[Shanghai] Organ (2)

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Organ (2)

Organ

Add: 66 Ziyunxi Lu, near Loushanguan Lu 紫云西路66号, 近娄山关路
Tel: 5206 5937
Hours: 11:30am-10pm
Website: blog.goo.ne.jp/organ0417
Price: [lunch] 40~50 RMB [cakes] 25~35 RMB
Visited: Mar 2011

NOTE: Organ has closed and reopened here.

I was absolutely enchanted by this cozy, unpretentious Japanese cafe during my last visit and knew I’d be back very soon. The same warm colors, the same eclectic decorations, the same soothing music on the background…despite the disturbances caused by a few kids running around, Organ is still a charming little oasis.


Here are more of Organ’s handmade menus. Just lovely.


FYI, Organ is donating 5% of their earning to Japan’s earthquake relief effort.


Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Organ (2)" →

[Shanghai] Vegetarian Lifestyle 棗子樹

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Vegetarian Lifestyle 棗子樹

Vegetarian Lifestyle 棗子樹

Add*: 848 Huangjincheng Dao, near Shuicheng Nan Lu 黄金城道848号, 近水城南路
Tel: 6275 1798
Hours: 11am-9pm
Website: www.jujubetree.com
Price: 70~100 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2011

Chinese food isn’t usually associated with “healthy” or “light”. The sauteed vegetables are often smothered in a mindless pouring of soy sauce, the pork chops are almost always lined with a thick layer of jiggling fat, and let’s not mention the generous sprinkling of MSG in every dish. To me, home seems to be the only place where “light” Chinese food is gauranteed. But Vegetarian Lifestyle (a.k.a. Jujube Tree), a vegetarian restaurant that has established a loyal following among locals and foreigners alike, proudly proclaims that their cuisine involves “no meat, no eggs, no smoke, no alcohol” and of course no MSG, but is just as tasty. Is that possible?

*Multiple locations, check SmartShanghai.

Upon seated, we were each served a small seasonal fruit bowl and a cup of sweet and sour apple vinegar. Contrary to the typical Chinese practice of eating fruits after a meal, Vegetarian Lifestyle recommends doing the reserve, as the nutrients are more easily absorbed when there’s nothing else in your system. Padding your stomach with some fruits also curbs the hunger and prevents overeating. One stone two birds.


We started with two appetizers, both popular items recommended by our waitress: 麻醬三絲 3 kinds of strips with sesame paste (22 RMB), a cold dish of green bean noodles, carrots, and cucumber slices mixed with sesame peanut dressing, and 香酥腐皮卷 tofu skin rolls (22 RMB), crispy tofu skin wrapping enoki mushrooms, wood ears, and the likes. A good start.


魚香茄子煲 eggplant with sweet and hot sauce (30 RMB) was nicely flavored and I was quite impressed with how “real” the mock meat tasted, but the dish was rather greasy and not particularly healthy-tasting.


東坡竹筍 braised bamboo shoots and vegetarian pork with soy bean sauce (38 RMB) was a nice imitation on pork – they even managed to recreate the fat using some type of jelly.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Vegetarian Lifestyle 棗子樹" →

[Shanghai] Organ

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Organ

Organ

Add: 66 Ziyunxi Lu, near Loushanguan Lu 紫云西路66号, 近娄山关路
Tel: 5206 5937
Hours: 11:30am-10pm
Website: blog.goo.ne.jp/organ0417
Price: [lunch] 40~50 RMB [cakes] 25~35 RMB
Visited: Mar 2011

NOTE: Organ has closed and reopened here.

“How do you find these places?” – asked my fellow luncher as we sat down at the table. It is true that Organ is not well-known outside of the Japanese community here in Shanghai. It’s not even listed on SmartShanghai or City Weekend, and has a mere 60 reviews on Dianping (versus 6000  reviews for popular Chinese restaurants). This discreet and unpretentious cafe, with its warm colors, eclectic decorations, and soothing music on the background, is instantly charming. From the handmade hamburger steak to the signature soy milk chiffon cake, everything at Organ taste fresh, healthy, and delicious. It’s one of those places where you can spend the whole afternoon basking in the sun next to the window, or curl away on the ultra-comfortable couch in an inner corner.

The 1st floor of Organ is an elongated space consisting of a bar and an open kitchen. Head up to the 2nd floor and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how spacious it is.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Organ" →

[Shanghai] Maya

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Maya

Maya

Add: 2/F, Club House, Shanghai Grand Plaza, 568 Julu Lu 巨鹿路568号四方新城俱乐部2楼
Tel: 6289 6889
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 5pm-12am [Sat-Sun] 11am-12am
Website: www.cosmogroup.cn/maya
Price: [sinner] 200~250 RMB/person [brunch] 80~150 RMB/person
Visited: Mar 2011

Huevos! Brunch at Maya is all about the eggs, “happy farm-grown free range eggs”, as highlighted on their menu. Having little knowledge of Mexican food, I am no judge for whether Maya is authentic or not, but it certainly isn’t your typical Mexican joint around the corner. Call it fusion, or traditional with a modern twist, Maya is an upscale restaurant serving refined mexi-Cali dishes. Breakfast burrito, papas con huevos, Mexican omelet, huevos con carne, baked frittata…all under 50 RMB.

We started off with a delicious bowl of homemade guacamole with chips (50 RMB). There’s no other way to begin a meal at Maya.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Maya" →

[Shanghai] Tenya 天家

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Tenya 天家

Tenya 天家

Add*: 1/F, Mandarine City Clubhouse, 1129 Guyang Lu, near S. Shui Cheng Lu 古羊路1129号, 近水城路
Tel: 5422 3373
Website: www.tei.com.cn
Price: 200~300 RMB/person
Visited: Feb 2011

When describing a piece of supreme fatty tuna, melt-in-your-mouth becomes an understatement. Pale pink, almost white in color with a richly sweet flavor and a soft, buttery texture…it’s a luxurious sensation in the mouth. Tenya, which prides itself in sourcing the freshest Southern bluefin tuna straight from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market and employing a specialized defrosting process that preserves top quality, is naturally the go-to place in Shanghai for this luscious delicacy.

*Several locations available in Shanghai, check SmartShanghai for the locations.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Tenya 天家" →

[Shanghai] Mr & Mrs Bund

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Mr & Mrs Bund

Mr & Mrs Bund

Add: 6/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu 中山东一路18号6楼, 近南京东路
Tel: 6323 9898
Hours: [lunch] Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm [dinner] Tue-Sat 6:30pm-4am, Sun-Mon 6:30-10:30pm
Website: www.mmbund.com
Price: [lunch] 200~250RMB [dinner] 400+RMB
Visited: Feb 2011 (visit 2)

The modern French restaurant by Paul Pairet was recommended to me by a number of food lovers, so I found myself outside its bright red and green door one day. I rang the doorbell (yes there’s a door bell), and was ushered in.

We were promptly served a bread basket and the amuse bouche, which consisted of toasted thins, a tuna mousse, and butter. The tuna mousse, whimsically served in a peeled-back tuna can, was ethereally airy and full of peppery tuna flavor – delightful.



Our first appetizer, foie gras light crumble (110 RMB), was a contrast of crunchy fruity topping of raisins and hazelnuts with velvety smooth duck foie gras mousse underneath. Served with a thick cut of toasted bread and slices of fresh green apple, the portion was generous enough to feed two people.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Mr & Mrs Bund" →

[Shanghai] Happy Hour at Morton’s The Steakhouse

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Happy Hour at Morton’s The Steakhouse

Morton’s The Steakhouse Add: 4/F, IFC Pudong, 8 Shiji Da Dao / 世纪大道8号, 国金中心IFC商场4楼 Tel: 6075 8888 Hours: [Sun-Thu] 11.30am-10pm [Fri-Sat] 11.30am-11pm Website: www.mortons.com Price: [dinner] 500~1000RMB [lunch] 250~400 RMB [Happy Hour] 38 RMB/martini Visited: Feb 2011 What an upscale steakhouse entails: enormous slabs of premium beef, the ubiquitous shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque, the mandatory creamed spinach and…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Happy Hour at Morton’s The Steakhouse” →

[Shanghai] Table No. 1

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] 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
Price: [lunch] 158 RMB+15%/person [dinner]300~400 RMB/person
Website: www.tableno-1.com
Visited: Feb 2011 (visit 2, 3)

I had an instant good feeling as soon as I stepped into The Waterhouse. It’s chic in the unusual way of broken tiles, exposed bricks, and rough edges, charming especially during the evening with elusive candle lights adorning the tables. Its contemporary European restaurant, Table No. 1, is ran by Jason Atherton, one of Gordon Ramsay’s protégés, and offers some very interesting dishes. Yes, it’s got one of those menus that have you perusing for twenty minutes before deciding what to order.

While the dinner a la carte menu is difficult to choose from because there are so many good-looking items, the lunch menu is much more succinct: 2 appetizers, 3 mains, and 2 desserts, priced at 178 RMB (+15%) for three courses.

The first appetizer, a rabbit rillette, was topped with a satisfying layer of duck fat and encircled by a beautiful mix of pickled vegetables, gelée, and toasted walnuts. Served with two pieces of bread, drizzled with olive oil and grilled to perfection.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Table No. 1" →

[Shanghai] Il Nascondiglio

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Il Nascondiglio

Il Nascondiglio

Add: 311 Xiangyang nan Lu, near Yongjia Lu / 襄阳南路311号，近永嘉路
Tel: 3461 2036 or 13166014282
Hours: 7:00pm onwards
Price: 100 RMB/person (guinea pig price), 250 RMB/person (regular price)
Visited: Feb 2011

I received an e-mail last week about a “Venetian private dinner” trial run at a new Italian restaurant, which instantly piqued my interest. When we arrived outside the “restaurant”, note the quotation marks, I knew I was in for an adventure. There was no sign, no lights, just an ominous-looking doorway beyond which nothing but darkness ensues. Dare we walk in? Oh, why not.

After climbing two flights of stairs in the pitch dark with nothing to guide us other than dim cell phone backlights, we managed to arrive at Il Nascondiglio. The name, “the hideout” in Italian, is really quite appropriate for the hidden venue. Fabrizio and Ting, the chef and hostess, greeted us at the door and ushered us into a cozy old Shanghainese home decorated with antique pieces here and there (including a piano from the 1920s).

We soon found out that Fabrizio is actually not a professional chef. This Italian man has a PhD in developmental cognitive psychology and is currently doing his post-doc in London, but his passion for cooking and sharing good food resulted in this private dining venture. Apparently Fabrizio and Ting have been doing this in London for a while, and decided to continue with the same concept in Shanghai after Ting moved here for work.

The first appetizer, Bruschette Classiche, chunks of sauteed tomatoes on top of crispy baguette, was simple but delicious, as was the second appetizer, Rotolini di Melanzane Ripieni, a slim piece of sauteed aubergine wrapping halved tomato and Italian ham.

Farfalle ai Funghi al Gin, floppy pieces of butterfly pasta intertwined with an abundance of plump and juicy porcini mushrooms. A slight hint of gin and generous shavings of fresh sheep cheese made the pasta all the more enticing.

By this point I knew that this dinner would take hours. Fabrizio was managing the cooking all by himself, and there was a good 20-minute wait in between each dish. We really didn’t mind though, since we were in good company and having a great time sipping on the complimentary Italian wine Ting generously poured for us.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Il Nascondiglio" →

[Shanghai] Spark Soup Curry

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Spark Soup Curry

Spark Soup Curry

Add: E7 2F Peace Plaza, Shuicheng Lu 18 / 水城路18号和平广场2楼 E7
Tel: 6295 6523
Hours: 11:00am-01:00am
Price: 70RMB/person
Visited: Jan 2011

Soup curry specialty restaurant opened by a Sapporo (Hokkaido, Japan) native, who won ten million yen in a national competition which helped him open his first non-Japan branch in Shanghai. It was a full house when I went on a Saturday, filled with mostly Japanese patrons.

The menu is self-explanatory. Pick the curry, choose the spiciness level, the amount of rice, and any additional toppings you’d like. I picked level 3 for spiciness and it was barely (if at all) spicy. There’s also a jug of chili oil on the table for those needing a heavier dose.

Typical Japanese curry is fairly thick as it uses a roux base that includes fried flour, but soup curry is thin and accented with heavy spices. We tried the chicken vegetable soup curry (68 RMB), which had a little bit of everything in it – lotus root, pumpkin, broccoli, onions, bell peppers, etc., plus a chicken leg. The chicken itself was rather bland, but the soup – stewed for 8 hours with 32 different spices – was excellent. It was thin, light, but very flavorful, perfect with a bowl of rice.

Continue Reading "[Shanghai] Spark Soup Curry" →