THE SCENE
DINING OUT
Food For Thought Jamie Barys
Each month, our dining columnist gives you all the news that’s fit to dish. Find out the newest hotspots and the latest closings, as well as the tastiest events in town for November.
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othing feels better than eating a delicious multi-course meal, except for giving to children in need. Now you can do both with the Third Annual Chifan for Charity (www. chifanforcharity.com) event on 9 November. Last year, the event raised over RMB 875 million. This year, 57 generous Shanghai restaurants donated a table of 10 to the cause, complete with paired degustation menus, followed by a killer after party with lucky draws, silent auction, live entertainment and free alcohol. All the proceeds go to lifechanging heart surgery for children, helping the disabled and combating homelessness. All you do-gooders have to do is drink and eat, so go sign up on their website now. With newly-opened malls and hotels around the city putting on finishing touches, Shanghai is flush with freshfaced restaurants to try, including new cavernous yum cha restaurant Jing’an Shangri-La’s Jade Garden ((Unit S4-01, Jade Garden
30 TalkMagazine
4F, Jing’An Kerry Centre, 1238 Yan’an Zhong Lu, near Changde Lu. Tel: 5243 8088. Web: www.meixin-chinese.com). Part of the Maxim restaurant group’s fleet of 50-plus eateries in southern China, Hong Kong and Macau, JG is their first foray into Shanghai. They’re bringing signature “creative Cantonese” dishes from all their different award-winning outlets, including the decadent baked curried seafood stuffed in a conch shell. The innovative pineapple bun is worth a visit in itself – triple the standard size, the pastry actually comes stuffed with the fresh fruit. Jade Garden earned a Michelin star in 2010, but prices are surprisingly reasonable. Dim sum should only set you back about RMB 150 per person. Also getting rave reviews next door at the Jing’an Kerry Center is Auto Bistro (North Block, Jing’an Kerry Center, 1238 Yan'an Zhong Lu, near Changde Lu. Tel: 6252 1507. Web: www.autobistro.com. cn), the latest in upscale dining from the Wagas group. This Mediterraneaninspired menu has great lunch sets starting at RMB 98, and their stellar gnocchi and ravioli are made in-house. Piggybacking on the shopping plaza dining trend, Thai Town, a Taiwanese Bubbles Bar
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Burdigala Wine Bar
chain with a big following in Asia, is expanding to the Mainland next month, opening the first location in Reel Shopping Mall (1601 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Changde Lu) – it’s their 60th in the region, so you can expect a slew in Shanghai soon. Also, keep an eye out for new eats at 10 Corso Como (Wheelock Square, North Annex, 1717 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huashan Lu. Tel: 6286 1072), that funky new Milanese boutique mall from the former editor of Vogue, Italy. They’ve already opened their café and bar, and an Italian restaurant is imminent. New eats aren’t limited to malls this month – with a few stand-alone shops opening. Or reopening, in the case of Boonna (1690 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Hunan Lu. Tel: 6433 0835). The cheap café was completely gutted for renovation, and added a second floor bistro called Macasa. They’re aiming for an early November relaunch, but construction looked like it still had a long way to go as the magazine was heading to press.
Burdigala Wine Bar (301 Jiashan Lu, near Jianguo Lu. Tel: 6422-9826. Web: www.the-burdigala.com) has opened its second, much larger venue in the former French Concession with a beautiful terrace and vaulted ceilings – there’s even a private walkway to the attic wine cellar. Expect more bistro style dishes and lots of Bordeaux! The man behind Kartel is taking a stab at Italian dining with Soprano (993 Wuding Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu ), a small trattoria just down the block from the bustling wine bar strip. In more Italian cuisine news, Scarpetta (33 Mengzi Lu, near Xujiahui Lu. Tel: 3376 8223) reopened in October after two months of renovations. They’ve finished that pesky second floor, but everything else is pretty much business as usual – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Mazel tov to Shanghai Slims chef Adam Levin! Archie B’s (G/F, Superbrand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu, near Lujiazui Huan Lu. Tel: 5881 5899), his NY-style delicatessen that started in Hong Kong more than a decade ago, has finally made its way to Shanghai and brought reubens to share. And word on the street is Salud, a mainstay of Beijing nightlife for the past seven years, is trying its hand at a southern offensive. No news yet on where that will be located, but we’ll keep our ear to the ground.