB
Visited: Jul 2012

Cafe Paddy.

The interior is filled with a curious collection of mannequins, carousel pony, skulls, and other vintage paraphernalia, but the atmosphere is far from eerie thanks to large windows and warm lighting.

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[Shanghai] Maekawa 前川

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[Shanghai] Maekawa 前川

Maekawa 前川

Add: 4/F, 1157 Hongqiao Lu, near Yaohong Lu / 虹桥路1157号4楼，近姚虹路
Tel: 6270 6107
Hours: 5:30pm~12am
Price: [sets] 600~1000 RMB, [a la carte] 300~600+ RMB/person
Visited on: Jul 2012

If you are craving top quality nigiri sushi for dinner but want something lighter than a full-on Sushi Oyama-type of meal, try Maekawa. This understated sushi bar doesn’t have much superfluous flair to it, it simply serves very, very good fish.

I always go for the bar seats, but tables and private rooms are also available.

Complimentary appetizer.

Maekawa offers kaiseki sets that range from 600 to 1000 RMB, but we were in the mood for nigiri sushi only and decided to order by the piece. The meal started with Hiramasa 平政 (90 RMB/pc), a type of yellowtail that’s regarded by the Japanese as one of the finest sashimi fish. Its pale pink flesh is firm, sweet, and rich with a higher fat content compared to the other yellowtails. What a luxurious mouthful! I almost want to say that I like this more than tuna belly.

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[Shanghai] Le Bistro de L’Ouest

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[Shanghai] Le Bistro de L’Ouest

Le Bistro de L’Ouest

Add: 287 Hunan Lu, near Wukang Lu / 湖南路287号, 近武康路
Tel: 6433 8561
Hours: 6pm~2am
Price: 200~300 RMB/person
Visited on: Jun 2012

Have you ever heard of that “small French bistro” on Hunan Lu, the one that “doesn’t even have a sign”? Well, I finally had the chance to dine there for a friend’s birthday dinner, and oh my, what a roaring good time it was.

Le Bistro de L’Ouest occupies two floors of a non-descriptive lane house on Hunan Lu. There are no signs at the door, so make sure you got the right building number and just walk right in.

The birthday girl knows the folks at Le Bistro de L’Ouest, who orchestrated a lovely family-style dinner menu for her at the cost of 200 RMB per person, wine included. Here’s everything we had, starting with the bread basket.

Saucisson.

Escargots.

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[Shanghai] Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet

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[Shanghai] Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet

Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet

Add: You are not supposed to know.
Tel: Non-existent.
Website: uvbypp.cc
Price: 2000 RMB/person, 20 courses
Visited: May 2012

Please note that I have omitted some details of the meal in order to not spoil your actual visit.

“If you want to use the restroom, do it now,” our receptionist suggested, “because you won’t want to miss a second of the following hour.” Is she exaggerating? Most certainly not. A meal at Ultraviolet, Paul Pairet’s much awaited multi-sensorial concept restaurant, is an immersive dining experience that engages not only your taste buds, but also your eyes, nose, and ears. As I perused the 20-course menu while sipping a glass of pear cider (which was excellent, by the way) at Mr. and Mrs. Bund where we were waiting to be picked up, I couldn’t help but feeling a bit fidgety about what I was about to experience.

And off we went…into the unknown.

After a few twists and turns, we arrived at Ultraviolet. It’s housed in a nondescript building, its exterior telling you nothing about the grand secret that lurks inside, perhaps except this purple window that gleams subtly in the sun. Our receptionist left at this point, leaving us with nothing more than a cryptic line of “just wait, something will happen.”

The door slid open, and we ventured into a dark room dimly illuminated by purple neon light. Then, a thumping of heart beats, faster, faster…and faster.

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[Shanghai] 1984 Book Store

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[Shanghai] 1984 Book Store

1984 Book Store

Add: 11 Hunan Lu, near Wukang Lu / 湖南路11号, 近武康路
Tel: 3428 0911 / 1362 1910 210
Hours: 11am~10pm
Price: [drinks] 25~40 RMB
Visited: Mar 2012

After leaving the stylish little boutique Catie Lo, we continued our stroll in the French Concession and stumbled upon 1984 Book Store on Hunan Lu. I’ve actually passed by this spot numeral times before, but never ventured in as the gate is always locked. This time, we decided to ring the doorbell, and were soon ushered in to this quirky little bookstore / cafe – with a spacious courtyard, too!

The bookstore carries a selection of Chinese and English books, usually only one copy of each book. What else is in here: notebooks, eco bags, stationaries, posters, Lomography stuff, etc.

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[Shanghai] Catie Lo

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[Shanghai] Catie Lo

Catie Lo

Add: 105 Wukang Lu, near Fuxing Lu / 武康路105号, 近复兴路
Tel: 6473 4198 / 186-1024-6093
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 12pm-7:30pm [Sat-Sun] 12pm-8pm
Visited on: Mar 2012

The fun thing about walking around aimlessly in the Former French Concession neighborhood is that you stumble upon some hidden gems just like that. I passed by Catie Lo’s storefront by chance, and decided to venture in to this little boutique to see what they’ve got…

Clothes, shoes, purses, home fragrance, tea bags, greeting cards…and more. Shop owner Catie wasn’t there on the day of my visit, but her store staff told me that Catie is from Beijing, and a little bit of subsequent weibo stalking revealed that she was abroad in the U.K. for a while.

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[Shanghai] The Waterhouse at South Bund

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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] 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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