Thought for Food
Add: 357 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Taiyuan Lu / 建国西路357号, 近太原路
Tel: 3338 4666
Hours: [daily] 7am-10pm [Sunday brunch] 11am-3pm
Price: [lunch] 88-128 RMB [dinner] 400+ RMB with alcoholic beverage
Website: www.livingoctave.com
Visited: Dec 2015
Please note that this was an invited tasting.
One of the coolest spots I’ve discovered since moving back to Shanghai is The Living Room by Octave, a wellbeing center offering integrated and customized programs delivered by professionals in fitness training, nutrition, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, yoga, meditation, as well as life coaching and traditional Chinese healing. Before I tried any of these programs, however, I first went to their restaurant (I suppose you are not surprised), which is whimsically named Thought for Food. On the evening of my visit, dinner was orchestrated by the restaurant’s consulting chef Anthony Tam, previously at Nobu and Hakkasan London, now running his own place in Phuket.
The design of the space is modern and sleek. I especially love how the kitchen directly faces the street, and all the actions are in plain view through the floor-to-ceiling window.
This is the dining area, with a lovely-looking courtyard which I would love to revisit during the day.
For us, dinner was hosted at Thought for Food’s private event area, a secluded and intimate space of wood and exposed bricks, made even cozier with candles and a live fireplace.
Upon being seated, we were first served some sparkling wine…and a delicious dinner unfolded from there on.
1st courses: mackerel & anchovies crisp, sea urchin & tapioca, gac & lemongrass.
2nd courses: hairy Crab, seaweed & cucumber mint broth, hairy crab & cucumber roll.
3rd course: house-smoked salmon, dill, beetroot, pickled fennel & ginger.
4th course: botan ebi shrimp & deconstructed XO sauce.
5th course: slow cooked scallop, sweetcorn puree & bacon crisp.
6th course: steamed grouper, dragon beans.
7th course: cauliflower textures.
8th courses: chicken & ginseng broth, steam rice and Yunnan black truffle, Australian rib eye & black beans, seasonal greens.
9th course: mango & coconut tapioca.
10th course: castella, raisins, spiced custard.
Excellent meal! My favorites were the sea urchin & tapioca, house-smoked salmon with dill and beetroot, botan ebi shrimp with deconstructed XO sauce, and the castella with raisins and spiced custard…but really, each dish was a feast for the eyes of the taste buds. As chef Anthony Tam was only in Shanghai for a short visit, I’m not quite sure when we will get to taste his creations again, but I would definitely come back to Thought for Food again to sample their regular menu, put together by chef Alexander Bitterling and a team of certified nutritionists. There’s also the upstairs wellness space that I would need to explore…more photos to come very soon.
