Last Meal At The Bund Before The World Comes Knocking

This being the first weekend the new Bund boardwalk opened to the excited public, I decided I had to squeeze in one last meal for the season before moving on to quieter locales for my adventures in eating. And what better way to watch the world go by, or in this case, to watch the local masses descend on the Bund in droves on a sunny spring Sunday than from the 7th floor patio of M On The Bund.

I secured a window table a couple of days before Sunday, and arrived shortly before noon for brunch. They were serving their usual M Brunch set menus, and I decided I should eat a light meal for lunch after the heavy but excellent breakfast at Park Hyatt a few hours ago. Something light for me was the M house salad with shaved reggiano and pine nuts, and spagetti with clams over tomatoes and fresh parsley.

Few restaurants have been able to maintain their culinary standards as consistently as M On The Bund, and year after year, it continued to impress me with their excellent dishes using the freshest local ingredients, meticulous attention to details and top notch service. Not forgetting the unforgettable views from the patio overlooking the entire expanse of the Bund.

Today in particular, with drink in hand, as I stood watching the crowds throng the boardwalk below as final touches were being made in preparation for the Shanghai Expo 2010, I was reminded how wonderful the M On The Bund brunch experience has always been for me. Six years later, the magic still remains.

XinJiShi aka Jesse Restaurant

The chain of XinJiShi restaurants in Shanghai have become culinary institutions over the years. Although they are now located it more tourist friendly quarters, the standard of food remains excellent and is still held in high regard by the locals, even though prices are much higher than the average local hole-in-the-wall eatery serving traditional Shanghainese cuisine.

Today, I brought my coworker to the Xintiandi branch of XinJiShi to experience the excellent dishes that the rest of us have been raving for years. The usual must-haves included the three-layered pork meat stewed in claypot, the baked crab meat and roe in claypot and the famous jujue dates with glutinous rice. I also ordered a dish of local Chinese vegetables with strips of beancurd.

It has been at least three years since I ate here, but all the dishes were still very good. The stewed pork tasted just as good, although it seemed there was less gravy at the bottom of the pot this time. The stewed crab was amazing, but I remembered the version at Villa Mansion restaurant was even better. 

The jujube dates were still the best in town, and the local vegetable dish featured a local vegetable that I wasn't familair with but tasted a lot like tiny stalks of asparagus. I could have eaten a second plate of the jujube dates, but I had to save room for dessert at the Park Hyatt's 100 Century Ave restaurant later that night.

I was PuLi'ed back by the amazing food

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.

Overall, this was a very satisfying lunch, the service was excellent and unobtrusive, the views of Jing'An Park was calming, and the 3 courses were all winners.

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.

Ohsumi, Cuppage Plaza, Singapore

These guys specialize in kurobota pork shabu shabu, and here is the
spread!
If the number of Japanese patrons are a measure of a restaurant's
authenticity, this place must be really good. The restaurant located
on the third floor of Cuppage Plaza was full of Salarymen ready to
have a good time on a Friday night.

Brunch under the new Pavillon

I thought it was time to head back to xintiandi after a three year hiatus. The last time I was there, we dined at T8, which had always been my favorite restaurant in Shanghai, but even T8 was starting to bore me a little, especially since their Australian executive chef had move on to better things. In this city where taste and trends change by the season, I expected a lot of new and exciting culinary venues to experience as I headed to Xintiandi.

So, it was a pleasant surprise to find out that Costes Paris, the ultra-hip lounge from Paris had opened its first venture outside France, and in the heart of Xintiandi no less. Pavillon, taking its name from the three-storey high pavilion specially built for this venue, looks very chic in its velvet and chinoiserie elements. Today, I arrived a little early for Sunday brunch, the lounge was empty save for a couple sitting by the window. I picked a spot directly under the pavilion, in the middle of the dining section. Like most trendy eateries in Shanghai these days, brunch is a popular weekend pastime with friends and family, and most restaurants have prix fixe brunch menus to cater to the diners. For 298RMB, I had a choice of starter, main and dessert, with juice or coffee or tea, and a bread basket. 

I ordered orange juice, which turned out to be the bottled variety, and not fresh. I had expected more. The breadbasket was actually two plates of bread, including wheat slices, buns and croissants. My appetizer of Avocado/Tuna arrived shortly. For an appetizer the portion was rather big, the diced raw tuna covering the top of the avocado mousse terrine. I was not too impressed with this dish, it felt amateurish, like a combination of two base ingredients hastily put together, lightly salted, and not much else.

The main course of Morel Mushroom with Penne was highly anticipated, but again, this dish was underwhelming. The penne was a little under cooked, of the pre-packed box variety, and the cream sauce was normal at best. The morel mushrooms were fresh and nice though.

For dessert, I ordered the Hotel Costes special - chocolate cake with strawberry sorbet. After eating Jean Georges' chocolate cake last night, I knew Pavillon would have a tough task on hand to impress me. The chocolate cake was not as smooth, and the molten chocolate center was not velvety rich, but rather lumpy.

All in all, Pavillon was mediocre at best, and service was equally disappointing. The restaurant was empty and yet service was slow, non existent at times while the wait staff were chatting in the service area. Perhaps Pavillon would fare much better sticking to the lounge business.

Pavillon by Costes Paris is located at Xintiandi, House 17, Lane 181 Taicang Lu, Shanghai.

Tel: +86-5306-9988

My old friend Jean Georges

It was a cold and rainy evening in early March, winter was still in the air in Shanghai. I put on my iPod earphones to keep my ears warm and headed out to the Bund at near freezing temperatures. Ten minutes of brisk walking later, I was standing in front of Three On The Bund.

The last time I had dined here was at least three years ago, also on a rainy night like this, sitting by the window of the cozy bar at Jean Georges, watching the lightning show brighten up the stormy Shanghai skyline. And the time before that was during my dad's birthday dinner celebration back in 2006.

Even though Jean Georges has changed much over the last few years, the restaurant has still retained a refined and cosy atmosphere that was rife with French sophistication. But gone were the beautiful ladies working the bar section in cheong sams, who, only a few years back, set the standard for sullty sex appeal on the Bund strip. Alas, there were only three waiters serving the room tonight, and only 3 tables taken up. Must be a slow Saturday night for this venerable institution of French culinary excellence.  The fine dining room appeared to be buzzing with activity, but I was here for some quiet reminiscing and nostalgia, so I picked the same table I had sat in three years ago and ordered a cocktail.

The prix fixe menu looked attractive at 250RMB, so I settled for that and selected my courses. Service seemed a bit slow that night, but I was in no hurry to leave. The waiter kept offering me their warm raisin bread, which was delightful. My first course finally arrived after a long wait - Wild Mushroom Soup, Parmesan, Chili and Thyme. The mushroom broth was full flavored, very tasty and the thyme was a nice herby contrast to the parmesan, and the chili slices added a bit of kick to the clear soup. Next up, I had the Slowly Cooked Salmon, Red Cabbage, Parsnips and Horseradish. Salmon always tasted wonderful when they're competently cooked - juicy, flaky and with a rich unique buttery flavor. The red cabbage was sweet and tart, while the parsnips was a little crunchy and contrasted well with the other ingredients, and created a very well balanced taste. For dessert, I picked the JG chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. This was their signature dessert that have been winning rave reviews over the past few years. I was heartened to find out that this was still the best chocolate cake in this part of Shanghai. A lot of restaurants try their hand at creating this dessert, but few can get the serving temperature perfect, and the chocolate cake texture to a consistency close to pudding, yet still remaining a cake.

While Jean Georges still serves up classy, delectable French cuisine, the restaurant is starting to show its age in the worn out armchairs, frayed curtains and as well as some of the fixtures around the room. The dimly lit bar still retains a Parisian air of sophistication and dignity, but perhaps it's time to kick off a complete makeover to compete with the new kids on the block like Mr& Mrs Bund. Nonetheless, Jean Georges never disappoints when it comes to excellent French cuisine.

Jean Georges is located at Three On The Bund, 4/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Shanghai.

Tel: +86-6321-7733

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.