More competition for Jean Georges

It was during one of those cold rainy evenings in Shanghai, and I had a craving for something French. I was trying to decide between Jean Georges or Hamilton House, both along the Bund, when a friend suggested Sir Elly's at the new Peninsula hotel, which coincidentally, was also located along the Bund near Huangpu Road. I called up the restaurant and they confirmed that a table by the window was available, so I walked over.

Hotels in the Peninsula group all seem to have the same grand, opulent ambience and interiors, and this location in Shanghai is no different. As an old stately Shanghainese style mansion, it stays true to its old world charm. Sir Elly's is the modern European fine dining restaurant on the 13th floor of the hotel, accessible by the antique art deco styled elevator located in the shopping arcade section of the hotel. The entrance is both dark and inviting, with deep reds and plush black armchairs, a stunning view of the Bund and discreet understated elegance.

 I took a seat in the lounge as they prepared my table, and was then led into a fine dining room with high ceilings, a Chihuly inspired chandelier and well-appointed tables and chairs befitting a stately European manor. Lorenz, my European waiter came with the menu and introduced a few of the daily highlights, but the four course tasting menu immediately caught my eye (580RMB++). Perhaps, because I was famished, but probably more so due to the choice of words in the descriptions like "foie gras", "lobster" and "Wagyu", and not necessary in that order.

The amuse bouche was truffled egg custard with maple cream, and came in an egg shell with the top shaved off. The egg white inside was steamed perfectly, light salted and well scented with truffle oil, and combined very well with the slightly sweet maple flavored whipped cream. A perfectly light starter that set my stomach rumbling for more. While waiting for the next course, I sampled the bread basket. My favorite choice was the truffled scones. I also ordered a glass of the Peninsula pinot noir, specially bottled by the Keller Estate in Sonoma country, CA.

The foie gras soup with chives, and duck and fig confit was an absolute delight. The foie gras aroma was very enticing, the soup was not too heavy, and the confit at the bottom of the cup was a nice touch, with shreds of tender duck meat and sprinklings of fig. The extra croutons on the side gave each sip of the soup a light crunchiness.

And when I thought I had just experienced the best course of the tasting menu, along comes the steamed lobster in lobster bisque. A heavenly broth of flavor and chunks of juicy fresh Maine lobster meat layered in a glass bowl with sprigs of herbs.

For my main, I had a choice of sole or Wagyu tenderloin. Guess which one I picked. The dish arrived with a nice cut of beef tenderloin in the middle, with marinated forest mushroom slices on left, and a piece of steamed custard and poached pear on the right. The waiter then poured a small cup of beef broth over the beef. The most enjoyable part of this dish was the contrasting textures of the ingredients and the subtle flavors, not too overpowering and yet perfectly balanced. A soup spoon was provided so I could drink the light yet full flavored beef broth at the end of the course.

As a pre dessert, my strawberry pannacotta arrived in a small shot glass, with a layer of strawberry puree on the top. This was soft, delicate pannacotta, with a tiramisu-like texture and strawberry puree that was not too sweet, but just right. I was very full by the time the coffee souffle and Amaretto ice cream arrived. I could only eat a few scoops of the souffle, but finished the small scoop if ice cream before asking for the check.

This was by far the best French meal I've had in a long time, the dishes were perfectly executed and the service was superb. I even got to know the manager Cindy who came by for a chat as the evening drew to a close. I was definitely impressed by the whole experience, so much so that I called up the hotel the very next day and made a room reservation for the weekend.

Sir Elly's is located in the Peninsula Hotel, Shanghai, at 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, The Bund.

Tel: +86-21-2327-2888

Lost in Heaven

From the description of this restaurant on their website, it sounded like a piece of the fabled city of Shangri-La transplanted into the bustling neighborhood of Shanghai's Bund. Shanghai has seen quite a few innovative dining concepts in the past few years since I've been here, but Lost Heaven has captured the essence of the minority ethnic lifestyle in China very deftly, distilling over 50 tribal customs and styles into a vast three-storey cultural showcase housed in a pre-war mansion along Yan'an Dong Road. As you venture through Lost Heaven's doors, the boutique showcases handicrafts and fine household accessories from local minority groups across China. There's also a chocolate counter which stands oddly by the side. I had no idea the ethnic minorities had a sweet tooth for truffles.

The dining room was located on the second level, up a flight of concrete stairs decorated with flowing dyed cloth and tribal decorations. On the walls are hand painted cloth portraits of gods and mythical figures showcasing more cultural gems. I decided to get a drink at the roof top bar before dinner, so I headed up to the third floor. 

The expansive open air deck of the bar was a refreshing change from the usual stuffy bars in most restaurants. There were long beds at various corners, recliners and a bar facing the main road below. The city skyline was breathtaking. It was hard to imagine this was China, still very communist, yet very modern and capitalist at the same time. 

The waiter informed me that the outdoor bar was closed for the winter, so I headed indoors to the main area. The bar was as big as the average club in Shanghai, with a sizable area in the middle that could be easily converted to a dancefloor. Decoration was opulent Chinese tribal, and very reminiscent of an Indochinese bar in Singapore I had visit several years back. Buddha figurines lined the walls along with candlelights, red lanterns hung from above, and old Chinese antique furniture were used for seating around the lounge area. The creaky wooden floor boards set the tone for the whole old-world charm experience.

I ordered their signature cocktail, called Thai Zeed, a combination of vodka, Malibu rum, pineapple and chilli for kicks. Nicely done, with a hint of lemongrass, and a salted rim. I brought my drink down to the dining hall where my table was waiting. The dining area felt like one of the old Shikoumen houses in Xintiandi, definitely a very tourist and expat friendly dining environment, some might call it modern Chinese chic.

The menu was very extensive, beautifully illustrated with color photographs and English descriptions. Everything looked tempting, and prices were very reasonable in the 60-70RMB range. I ordered the spring rolls in tofu skin and the grilled chicken salad for appetizers. The spring rolls were similar to the vegetarian versions that can be found in most Cantonese restaurants, but nonetheless very well done. The bland sounding chicken salad just blew me away and was by far my favorite dish for the evening. Crispy on the edges, tender on the inside, with a spicy Thai-style soy sauce dressing poured over the meat. The sliced cucumbers resting on the bottom of the dish was a clean contrast to the spiciness. I could have eaten another place as my main course.

For mains, the Burmese chicken curry was very normal, and tasted like regular Thai curry but without the spicy edge. The spicy fried beef, on the other hand, was a Yunnan classic that was bold, full-flavored and tender. This was the kind of dish that would make you order another bowl of rice just to soak up the excellent gravy.

My whole experience at Lost Heaven was definitely positive, maybe even memorable. At times I felt like I was in some exotic, far flung village in the Chinese hinterlands or an elaborate movie set for a period film., being entertained by the locals eager to entertain you in their fantasy world of Shangri-la. More importantly, the food was top notch and far exceeded my expectations for a dining concept restaurant. Lost Heaven gets big thumbs up from me.

Lost Heaven is located at 17 Yan'an Dong Lu, The Bund, near Sichuan Nan Lu.

Tel: 021-6330-0967

I felt like Alice in a Chinese Wonderland

Stepping in to the hip and trendy Mr&Mrs Bund by Paul Pairet made me feel like I was transported to the realm of the Red Queen in Alice In Wonderland, with flashes of the Mad Hatter's decorative whims thrown in. Here you find bright hues of red, black and silver, gigantic armchairs and darkwood sofas, whimsically placed table accessories, candlestick with transparent stems and waiters strutting around in hip casual attire wearing Converse All Stars. 

Although billed as a French restaurant, Mr&Mrs Bund takes classic French fare to the next level with very innovative cooking techniques (almost sous vide style at times), combined with high quality locally grown ingredients sourced from all over China. The menu itself comes in a large leather binder that reads like an extensive supermarket grocery list, with different types of meat sold by the gram, vegetables cooked in many different ways, raw delicacies like oysters, caviar, foie gras, pate and cheese selections on several pages. They even smoke their own salmon for the carpaccio. The restaurant serves meals family style, so everyone at the table gets to partake in sampling all the dishes.

One of the hallmarks of a good restaurant is the quality of the bread, and should always be served warm. The bread basket at Mr&Mrs Bund was generous, and the freshly baked goods came to the table warm, with a choice of tuna mouse or butter. The baguette was the best I've had in a long time.

I ordered duck foie gras with raisin hazelnut crumble for starters while I sipped my French martini. The hazelnut crumble was a very clever idea - crunchy bits of crsuhed hazelhuts with crystallized burnt brown sugar and caramelized raisins. The contrast of cruchiness with smooth foie gras was the perfect juxtaposition of taste and texture.

If you like prawn, you could order the Prawn Steamed in a Citrus Jar, which comes in an airtight glass jar filled with citrus juice, a  single stalk of lemongrass and a giant prawn steamed at 500degF. I was offered a whiff of the scent emanating from the steaming jar, and that was enough to send my tastebuds popping. The waiters are on hand to prepare and serve each dish deftly, as the prawn is lifted from the jar, quartered and placed onto a plate before being garnished. The prawn was very fresh, tender and almost fully cooked at the center. The accompanying soy sauce mixture was an excellent pairing, and truly showcased the talents of the chefs.

The second main course was Seafood In A Bag, which was black cod steamed with Chinese wine sauce. It sounded a little too Chinese, but our waiter assured us that this was one of the most popular signature dishes in the restaurant and we would not be disappointed. The dish arrived in a clear plastic bag, steamed and ready to be opened. Again, our waiter proceeded to prepare the food at our table, firstly, pouring the sauce over a small mound of rice in a bowl, and then placing the generous serving of black cod on top of it. My apprehensions were unfounded as the first mouthful of cod melted in my mouth and was unbelievably flavorful. Together with the Chinese sauce, it  didn't really taste totally Chinese, nor French, but a good balance between the two. I was most impressed with the texture of the fish, and the taste of freshness lingering in my mouth after I had devoured my last bite.

Shortly after my first visit, I returned a few nights later, drawn to the amazing duck foie gras with raisin and hazelnut crumble, and the freshly baked baguette and toast. This time we ordered a vegetarian meal, complete with potato gratin, tomato salad, vegetarian risotto, pasta and homemade Nutella and panacotta ice cream. All the dishes were well prepared, but the seafood dishes from the previous night definitely stood out from the ordinary. I think Mr&Mrs Bund just became my favorite restaurant in Shanghai.

Mr&Mrs Bund is located at 6/F Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, The Bund.
Tel: 021-6323-9898

Tatsuya, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore

I always knew that Tatsuya's was a high end place but tonight it was heaving with dealmakers and wealthy businessmen with their mistresses.  I guess I should have known when we passed the Maserati, Ferrari and Hummer parked right in front but I just thought it was going to be a quiet Monday night at the place.  It finally occurred to me that it was in fact Tuesday, the day that the fresh shipment comes in, and boy was it good.  I know from time to time I stray to other Japanese establishments but as you can probably see from this blog, I keep coming back (it doesn't hurt that it is a 5 minute walk from my apartment).  I have decided to cap my visits to once a quarter just to enjoy the seasonal changes in the menu.  We'll see how long I can hold out.....

Pictured below : (Baby Squid in Miso with Soramame, Sashimi Moriawase, Aburi Sushi, Barracuda, Stewed Lotus Root and Sea Eel, Seasonal Bamboo Clam, Strawberry and Melon)

Tokyo's finest tofu temptation

I found this little known gem of a Kyoto-style tofu restaurant over 8 years ago while traveling through Tokyo. It's off the beaten path and not very easy to find since it doesn't have an English signboard, and has an unlikely entrance that you would miss if you didn't pay attention to the Japanese signage out in front. The restaurant is called Goemon, and is hidden away along a row of low rise buildings along a quiet neighborhood in Hakusan. The facade of building had been demolished, and replaced by a fluorescent-lit signage in Japanese that stood where the original front entrance used to be. And that's exactly the charm of Goemon, as you walk through the archway and further along the stone path leading to the small restaurant at the end, the sounds of the busy street trail off behind you and you are magically transported to a entirely different place instantly. Here you find cherry blossom trees, a koi pond and running stream, rock gardens and traditional Japanese huts and a gazebo. A truly picture-perfect setting for an evening dining experience if you were ever looking for one in Tokyo.

The restaurant is divided into two areas, the main dining hall with several communal tables, and the garden area where the huts and the gazebo are located. The traditional huts are perfect for the warmer evenings, and in the winter months the wooden paper screen doors provide some warmth as you dine inside.

Goemon is well known among the locals for superb tofu, all are freshly hand made daily by the proprietors ever since the restaurant opened years ago. For summer, the main highlight is cold tofu, and for winter it is tofu hotpot or yudofu.

We started dinner with chilled sesame tofu that was a little sticky yet full of sesame flavor. This was accompanied by a seasonal cold appetizer presentation comprising of various cold items that were paired with various types of tofu - salmon roe, pickled ginko, salmon sashimi and egg. The plate was beautifully decorated, and it looked almost too pretty to be eaten.

The next course was grilled tofu on skewers. I remember this was my favorite appetizer from my last visit four years ago, and this time it did not disappoint again. Three skewers, each with a brown, yellow and green sauce on top, were presented on a long sushi plate, each a distinct contrast from the other. The tofu was of a harder variety, very much akin to Chinese hard tofu.

Then we had a small macha (green tea) flavored tofu ball, deep fried. I guess this was their karaage version of tofu. The main course was the tofu hotpot, which came in a large claypot filled to the brim with fresh mushrooms, vegetables, seafood, chicken and chunks of the fresh homemade tofu simmering in a dashi broth. The contents of the hotpot could have easily fed 4 persons, and by this time, both of us were almost half full. And yet we persevered, sampling all the different types of ingredients that were simmering slowly over the charcoal fire. We ordered a bottle of Asahi beer as well. The waitress came back to the hut a few minutes later with bowls for our hotpot broth, which, by this time, had turned into a very flavorful broth.

Just as we thought we couldn't eat another mouthful, the final course of karaage chicken arrived. Unfortunately, we could only manage a couple of mouthfuls before calling it quits. We laid on the tatami floor and opened the screen door to let some cool night air into the little hut. The owners did not appear to be in a rush to make us pay up, so we took our time sipping tea and enjoying the cool weather.

Goemon, apparently, is well known among the local community, but few tourists ever venture this far away from the hotel districts. So it's probably one of the best kept secrets in Tokyo dining. This would be the perfect place for a truly traditional Japanese dining experience complete with the Japanese garden setting.

Goemon is located at:

1-1-26 Hon-Komagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3811-2015

My soup is too salty (wanna pick a fight?)

I have been meaning to try Emmanuel Stroobant's new eatery for some months now, but sadly, I did not have a clue where The Sail was (but I can draw you a map to the newest entrant on the restaurant block in Shanghai or San Francisco any day). Fortunately, I was driving around Singapore's downtown marina district with my iPhone's Google Maps turned on, and was able to locate The Sail along Marina Boulevard within minutes.

Reservations were made for 8PM, but from the looks of the place as we entered, I shouldn't have bothered. While Rocks has garnered a reputation among the locals as the place to dine for lunch, dinner seemed like a far cry from the scene of a very packed and noisy eating establishment. Nonetheless, this would mean a pleasant, quiet meal and company for me.

Scanning the menu, it looked like Rocks prided itself on keeping things simple and fresh, which is a refreshing change from the sometimes over-the-top meal preparations that quite a few restaurants are mimicking these days in the hopes of bringing in more customers eager for something new or different.

First up, caesar salad for two. Delicious, a little dry, but well done and super generous serving portions. I decided I had to have the twice cooked Kurobuta pork cutlet for my main, and also ordered sauteed wild mushrooms and french fries on the side. The pork cutlet was extremely tender, with an almost melt-in-your-mouth quality and yet full of flavor. Unfortunately, it was a little too salty. When I sampled the mushrooms, they were also very tasty, and very salty. The fries were the saltiest, and I couldn't finish more than a few pieces. We let the waiters know about the salt problem, but they didn't seem too apologetic. In fact, service did not seem as polished as I what I would have expected from such a popular restaurant.

Despite the saltiness, the food quality was very good. Preparation was another problem, though. Our medium rare steak came out well done and had to be sent back. When they brought out a replacement, it was perfectly done, but for a restaurant calling itself a grill, this should not have happened in the first place. Maybe we went on an off-night and the staff were not at their best, but my overall impression hasn't been all that positive, so maybe I'll hold off for a few months before I come round again for their popular set lunches.


Rocks Urban Grill + Bar is located at:
2 Marina Boulevard, The Sail, # 02 – 01/02, Singapore 018987
Tel: +65-6438-4404

Pho 24, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Although we had an extremely filling meal at Quan An Ngon, the one thing it did NOT serve was the traditional Pho Bo.  And how can one visit Vietnam without tasting Pho?

Thanks to the concierge at the beautiful Park Hyatt Saigon (which is centrally located on the same square as the Hotel Caravelle), we managed to squeeze in our Pho fix at an excellent Pho place just around the corner from the hotel.

The rice noodle was cooked to the right consistency but, better yet, the broth was more complex and flavourful than most you can get in Singapore (except when D Guy's mom cooks her pho).  The Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk on ice was an excellent accompaniment (never mind that it was my second for the day).

 

As it turns out, Pho 24 is a chain with 17 locations in District 1 alone and a total of 59 locations throughout Vietnam.  They also have branches in Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Korea, Cambodia and more!!!  The one we patronised was on 15/5 Le Thanh Thon St. in a little street opposite the Gucci store near the opera house.