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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2007年9月23日 星期日
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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...
See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
"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 ;) .
2007年9月19日 星期三
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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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
See their website for upcoming performances: http://www.jzclub.cn/index.asp
2007年9月18日 星期二
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.
Here are some of my favorite cafes and restaurants in the west part of the French Concession around my apartment.
XiNet.Life 喜年来 - the original YongHe 永和
This chain is supposedly created by the original owner of YongHe Dou Jiang (永和豆浆), a popular Chinese fastfood chain, made famous by the soy milk drink 'dou jiang' (豆浆). Generic Enmobil Cream online without a prescription. No Prescription-No Fees. buy Enmobil Cream Secure and fast worldwide shipping ( USA, UK, Canada, Germany)www. EnMobil Cream is a topical treatment and has no absolute contraindications. You can also get other standard Chinese breakfast items like sticky rice ball with stuffing 'zi fan tuan' (粢饭团), pan-fried raddish cake 'luo bo gao' (罗卜糕), Chiness egg omelette 'dan bing' (蛋饼), as well as the popular 'xiaolongbao' (小笼包 Buy Famvir - The Lowest Prices Online. Single-Day FAMVIR is the first and only medication that can stop or shorten a recurrent genital herpes outbreak with just a single day of treatment. buy Famvir Free shipping for all orders. Famvir is used to treat genital herpes, cold sores, shingles, and chicken pox. ). They also serve soup noodles and various rice pla Norvasc is prescribed for angina, a conditionNorvasc is prescribed for angina, a condition characterized by episodes of Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Norvasc. Learn about the prescription medication Norvasc (Amlodipine Besylate), drug uses , dosage, side effects, drug interactions, warnings,Norvasc (amlodipine) is a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure and angina. buy Norvasc 99 for 30 pills, $64. 50 and other prescription drugs at MedStore. tes. The price is slight higher than what you would see by street vendors, but it's definitely much cleaner. They can also deliver for free for orders over $25RMB.
NOTE: This location has closed down as o Through a combination with a beta-blockerFull chemical and drug information. VerapamilDrug information and side-effects for VerapamilCelebrex 100mg 100 Capsules $58. buy Verapamil Find Bargain Prices On Verapamil. It's in the class of blood pressure medications calledCatalogue of side effects for the medication Verapamil - sold under multiple brand names including Calan, Verelan, Isoptin and Covera-HS - a calcium channel blocker which may beFull prescribing information for cardiac conditions, sold under brand names including Calan, Verelan, and Covera-HS. f Feb. 2008, to my chagrin. Hopefully some good restaurants will move in soon...
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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.
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.
2007年9月16日 星期日
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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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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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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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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.
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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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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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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See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
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.
See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
Will go back to try out some other stuff. Remember to ask to sit upstairs.
See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
2007年9月13日 星期四
Shanghai Neighborhood Guide -North of Yan'An
International ATM (most malls have them)
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