I had dinner with Wang Lee Hom

Recently, a friend of mine told me to check out one of the newest boutique hotel in town, called The PuLi Hotel and Spa. With the pace of change these days in Shanghai, it's really hard to keep up with the latest and greatest places to dine. And so, on this cold rainy night after returning from the office, I decided tonight was the night I needed a new place to try for dinner. So I hailed a cab from the Peninsula and made my way to The PuLi Hotel in Jing'An. 

I was impressed by the modern facade of granite and metal as the cab pulled up the stone driveway flanked by bamboo, stopping at the circular driveway of granite and wood. The walkway at the main entrance was sleek and modern, with iron curtains acting as walls, leading visitors into the square foyer with high ceilings, then into the long expanse of the main lobby, reception and bar areas.

The hotel's interior design was a stark contrast to the garish modern, opulent and over-the-top themes that seem commonplace in Shanghai these days in most of the five star hotels on both sides of the Bund. The PuLi's design was a blend of modern western architecture styles infused with a lot of meticulously planned Chinese influences, from the choice of floor tiles, to the design of the doors and carpets. Simply put, I loved this hotel and would move here in a heartbeat if I hadn't checked into the Peninsula already.

Anyway, I made my way to the Jing'An restaurant on the second floor. It was close to 10 o'clock when I arrived, and the restaurant was very empty except for a few occupied tables scattered around the room. The stunning view of Jing'An Park outside the restaurant caught my eye, and so I picked a table by the window and ordered a drink while I waited for my friend to arrive.

The waiter soon informed us that we had to place our last orders for the night, so I ordered my dinner, which consisted of cauliflower soup flavored with a dash of olive oil, roasted duck breast with a beetroot sorbet and mushroom ravioli. For dessert, I made my friend share the sampler with me, which consisted of the restaurant's five signature desserts. For the amuse bouche, I was served a sliver of cured salmon beautifully garnished with herbs and flower. 

Each dish was meticulously prepared and presented, and the interpretation was modern and light, and flavors shone through. I especially loved the cauliflower soup, it was the smoothest, and most flavorful cauliflower soup I had ever tasted.

Actually, this entry is not so much about the food as my encounter with Wang Lee Hom, the singer/actor. I was only told by my friend that Wang Lee Hom had the table just behind me, that very night in the Jing'An restaurant. He had retreated back to his room with his friends shortly after my friend arrived, but my friend had neglected to tell me this little fact until we got up to leave. Ah well, that was my brush with celebrity-dom. It seems that The PuLi hotel is the choice of many Hong Kong celebrities these days, so a dinner at Jing'An would also be an opportunity for some stargazing. Maybe I'll have better luck next time. But I'm definitely coming back for the food.