Hairy crab 大闸蟹 season is here!

I've never been a fan of crabs-- the labor that goes into digging and cracking is usually much more than the satisfaction I get out of chewing on the small chunks and thin threads of crab meat. This year, however, I've finally begun to appreciate what so many Shanghainese and Hongkies have taken for granted, the exquisite taste of hairy crabs.

I began this season of crab eating at my generous friend Jimmy's house. We each had a pair of male and female crabs. You don't really have to get crabs from YangCheng Lake 阳澄湖, since they are more expensive and you can never be sure they're the authentic ones. Crabs from Tai Lake 太湖 and KunShan 昆山 will do just fine, as long as you pick the alive and kicking ones. Fall and early winter are the perfect time to eat crabs, and it's recommended that you eat the male ones earlier on in the season and move on to the female ones as they grow fuller in size and flavor later in the season. The major difference is the yellow/orange stuff under the crab shell 膏黄 - the male ones are more gooey and the female ones are solid (uh, sperm and eggs?? just eat it! these are the best parts of hairy crabs, albeit super-rich in cholesterol...). The simplest way to cook the crabs is to steam or boil them. Before cooking them, you should put the crabs in fresh water for awhile to get any dirty stuff out of them.

Crab eating tests both your skill and patience. Jimmy, whose ex-girlfriend was Shanghainese, taught us some tips on eating the crabs. For example, you should take out the crab heart, a tiny white hexagonal thing from the crab chest because that's the "coldest" part of the crab. Crabs are considered "cold" in Chinese medicine, and you should drink some yellow rice wine like Shaoxing 绍兴酒 or HuaDiao 花雕酒 while eating the crabs. You can also dip crab meat in a vinegar and ginger mixture to both disinfect the meat and counter the meat's "coldness."

A week after the feast at Jimmy's, my local friend Diego took me to a crab restaurant on Julu Rd near Ruijing Rd called JingYuanXieWang 金缘蟹王. We got a table on the curb side because all the tables inside were reserved already. The crabs are from Tai Lake, but tasted just as nice. We had warm coke with ginger after the meal to warm our stomachs.

Now I'm pretty obsessed about eating crabs, so I'm thinking about throwing my own crab cook-out party in the few next week... yum~

   

Frangipani Nail Bar

Frangipani stands out as a nail shop that gives you a feel of being at home.  The interior is decorated with colors are mostly pleasant pastels and whites, and the IKEA-esque furnitures keep things casual and light.  The staff wear cute looking t-shirt/black apron uniforms that change with seasons.  The treatments are not cheap (pedi + mani is over $200RMB something), but the quality is pretty good.  You can get a $1000RMB card for $800RMB.  Earlier this year, there had been an exodus of more experienced staff to a new salon Balsamine nearby.  I've followed my manicurist to the new place but decided that Frangi still upholds a quality standard that gives me a reason to come back.  There's also an iNail spa right downstairs from me, but I've never used their services, because it doesn't quite have that warm, welcoming feel that you'd expect from a spa.  Hopefully, more and more places like Frangi will crop up but at even better prices so we can all afford to go more often ;-)  Frangipani have locations on Fuxing W Rd, XiangYang Rd (next to Awfully Chocolate), and HongMei Rd.

Kevin's Thai Food Station

Tucked deep in a narrow alleyway on ChangLe Rd near Urumuqi Rd across from the Center, you'd miss this restaurant if it isn't for the big light box at the alleyway entrance. I can't help but also notice there's a condom dispenser next to the sign...hmm. The restaurant is in one of the old houses with a nice yard. The food is decent but not remarkable. At night it does make a quiet dinner date place. They also do take out delivery, so if you want some Thai in the area, it's a pretty good choice.

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Diage restaurant/lounge/boutique - hidden Spanish villa with haute design

I stumbled upon this beautiful house last year at night when walking on DongHu Rd. The place is tucked in an alleyway next to the hairsalon, so they lit candles along the cracks in the wall, creating a glowing trail into the house and front garden. Just inside the house, there's a cigar lounge area with comfy black leather sofa. Further in, there 2 dining areas with a bar that's converted from the original fireplace. Upstairs there's a small gallery and a boutique shop with cutting edge designer fashion from Japan and Europe. The Japanese owner took great care to restore the house with period antiques and decorative elements. There never seems to be many people there so I worry about their survival. They have good-value lunch and afternoon set deals, starting at $30 something. The food is delicate but I'd go there just for the ambiance. Behind Diage toward the back of the house, a little shop called Ushigokoro has opened up. This peculiar shop is also Japanese owned (same owner as Diage?) and offer little cubicles for rent to anyone who wants the space for display. Many of the cubicles are occupied already, which a range of handmade jewelry, bags, art pieces, clothing, etc. They have recently held a flea market also.

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Guyi Hunan Restaurant

The first time I went to Guyi was with my American ex-boss and his Chinese girlfriend. Because I have relatively low tolerance for spicy food, they were nice enough to order some non-spicy dishes. I especially liked their pumpkin and baihe cold appetizer, and the steamed frog legs in bamboo casing. Then there's my boss' favorite salt'n pepper ribs, which were tasty but on the salty side. They are also decent on the spicy chicken dry pot. This place is wildly popular with foreigners because the food is pretty good and more importantly they have the menu in English and Japanese with pictures of delicious-looking dishes. If you're planning to go, make sure you call ahead and get your reservation. Otherwise, long line awaits.  A cheaper alternative  to Guyi is DiShuiDong on Maoming Rd near ChangLe Rd.

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Charmant 小城故事 - better Taiwanese restaurant than Bellagio

I just went there 3 times within the same week recently, because one of my friends visiting was vegetarian. Charmant is not a vegetarian place but does a wonderful job cooking up not only leafy veggies, but also tomato-tofu-egg soup, vegetarian 3-cup chicken (which is actually a bean curd variation), and vegetarian vermicelli. They also do a great job on the meat dishes, such as the popular kung pao chicken, hui-guo-rou (bacon with leeks), shi-zi-tou (lion's head). For those who have lived in Taiwan, you can also get your dose of pearl milk iced tea (pearls are thoroughly cooked and chewy), lu-rou-fan (minced pork sauce over rice), bitter mellon with salty egg.  They do leave out the MSG and put in less oil upon request.  For dessert, my favorite is the old fashion black sugar shaved ice, which has a bit of pearls, another type of chewy jello, mung beans, and other yummy toppings.  Their shaved ice beats Bellagio's hands down.

Another pleasant thing about Charmant is that they really spend time on putting in beautiful flowers and plants. Their own staff go out the Caojiadu flower market daily to pick up fresh flowers and arrange them themselves. Their service and staff training is also very good, thanks to the Taiwanese management ;-) Charmant has a 2nd location in Zhang Jiang Hi-Tech park in PuDong.

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Velvet Lounge and Casanova

This stylish, ambient pair of lounge and Italian restaurant is located in a little house on Julu Rd, around the corner from HuaShan Rd.  Unlike the row of seedy bars next door targeting traveling business men, Velvet and Casanova are frequented by local residents.  Velvet is a relaxing hideout with great music and reasonably priced cocktails, perfect for an intimate week-night date.  Upstairs at Casanova,  you can get a nice multi-course Italian meal.  A lot of people like their thin-crust pizzas, which you can also order from Velvet.  I also like their Caesar salad and breads.  This place is definitely not one of those big productions on the Bund, but it's nice to have some place like this in the neighborhood.

Annual QiangTang Tidal Wave Observation Festival in YanGuan/ HaiNing, Zhejiang

Last Thursday (9/27) my new friend Max called and asked me if I wanted to go see the tidal wave of QiangTang River 钱塘江, which is the biggest every year around August 18 of the lunar calendar.  This tidal phenomenon is something so famous that ordinary people and emperors alike from different dynasties have come to watch in the last 200o years.  In the ancient times, the waves can get as tall as 10 meters; these tall waves are created when water rushes into the narrow, shallow QianTang River from the sea during high tide while water from the river is trying to flow out.  There a 2 cycles everyday, so you can see a day tide and a night tide.  In the Song Dynasty, expert swimmers, or "surfers" used to swim in the high tides while carrying bright colored flags, and whoever can keep his flag dry is the winner of the competition.  In the modern days, the tides are smaller at around 1-2 meters, due to the construction along the river.  There are only 2 places in the world where you can see such big tidal waves -- the other one is at the Amazon River. 

Back to our trip -- we took the 4:25pm train, which turned out to be a slow "express" train that took almost 3 hours to get to HaiNing 海宁.  We sat in the hard seat section and chatted with people who live in HaiNing to find out more about the tide.  Max brought his sleeping bag as he was planning to sleep on the river banks, while me and my 2 other guests decided to stay at the hotel in HaiNing because we're too old to hack it.  We stayed at the 3-star hotel (~$200) right next to the train station, only to find out that there's a brand new GreenTree Hotel one block up for only slightly more.  Haining is a well-known area for buying leather and fur, but we had to pass on that given the summer-like weather.  We went around HaiNing looking for a place to eat in tricycles, and ended up eating at a claypot place.  Also bought some famous JiaXing "WuFangZhai" zongzi 五芳斋粽子 (steamed sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves with meat or sweet filling).  After dinner, we waited until almost 11pm and headed out to YanGuan 盐官, where you can see/hear the night tide.  The taxi ride was about $60 going but $90 coming back because of the late night trip premium.  The admission for the night tide was $20, while the day tide was $50.  There were some outdoor teashops with tables lining the river bank.  We walked further down to where it's darker and more quiet.  We waited for almost 2 hours, enjoying the moist breeze.  The full moon hung alone in the clear sky.  At around 12:30, the tide finally came.  For a few minutes, all you can hear is the noise that the tide was making.  Then under the moonlight, we saw the thin white line of waves rushing before us.  The waves were nearly lined up but didn't look very tall because the river bank was much higher up.  Still, everyone was very excited and tried to videotape or take pictures.  Right after the waves passed, people started leaving the area.  We lingered a bit, bidded Max goodbye and headed back to HaiNing.  The next day, me and my 2 guests hung out in HaiNing until almost noon before heading back to YanGuan (it was getting really hot).  When we got there, the road to the observation area was blocked further up so we had to walk a bit.  Within 20 minutes of us getting, the waves came.  This time we were able to see the waves more clearly.  It seemed smaller than the night tide.  We all thought that the night tide was way better.  We then took a taxi back to HaiNing where we boarded the real express train that brought us back to Shanghai in less than an hour.  We were gone for almost exactly 24 hours -- what a trip!

Diagram showing the tide track

     

2 studs dancing in tandem while working the Mongolian BBQ grill

Wake of the tides passing by - still pretty strong

Arugula Cafe - sunny old house cafe with comfy couches

Arugula is one of the dependable "brunch circuit" cafes that we go to frequently. The simple menu is nothing spectacular but the food has a consistent quality. The best thing about the 3-story cafe is the comfy couches on the 2nd floor. It's great for a weekend afternoon hangout or reading. They do have this one bad habit of telling you that fa piao has run out. One time I was so upset that I made them give me a $1000 fa piao to make up for all those times they "ran out."

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Feidan - tiny shop that's got all the imported groceries you need

The owner of Feidan (it means a "flying egg" in Chinese) is a master at selecting his merchandise.  With a shop that's less than 20 sq meters (the Dagu Rd store is bigger), he managed to stock the shelves with desirable products from all over the world.  From jars of jams, pickles, and olives, to cans of illy coffee, pates, to boxes of cereals, pastas, and cake mixes, to bottles of branded mineral waters, you can find pretty much everything you need last-minute to gather ingredients for your exotic recipe.  They also added a fresh produce section, so you can also get a small selection of veggies, dairy, cheeses, and meat.  They also carry baguette sticks and croissants, and pita breads, in addition to regular toast breads.  The prices are comparable to those at City Super (they have opened a similar concept satellite shop on ChangDe Rd near Beijing Rd but don't have as nice a selection of products), considering it saves a trip for people living around the area.  I think it takes a foodie to open a shop like this and a foodie to appreciate the value of having such a shop around.

Amokka - another old house style cafe

I found Amokka on the way to the traditional market. It sits on the quiet stretch of Anfu Rd between Urumuqi and Wukang Rd near Shanghai Dramatic Center. It's a 2-story house with a big open space on the 2nd floor. The furnitures have a modern designer look. The menu is a standard fare of sandwiches, pastas, burgers, etc. The pricing is average for western meals, with business lunch sets around $50 and higher for meat dishes. The breakfast/brunch goes for $28 but doesn't include a drink. I like the baguette sandwich with bacon and eggs, with a small side of salad (although I made an equally yummy sandwich myself with baguette I bought down the street at Feidan the next day). The cafe is not yet that popular so you can enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. While I feel grateful that so many nice looking old houses are getting converted into cafes, something is amiss -- maybe it's personality??

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Enoteca Wine Bar - sensational wine, food and crowd

When new shops started cropping up behind the Center, I was a bit doubtful of their qualities. And wine bar definitely sounded a bit snooty, knowing the wines are typically marked by quite a bit. Enoteca turned out to be a star -- people hang around until late in the evening because the atmosphere is so inviting. Last time we went on a Wed, and the place was packed at 10pm. The shop has a bar area, a dining area, and a tasting room, which can also serve as a auxiliary dining area. The wines are ordered by the bottles (as opposed to the expected by-the-glass arrangement in wine bars) because you can get a bottle for as low as $89RMB. I'm not an expert in wines, but I liked what I tasted (tried the Rose Chardonnay, and Bordeaux). They also have some of the best meat and cheese selections I've tried in Shanghai (much better than Franck's and less expensive). Since they don't serve real dinner type dishes, we pretty much ordered every tapas on the menu. Have to say every one of them was yummy. They also have a brunch menu, and I want to try it out soon.

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Jamaica Blue coffee - alternative to Starbucks

This Australian chain is among the many foreign contenders for the espresso market. Since I'm always in favor of the minority shops, I try to go here and Coffee Beans over Starbucks. Their drinks are made better than Starbucks in my opinion. They use the "green label" type of milk that ordinary consumers cannot get their hands on. One time I asked the barista if I could buy their milk, and instead, he taught me how to make perfect frothing with your regular Bright Light milk (blue carton kind which tends to puff up too much when you try to froth). The trick is to heat up the milk a bit (but not burning it), put it in the frig for a couple minutes to cool down, and then froth it. I tried it and was happy with the results.

Anyhow, my point is that Jamaica Blue is holding its own in this competitive markets, and they just need to have more locations to compete with the bigger guys...

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iiit cafe - salads and sandwiches with mediterranean flavors

This is a express cafe franchise created by my friend Kelley Lee before she opened the City Diner. When I first found out that this cafe is just down the street from me, I was really excited. I really liked the energetic orange logo and the creative name. However I'd have say the price is on the high side, probably because it's paying substantial amounts of rent to the Summit and there's less foot traffic. I'd make it a everyday visit if the prices were cheaper by 1/3. Also, the cafe can pay more attention to the food itself. The forte of iiit should be its panini sandwiches, but some of the fillings like eggplants, bellpeppers can taste pretty bland. Given these are pre-made, it shouldn't be too hard to check on the flavoring ahead of time. The Jamica Blue cafe across the street has been stealing iiit's customers since it opened last year, even though their food selection is more limited. I feel iiit can definitely do better on the food side while keeping the prices lower.

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A Future Perfect - little gem in a retro alleyway

aFP, as it's known, was one of the first brunch cafes I discovered in Shanghai. It's tucked in deep in an alley that's literally a stone's throw away behind my apartment, but unfortunately, all the passageways between us are blocked off so I still have to go around to Huashan Rd to enter. The cafe is connected to the cute little Old House Inn (which I wish I own) and serves that guests there breakfast. The owner had built a greenhouse type room with AC in the front part of the yard, while the back part is open-air seating. The inside of the cafe is pretty small with 2 chambers with progressive furnitures like corrugated cardboard chairs and ultra-thin water glasses.

The cafe is coming up 2 years old and now there's a smaller crowd given there are many many more places that opened during this time, but it's still a respectable place with style. Their menus are colorful with curious names for the dishes. I like to go there for breakfast/brunch, where you can get the likes of scrambles, spinach, mash potatoes, etc. For dinners, you have a good selection of salads, soups, pastas, meats, and seafood. The dishes all have great presentations but sometime could be too salty. They use local meat for steaks, which is fine, but it tasted just so-so last time we ordered. The dinner portions are definitely big, and I always have leftovers to take home.

This cafe definitely has the ambience and I like to take visitors there. However, I wish they can throw in some twists once in awhile (even some re-decoration) so repeat diners can be pleasantly surprised. Also, like with every restaurant, aFP needs to make sure trainee chefs are fully up to snuff before letting them take the helm or risk tarnishing its reputation.

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Rendezvous - Singapore Restaurant in Kerry Center

Most people who eat here probably work in the Kerry Center, although the restaurant entrance is on the outside of the building. I was taken there by my bank manager for dinner. The place has a pretty authentic feel with a good selection of Singaporean/South East Asian dishes, but the decors are a bit run down. We ordered the mixed satay, salt and pepper pork ribs, stir fried veggies in fish sauce, crispy shrimps. All had heavy sauces and pretty salty. Is this the southeast Asian cooking style?

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"Babi" and other baozi (steamed bun) shops

In the morning if you walk down streets with food vendors/breakfast shops, you might see people crowding around big bamboo steamers full of white buns.  These buns, or "bao zi" are stuffed with meat, veggies, or sweat bean paste.  Another variation is called "mantou," which has no stuffing in it, but may have sesame or chopped scalions sprinkled on them.  Each costs only $.40-.85RMB, and I always thought that if I ever run out of money, I can still afford these baozi...   A soy milk drink complements it well.  "Babi" is a quite popular chain around Shanghai, and they have a slogan "have you Babied today?'  Good baozi should be soft and full of stuffing.  Eat them while hot!

LanZhou Noodle shops - ubiquitous quick snack

You can see these on streets near residential areas everywhere in Shanghai.  These dinky (sometime dirty-looking) noodle shops are usually owned by Muslims from Lanzhou, the capital city of the western province Gansu, but could be owned by other out-of-towners from the northern regions also.  Because they're very cheap compared to other types of food, many laborers like to eat in these shops.  For $4-10RMB, you can get a big bowl of freshly made noodles with some meat topping.  Most have photos of the different noodles so you can just point to the one you want.  You can try the "dao xiao mian", which is noodles that's shaved off from a big dough by a sharp, curvy blade.  The only thing is that the soup tends to be pretty oily so you might not want to drink it.  Check to see if the shop is decently clean.  A good sign is if the workers are wearing the Muslim caps and the floor is not full of oily noodles (this is just my guess ;) .

Coconut Paradise - safe Thai, great courtyard seating

Coconut is definitely a date type of dinner place. Located on Fumin Rd near Yan'An Expressway, it has a big yard with a water pond (you walk over it as you enter), nice shady trees, and great lighting over intimate tables. The good looking house itself has 2-story and is decorated with dark wood and south east Asia artworks.

The food is standard fare Thai, and you can pretty find all the familar dishes on the menu. On average, the food tastes pretty good, but nothing stands out. I like the shrimp cakes and pineapple fried rice. The spicy dishes can be very spicy with the fresh chili pepper seeds mixed in. The price is mid-upper range but good value for the ambience.

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Club JZ - live jazz and you can take lessons too

Located on the quiet Fuxing Rd across from Cafe Boona II, Club JZ is one of the few more serious jazz clubs around Shanghai.  There's a band playing every night of week; some are based in Shanghai, and some are visiting musicians and bands.  The venue has a cozy stage w/a mezzanine level of seating.  The bands play several sets between 10pm-2am.  They also have a jazz school nearby, where classes and private lessons are taught to beginners and experienced musicians alike.

See their website for upcoming performances:  http://www.jzclub.cn/index.asp

Shanghai Neighborhood Guide-French Concession

The historic French Concession is roughly a 10 sq km area consisted of the present-day Luwan, Xuhui Districts, along with a smaller portion of JingAn and Changning Districts.  From the mid-1800's to 1930's, the area saw an influx of people from all over the world and all walks of life: the French, and later on the White Russian refugees, entrepreneurial Jews, Chinese gangsters, and communist revolutionaries.  The area is best explored on foot so you can take a closer look at the old buildings scattered throughout.

Here are some of my favorite cafes and restaurants in the west part of the French Concession around my apartment.

Around the apartment block
1. Arch Cafe	2. Order and save with free shipping. Order and save with free shipping. buy Hytrin No hassle returns. Get the Answers You're Looking For. XiNet.Life 喜年来 Chinese Fastfood
3. BiFengTang 避风塘 (Hong Kong, dim sum)	4. A Future Perfect Cafe
5. iiit Cafe (inside the Summit Club House)	6. Café Montmartre (French, crepes)
7. Jamaica Blue café (coffee, sandwich)	8. Enoteca Wine Bar
9. La Aroma de Vida Café (set lunches)	10. Amokka Café
11. Feidan 飞蛋 (import grocery shop)	27. Thai Station (in the alleyway)
Julu Rd/Fumin Rd (巨鹿路/富民路) area:
12. Velvet Lounge/Casanova	13. Embre Café
14. Nepali Kitchen	15. People 7 (stylish Chinese)
16. Shintori (upscale Japanese)	1 Infertility Workshop; Natural Fertility, Natural Family Planning, Overcoming Infertility, Fertility Products, Fertility Testing, Fertility Monitors, FertilityBasic facts about the drug, including how it works, the duration of each shot's effects, and potential side effects. CHECK OUR PRICES. buy Provera Licensed Pharmacy. DEPO PROVERADepot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is a progestin-only hormonal contraceptive birth control drug which is injected every 3 months. 7. Guyi 古意湘味浓 Hunan Restaurant
18. Coconut Paradise (Thai)	19. BaoLuo Shanghainese Restaurant
Toward Huaihai Rd (淮海路) area:
20. Frangipani Nail Bar	21. ChengCheng 承承 (Chinese home cooking)
22. Diage Restaurant/Lounge	23. Element Fresh
24. Whisk Café

XiNet.Life 喜年来 - the original YongHe 永和

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Shintori - cool, loungy Japanese

Located a few doors down from People 7 and Nepali Kitchen, the resturant is hidden in a narrow alleyway with little lights on the ground. Inside, it's a huge, industrial feeling loft space. The sushi bar/open kitchen is on the first floor, while tables are sparsely placed on the first and 2nd floor. The dishes needless to say are on the pricey side. But with the kind of cool food presentation and atmosphere in there, you wouldn't mind. Oh, like in People 7, don't forget to check out the bathrooms.

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People 7 - contemporary Chinese with an open sesame door

Tucked away on Julu Rd near Fumin Rd on the 2nd floor, it's very hard to notice People 7 unless you really look for it. To get in the door, you need to figure out the passcode for it. The 2nd floor is the bar/lounge area, and upstairs is the restaurant. The decor is industrial 'shi-shi' modern Chinese. It has a sister location People 6 (Yueyang Rd and Yongjia Rd) and is by the same owner as Shintori, a very cool Japanese restaurant. The food is delicate and comes in small portion so go there if you're not starving. Don't forget to check out the bathrooms (if you can figure out how to get in there) ;-p

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BaoLuo 保罗酒家 - old Shanghainese favorite

Some cab driver told me BaoLuo was a little restaurant started by this bicycle shop owner a few decades ago and now it's still has the same small house but has taken over a much bigger building behind (you can only see that when you go into the backside).  This is where the old Shanghainese families would congregate starting at 5pm for dinner.  You can only reserve seats for 6pm or earlier seating; otherwise, you'll have to wait out front just like 30 other people. 

The dishes are classic Shanghainese "ben-bang", which means the flavoring is sweet with dark soysauce coloring.  You should try their crystal shrimp w/ vinegar, fried bao (sheng jian bao), the "swiss" steak, and also the various cold appetizers like lotus root stuffed w/ sticky rice, string beans w/ scalion.  They also have some seasonal and new dishes they invent.  The servings are pretty big so it's better to go with a group of 4 or more.

 The quality has gone down a bit since I first went there but it's still a popular local establishment to go experience.  By the way, if you don't need "fa piao", you can ask them to give you discount on the bill amount.

浜ちゃんJapanese tonkatsu shop

Ok, if you love tonkatsu (Japanese style battered pork chop over rice), then you should try to find this place. My friend's hubby is Japanese so that's how we know the place. It's on the stretch of JiaoZhou Rd between YuYuan Rd and Beijing Rd. It's got no Chinese or English sign and it's puny shop with less than 10 tables and full of Japanese business men (read: smoke). The menu is only in Japanese too, except one of the waitresses speak Chinese (and maybe English?). Anyways, just point to the first item on the first page of the menu, which is the tonkatsu. There's a question of whether you want leaner or fatter meat -- either one is delicious. If you can make out the other items in Japanese on the menu, I'm sure they're pretty yummy too (let me know what they are too).

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BiFengTang - Cantonese dim sum and late night snack

One of the biggest tea cafe chains in Shanghai. There's is also another chain by the same Chinese name by you can tell them apart from the English (the other one is called Be For Time). The "BiFengTang" 避风塘 seems to be the original one. One is on Nanjing Rd and corner of TongRen Rd, and the other is on ChangShu Rd before hitting ChangLe Rd. You can pretty much order most of the popular dim sum items, along with fried rice and noodles. Their sweet pork buns are very good (they also sell packaged frozen dim sum items in supermarkets). The one on Nanjing Rd has a nice sidewalk seating with window shields.

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WuQi Soup Restaurant - Hong Kong style pampering

"WuQi" in Chinese means "house", and the name alludes the different types of soups the restaurant has to offer, which resemble what Cantonese grandmas would make at home for the family. The typical ones come in chick, duck, or pork rib soup base, with more nutrient/medicinal ingredients added in. These soups are usually simmered over several hours to make sure the flavors are fully extracted; the stuff in the soup don't have to be eaten since it's the soup that's the star. The restaurant also serve other Hong Kong/Cantonese dishes in a tea cafe style but do try their soups. There are 2 locations: one on Yuyuan Rd behind Jiuguang on Nanjing Rd in the alley near the Zara shop across from Plaza 66.

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Element Fresh Cafe

One of the first cafe chains aiming at providing health, light fares. They have a good selection of juices and smoothies (with those boosters that Jamba Juice lovers are so familiar with). They also have wifi internet and bright interior so you can actually do some work there. Both the Shanghai Centre and KaWah Center (on DongHu Rd near HuaiHai Rd) locations have outdoor seating. My complaint would be that the food has become somewhat bland, and the prices are getting higher. I go there once in while for the bright space. The new Paul Bakery Cafe is right next to its Shanghai Centre location.

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Steaks and Eggs American Diner

I first heard about this new place from my guest who ate there everyday when he was in Beijing (this franchise started in Beijing) so I kept going back to check when it would be open. Finally tried it out this past weekend and it struck me as a place stuck in the 80's (not sure if it's the intended design). The carpet was in a funky forest green color with striping; tables and chairs are of the no-frills, no-style type; the menu came in photocopied paper bound in a plastic binder. I order the french toast with eggs and sausages. It tasted ok but I could also reproduce most of it at home (and mine would taste just like it if not better). The sausages were good though, plump and tasty. The pricing is decent (~$30-40 for breakfast items)In Shanghai's competitive landscape today, I think this restaurant's concept is truly outdated. To survive in the Nanjing Rd area, you really need to have more style -- and more substance.

Steaks and Eggs is located on XiKang Rd, around the corner from the Shanghai Centre.

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Lynn - modern Shanghainese and dim sum buffet

I went to Lynn once for their weekend dimsum buffet, cuz I needed a break from those western brunches. The place is nicely decorated with modern Chinese elements. We ordered the $68 per person all you can order dimsum. However, I was not happy about having to order tea by the glass -- the leaves floating on top made it very hard to drink the tea -- a personal size french press or teapot is called for if they are charging the tea separately. The dimsum menu has the usual fares so we order pretty much one of each. The dishes were slow to arrive (I guess it's a strategy for all-you-can-order style pricing) and overall food tastes just so-so. Maybe their individual dishes taste better, as one of my guests really liked it there. The service can use some improvement too, as we saw the well-dressed staff running in and out empty-handed and not giving the customers eye contacts.

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YongHe DaWang - Chinese fastfood and breakfast

YongHe is the name of a suburb of Taipei in Taiwan, and someone had started a breakfast shop several decades ago specializing in freshly made soybean milk, "you tiao" and "shao bin". A chain by the same name started in China in the 90's and have become a successful local brand. Besides the breakfast items I mentioned above, you can also get xiaolongbao, and various kinds of rice plates and noodles at the shop. The prices are more expensive than the local shops but for it's relatively cleanliness, it's worth a bit more.

Check out their on-line ordering system and photos of the food items (all in Chinese though) here. The nearest one around the apartements is on XiKang Rd near Beijing Rd.

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Bellagio - Taiwanese cafe and sculptural ice desserts

For those of you who have visited Taiwan, you couldn't have missed all the yummy street foods like stinking tofu, minced pork over rice, oyster omelettes, pig gut vermicelli (hmm, why do the names sound so scary in English), and the legendary shaved ice, and pearl milk iced tea. So what do you do when you have a craving for these things? Bellagio is one of the answers (another one is Charmant and I'm sure there are more and better places in the Taiwanese enclave of HongQiao and Gubei). Honestly, Taiwanese food could never taste the same once outside of Taiwan, because of the indigenous ingredients used in the dishes, but ordering food bearing those names takes away some of that homesickness. Bellagio has several locations, one near Xintiandi, 2 more in Hong Qiao and Gubei. They're also expanding into other cities like Bejing, Nanjing, Xiamen and other major cities.

I have no idea why the 3D ice dessert sculptures are so popular here. In Taiwan, the shaved ice is not piled so high, and the toppings are much tastier and melded in with the ice. Bellagio invented them for the stunning visual effects I guess and they are popular. Boy, do I miss the real McCoy...

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New York Pizza - good priced authentic pizza delivered

There are actually 2 shops, one in the JingAn Park plaza, one on Beijing Rd near Xikang Rd. They do a decent pepperoni classic (albeit with oil running down) pretty well, as most of the local chains (Hello Pizza...) don't even use meats that taste like pepperoni.  For $88RMB you can a big 17" think crust pizza... not a bad deal for a night snack esp. when you have a room full of hungry people. Delivery is free too if you're in the neighborhood.

3214 0024 is the number for the JingAn Plaza shop.

Note:  prices have since gone up to $103 and $108 for the 16" and their new 18" pies respectively in early 2008.

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City Plaza (JiuGuang) - supermarket, food court, department stores all in one

Connected to Subway #2, JiuGuang City Plaza is a busy hub, esp. on the basement floor.  There a supermarket stocked w/ imported groceries (with a Japanese emphasis), the priciest fruits in the entire city, as well as a food court, a Yamazaki bakery (where you can get decent bread Japanese style), and a Watson.

My personal favorite is the Hong Kong Tea Cafe "LongKee" where you can get the yummy milk tea.  The pricing is not on the cheap end though for a tea cafe, and there's a long waiting line around meal times, but the food quality is very good.  I had my best wonton soup there.  There are also a couple chain curry places, a udon shop, Italian/pizzeria, and a hot pot/shabu shabu restaurant.

C's Cafe and Pasti Italian

Both are housed in a cute house on Beijing Rd around the corner from Xikang Rd. C's Cafe on the first floor is a 2nd location by House of Flour (in ZhangJiang Hi-tech Park in Pudong). I've had some of the yummiest berry crumpler from House of Flour so assume the pastries at this branch should also be very good. I had high expectations for Pasti upstairs, but last time when we went to visit, they seemed to have put the trainee chefs in the driver seat. They emphasize on using only the best ingredients (some organic), but I guess they need to let those things shine through good cooking techniques. Of the two lasagnas we ordered, one was too hard and the other too mushy. When we summoned the manager/chef supervisor to come look, they admitted that the new cook was in charge of making them... tsk, tsk. After several hints, they finally offered 2 desserts for free, which led us to spend more money on the espresso drinks...

I'd suggest the restaurant owner and original chef come back and check on the quality again.

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Malone's - the veteran American hang-out

I've heard of Malone's from various guy friends when I first got here. It's your typical burger/pool/darts/bar place that was probably an oasis for expats before Shanghai had many western establishments. The managers do a good job making everyone feel at home and they have a lot of regulars. The clientele tends to be an older crowd (upper 30's-40's). The place, though, really needs an update -- it reeks of stale smoke, which is very unattractive for brunch visits. Also the food can use some refinement and touch-up -- other newer diners have much more interesting and tastier offerings. I guess guys go there as a regular hangout place so food is not the point.

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Thai House - dark alley and great homemade food

That's right, this hard-to-find home restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of a non-descript apt building, INSIDE a scary-looking alley by the DUMPSTER. I've had one guest who turned around while walking in the alleyway, saying he just can't do this... Once you get past all this, you'll find a cozy little restaurant which takes up 2 apt units, with country flags lining the windows. The food and tastes are authentic enough, not too saucy and coconuty like most other Thai places do their dishes. The prices, however, are a bit on the high side, for such a low-cost location. Oh well, rising prices seem to be the story of Shanghai life these days. If you like this place and plans to come back, don't forget to ask for a VIP card which gets you a 10% discount. They also do deliveries for free if you're nearby.

www.thaihouse-sh.th.gs

Phone: 5169-9217

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Xinjiang YaKeXi - elaborate deco + merry atmosphere + authentic food

I love Xinjiang/Muslim food cuz I love lamb and beef. This one is around the corner from my Manhattan apartment (corner of XiKang Rd and WuDing Rd) and it makes a nice neighborhood restaurant. Upstairs is where you should sit, where there's nightly music and singing, along with noisy customers and lots of smoking (ok, not my favorite part of the restaurant). They carry pretty all the standard fare Xinjiang stuff, lamb skewers, rice simmered in lamb oil (zhua fan), and hand-pulled noodles (ban mian). There are also many other kinds of lamb dishes (saw some horse dishes also) and your basic naan breads. The veggies here are cut very finely so the flavors are more delicate than what you'd expect from a family restaurant like this one. Don't forget to order some Xinjiang or Harbin beer and then you got yourself a satisfying meal.

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RU? Cafe - inconspicuous location but making a good effort

From the outside of this cafe on XinZha Rd across from One Park Plaza, you can only see the "?" sign. The building that houses the cafe was on the city's demolition list and then it was not, making the survival of this little place questionable. However, walking into the cafe yesterday, I was greeted by the cheerful New Zealand-Chinese owner(forgot to ask for her name) who took us upstairs for a look. It seems to be a perfect weekend read-a-book hide-out for the expat residents of the nearby highrises. We ordered some smoothies, which were thick and substantial. The baguette sandwich was decent with a side of salad. The hostess said their dinner entrees are also very good. They also have a pretty innovative take-out service, where you can text them w/ codes of items from the menu and they will decode what you want.

Will go back to try out some other stuff. Remember to ask to sit upstairs.

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Shanghai Neighborhood Guide -North of Yan'An

Around the apartment block
1. YaKeXi-Xinjiang/ Muslim Restaurant	2. Thai House (apt 2nd floor in alleyway)
3. All Day convenience store 好德	4. RU? Cafe (coffee/sandwich/juice)
5. Local noodle shop 兰州拉面	6. LianHua 联华 - Local supermarket
7. Steamed bun (包子) Chinese breakfast
XiKang Rd area:
8. C's Café(1st floor) + Pasti (Italian) 2nd floor	9. New York Pizza (can deliver)
10. Bellagio 鹿港小镇 (Taiwanese food/iced dessert)	11. Bella Napoli (Italian)
12. YongHe DaWang 永和大王 (Chinese fast food)	13. Lynn (Shanghainese, weekend dim sum buffet) Coffee Beans, Steak & Eggs Diner
14. City Supermarket for imported groceries, Element Fresh Café (inside Shanghai Centre)
TongRen Rd area:
15. Malone's (American bar/diner)	16. City Diner (open 24 hours)
17. Singapore Cuisine (inside Kerry Center)	18. BiFengTang 避风塘 (dim sum, outdoor seating)
JingAn Temple area:
19. 浜ちゃんJapanese Restaurant (pork chop/katsudon)	20. Il Panino (Italian sandwiches)
21. WuQi 屋企汤馆 Hong Kong soup restaurant (2nd floor)	22. Supermarket (imported/Japanese/organic), Yamazaki Bakery, food court in B1 of City Plaza 九光

International ATM (most malls have them)

Ordering Shanghai-based event tickets

Check out Shanghai-based performances and sports events to see if you'd like to attend any during your visit.

http://sh.piao.com.cn/en_piao/

If you are going to be one of my guests, I can help you purchase tickets in advance, since the website doesn't accept international credit card (only does Western Union and wire transfer).  I will charge a service surcharge of $75RMB ($10USD) per purchase request of the same event; ticket and surcharge amount are first paid in USD equivalent via PayPal and then upon arrival be paid in RMB with a credit back in the PayPal amount.

Feel free to email me at faysrooms@gmail.com  if you have any questions.

Azul Viva brunch - walk away stuffed and happy

I've alway thought of Azul Viva as a night place serving tapas and the lighting would be too dark for brunch, when you want either outdoor seating or lots of skylights. I finally went there last Sat. and boy, the food more than made up for the lack of lighting! This is place that's determined to feed even the biggest eaters. For $120 or $150RMB, you can choose 2 or 3 courses from their extensive brunch menu. Included in the set, you get juice, sangria, or mimosa, AND coffee/tea, as well as a scone AND a muffin; you're half full before the dishes even arrive. For appetizers, we got the Italian antipasti plate and the spinach salad, which were both very tasty. The antipasti was $80 and the only appetizer that you need to pay an additional $15 for. For main dish, we had a veal steak and fries (also for $15 extra), smoked chicken sandwich, and the "best scramble you'll ever have." The pleasant surprise was the medium-cooked steak, which was tender and juicy. I have stopped ordering steaks at brunches because they are usually rubbery. Simple salt and pepper flavoring was all that the meat needed. The scramble came with spinach, asparagus, and baked tomato and was indeed pretty good, but I had little stomach space left frow chowing down the muffin/scone/bread that came with the antipasti. The ciabatta for the chicken sandwich was a bit too crumbly and could be a bit more chewy. We finished the meal with a rice pudding, in which the rice was slightly undercooked, but the vanilla/cinnamon flavoring was superb.

Many restaurants start off serving nice food but then deteriorate as the original chefs get replaced with apprentices and service get sloppy (this tend to happen when the owners open their 2nd/3rd locations). Kudos to Azul Viva as one of the older establishments for upholding quality. I'll definitely be coming back more often.

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Directions to the apartments

All of the apartments in the network are pretty close to each other, so I will give you some general directions:

From the PuDong Airport:

Option 1: Airport Shuttle #2 to JingAn Temple (cheapest)

Go out from exit 5-7 to the curbside and look for bus #2. This is a direct, non-stop bus to the "City Aviation Building" next to a Haagen Das shop near the JingAn Temple. The bus fare is $19RMB one-way, air-conditioned and very comfortable. Buses run 7am -11:00pm everyday. After 11pm, there's an owl line that will drop you off at the Huashan Rd exit off of the YanAn Expressway; the fare is also $19RMB one way. Take a 5-minute cab after you get off from the bus to go to the apartments.

The same shuttles also stop at the new Terminal 2.

Option 2: Maglev train + subway#2 or taxi from LongYang Station

I would recommend trying the Maglev train if you don't have a lot of luggage. The train goes up to a max speed of 430KM/hour and sometime even more. You will feel gleeful watching the traffic jam on the freeway as your train whizes by. The ride will set you back $50RMB one-way (by presenting a same-day paper flight ticket, you can get the fare down to $40RMB). The downside of riding the train is that 7 minutes later, you will have arrived at the terminal station that is still on the PuDong side, and you'd need to either take the subway into Puxi and take a taxi from there (~$60RMB). If you take the subway (line #2), ride for another half an hour in the Puxi direction and get off at the JingAn Temple station ($4RMB). The train operates from 7am - 9pm.

See fare table here

Option 3: Grab a cab

Make sure you wait in line to get the legitimate kind of taxi. There might be people approaching you asking if you would like to hire a car -- don't go with them. The cab ride should be about an hour and around $140-160RMB depending on traffic. If it's more than $200RMB, then you're getting ripped off. Take the Yan'An Expressway (Yan'An Gao Jia) and get off at the HuaShan Rd exit. We will give you more specific directions depending on which apartment you're staying at.

From the HongQiao Airport:

Cab: This is the most hassle-free option and cost about less than $30RMB. The only problem is that the waiting line for taxis is usually very long, but it does move at a reasonable speed. Take the Yan'An Expressway (Yan'An Gao Jia) and get off at the JiangSu Rd exit. We will give you more specific directions depending on which apartment you're staying at.

From the Shanghai Main Train Station or the South Train Station

Cab: Should get you to the apartment for $20-30RMB (the Main station is closer to downtown).

La Creperie - expensive galettes and crepes

I was walking down Urumuqi Rd to check out whether the new Village complex is open and also found La Creperie, which is at the end of Dong Ping Rd/TaoJiang Rd near YueYang Rd.  It's still in soft opening so they put up a sign to say they don't accept credit card and also don't give fapiao yet.  This is a lot more decent than some of the existing restaurants who always tell you they're out of fapiao.  There was a wine tasting instructor there teaching the staff on how to appreciate the Rosé wine. 

The interior was of Brittany style with wooden panels and flooring, with high chairs and tables.  I keep wondering what the small bowls on the tables are for, cuz they take them away when you're seated... the crepe menu is pretty extensive but the pricing is definitely not cheap.  The afternoon tea set is $45RMB for a crepe and a cup of coffee or tea (I was told that you get the coffee/tea for free and pay just the crepe's menu price but apparently there was some mix-up).  I order the stewed apple and caramel sweet crepe ($38RMB).  The crepe came promptly, with a big serving of the caramelized apple.  The taste is pretty good except maybe a slightly stronger alcohol taste.  I think the serving would look a lot prettier and more complete with some garnishes, like fresh fruits or whip cream.

  With the expensive rent around the HengShan Rd area, I can understand why the pricing is such.  So the thinking should be how to make your customers feel like money well spent by packing more into the dishes?  I was reading the crepe recipe books in the shop and realized that you can make crepes ahead of times and store in the frig for up to 3 days.  Hmm... I think I'll try that at home now that I got some good tips on making them...

DVDs - bring home the entire HBO collections

Yes, you can get them everywhere on the street but it's hard to check the quality. That's why I've been taking my guests to Movie Star, a DVD shop on DaGu Rd that carry everything you might want. From the latest movies to HBO hit shows and classic collections by famed directors, they have the nice box sets which are perfect as gifts for friends who will love you for getting them. The staff will tell you whether the version is a good one -- just ask. You can also bring back any defective ones for an exchange. They can also find anything for you, even if you can't remember the movie titles -- just tell them about the plot and they will dig it out! They are not the cheapest but I'd recommend this place if you want some quality guarantee. Round out your visit to DaGu Rd with dinner and a massage after you get the DVD's.

Shanghai Sculpture Space - fun outdoor exhibits + cafe

I took my house guests to check out the Body Media show 2 weeks ago. It was a really cool collection of multi-media creations by artists in Europe. It's a shame that the show wasn't advertized more broadly, and it was only in town for a few weeks. On the other hand, we really enjoyed the space and lack of crowds. There was also a permanent exhibit hall, which shows modern sculptures from Chinese artists. Most of some sort of social commentary and interesting. There's also a big grassy area outside that's strewn with funny pieces of sculpture. It would be pleasant to stay outdoors if it weren't for the heat. The Beca Cafe further down the lane is an excellent rest stop after a tour of the exhibits. They have a great afternoon tea set ($28) with yummy crepes and cheese cakes and also free wifi internet.

Taipan Spa - where foot massage meets KTV lounge

Taipan is a franchise owned by one of the wives of Macau's casino tycoon Stanley Ho. Upscale and lavishly upholstered, the private rooms resemble those in a KTV sans the microphone. They do have a snack menu from which you can order juices, pork filet sandwiches, curry rice places, and teas - all included in the price.  You can also reserve a big room that holds up to 8 people + 8 masseuses.  You can also bring your own DVDs (which you can buy right across the street) to watch on the  in-room LCD screen.  The foot massages themselves are ok but not spetacular, but it's a good choice if you're looking for an alternative place to hang out with your friends.

For body messages, check out Kang Jun Massage, which is a few doors down from Taipan on DaGu Rd.

KangJun Massage - don't go to Dragonfly!!

I always find it maddening that newcomers to Shanghai would right away get suckered into Dragonfly and plunk down like $1000RMB to buy a pre-paid card.  Apparently Dragonfly is the best in the business when it comes to advertizing to foreigners.  However, I must say that the newbie massage therapists they bring in from their ChongQing school are mostly too green and unable to find the pressure points on your body.  If you are one of those people who are just happy that someone is caressing you, then I guess anywhere will do. 

Being a certified massage therapist myself, I think I'm qualifed to rate massage places.  There several decent places to go for massage, but I love KangJun in particular because they have the massage skills to show for a very reasonable price.  AND they're located in the city center, unlike other good places which are most clustered in far-away GuBei and HongQiao areas.  They cater to a Japanese clientele so you know it's clean, albeit a bit cramped.  They have many branches around Shanghai, and the one on Dagu Rd is the closest one in the city center and also nicest one in decor. 

For $75 RMB, you can get a 1-hour Chinese-style full body massage or a foot massage.  I also tried their oil massage ($225/90 min) and ear candling ($120/60 min) , where they insert a hollow wax burning candle in your ears and suck crap out of them.  For the foot massage, they give you a nice pot of tea and some cherry tomatos.  My friend had bought a couch from them cuz they are so comfy.

If you have a big group and want a more social setting, try Taipan Spa just down the street on Dagu Rd.

ChengCheng - hole-in-the-wall homemade Chinese food

Mixed in among the trendy shops on XinLe Rd closer to DongHu Rd across from the Source, this 5-table dive serves some very tasty Chinese comfort food straight from the tiny kitchen behind. You can get sweet 'n sour pork, kungpao chicken that almost taste like those in the States, as well as tofu, claypotss/stews, and veggies of the day. The meal is completed w/ a bottle of chilled QingDao beer. The prices have gone a bit and I noticed they actually got an English menu now. You also take away the rice plates, which are as low as $8RMB.

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City Diner - 24-hour brunch and American burger joint

I always bring my guests to City Diner for brunch not only because it's owned by my friend Kelley but also it serves some of the most authentic American food in Shanghai. All of the items on the menu are from Kelley's own recipes, and they make their mayo from scratch. My favorites include the City burger, cobb salad, the carrot cake. However, I have noticed that both the service and food quality have gone down since it opened last year. Many people have complained about the service being uneven, and I'd have to agree: fresh brewed iced teas invariably mixed up with the nasty Nestle variety, chilli cheese fries served sans salt, salad served with the stems of lettuce. I will still continue to patronize but they really need to watch it in the kitchen and bring back some of the Filipino staff!!

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Whisk Cafe - killer chocolate cakes and drinks and other goodness

I took my houseguest to Whisk today for lunch. Didn't find the place in my Enjoy coupon book but decided to pay it a visit since it's been a while. We ordered some chicken arrabiata and pesto penne pastas, as well as an Italian chop salad with honey mustard dressing. Also got the Dark Granita chocolate smoothie, which is made of dark truffle. The servings were huge, enough to be shared between 2-3 people. Both the presentation and taste of the food were much better than some of the disappointing and overpriced places we went to recently. The paninis could use some more authentic bread but their panacottas and volcano cakes are heavenly. Espresson drinks are reasonably priced, and you must try their mocha -- it's perfectly laced with caramel -- yum!

I'm beginning to think it might be better for restaurants/cafes to NOT be listed in Enjoy; they might be cheaper and taste better...

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Gulistan - when Turkish meets Xinjiang Uyghur

I found this surprising authentic and atmospheric muslim restaurant after taking my visitors to shop for the fake stuff at the Tech Museum subway underground shopping street.  It's tucked in amidst a row of fastfood eats.  We ordered some lamb over rice and noodle dishes (standard Xinjiang fares) and also some yogurt dip with our doner kabop.  Everything was so tasty that even my ABC cousins who've had food trouble ever since they got to China had a smile on their faces.  We also got a free Uyghur guitar singing session from the waiter, who had just arrived in Shanghai from Xinjiang a week before.  I will definitely recommend this place to anyone who takes the trouble to go all the way out there to shop.  In Kurdish, Gulistan means the "Land of Roses" -- I had to look that one up...

Awfully Chocolate - cakes you have to have every week

I found out about this little cake shop on SH 2 weeks ago, and since then me and my friends have already gone back twice. They share the first floor of a pretty renovated old building on XiangYang Rd near FuXing Rd with Frangipani Nails. I wouldn't say it beat out my all-time favorite fresh whip cream choco cake from HongYe in Taipei, but it's up there. It only sells 3 kinds of 6" chocolate cakes -- pure chocolate, chocolate banana, and chocolate rum cherry. The cakes are not on display so there's not much to look at in the shop. They will also have a few ice cream products coming soon. This is a Singapore chain that also has opened a shop in Beijing. I asked about the delivery service and they said it will be available very soon. That's a very sinful service they'll be offering... They should also sell their cakes into cafes around Shanghai to expand their footprint. Sure don't want them to close shop like they did in Taipei...

For those who can't to buy a whole pie every week, you can get a mini satisfaction at Whisk Cafe, where they serve nice volcano chocolate cupcakes, which go perfectly w/ their mocha topped with chocolate syrup.

Citizen Cafe - idyllic afternoons and romantic evenings

Nestled on the short stretch of JinXian Rd near Shaanxi Rd, this low-key, classy cafe is a haven from the bustling streets of Shanghai. During the day, you can spend hours sipping on your coffee while surfing the net for free. At night, enjoy a candlelight lounge scene over some yummy martinis, romantic jazz music, and beautifully arranged flowers. They do a decent job on appetizers and light fares. I like their quesadillas, chicken wings, pastas and sandwiches. The fries are very good too. They also serve a nice but limited brunch menu on the weekends. If you're looking for a place to relax, this is it.

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Tian Jia Japanese Restaurant - it's all about toro sushi and king crab

If you want quality sashimi and sushi, this Japanese seafood trading company owned restaurant has the best toro in Shanghai. You forget what good fish is supposed to taste like after eating at those buffet style Japanese places. The original location on HuaShan Rd is tucked away in a service apartment hotel building on the 2nd floor, but you should go here instead of their newer locations because the food seems to be more authentic. At $250RMB/set menu includes 3 kinds of otoro, chutoro, and marinated toro sashimi, chirashi, and a hotpot with crabs, veggies, tofu, etc. it finishes with an ice cream as dessert. I'm not a big fan of crabs so it's really the toro that does it for me.

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La Aroma de Vida - vintage cafe serving western and Chinese set business lunches

This new little cafe/restaurant is located on on AnFu Rd near the Center office building. It looks like a vintage home decor shop from the outside. The owner, a Shanghainese girl, has created a funky but homey space with her collection of vintage furnitures, complete with an antique barber chair and a birdcage with live chirping birds. What's really impressive is that the set lunch menu changes DAILY. There are both Chinese and Western set menus in the $25RMB range. It comes with a soup, 2 main dishes of your choice (they come in petite bowls), as well as a icy dessert of some sort. It's a relaxing place to have lunch or take a break from the office.

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Arch Cafe Bar - the best non-hotel brunch deal in Shanghai

This is their 2nd cafe on Changshu Rd., not the original Wukang Rd location, and it's in a much bigger 3-story glass building. In my opinion, it's MUCH nicer than the original one, although it's not much of bar/night lounge as the original one seemed to have been. I was really happy when it opened, because it's close to where I live, and has by far the best brunch deal around. Free wifi internet is also available, along with all the free English magazines such as SH, City Weekend, Shanghai Talk, and That's Shanghai, etc. Ranging from $80-90RMB, you can choose between Italian (my favorite with salmon filet, salami, prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella), Scandinavian, American, Mexican, and coffee (espresso drinks included) or tea is included. The price is a bit on the high side, but with ingredients they put in there, it's a far better value than some of the other places I've been to. The burger is pretty good too, while the other selections are more standard fares. A nice French manager who was working there gave us free refills on espresso drinks but he's gone now... It's interesting to see that these western restaurants start off using Filipino waiters but later switch to local staff -- to save some money?

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Embre Cafe - sandwiches with a twist

Cafe serving yummy sandwiches, steaks and other creative dishes..

This cafe used to be on ChangShu Rd hidden in a cute courtyard. I guess it was too hidden so it was shut down and moved to the current location on Julu Rd near Fumin Rd. Embre joins a group of chichi restaurants-hidden-in-old-houses on this stretch of Julu Lu, including Velvet Lounge/Casanova, People 7, Shintori, Nepali Kitchen, etc. The new place is in a 3-story non-descript building, with minimal deco and no trees. There's a small garden out front, although it's a bit close to the sidewalk so not very private. The wait staff doesn't appear to be carry-over from the old place and doesn't seem to know about the old place. The menu is the same as that at the old location, which has a similar look as those of a Future Perfect and Arch. I usually get the sandwich set (~$60-70RMB), which comes with a soup and a nicely dressed salad on the plate. My favorite is the caviar with eggs on Italian bread. The bread is done less crunchy than at the old place (hmm, I just really miss the old place...) The breakfast can be order a la carte, but I find the pricing to be on the high side if you starting adding everything you want up. The meat and fish entres are done with an interesting tangy twist in the sauces; prices are reasonable for the taste and portion you're getting. The juices are way overpriced -- they should consider giving drink discounts to people who are ordering meals.

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Cafe Montmartre - French bistro with crepes and authentic baguette sandwiches

French cafe that serves crepe in Shanghai...

This location on the corner Urumuqi Rd and ChangLe Rd just opened in July. I used to go to their XiangYang Market location until the Market was shut down June last year. This old cafe was more "frenchy", crowded tables, full of smoking foreign tourists, and served crepes from the crepe station. This new one as well as their two other branches in HongQiao and north JingAn's TongLe Fang (Haifang Rd), are more like full-range restaurants than casual cafes. I'd say that with the spanking new furnitures and decor, the casual romantic French feel is lost somewhat. Also, they need to beef up on the waitstaff and turn that thermometer way down! The Mon-Fri business lunch for $55RMB was a pretty good deal. You have a choice of pastas, sandwiches, or quiche to go with a soda or coffee/tea. They also write their daily specials on a chalkboard and bring it to your table. Brunches are $125RMB. At the moment, they have not set up the crepe station, so there's only one kind of sweet crepe you can order. I'm looking forward to being able to order savory crepes again soon. I will also check out another crepe shop, La Creperie, which is not far down on near DongPing Rd. Why aren't there just little take-out shops that sell crepes on the cheap?? No need for fancy deco...

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