Escaping The Ordinary

I must be on a sushi roll - more like a constant craving for raw fish since I arrived in Shanghai three days ago. Last night I found myself back again at one of my old haunts, the Shintori restaurant at 803 Julu Lu. Like a Japanese businessman drawn to a famous geisha in a particular establishment in the town he visits occasionally for work, I'm unable to shake the appeal of this modern Japanese restaurant with a gorgeous exterior that seduces you into its inner sanctum of tasty heavenly pleasures. You'll fall in love with the entrance to Shintori, like most people do, drawn in slowly by its innocent and non-descript arch along the quiet narrow street. As you walk through, you find yourself led down a slightly meandering stone path fanned by tall bamboo trees on both sides extending high above the pebbled ground. The entire restaurant is built into an old terrace shophouse that has been completed gutted from the inside, leaving only the front and rear of the original facade intact; even the front of the restaurant is roofless. Imagine walking into a quiet, dreamlike realm away from the hustle and bustle of the city the minute you step in. And then you notice a glass and wood cubicle at the far end of the path, and as you approach it curiously, the front panel of the cube slides open silently and beckons you into the interior. As you walk into the cubicle enclosure, the other panel at the far end slides open automatically to reveal the entrance to the restaurant proper. Talk about grand entrances, as you walk into the reception area the sound of electronic chill out music fills the air and the aroma from the open kitchen at the far end drifts into your senses. You find yourself in the middle of the cavern-like room, with a communal table stretched out in the middle, surrounded by tall chairs, a sushi bar on the left side, and the bar on the right. A glass and wood staircase by the right side leads patrons to the second level where the private booths and smaller tables are located. The entire room is bathed in industrial chic - metal, glass and wood define this very hip and trendy setting. Whenever I take my friends here for dinner, I hear the same amazed and pleasantly surprised gasps of delight when they finally make it to the dining table. I think half the fun is in making a grand entrance into this restaurant - you feel like you just stepped into the Matrix. Let the food battle begin!

Shintori is actually part of the Shintori group of restaurants based out of Taiwan, all the outlets in this chain have a special gimmicky theme to delight and enhance the entire dining experience, but Shintori in Shanghai does it with a bit more panache. That's not to say the food isn't great, it's actually quite decent. This is modern Japanese fusion dining anyway, so expect some interesting combinations, new flavors and modern interpretations of classic Japanese fare. Service may be a tad bit slow at times, but the ambience makes up for it. I was however, a little disappointed with the limited sake menu. The highest grade available was junmai ginjo, and at RMB95, was reasonable but not great. Cold soba was served in a large bowl made of ice to keep the noodles chilled, that was a cool idea, literally. But definitely try the bite size appetizers, those are truly the highlight of the restaurant. Even if the food doesn't impress your palate, you'll at least be assured of a very pleasant and satisfying experience in this unique restaurant.