other | Sugared & Spiced

2011/11/082015/08/31

[Shanghai] Red Town 紅坊

Red Town 紅坊國際文化藝術社區

Add: 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Kaixuan Lu 淮海西路570号, 近凯旋路
Tel: 6281 7382
Website: www.redtown570.com
Visited: Nov 2011

If you are looking for an outdoor hangout to enjoy the fleeting Shanghai fall weather, try Red Town. This creative zone has a grassy central area, some very interesting free-standing sculptures, and a collection of cafes, gift shops, and offices. What you can find here: Shanghai Sculpture Space, MAO Live House, BECA Cafe & Bar, Minsheng Art Museum, JOYCE Warehouse, etc. Worth exploring.

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2011/11/042015/08/31

[Shanghai] Cooking Class at Maison Pourcel

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Maison Pourcel

Add: 8/F, 35 Shanxi Nan Lu, near Changle Lu 陕西南路35号8楼, 近长乐路
Tel: 6215 8777
Hours: 8:30-11:30am
Website: www.maisonpourcel.com
Price: 388 RMB/person, includes breakfast and a 3-course tasting
Visited: Nov 2011

Every other week, Christophe LeRouy from Maison Pourcel opens his kitchen for an exclusive session to reveal some cooking secrets. Here are picture highlights from the “See Provence in Your Dish” class I attended back in August, starting with some of the best croissants I’ve had in Shanghai…

Today’s menu: foccacia bread, cod fish with anchovy pissaladiere and tomato coulis, and mackerel esbache with tomato jam. Let’s turn up the heat.

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2011/08/262014/12/31

Happy Birthday!

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Hello foodies & foodies, SUGARED & SPICED TURNS 1 YEAR YOUNG! HIP HIP HOORAY! Well well, let’s take a look at the stats: total blog posts: 198 total views: 97,484 average views per day in the past month: 651 highest view per day of all time: 1,434 most popular post: Shanghai Brunch Guide, 1,969 views kg…Continue Reading “Happy Birthday!” →

2011/08/212015/05/29

Favorites!

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You can now find a list of my personal favorite restaurants in Shanghai by clicking “Favorites!” on the righthand side menu. Cafe Dan, Sushi Oyama, Goga, Old Jesse, Ji Heng Beef Noodles, Mr. & Mrs. Bund, Living Room at Park Hyatt, a Côté, Colabo, Le Creme Milano…The list will be updated constantly, stay tuned. Nigiri sushi…Continue Reading “Favorites!” →

2011/06/192015/08/31

[Shanghai] Cheers In!

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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
Visited: Jun 2011

Just launched last month, Cheers In is a small but ambitious beer boutique that boasts more than 200 references from over 30 different countries. Beer lovers, read on.

On my visit, Cédric the “beer hunter” – one of the four French guys who started Cheers In – was at the store and introduced me to a number of very interesting beers. The Estrella Damm Inedit was a particularly memorable one. It’s developed by El Bulli’s sommeliers’ team in collaboration with other brewmasters, and is the first beer specifically created to accompany food. According to its website, Estrella Damm Inedit is “born from the conviction that a beer that could be paired with the utmost respect to the best cuisine was necessary.” Haute beer, if you will. You can read more about it here.

Cheers In also carries a few types of chocolate beer. CHOCOLATE beer!

I also really liked Duchesse de Bourgogne, a Flemish red ale with a characteristically sour fruity flavor. You can read more about this beer on the Cheers In blog.

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2011/04/242015/08/31

[Shanghai] Jean Georges Cooking Demonstration & Luncheon

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Jean Georges

Add: 4/F Three on the Bund, 17 Guangdong Lu 广东路17号, 外滩三号4楼
Tel: 6321 7733
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: [cooking demontration] 498 RMB/person, or 398 RMB/person for groups of 6+
Visited: Apr 2011

How many people can say that they’ve received cooking tips from Jean-Georges Vongerichten the man himself in person? Well, quite a few of us here in Shanghai. Just this past weekend, Three on the Bund hosted a cooking demonstration by the grand chef, followed by a four-course lunch featuring the same dishes he showcased. Sounds like an gastronomic Saturday morning? Oui oui.

For those who are unfamiliar with Jean-Geroges Vongerichten, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:

…No single chef has had more influence on the way New Yorkers dine out – or on the way other chefs cook and other restaurants look. “He invented America’s answer to nouvelle cuisine,” says Mario Batali. “When I first came to New York, his book Simple Cuisine was the holy grail for young chefs, and JoJo was the hottest ticket in town.”

Joining Jean-Georges at the cooking demonstration was Lam Ming Kin, the executive chef at Jean Georges Shanghai, and Seani Lin, the pastry chef. They have both been around since the opening of the restaurant in 2004, after spending some time at Jean Georges New York.

Jean-Georges also introduced Dan Kluger (“Best Chef of the Year”), the chef at his recently opened ABC Kitchen (“Best New Restaurant”) in New York.

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2011/04/172015/10/10

[Shanghai] Plum Gallery [2]

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Plum Gallery (venue closed)

Add: No. 1025 Nanjing Xi Lu, Lane 37 (near Maoming Bei Lu) 南京西路1025号37弄 (近茂名北路)
Tel: 5213 6565
Website: blog.sina.com.cn/plumshanghai
Visited: Apr 2011

It’s been a while since I last visited Plum, and this small gallery has moved down the same lane in Jing’an Villa and transformed itself to an arts and crafts workshop space. If you are in the area, drop by and take a look at the quirky knickknacks.

Here is a schedule of workshops, which should also be available on their blog.

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2011/02/202015/08/31

[Shanghai] Restaurant Week 2011

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Ladies and gentlemen, Shanghai Restaurant Week is here again. Among the new entrants in this edition, I’m especially excited about Pelham’s at the Waldorf Astoria, Isola bar + grill, and Jing’An at the PuLi. Some repeat participants that I’ll be going to again include Sir Elly’s from The Peninsula, Palladio from Portman Ritz-Carlton, and perhaps T8…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Restaurant Week 2011” →

2011/02/202015/08/31

[Shanghai] The Waterhouse

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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: waterhouseshanghai.com
Visited: Feb 2011

The Waterhouse at South Bund is a 19-room boutique hotel where Table No. 1, one of my recent favorite lunch spots in Shanghai, is located. The design is spare and chic in the unusual way of broken tiles, exposed bricks, rough edges, and plenty of rust. Complete with eclectic furnishings and random phrases written haphazardly on the floors and the windows, The Waterhouse design is undoubtedly one of the most unique in town.

To see a more recent visit and stay at The Waterhouse, click here.

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2011/02/202015/08/31

[Shanghai] ABC Cooking Studio

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ABC Cooking Studio

Add: Joy City 4F, 166 Xizangbei Lu 西藏北路166号大悦城4楼
Tel: 3639 0556
Hours: 10am-10pm
Website: www.abc-cooking.co.jp/srv/cn
Price: First-time trial 50 RMB/class, regular price 100~200 RMB/class (membership-based)
Visited: Feb 2011

ABC Cooking Studio, a wildly popular women-only cooking school in Japan, opened its first Shanghai branch in Joy City. I originally came across the studio when I was window shopping in Tokyo Midtown at Roppongi, and remember well the brightly-lit, colorful interior filled with well-groomed, apron-clad Japanese ladies looking like busy bees. When I saw that the Shanghai branch is offering a trial class for only 50 RMB, I immediately called to schedule an appointment.

A friend and I arrived 10 minutes before our 3:00pm class, changed into indoor slippers, put on the aprons, and were ready to go.