[Shanghai] Fu 1039 福 1039

Fu 1039 福 1039

Add: 1039 Yuyuan Lu, near Jiangsu Lu 愚园路1039号, 近江苏路
Tel: 5237 1878
Hours: 10am-11pm
Price: 200~250 RMB/person (minimum spending 150 RMB/person)
Visited: Jun 2011

The creators of the Fu restaurants – Fu 1039, Fu 1088, and the latest Fu 1015 – have a penchant for refurbished old villas hidden in discreet alleys. Take Fu 1039 for an example. It’s tucked away in an unobtrusive lane on Yuyuan Lu, one that you would certainly miss if you weren’t specifically looking for Fu 1039. Once you enter the beautifully illuminated mansion, you’ll be greeted with an understated luxurious air that can only be experienced in one of these thoughtfully restored old Shanghai villas.

I personally prefer the first floor dining hall, which is more light-hearted with plenty of natural light. The 2nd and 3rd floor are more somber with dark furnishings and dim lighting, but those are also the floors where private dining rooms are located.

The food at Fu 1039 are as refined as its ambiance. We ordered some 10 dishes that evening to share among seven people, and we were quite happy with most of them. Here’s what we sampled:

老上海薰魚 Old Shanghai Smoked Fish, 58 RMB

冰花醉雞 Marinated Free-Range Chicken in Shao-Xing Rice Wine, 58 RMB

涼拌木耳 Black Fungus with Sour Chili Sauce, 38 RMB

和味茄子 Marinated Eggplant in Soy Sauce, 28 RMB

火腿小豌豆 Sauteed Sweet Pea with Ham, 56 RMB

香煎鵝肝，藍莓汁 Pan-Fried Goose Liver with Blue Berry Sauce, 68 RMB/each person

招牌紅燒肉 Stewed Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce, 88 RMB

招牌紅燒肉 Stewed Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce

清蒸鰣魚 Steamed “Shi” Fish with “Jinahua” Ham in Rice Wine Sauce, 298 RMB/half a fish

清蒸鰣魚 Steamed “Shi” Fish with “Jinahua” Ham in Rice Wine Sauce

四季時令蔬菜 Sauteed Seasonal Vegetable, 48 RMB

蝦肉鍋貼 Pan-Fried Minced Shrimp Pork Dumpling, 38 RMB/3 pcs

Complimentary fruit plate

If I have to pick out three dishes that I especially enjoyed…and this is a hard one…they would be: Old Shanghai Smoked Fish (58 RMB), Stewed Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce (88 RMB), and Steamed “Shi” Fish with “Jinahua” Ham in Rice Wine Sauce (298 RMB/half a fish). Again, most of the dishes we tried were well-received at the table. Tip: stick to the chef’s recommendations and you shouldn’t be too disappointed.

Other than the well-executed dishes, service was also extremely pleasant. A good place to come back to.