Favorite Meals of 2011 – Shanghai

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In no particular order, here are Sugared & Spiced’s favorite meals in the year of 2011, Shanghai edition:

Kota’s Kitchen

There’s a warm buzz at Kota’s Kitchen that makes you feel you’ve come to the right place. This intimate, perpetually packed Japanese yakitori shochu bar has all the right elements – skewered items grilled to perfection over Japanese charcoal, artery-clogging but supremely gratifying fried chicken, fried potatoes, fried anything, and Beatles posters all over its walls and classic tunes of “Love Me Do” and “Yellow Submarine” in the background. My favorite yakitori place in town, hands down. Click here for details.

Sushi Oyama

Once in a while I eat a meal so perfect that I can’t help but grin from ear to ear until long after the meal has finished. Such was the case after my dinner at Sushi Oyama, an omakase Japanese restaurant with menu that changes nightly. It’s a small but elegant place. The decor is simple, the air is filled with light-hearted jazz, and the focal point of the room is an open sushi bar where Oyama-san and a couple of helpers slice, scorch, press, fold, and roll with determined confidence. I’m charmed by Sushi Oyama beyond remedy. Click here for details.

Cuivre

It’s hard to not notice the warm glow exuding from Cuivre’s windows if you pass by its storefront. This upscale French bistro, adorned with copper coils (very approrpiate given the name Cuivre, “copper” in French), leather chairs, woven wood/bamboo light fixtures, is a welcoming and slightly quirky place. But what attracts patrons most is Cuivre’s straight-forward and delicious Southern French fare created by Michael Wendling, former Executive Chef at Allure of Le Meridien Hotel. Click here for details.

Madison Sunday Supper

My (yet another) gloriously gluttonous weekend culminated at the Madison’s weekly family-style Sunday Supper. The deal: 300 RMB per person for a free flow of hearty dishes, add another 50 RMB for a free flow of drinks. The theme this week? Holiday Turkey! Now who can resist a sumptuous spread of citrus roasted turkey, giblet gravy, orange-ginger cranberry sauce,mashed potatoes with scallions, candied yam with homemade marshmallows, and pumpkin pie with bourbon whipped cream? Yeah, you better loosen that belt. Click here for details.

Champagne Brunch at Vue, Hyatt on the Bund

It’s official. Vue at Hyatt on the Bund is now my favorite hotel brunch spot in Shanghai. Yes, the free flow of Perrier Jouët is nice, and the victorious view of Lujiazui is no doubt a plus, but it’s the quality of food that differentiated Vue from its league. Made-to-order lobster bisque with cognac and chive, poached eggs with soft polenta and black truffles, lobster risotto, steak in red wine and bacon sauce, poached peach with champagne peach sorbet…Click here for details.

a Côté

a Côté, literally “next door”, is a small pizzeria by Franck Pecol from the neighboring Franck Bistro and Le Petit Franck. The short menu, scrawled in French on a piece of wooden plaque, consists of 10 Marseille-style pizzas and nothing else (though a green salad is available upon request). There’s no novelty here. It’s simple, and it’s good. Click here for details.

Organ (venue relocated)

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 at at a window seat, or curl away on the ultra-comfortable couch in an inner corner. Clickhere for details.

Jin Xuan 金軒 at The Ritz-Carlton Pudong

The highlight of my weekend was a delightful dim sum lunch at Jin Xuan, the Chinese fine dining restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Pudong. Its interior, designed by Steve Leung, is characterized by high vaulted ceilings and tones of gold, wine red, and purple – grand, yet comfortable and intimate. And the food? Delicious. Click here for details.

Goga

I was eating so much during the week of my birthday that I really should’ve been stuffed beyond limit, but when amazing food is on the agenda, somehow that capacity is hardly ever reached (thank you, my highly elastic stomach). 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 of my foodie friends. 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. Click here for details.

Wei Jing Ge 蔚景閣 at the Waldorf Astoria

Ladies and gentlemen, ’tis the season for hairy crabs! Locals go crazy over these priced delicacies, while foreigners are often clueless as to why this meatless crustacean is so sought after. Whether you like it or not, this is a must-try in terms of cultural experience. I was lucky to have my first hairy crab of the season at Wei Jing Ge 蔚景閣, an elegantly designed Chinese restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria on the Bund. Without further ado, here is the grand feast…Click here for details.

And you? What were your favorite meals of 2011?