[Shanghai] La Crêperie

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[Shanghai] La Crêperie

La Crêperie

Add: 1 Taojiang Lu, near Fenyang Lu 桃江路1, 近汾阳路
Tel: 5465 9055
Hours: 11am onward
Price: 60~105 RMB/savory crêpe, 35~60 RMB/dessert crêpe
Website: www.lacreperie.com.cn
Visited: May 2011

La Crêperie is a busy little crepe shop in the French Concession. Equipped with wooden benches, waiters/waitresses in stripey uniforms, and an open kitchen that fills the space with tantalizing aroma of freshly made crepes, this place is one of the most popular brunch spots in Shanghai. Reservations highly recommended.

Though I’ve visited La Creperie quite a few times before, I haven’t had a chance to try any of their seafood crepes until this time. La Marin (108 RMB), a recommended item on the menu, is a freshly-made buckwheat crepe topped with seared scallops, garlic, parsley, cream, mixed mushrooms, sliced bacon, and white wine. It’s a bit too salty, but otherwise absolutely scrumptious. Will order again for sure.

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[Shanghai] Goga

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[Shanghai] Goga

Goga

Add: 1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu 岳阳路1号, 近东平路
Tel: 6431 9700
Hours: 6:30-10:30pm
Prices: 300~350 RMB/person (without wine)
Visited: May 2011 (visit 2)

I was eating so much during the week of my birthday that I really should’ve been stuffed beyond limit, but when good food is on the agenda, somehow that capacity is never reached. So there I was, sitting at Brad Turley’s Goga at the end of my gluttonous week, eager to try his famed Californian cuisine that has swooned so many. It’s a small, unpretentious place that can fit perhaps 20 people sitting elbow to elbow. All that crowding does not make a quiet room, but I was looking for a deliciously buzzy evening, and Goga was exactly the place to be.

Before we talk about the food, here are some tips about dining at Goga:

Tip #1: Make a reservation (6:30pm and 8:30pm slots available).
Tip #2: Arrive on time and keep an eye on your watch, as you will really need to clear out by the end of your two-hour slot for the next table of guests.
Tip# 3: Sit at the counter so you can see the kitchen in full action.

Our meal started off with West Coast Lobster Roll (90 RMB), a buttery brioche sandwiching chunky lobster salad with lemon tarragon aioli. Excellent.

The waiter then suggested the Torched Tuna Tataki (95 RMB), which isn’t currently on the menu but will be by next month. Beautiful slices of torched tuna were placed amidst a generous splatter of miso soy mustard, then topped with a scattering of furikake dancing across the plate. The wasabi flavor was a too overpowering for me, but if you are a fan of this pungent horseradish, give the torched tuna tataki a try.

Next came the Cast-iron Seared Nantucket Scallops (180 RMB), accompanied by perfectly cooked white asparagus, porcini mushrooms, and a lobster champagne nage. Supreme, must order.

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[Shanghai] Yucca

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[Shanghai] Yucca

Yucca

Add: 3/F, 26F Sinan Mansions, 45 Sinan Lu, near Fuxing Lu 思南路45弄26F号3楼, 近复兴路
Tel: 3368 9525
Hours: 6pm onwards
Website: www.yuccashanghai.com
Price: [drinks] 65~70 RMB [bar Bites] 60~70 RMB
Visited: May 2011

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

Exactly as the pictures depict, Yucca is anything but subtle. This small cocktail lounge is dramatic with color blocks, geometric mosaic floor, bar stools in fuchsia and bright yellow, candelabras, Catholic crucifixes, and the likes. The decor is an attraction in itself, and when paired with house special cocktails and bar bites, Yucca makes for an ideal spot for those looking for a theatrical night.

From Yucca’s tequila-focused cocktail list, I chose the house special Mexican Mule (65 RMB), a playful variation of the Moscow Mule made with Sauza blanco tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, passion fruit, NZ Manuka honey, cucumber, ginger beer.

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[Shanghai] Brunch at Jean Georges

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[Shanghai] Brunch at Jean Georges

Jean Georges

Add: 4/F, Three on the Bund, 17 Guangdong Lu 广东路17号, 外滩三号4楼, 近中山东一路
Tel: 6321 7733
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~2:30pm [dinner] 6-11pm
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: [lunch] 218 RMB/set+ 10% [dinner] 668~1458 RMB/set + 10%
Visited: Apr 2011 (visit 1, 2)

Brunch at Jean Georges at Three on the Bund. Ambience pictures have been posted last time, so let’s get to the food. For 218 RMB, you get fresh juice, pastries, and the signature brunch plate – a quartet of smoked salmon, eggs Benedict, French toast, and pancakes. You can also order from their very likable 3-course lunch menu (even better value than the brunch set, in my opinion), also priced at 218 RMB. Just be sure to call ahead early to reserve the window seats, which get snatched up very quickly.

The brunch set began with a trio of pastries – almond, chocolate, and plain croissant – and accompanying chocolate hazelnut sauce, strawberry jam, and apple sauce. The dainty little pastries were served warm, flaky, buttery…a most delightful start.

Then came the brunch plate itself, a quartet of egg Benedict, French toast, smoked salmon atop crispy potato gallette, and pancake with fruits – just the typical brunch items, but everything beautifully done. I especially liked the french toast, which was crispy on the outside but supremely light and moist on the inside, with an eggy flavor that is delicious with or without the accompanying caramel vanilla sauce.

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[Shanghai] Maison Pourcel

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[Shanghai] Maison Pourcel

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: [La Table] 5:30-10:30pm [Studio Bar] 11:30am-11pm
Website: www.maisonpourcel.com
Price: [La Table] 700 RMB+/person [Studio Bar] 300 RMB/person
Visited: May 2011

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

Jacques and Laurent Pourcel’s newest venture, Maison Pourcel in Shanghai, is a sleek, starkly elegant restaurant with spectacular vista of the French Concession. The setting is luxurious, the service is smooth, but there is one major problem with this place, and that is deciding what to eat. When faced with a choice between “compressed lobster and vegetable terrine with duck ham and mango” and “duck liver and cepes ravioli with puree of baby pumpkin and foamy porcini mushroom soup”, ordering can take a very, very long time.

But before I get started on the food, let’s talk about the twins and their newest venue choice. After launching the 3 Michelin starred Le Jardin des Sens back in France at the age of 24, the Pourcel twins have since expanded their culinary empire to Bangkok, Tokyo, Casablanca, Geneva, Marrakech, Algiers and Dubai. For the recent opening in Shanghai, they chose the historical Red House, which was home to the most celebrated Western restaurant back in the 1930s. The refurbished dining room is delightful during the day with ample natural light, and equally charming after dark with sparkling French Concession as its backdrop.

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[Shanghai] Fulton Place

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[Shanghai] Fulton Place

Fulton Place

Add: 1/F, 570 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu 永嘉路570号, 近岳阳路
Tel: 3461 1775
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 6-10:30pm (closed on Mon and Sun)
Website: www.fultonplace.cn
Price: 350~450 RMB/person
Visited: Apr 2011

Chef Marc Johnson at Fulton Place has been accumulating good reviews since the restaurant opened in July 2010. Time to give it a try.

Fulton Place is not so big, but the room does not feel crowded thanks to the high ceilings, calculated lighting, and comfortable space in between tables.


We arrived at 7pm to an almost empty restaurant, but the space was quickly filled at around 8pm when the crowd started trickling in.

The wall paper is rather interesting. You see the lizard and the bird, but can you spot the man having dinner with a sheep, or the woman holding a baguette while dancing on a chunk of cheese?

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[Shanghai] Jean Georges Cooking Demonstration & Luncheon

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[Shanghai] Jean Georges Cooking Demonstration & Luncheon

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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[Shanghai] Jade Garden 蘇浙匯

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[Shanghai] Jade Garden 蘇浙匯

Jade Garden 蘇浙匯

Add*: Building A, No. 2558 Yan’an West Road (near Shuicheng Lu) 延安西路2558号A楼 (近水城路)
Tel: 6278 9558
Hours: 11am-10pm
Price: 100-200 RMB/person
Visited: Apr 2011

Jade Garden is most famous for its well-prepared 上海本幫菜 (Shanghainese cuisine), but few people know about the excellent dim sum served at its Gubei branch*. The decor is posh, the food is satisfying, and the round tables are perfect for group conversations – it’s an ideal weekend gathering place for a lively big family brunch. Reservations are highly recommended.

*Multiple locations available, check SmartShanghai or Dianping for details. I’ve only been to the Gubei branch so I can’t say much about the quality at other branches.

We started off with 沙姜霸王雞 Simmer Grilled Chicken with Ginger (48 RMB/half a chicken) – tender and succulent, a must order.

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[Taipei] VVG Something 好樣本事

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[Taipei] VVG Something 好樣本事

VVG Something 好樣本事

Add: 13, Alley 40, Lane 181, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei 台北市忠孝東路四段181巷40弄13號
Tel: (02) 2773 1358
Hours: [Sun-Thu] 12-9pm [Fri-Sat] 12-10pm
Website: vvgvvg.blogspot.com
Visited: Mar 2011

A 99m² space filled with artsy books, vintage furniture, and random knickknacks. Customers can flip through books, each handpicked by VVG buyers, while sipping on drinks from VVG Bistro right across the alley. Sounds like a good way to spend an afternoon or evening in solitude?

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