Eating in Shanghai

evolving gourmet industry. Readers will tour the trendiest venues across this dynamic city and gain a wider appreciation of the unique cultural history behind signature dishes and beverages, which are often influenced by regional Chinese cuisine.

Interesting anecdotes from Chinese history make this more than just a beautiful foodie’s book. Many of the stories combine practical recipes with cultural content, while others give the reader a straight-forward guide for sampling the tastiest food in Shanghai. The book also features first-hand restaurant reviews about the multinational food scene in Shanghai, including some world-famous restaurants that have found a new home in this remarkable city.

Eating in Shanghai

Prepare to enter Shanghai’s vibrant food and drink scenes! As a lively metropolis, Shanghai is home to an ever-

Edited by Shanghai Daily

Cover Image: Jade House Serves up Healthy Chaozhou Cuisine Photography: Shanghai Daily

$29.95 [USA] £23.00 [GB]

Edited by Shanghai Daily

PREFACE John H. Isacs Columnist, International wine judge Gourmet book writer

To say fine wining and dining was important in my family is a gross understatement. It was a religion. My dad was one of the first wine collectors in the United States after World War II, back in a postwar world when a Bordeaux First Growth wine could be purchased for four or five dollars. Over the next 60 years, he amassed a wonderful collection of the world’s greatest wines. Food was equally important and whether at home in New York and Connecticut, or in Paris where my father also had an office, we frequented the best restaurants and bars as a way of life. Not surprising then, copies of the most famous gourmet guides were never far from reach of my dad. He collected guides as he did his beloved wines.

Enjoying a gourmet life is an art form that necessitates preparation and knowledge.

As such, reliable guides are essential tools to optimize our gourmet loves. Nowhere is this truer than in Shanghai where the outstanding plethora of drinking and dining options can be daunting and exceedingly confusing. That’s why I’m thrilled and honored to write the foreword to this excellent book that helps readers discover the culinary treats and hidden treasures of our great city.

I have had the privilege to be a wine columnist for the Shanghai Daily newspaper for nearly a decade. Over this period of time, I learned one very important thing about the talented people working for the newspaper: they love food!

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They’re also extremely discerning about the places they go to wine and dine. The Shanghai Daily team that created this book is uniquely qualified to introduce us to the delectable treasures of our city.

Passion, above all else, is the most important ingredient for composing a gourmet guide, and this book is teeming with passionate prose that entertainingly presents not only scrumptious dishes and drinks but also the special people that create them. This is what I love most about this book; not only does it professionally review deserving restaurants, small eateries, and bars, but also delves deeper into understanding the special foods, places, and people that make our city such a delicious place to live.

The four main sections include Creative Chinese Cuisine, Internationally Influenced Cuisine, Small Dishes and Bars, as well as Drinks, Deserts, & Snacks. These succinctly organized sections not only help readers find great restaurants, but also understand the special stories and culture behind the dishes and styles of cuisines. International visitors and expats will love the sections on distinct Chinese treats, such as xiaolongbao and hairy crabs, and will gain a deeper appreciation of their important status in Chinese cooking as well as how to best enjoy them.

Even though restaurant guides are, historically speaking, a relatively new phenomenon, they have become

indispensable instruments for gourmets and foodies, especially those of us who live in megacities like Shanghai. A little history can help us understand this. Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de la Reynière published the first restaurant guide, Almanach des Gourmands , in 1803. Similar to his rather protracted name, the book was long and a bit haughty but nonetheless became a runaway success. More like an eating travel guide, his book, like this one, introduced deserving restaurants and delved into the culture of dishes and foods.

A century after Reynière’s pioneering book, the French tire manufacturer Michelin published its first hotel and restaurant guide, though at the time there was no rating of restaurants. In fact, the book was more of a traveling guide to help people find restaurants and, of course, spend money on tires. The coveted stars first made an appearance in the 1926 Michelin Guide.

and Zagat has definitely won the hearts of American foodies. Now here in Shanghai we have our own homegrown gourmet guide that goes well beyond merely introducing restaurants. Similar to the grand old guides of yesteryear, Eating in Shanghai is a culinary travel guide covering one of the world’s most exciting dining capitals. Each story in this book helps us discover and better appreciate the epicurean beauty of our city.

I sincerely commend my talented friends at Shanghai Daily for their outstanding work in composing and publishing this fine book that is sure to enrich the gourmet lives of all readers. As its name implies, it’s truly a delicious read and I can think of no higher praise than to say if my dear father was still with us, he would love this book!

In the U.S., Adventures in Good Eating written by Duncan Hines in 1935, became the first nationally recognized restaurant guide. It became so popular that Hines sold the right to use his name to a large American food manufacturer, which then developed a line of products under the Duncan Hines brand.

Today we have no shortage of restaurant guides. Michelin seems to be everywhere; Gault et Millau is one of the best for Eurocentric eaters; Gambero Rosso is Italy’s most prestigious food and wine guide; 9

Creative Chinese Cuisine

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Feast for the Senses at Xintiandi Cantonese Joint

As one of the premier lifestyle destinations in Shanghai, Xintiandi recently welcomed a handful of new concept dining options to its tenancies. It now includes some of the heaviest hitters in the city’s food landscape, such as the much talked-about Sense 8, which serves Cantonese cuisine in the North Block.

In a city filled with trendy Nordic design spaces and cool industrial venues, Sense 8’s chinoiserie extravagance, oriental glamour, and old-school charm are a surprise. The Shanghainese owner invited three master artisans who have been restoring artifacts and 12

Creative Chinese Cuisine

antiques inside the Forbidden City to create meticulous works that revive the techniques of a by-gone era. The intricate paintings adorning the walls and doors took the artisans three months. Precious Imperial-style antiques from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) have been acquired from different auctions and displayed in every corner inside the twostory space.

Sense 8 offers Cantonese favorites and cooking techniques that are rarely found today, even in Hong Kong and Guangdong province. The master chef behind these

beautifully presented treats has 48 years of experience in the kitchen of The Peninsula Hong Kong.

The shark’s fin dumpling stuffed with shrimp and mushroom julienne makes for an excellent starter. It starts with chicken-broth flavored hot soup and finishes with a meaty, juicy filling that tastes delicious with vinegar.

The steamed pork dumpling with abalone is beautiful to look at, with the whole abalone placed on top of the dumpling wrapped in a green-colored spinach dumpling skin. The steamed scallop dumpling with black garlic left a surprising taste on the tongue. The

fermented garlic gives a wonderfully complex flavor to the scallop dumpling and adds a tender, almost jelly-like texture with a meltin-your-mouth sensation.

Sense 8 serves yum cha (morning tea) from 8am to 10:30am with a different list of dim sum on offer. Each dish is priced from ¥24 to ¥38 for yum cha , and slightly higher at lunchtime.

Sense 8 is a beautiful museum-like space in the heart of the city, with superbly attentive staff and high-quality Cantonese offerings.

SENSE 8 Opening hours / 8am–10:30am (yum cha), 11am–3pm (lunch), 5:30pm–10:30pm (dinner) Average price / ¥200 (breakfast), ¥400 (lunch), ¥650 (dinner) Address / No. 8, Lane 181 Taicang Rd, Xintiandi North Block Telephone / 6373-1888 Reservations / Required one to two weeks in advance

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Lou Shang Offers Refreshing Hot-Pot Alternative

Lou Shang is a delightful addition to Shanghai’s hot pot scene where Sichuan spices dominate. Located at the corner of Maoming Road S. and Jinxian Road, below the popular music lounge Shake, Lou Shang has drawn long queues every evening since its opening.

It’s the perfect place for someone who dislikes crowds and the hustle and bustle of rowdy hot pot spots.

The restaurant is nicely decorated with a retro Hong Kong style that is clean and without the usual smells associated with a hot pot venue.

Unlike the typical oily, spicy, tongue-burning Sichuan hot pot, the Hong Kong alternative is flavorsome yet healthy and fresh with a great deal of attention to high-quality ingredients, whether seafood or meat.

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Creative Chinese Cuisine

Before the hot pot, try the Hong Kong-style appetizers, including the signature street food snacks such as fish balls, fried fish skins, and fried salty frog legs.

The hot pot broths are the stars of Lou Chang and are served in vessels from French cookware brand Mauviel 1830, which professional chefs often praise. The signature fish maw with free-range chicken broth (¥368), which is boiled for hours, is a total crowd pleaser. Diners can enjoy the thick golden-colored soup without any selections from the raw food selection. The fish maw for many Chinese is even considered a natural form of Botox for its collagen-boosting properties.

The seafood and beef signature broths are specialties here. The signature beef plate (¥488) consists of premium snow beef that is surprisingly tender and chewy. The signature broth is the most expensive, while other broth choices are reasonably priced from ¥58 to ¥128 for one pot.

Other menu highlights include watercress dumplings (¥48 for eight pieces), fried tofu skin (¥28), and different kinds of meat and seafood balls.

LOU SHANG Opening hours / 11:30am–2am Average price / ¥400 Address / 2/F, No. 46 Maoming Rd S. Telephone / 6247-0007

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Culinary Artist Serves up a Gastronomic Joy AKMÉ Opening hours / 6pm–10pm Average price / ¥800 Address / 1/F, No. 55 Wulumuqi Road S. Telephone / 6428-9799, 64699969

Chef Akrame Benallal has caused quite a stir in the gastronomic world since opening his first restaurant, Akrame, in Paris in 2011. Michelin awarded it a star within the year. But establishing his name in Paris was not Benallal’s ultimate goal. He wanted to conquer more than just Europe and opened his eponymously titled restaurant in Hong Kong, as well as other concepts in Manila, Philippines, and Baku in Azerbaijan.

Fortunately for foodies in Shanghai, he has chosen to express his culinary finesse and expertise in the nation’s most populous city.

Benallal partnered with 55 by The Group, and opened AKMÉ and Passage by AKMÉ as his first venture on the Chinese mainland.

“I’ve been traveling to Shanghai for more than two years and I found the culinary scene in the city is impressive. The project 55 by The Group itself is amazing and made me confident to open my restaurant here,” Benallal said.

AKMÉ is an haute cuisine venue where diners can experience the chef’s universe. He usually begins with a dish based on an idea, ingredient, feeling, or sometimes a mood. “My menu differs according to the local culture and produce. I like to see local people’s feedback and create a menu adapted for this market. For example, we adjusted the portions and focused more on seafood in Shanghai,” he explained.

Benallal’s philosophy is to evolve and surprise his customers constantly. “Normally a restaurant opens and it wants to show all of its signatures, but later on, no more surprises.

That’s not my way. Every time my customers come back to my place, they would be happy to discover the evolution,” Benallal said. “The best compliment my customers give to me

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Internationally Influenced Cuisine

is when they say they never eat such food in other restaurants.”

Benallal artfully interprets contemporary French cuisine into a pure yet powerful style through the use of quality ingredients and unexpected flavor combinations. The chef is inventive and bold yet stays within the limits, which is to respect the products and the beauty of the products. “I try to use all the possible parts of one product, for example, a lobster or a fish by presenting different layers, flavors, and textures,” he said.

The interior of AKMÉ sets a warm and inviting atmosphere with soft earthy tones.

The giant black-and-white photographs of vegetables are featured to remind guests

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of the basic essence of the ingredients and the terroir.

Currently the restaurant offers three types of fixed menus, including a four-course prix fixe menu (¥588), a six-course AKMÉ special menu (¥988), and an eight-course seasonal tasting menu (¥1288).

On Shanghai Daily’s visit to AKMÉ, the culinary journey began with an exquisite plate of homemade pasta, mushrooms, black truffle, and aged Parmesan, followed by king prawns and consommé with smoked black tea.

The consommé is superbly enhanced by the black tea and the king prawns are succulent and meaty with a subtle, sweet flavor.

Grilled blue lobster, grapefruit, and turnip is a classic dish and a must order. The chef’s 122

Internationally Influenced Cuisine

ability to create a simple and daring dish was expressed again in the lobster, which is grilled in front of diners and enhanced by the grapefruit-dressed salad served on the plate.

Foie gras flan is also impressive because of its intensity and spectacular elegance.

However, don’t leave the restaurant without trying the dessert: smoked and slow-roasted pineapple and vanilla, inspired by artist Pierre Soulages. “Black is my favorite color— profound, dense, mysterious—and this color is full of potential. Everything springs forth from black, like a painting of Pierre Soulages.

From this fascination is born the dessert,” said Benallal.

‘Cuisine du Monde’ With No Boundaries STYX is a hidden gem and a great spot to get away from the hustle and bustle. There is a vacation-like feel about the establishment, which is inside the Yongping Lane complex on Hengshan Road. It has lush tropical wallpaper, quirky accessories, and bold prints.

The summer-inspired interior is a surprise in comparison to other restaurants in the same complex that don’t have a strong design concept.

STYX is a concept developed by Pascal Ballot, who worked at Three on the Bund for seven years. During that time, as director of operations, followed by director of marketing, communications and business development, Ballot changed nearly everything, and the novelty developed in Three on the Bund allowed him to spend time with outlet managers and guests to understand the needs and wants of both sides. “It was a fabulous seven years. I got to spend a lot of time with experienced people both in the kitchens and on the floor. I learned a lot from my colleagues and developed my taste buds and service knowledge,” he said.

Ballot also organized the logistics at Three on the Bund for Omnivore World Tour Shanghai, which provided him with an opportunity to interact with creative and innovative chefs from Shanghai and around the world.

“Opening a restaurant was one of my childhood dreams. I guess the excitement of working with knives and fires in a bustling environment, with the goal of giving immediate pleasure to the customer was fulfilling,” Ballot said. “Also Shanghai is an incredible city where both Chinese and foreigners like to go out for food and drinks.

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STYX Opening hours / 5pm–11pm (Tuesday–Saturday), noon–9pm (Sunday) Average price / ¥100 Address / No. 199 Hengshan Road Telephone / 5401-9356

This is why there is no other city I could have considered to start this project.”

STYX is a gastronomic concept, where skewers are featured through a series of intimate journeys over several countries and continents. “I invite people to bite, share, and taste a cuisine du monde with no boundaries,” he explained.

Wherever Ballot travels, he finds the essence of a city in its street food; the stalls and small shops where everyday people go to enjoy flavors that represent their national taste.

“Those stores will often have a diversified clientele, ranging from modest blue-collar workers to successful or rich white-collar workers, all enjoying a tasty bite with a simple vibe,” said Ballot. “I’m European but I spent half of my life in Southeast Asia [Singapore

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Internationally Influenced Cuisine

and Indonesia] and Shanghai. I wanted to create a place where we could enjoy food from different origins, without it becoming an awkward mix and match.”

“By having the heart of our food on skewers, I first want to pay tribute to the wide variety of satay (skewers) I enjoyed growing up in Southeast Asia. But also as a way of having a common format on the table, whether it’s French, such as duck with mustard cream sauce, Indonesian, like chicken satay with peanut sauce, or South American, like beef with chimichurri. The dish will have visual similarities, yet the flavors will allow the guests to travel in the same meal to varied destinations.”

At STYX, the casual pleasure of barbecue and skewers is combined with an elevated street

food experience. Like on the street, diners can come for a reasonably priced set plate or take their time with friends and enjoy several different skewers with sides, appetizers, and good drinks.

Ballot recommended the sets with two skewers, a side dish, and sauce. Combinations include chicken satay with pickles and rice (¥58); duck tender with mustard cream

sauce and duck fat potatoes (¥58); and slowroasted and barbecue pork belly with sambal and garlic beans (¥68). The chicken satay is milder compared to the Indonesian street style, but it is definitely one of the favorites here. The pork belly skewer is very inventive, inspired by the spice-stuffed baby pork roasted whole in Ubud, Bali. The pickles and sides are good accompaniment to go with the meaty skewers.

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The 21-square-foot (2-square-meter) Manner Coffee recently became an icon in the local coffee industry, bringing good coffee to more customers on a daily basis.

But it’s not the only mini coffee shop in town proving popular.

Popular Mini Coffee Shops different designs for 8-ounce (236-milliliter) and 12-ounce (354-milliliter) cups, both in a bling bling style.

Forty Two Coffee Brewers’ second store on Nanjing Road W. is located next door to a popular traditional Chinese breakfast store, and its delicious coffee means you just want to keep coming back for more.

Try the salted-cheese cream coffee, which has two options: Americano (¥20) and latte (¥30).

The house blend uses more than five different single origin beans as the nutty chocolaty flavor balances the heavy cream.

FORTY TWO COFFEE BREWERS Opening hours / 8am–9pm Address / 993 Nanjing Rd W.

Forty Two Coffee Brewers The cool black container-style décor catches your eye as soon as you walk past Forty Two Coffee Brewers’ first outlet on Changhshu Road. It has a long narrow window that’s wide enough for the barista to receive orders and hand out freshly made coffee to customers.

The take away coffee shop has earned instant recognition for its chic coffee cup sleeves designed by its owner, who works in the advertising industry. There are two

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Drinks, Deserts, & Snacks

POST CAFÉ

Post Café

Opening hours / 8am–7pm Address / 248 Nanchang Rd Telephone / (173)1727-8125 Delivery / Delivery available

The 11-square-foot (1-square-meter) Post Café shares an address with a popular fruitbowl store. Its red postbox-inspired décor is eye-catching, but it is very easy to pass by without noticing. If you like detectable acidity in your coffee, try the latte (¥13 for regular, ¥16 for large).

Although the store is tiny, there is a wall decorated with postcards written by customers. The owner also helps tourists post their postcards.

Formula Café With a house blend featuring beans mainly from Yirgacheffe, Formula Coffee’s Americano (¥17) tastes much brighter than those blends using beans from Indonesia or Colombia.

There are also tea drinks with cheese cream on the menu.

Try to visit in the mornings to enjoy a quiet moment on a backstreet of busy Huaihai Road.

FORMULA CAFÉ Opening hours / 10am–6:30pm (Monday–Friday), 8am–6:30pm (weekends) Address / 205 Lane, Nanchang Rd Telephone / (158) 2136-2780 Delivery / Delivery available

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VIEW COFFEE

View Coffee

Opening hours / 7:30am–6:30pm (Monday–Friday),10am–5:30pm (weekends) Address / 1383 Beijing Rd W. Telephone / (183) 2181-9508 Delivery / Delivery available

Almost every coffee shop offers cold brew, also known as Dutch coffee, in summer, and they are also starting to offer icedripped coffee in beer bottles kept chilled in the fridge.

View Coffee is one of those coffee shops. The mini café offers two cold coffees: traditional and rum-inspired for ¥35.

Bonabird Coffee Bonabird Coffee is a small shop on Nanyang Road, offering a wide range of coffee at reasonable prices.

Espresso coffee costs between ¥15 and ¥30 each. The cup has three different sizes: small to large, with one to three espresso shots.

BONABIRD COFFEE Opening hours / 8am–6pm (Monday–Friday), 8am–5pm (weekends) Address / 90-4 Nanyang Rd Telephone / (182) 2154-3530 Delivery / Delivery available

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Drinks, Deserts, & Snacks

Bonabird Coffee bottles its Dutch coffee (¥30) and liquor-inspired coffee (¥40) in beer bottles. The latter is in fact cold brew plus liquor, and four different flavors are used: Tennessee whiskey, dry gin, vodka, and plum wine.

Its second store in Pudong shares the location with a crayfish restaurant. Hmm, yummy!

Bread making is fun, but not always easy, and it can be difficult to get right.

Fortunately, there are many new and old bakeries in the city, offering yummy treats and requiring no long waits or skills.

Where to Go for Your Daily Bread Plus One Bakery & Café Plus One Bakery & Café is small, hidden in the B1 floor of a crowded shopping mall near Shanghai Stadium. However, it is claimed to be the only bakery in the city where you can get cookie egg tarts. The tarts cost ¥10 each, or six for ¥50.

The crumble cookie cup is strong enough to hold the custard filling safely inside, though it has a 0.4-inch (1-centimeter) thick base. The pudding-like filling is similar to a traditional Portuguese egg tart. The combination is interesting but the taste is just fine as the cookie is a little greasier than expected.

Pineapple cakes are a must-buy for many tourists to Taiwan. The bakery’s awardwinning pineapple cake (¥10 each) is definitely worth trying. PastryChef Lion Zeng from Taiwan adds salted egg yolks to balance the sweetness of the pineapple filling. The bakery also sells packs of handmade coffee nougats (¥59).

PLUS ONE BAKERY & CAFÉ Opening hours / 9am–10pm Address / B1, No. 899, Rd Telephone / (156) 0183-4037

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Title: Eating in Shanghai Author: Shanghai Daily (Ed.) ISBN: 9781864707717 Images Publishing Production manager | Group art director: Nicole Boehringer Senior editor: Gina Tsarouhas Shanghai Daily Reporters: Anlan Li; Patsy Yang Editors: Ruby Gao; Fu Rong; Ina Zhou Printed by Toppan Leefung Printing Limited, in Hong Kong / China IMAGES has included on its website a page for special notices in relation to this and its other publications. Please visit www.imagespublishing.com

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