I was so impressed with The PuLi Hotel in the Jing'An district that I had to go back for brunch this Saturday. The culinary creations more closely resembled the dishes that I used to love at T8 in Xintiandi - modern takes on traditional European fare with touches of molecular gastronomy influences. Today the weather was just fabulous, warm and breezy, and it felt like the first weekend of spring in Shanghai.
I arrived shortly after noon, and the Jing'An restaurant was barely getting filled. There was a small table by the window overlooking Jing'An Park, with the bamboo blinds keeping out some of the sunlight as I gazed into the greenery below.
There was no special brunch menu, but I spotted a few breakfast items in the lunch menu. I initially wanted to do the eggs benedict, but later changed my mind and opted for the mushroom tortellini with truffles and spinach. I also picked the cauliflower soup as a starter. The soup had become one of my favorite choices ever since I tried it the first time I dined at Jing'An. Smooth as silk, it was so smooth the texture was beyond puree. It felt like drinking thick flavored cauliflower milk. The extra crunchy crouton-like bits on top of the soup added a very interesting contrast to the entire appetizer. This soup was just simply sublime.
My tortellini wasn't bad either, the flavor of the wild mushroom was aromatic, and the slivers of truffles and parmesan on top added to the overall taste sensation. The tortellini pasta was a little on the tough side, slightly below al dente, but it added a nice chewy texture to the pasta.
I ended the meal with a lemon curd pie with vanilla ice cream. Not quite the key lime pie experience I was hoping, but the tart flavor was very intense, and just the right amount of sweetness, complimented by the creamy vanilla ice cream on top.
Now I'm all ready to book a room at The PuLi Hotel to enjoy the rest of the wonderful services it has to offer.
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