[Shanghai] Naam Thai

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[Shanghai] Naam Thai

Naam Thai

Add: 1/F, The Loft, 283 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Jiashan Lu / 建国西路283号 尚街X楼, 近嘉善路
Tel: 5465 6005
Hours: 11am-10pm
Website: www.naamthai.com
Price: ~150 RMB/person
Visited: Jan 2011

Naam Thai, a personal project of T8‘s manager Walter Zahner,  is a modern and stylish Thai restaurant in the Jianguo Lu Loft. The decor is sleek, the service is pleasant enough, and the food, while not super memorable, is decent and on par with Coconut Paradise and other popular Thai restaurants around town.

The space was quite empty when we went on a Saturday evening, but the restaurant seemed to be getting a lot of take-out orders.

Pomelo salad with prawns and coconut (58 RMB).

Spring rolls.

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[Shanghai] Pho Real

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[Shanghai] Pho Real

Pho Real

Add: 166 Fumin Lu, near Changle Lu 富民路166号, 近长乐路
Tel: 5403 8110
Hours: 10- 2am (kitchen closes at 10pm)
Price: 30~36 RMB/appetizer, 42~68 RMB/pho or cold vermicelli
Visited: Jan 2011

You can’t miss Pho Real when you walk down Fumin Lu. This small Vietnamese eatery shines bright in the dark night,  its catchy name and hip decor – all those wicker baskets filling the ceiling – easily attract passerby. On a cold and extremely windy Thursday evening, I decided to give the food a try. Unfortunately, I did not make a reservation and even though there were empty seats inside the restaurant, the waitstaff insisted that I must wait OUTDOOR until my fellow diner arrives, even after I assured them that he’ll be here in 5 minutes. The manager/owner was there too, and did not try to remedy the situation. Not a good start.

When I was eventually granted a seat, I decided to brush aside the ridiculous service for now and focus on the food. Our appetizer, summer rolls with roasted duck and foie gras (42 RMB), wasn’t too bad. It was mostly lettuce, and the slivers of duck meat and foie gras almost got lost between the greens, but the whole thing was still quite enjoyable after being dipped in the accompanying fish sauce.

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[Shanghai] NY Style Steak & Burger

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[Shanghai] NY Style Steak & Burger

NY Style Steak & Burger

Add: No. 22, Lane 155 Jianguo Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu 建国路155弄22号, 近瑞金二路
Tel: 5465 1676
Hours: [Sun-Thu] 11:30am-11pm [Fri-Sat] 11am-10:30pm
Price: 48-65 RMB/burger
Visited: Jan 2011

For an artery-clogging but truly satisfying meal, go to NY Style Steak & Burger and order The Manhattan Monster. The beef patty itself is made with not much else other than good meat, and is accompanied by crisp bacon, cheddar cheese, fried egg, firehouse chili, onions rings (a little mountain of ’em), lettuce, pickles, and tomato. Served with a side of fries, this burger will fill you up no matter how hungry you are.

The restaurant is slightly hard to find. If you know where Q’s Coffee is, just walk down the small alley to the right of it and you’ll arrive at NY Style Steak & Burger.

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[Shanghai] Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen (2)

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[Shanghai] Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen (2)

NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen

Add: 2F South Bund 22, 22 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu / 上海市中山東二路22號2樓近新永安路
Tel: 6318 0057
Hours: [lunch] Tue-Fri 12-2:30pm, Sat-Sun 12-4pm [dinner] 6-11pm
Price: [brunch] 238 RMB + 15%/person, drinks extra [dinner] 500 RMB/person
Website: www.napawinebarandkitchen.com
Visited: Dec 2010

Venue has now moved to Bund 22. This review refers to the original Jiangyin Lu location.

I was absolutely enchanted with Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen when I first visited in October 2009. The combination of delicious food, warm service, and elegant setting still occupies a corner of my memory till this day. With high expectations, I went back again this past Sunday. The dining room was lovely as always, and the service still attentive. However, a new chef was in throne, bringing with him a new style of cooking that is home-styled and rustic, as opposed to the more sophisticated, meticulously-plated dishes that wowed me during my first visit.

The interior was bright and comfortable, with warm Christmas music in the air.

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[Shanghai] Yue 1525

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[Shanghai] Yue 1525

Yue 1525

Add: 2/F, 1525 Dingxi Lu, near Changning Lu / 定西路1525号, 近长宁路
Tel: 6225 8665
Hours: 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10pm
Price: 70~100 RMB/person
Visited: Dec 2010

A recently-opened Canotnese restaurant adjacent to the New World Mayfair Hotel in Zhong Shan Park.  Pleasant environment, good food, and friendly service. Until Dec 31st, lunch hour dim sum items are only 15 RMB each. There are only 15 days left, so hurry up and weave this into your itinerary!

The decoration is nothing fancy, but overall pleasant enough. Since the all the dim sum items were on promotion, we went straight to menu and ordered away. I’ve included the price FYI, but for now everything except the noodles and stir-fried vegetables (which are not on the dim sum menu) is 15 RMB:

XO 醬炒蘿蔔糕 Stir-fried turnip cakes with XO chili sauce (18 RMB).

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[Shanghai] T8 Restaurant & Bar (2)

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[Shanghai] T8 Restaurant & Bar (2)

T8 Restaurant & Bar

Add: Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu / 太仓路181号，新天地北里
Tel: 6355 8999
Hours: [brunch] 11:30am-3pm [lunch] 11:30am-2:30pm [dinner] 6:30pm-11:30pm
Website: www.t8shanghai.com
Price: [brunch] 258-498 RMB/person [dinner] 500 RMB/person
Visited: Dec 2010

Brunch at T8: 258 RMB for two courses, 328 RMB for three courses, and 498 RMB for four courses, all inclusive of a glass Perrier-Jouet champagne and illy coffee or tea (extra 198 RMB for free flow of champagne). Worth the money? Maybe.

We were exhausted after a morning of non-stop Christmas shopping, and were glad to be led upstairs to the tranquil and spacious lounge where brunch is served. The space is delightful – huge windows let in an abundance of natural light, fresh cherries adorning the tables, and Christmas music floating in the air. We sank into the plush sofa at the innermost corner as the waiter brought two glasses of Perrier-Jouet to our table. A most agreeable start.

Our first entrée, the crispy skin suckling pig with mojo sauce and cauliflower puree, was excellent. The skin was roasted crispy while the meat remained supremely tender and juicy. The mojo sauce, with its strong curry flavor, worked quite well with the pork.

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[Shanghai] The Purple Onion

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[Shanghai] The Purple Onion

The Purple Onion (venue closed) Add:  Lane 351, No. 16, Huashan Lu, near Changshu Lu / 华山路351弄16号, 近常熟路 Tel: 6248 8747 Hours: 11:30am-10:30pm Website: www.thepurpleonionsh.com Price: [lunch] 128 RMB/set [dinner] 200-250 RMB/person The Purple Onion serves David Laris’ Mediterranean comfort dishes in the former A Future Perfect lane house space. The secluded outdoor patio, now…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] The Purple Onion” →

[Shanghai] Mr. Pancake House

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[Shanghai] Mr. Pancake House

Mr. Pancake House

Add: 877 Wuding Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu / 武定路877号, 近胶州路
Tel: 6255 1648
Hours: 7:30am-10:30pm
Price: 30~50 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2010

This small pancake specialty shop in Jing’an area is so popular that they don’t even take reservations (not on weekends, at least). The food and the decor are just ok, but the the price is unbeatable – for less than 50 RMB, you get pancakes, sausages/bacon/ham, eggs, home fries, plus coffee or tea.  Better yet, they serve breakfast until 3:00pm!

On this particular Sunday early afternoon, we waited about 20 minutes before we got seats for four. A word on the outdoor seats – if you choose to sit outside, expect to breathe in excessive car fumes as you chow down the pancakes because you will be sitting next to a busy road.

Most of the breakfast sets are similar – 2 small pancakes, 2 eggs any style, home fries, and sausages/ham/bacon – my favorite being the German sausages. If you’d rather not do sets, the banana walnut pancakes (28 RMB) would be a safe choice, though they are pretty much just plain pancakes topped with banana slices, a dollop of cream, and a few walnut bits.

German Sausage Breakfast (48 RMB).

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[Shanghai] Dakota

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[Shanghai] Dakota

Dakota

Add: 30 Donghu Lu, near Xinle Lu / 东湖路30号, 近新乐路
Tel:  5403 8906
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 11:00am-midnight [Sun] 11am-6pm
Price: [Brunch] 100 RMB/person, [Dinner] 200 RMB/person
Visited: Nov 2010

2014 update: venue closed.

An American bistro located on Donghu Lu close to Sushi Oyama and El Willy. Lunch and dinner seem a bit overpriced, but come here for a comfortable brunch featuring classic items such eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, omelettes, Croque Madame, seafood chowder, and the likes. It’s simple, and it’s good. The wood-paneled and black leather chair interior is not my usual favorite vibe for brunch, but to occasionally diverge from the typical ‘sunny patio brunch’ path is not so horrible either.

Other than the items mentioned above, you’ll also see shrimp and grits, brisket hash, frittata, egg salad tartine, apple crepes, etc. If you come with a big group, there are some big plates to share as well: “roast leg of lamb served with bone marrow butter, salad, and duck fat frites”, and the “bone-in ribeye served with frisée salad, duck fat roasted potatoes, and béarnaise”.

We started with the Seafood Chowder in Sourdough Bread Bowl (50 RMB), which was thick and creamy with chunks of salmon and other seafood. The sourdough bread bowl was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A good start.

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[Shanghai] Anna Maya

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[Shanghai] Anna Maya

Anna Maya

Add: 3 Taojiang Lu, near Hengshan Lu / 桃江路3号, 近衡山路
Tel: 6433 4602
Hours: 10am-10pm
Price: 110~150 RMB/set
Visited: Nov 2010 (visit 2)

Anna Maya has caught my eye several times before with its vibrantly yellow wall, but it wasn’t until this past week that I decided to give it a try. This vegan cafe is all about natural, whole, and unprocessed food – macrobiotic philosophy, if you know what that means (I didn’t). Let’s see what it entails.

The owner of the cafe, a cute little Japanese woman, greeted me as I entered the door. Upon my request to see the menu, she made detailed recommendations and explanations on the dishes, which all sounded surprisingly delicious even though there is absolutely no meat or dairy involved. The menu is of course hand-written and updated regularly with seasonal changes.

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