Month: October 2018

Encountering the Bingsu in Seoul

Bingsu (or bingsoo) is a dessert originated in Korea. It is a combination of shaved ice and other sweet ingredients. In the past, the accompanying ingredient was usually red bean paste (potbingsu), but now it can go almost with everything. Mango bingsu is one of the most popular. While this dessert has been around for decades, in recent years it has become popular outside South Korea and can be found in many Asian metropolis.

The visit

I tried my first bingsu in Seoul in an outlet of the all-popular Sulbing 설빙 Korean Dessert Cafe. There are outlets all over South Korea.

I chose their bingsu tiramisu that came in a huge bowl topped with a large piece of tiramisu cake and along with a shot of espresso coffee. The shot was provided to be added to the bowl (similarly, I noticed that the green tea bingu came with a shot of green tea… not sure if this applied to all of the available flavors).

I was extremely skeptical about this dessert. But after digging into the mountain of shaved ice covered with cacao powder I changed my mind. It was actually quite good. Nothing comparable to artisan ice cream, but a very refreshing dessert.

Below the mountain of shaved ice there was also a good amount of jelly cubes (in this case chocolate flavored).

I could not finish it all by myself.

The check

This bingsu cost 10,900 WON (9.65 USD). This is pretty much the standard price for a premium bowl. More traditional flavors can cost a little bit less. It should be noted that the bowl could be easily shared between two people and the cafe offered comfortable seating, so overall it was not a bad deal.

 

An unexpected tuna omakase in Seoul

Playing on Kakao Map app (in Korea Google Maps does not work on mobile devices…) I noticed a tuna restaurant not far from my hotel:  Donggang Tuna (by the way, Donggang is a port town in Taiwan famous for its seafood including bluefin tuna). I needed to check it out.

The visit

I showed up at the door of the small restaurant shortly after 6pm and I was welcomed by a waitress and the chef. It looked like a one-man show. I already liked it.

They did not speak English and there was no English menu, but by looking at the pictures uploaded on Kakao Map I understood that the restaurant served primarily set menus and I was fine with that. I opted for the 70,000 WON set menu, de facto an omakase (there was one more expensive for 100,000 WON and a couple at a lower price point). I think it is also possible to order individual dishes.

I was seated at the counter, right in front of the chef that would hand me most of the dishes throughout the dinner.

I was promptly offered a welcome dish that I would describe as an Italian risotto with mushrooms (it was not quite a porridge, or maybe something in the middle).

Then the seafood started to flow… the first dish was a mix of sashimi including a piece of dried fish roe.

Then the chef started to serve sashimi from cut different parts of the tuna. I never experienced so many different cuts. For a tuna lover like me, this was amazing.

Meantime, more hot dishes were coming from the kitchen. The first was boiled abalone with a chunk of roe.

Miso soup.

Then three pieces of sushi were lined up on the serving dish: tuna was supplemented by a piece of salmon belly.

A pair of grilled items: a whitebait fish and a meaty prawn.

More exotic tuna sashimi.

A bowl of jellyfish.

One more whitebait fish, this one came full of roe. There was also a piece of eel not pictured.

Then from the kitchen they brought a piece of tuna head. The chef helped me to clean it and there was a surprising amount of meat to eat.

More tuna sashimi!

Then I was invited to taste a pleasantly refreshing piece of vegetable root (with its leaves).

The check

The final check was 70,000 WON (the fixed price) or around 62 USD. Tea was included.

This was a great meal. I loved all the dishes. Some of the tuna cuts were very rare and overall 62 USD for this kind of food is a very reasonable price point.

This is a restaurant I would not mind visiting again in the future.

 

Where in Seoul:
83, Yonsei-ro 2-gil, Seodaemun-gu
Look up Donggang Tuna on Kakao Map.
The restaurant has a website all in Korean.

 

Byeokje Galbi vs. Maple Tree House BBQ in Seoul

[Also look at this review for a third BBQ option in Seoul.]

Similarly to fried chicken, BBQ is another quintessential Korean food experience. While fried chicken is usually a very affordable eating option, BBQs can vary from cheap all you can eat joints to luxury restaurants offering hand picked meats.

In this post I will examine two BBQ chains that have various outlets in Seoul and offer real top-graded Hanwoo beef. Hanwoo is a Korean local breed that is regarded as the top of the top. In my meal at La Yeon the delicious beef was Hanwoo.

Byeokje Galbi

Byeokje Galbi is a chain of BBQ restaurants with multiple locations in Seoul. I visited the Sinchon/Ewha branch that occupies two floors in a building facing a crowded shopping street (22 Myeongmul-gil).

It is even listed in the Seoul Michelin Guide (but with no stars) where they explain:

Byeokje Galbi is a local institution that has been serving legendary barbecued beef short ribs since 1986. The restaurant’s attention to quality begins from the breeding of the cows at a local farm in Pocheon. Only the top 1%(BMS No9) are purchased…

The dining room is based on booths and every booth has its own grill embedded into the table. They use real charcoal (not gas like in cheaper restaurants).

I ordered a sirloin steak (130 grams) of marbled Korean beef, Bulogi beef (250 grams) and a bowl of cold noodle.

After ordering, I was immediately served the side dishes that included kimchi, soup kimchi, onion, sweet pumpkin, salt, fermented red paste, garlic, lettuce, and some other local vegetables.

The steak was marvelously marbled and it was cooked at the table by a staff member. They cut it into cubes with scissors (a bit brutal, but it is how they do it…).

The end result was great chewy beef bites.

The bulgogi (marinated strips of beef) were cooked with a different implement.

The bulgogi was tender, tasty and satisfying.

The restaurant only lists beef on the menu (their short ribs are particularly popular), but they also are famous for serving buckwheat cold noodles (a dish originally from North Korea). I had the spicy cold noodles that came with fermented chili paste, an egg, a slice of meat, and some vegetables. It was better than expected.

The check was substantial: 117,000 WON (103 USD). The sirloin was the big ticket item (69,000 WON and there was actually a more expensive variety for 79,000 that I passed). The service was very good with an experienced member of staff grilling the dishes for me and looking after my table in an attentive manner (even if they did not speak English).

Maple Tree House

Maple Tree House started as a popular restaurant in Itaewon in 2005 and now has three locations across Seoul (including the original one) and two international locations, in Manila and Taipei.

I visited the branch in Gangnam district, just meters outside exit 12 of Gangman metro station. It is a slick venue, in the basement of an office building. I was seated at the counter (since I was alone).

They also use charcoal to grill the meat.

They also provided the usual side dishes, a bit more boring than the ones I had in Byeokje Galbi.

But they also had a nice egg stew served hot.

I ordered their Korean Hanwoo aged sirloin (150 grams) and a cut of pork jowl from Jeju.

The meat was grilled at the table by several members of staff (in the picture above the pork). The beef was even more tender than the one at Byeokje Galbi and it was nice to have the option to order pork as well.

Total check was 55.400 WON (49 USD). The sirloin was way more affordable and reasonably priced than the one ordered at Byeokje Galbi.

In terms of value for money, Maple Tree House wins hands down. However, the service I received was terrible. It is always difficult to speak about service on the basis of a single visit, however I was appalled by their modus operandi. One member of staff would put the steak on the grill and then without a word would leave to do something else… then another member of staff would pop up and do some more grilling… this was an incredibly annoying way to proceed, especially with 50 USD of meat on the grill. I do not know whether this happened because they were understaffed, but it was unacceptable.

Where in Seoul:
Byeokje Galbi: check their website (in Korean) for locations. I visited the Sinchon branch in 22 Myeongmul-gil.
Maple Tree House: check their website (in English) for locations. I visited the Gangnam branch.

Comparing three Korean Fried Chicken dishes in Seoul

Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) is an essential South Korean staple. It is usually consumed in diners and pubs with a good amount of beer (in Korean they even have a word to indicate chicken and beer, chi-maek).

KFC (the Korean one) can be a great dish, even without beer. Here’s three examples from Seoul.

KFC from a non-descript diner

My first encounter with KFC on Korean soil took place in what I believe was a family-run diner. No English name, the picture shows the store-front. It was located near Sinchon railway station.

As customary, I was served some pickled Korean radish cubes. This particular establishment also added some popcorn.

I had half fried chicken and half with spicy sauce. The chicken was tasty and fried on the spot. The sauce was a lightly spicy tomato sauce that did not add much.

As it happens, the dish was only available as a whole chicken… The cost for my dish was 16,000 WON (around 14 USD) and it could have been shared between two people.

KFC from a famous chain: Kyochon

Kyochon was founded in 1991 and is one of the big players of KFC. They have stores nationwide and even one in Shanghai and some in the continental US.

I visited their branch in Dongdaemun Market (ironically, above a KFC outlet), easy to reach from exit 6 of Dongdaemun metro station. It is a spacious casual restaurant with a menu rich of fried chicken options and open 24/7. The big difference from the previous entry is that the special flavors are embedded into the batter, so the spicy chicken does not come covered in sauce, but it is the batter itself that conveys the flavor.

I opted for the “half half” option, with half regular fried chicken with garlic seasoning and half spicy. You can choose whether to have a whole chicken or only drumsticks or sticks and wings,. I went for the all drumsticks option.

It is worth noting (and the staff will tell you) that the chicken will take 30 minutes to arrive. They make it on the spot. It actually took 20 minutes, but it was not peak time.

The chicken alone was 19,000 WON (around 17 USD) and it was totally worth. I am usually skeptical of chains, but they did deliver a great fried chicken. The spicy one was glorious (but you will need the pickles to contrast the spicy after-effect).

KFC from a popular pub in Hongdae

The final specimen came from a pub in an area very popular with young people called Hongdae. In this district you can find pubs offering fried chicken and beer every 10 meters.

I ended up in Oksang Dalbit (옥상달빛) to try their garlic pepper fried chicken.

Located on the second floor of a small building, this was a very casual pub filled with students.

Their thing is that the chicken arrives in flames (I believe they use vodka and fire it up).

This was a portion of boneless chicken. A bit sloppy, but still enjoyable.

The chicken cost me the usual, in this case 17,000 WON (around 14.8 USD).

In the end, the one offered by Kyochon was the better in my books, but I enjoyed the KFC experience in all of the above places.

 

Feasting on Korean high cuisine at La Yeon in Seoul

In my first trip to Seoul I aimed high and I had a dinner at La Yeon; regarded as one of the best restaurants of the South Korean capital, it has been repeatedly awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide for South Korea and is on the list of the 50 best restaurants in Asia.

I contacted the restaurant through their web form and after a bit of back and forth they accepted to reserve a table for me (but only at 6pm and near the entrance).

The visit

La Yeon (that I am being told means “celebration” in Korean) is located on the 23th floor of the luxurious Shilla Hotel, along with a French restaurant. The venue offers a beautiful view of the surrounding neighborhoods.

I arrived punctually as always and I was seated in one of the seven spacious tables (yes, near the entrance, but that was not an issue actually).

Upon arrival at the table, I was promptly offered some nibbles: dried dates and some sweet potatoes crackers. I found them quite forgettable and hardly touched them during the meal.

I had a further look at the menu, but I already knew what to order. Actually, choosing was remarkably simple since they only had two sets menus for dinner: one called The Feast and one called Shilla that included some richer dishes, a beef dish and their famed royal hotpot. You could add the hotpot and/or the one (or more) of the beef dishes to The Feast menu for an additional cost.

At the last moment, I decided to add both a beef dish and the royal hotpot to my selection and that was kind of stupid because I brought the cost of The Feast menu slightly above the price of their Shilla menu and lost one dish… I should have opted for the more expensive menu directly. The staff well avoided to advise me on this point…

The initial welcome dish was cold bean curd pudding (tofu) and an iced sauce made with soy and green plum (with a sour flavor). The combination of the flavors was very good.

The first dish of the menu was some sweet red shrimps on a base of cabbage and yuzu flavored soy jelly. The shrimps were really sweet and fresh and was an enjoyable, even if not great, dish.

Then there was a chicken porridge dish with ginseng. This is a classic Korean dish and it was served with some kimchi soup. I was advised to alternate the two. Overall a nice dish, but really nothing special (you can easily find this in Seoul).

The third dish was char-grilled eel with soy sauce and a light touch of red pepper paste. I did not like this dish much as the eel flavor was not particularly well balanced by the dressings.

Next I had a beef dish: a few bites of Korean beef ribeye with some vegetables and salad. The beef lived up to the reputation of high-grade Korean beef and was sensational. The beef was super tender and juicy.

Then I was served the famed royal hotpot. This could feed two people. It came beautifully presented in a small hotpot holder. The royal hotpot is basically a glorified soup with rich ingredients. I could recognize abalone, beef cubes, white fish, a couple of ginkgo seeds, but there was more. The dish is called sinseollo in Korean.

Then the main dish arrived with a contour of small side dishes Korean style. The main was mixed rice and vegetables with beef tartare. I love beef tartare and Korean have a reputation for raw beef meat, but this dish was completely disappointing. Apart from the boring side dishes and the unremarkable rice, the tartare came in the shape of cold strips of marinated beef. They were very cold and that killed the flavor.

The dessert was a scoop of corn ice cream on a base of crème brûlée. It was a nice dessert.

The very last dish was two bites of Korean jelly with cold cinnamon and ginger tea.

The check

Total check was 295,000 WON (around 260 USD). The royal hotpot added 60,000 WON (I have noticed that in the new menu this add on is 80,000 at the time of publishing this review). The basic The Feast menu cost 175,000 WON, while the Shilla menu was 270,000 WON and included a beef dish and the royal hotpot.

I need to agree with Andy Hayler that it is very low value for money.

Overall, my reception of the dishes was mixed. Some were really good, like the beef, but there were also many disappointments.

If you go in this restaurant, shoot for the higher priced menu. It does not make sense what I did (taking The Feast and paying for the add-ons). The Shilla menu has more interesting components.

Shame on me that did not plan well enough (but initially I did not consider to take the royal hotpot and the menu). But also shame on the staff that did not advise me (but their English was not great).

Where in Seoul:
Consult the hotel website for address, current menu and inquiries.
Tip: take a taxi to get to the hotel, it is not practical to go on foot as it is perched on a hill. They do have a shuttle bus from the metro station (Dongguk University) to the lobby, if you go this way, budget some extra time.

Italian Gelato in Seoul: Zucca and G. Fassi

In every major Asian city I visit I try to see if I can find some Italian style ice cream (gelato). In Seoul I visited Zucca’s Artisan Gelato and I also came across the Asian outpost of a famous gelateria from Rome, G. Fassi.

Zucca’s Artisan Gelato

Located in Itaewon, the Seoul’s neighborhood famously bordering the massive American Military Base, Zucca’s Artisan Gelato now enjoys a fully gentrified surrounding with a lot of international eateries. Zucca in Italian means pumpkin, but in this case is just the family name of the owner.

The space occupied by Zucca’s is mostly used up by the counter, but there are a few seats. They also serve Italian coffee and a few other desserts such as tiramisu cake.

As the name suggests, they should make their gelato according to the Italian tradition.

I had two scoops, chocolate and crushed figs. I found them excellent with actual pieces of caramelized figs.

Two scoops cost me 5,500 WON (or 4.85 USD), a good price as compared to other Asian locations.

Where in Seoul:
129-2, Itaewon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (just a short walk from Itaewon metro station)

G. Fassi

Heralded as the oldest gelateria in Rome (dating back to 1880) the Palazzo del Freddo di Giovanni Fassi is an institution in the Italian capital and they now have affiliated shops in Los Angeles and Seoul.

I came across their kiosk in the food court of one of the branches of Kyobo bookstore near Gwanghwamun Station (actually, you can get to the food court by taking exit 4 from this metro station).

I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of original flavors and in the end I opted for chocolate and black sesame.

The two scoops, that were meticulously weighted by the staff, cost me 5,500 WON.

Finally, I should note that they were also selling a gelato bingsoo. I did not have time to try it, but I appreciate their attempt to experiment (bingsoo is the quintessential Korean dessert).

Where in Seoul:
1, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Address in Korean: 서울특별시 종로구 종로 1 (종로1가)
I understand that they also have other locations, this is probably not the largest.

Finding Italian gelato in Tianzifang, Shanghai

Tianzifang is a gentrified maze of narrow alleys located south of Xiantidi in Shanghai. I have a love-hate relationship with it. Sometimes I dismiss it as a tourist trap, but sometimes I go back and I kind of like the crowded alleys full of small eateries and cafes. One problem is that shops and eateries usually do not survive long. In October 2018 I was surprised to come across some Italian gelato.

The visit

Here and there you can find ice cream in Tianzifang. But my attention was caught by their sign on a small kiosk claiming to produce artisan gelato from scratch. Actually, if you look at Movo website you discover that Movo is an Italian company selling pre-mixed ingredients for ice cream parlour, so I do not know to what extent this claim is accurate.

The place is called Movo and it is just a small kiosk selling four or five flavors at any given time.

They claim to make their gelato daily with a shelf life of just 12 hours. This means natural ingredients with no additives.

I had chocolate and hazelnut. The flavors did remind me of artisan gelato: they were not strong like ice cream with chemical flavors, but still distinct.

The check

Two flavors cost me 48 CNY (around 7 USD).

Where in Shanghai:
In one of the corners of lane 248, Taikang Road.
Address in Chinese: 上海市卢湾区打浦桥泰康路248号

 

Gelato dal Cuore in Shanghai

I was made aware of this ice cream shop by the owner of Mammamia in Tokyo.

The visit

Gelato dal Cuore (from heart) is located in a quiet street in Jingan.

The interior is contemporary and well designed. Some seats are available.

I quick scan of the counter shows both classic and original flavors: dark chocolate, tiramisu, hazelnut, but also mango lassi, mint chocolate, pumpkin, strawberry milk and black sesame. They produce small batches of gelato freshly made daily in the traditional Italian way.

I had chocolate and tiramisu. Both flavors were strong and creamy. A perfect specimen of Italian ice cream.

The check

Two flavors cost 35 CNY (5 USD) and three flavors 48 CNY (7 USD). They also have some hot drinks.

Highly recommended.

Where in Shanghai:
600 Shaanxi Bei Lu, Near Xinzha Lu, Jingan district
Address in Chinese: 静安区陕西北路600号
Check out their Instagram account.

An affordable brunch with gourmet dishes at The Cut, Shanghai

Brunch is the best meal of the week in Shanghai. You can find great menus at affordable prices even in not so affordable places. The brunch menu that I tried with two friends at The Cut falls into this category. I had lunch at The Cut during the week and tried their burger that left me unimpressed. But the brunch was a different story.

The visit

The Cut is located on the sixth floor of IAPM mall (hint, connected to South Shaanxi Road Station of the metro). I learnt that it is operated by the same company behind Mr & Mrs Bund, Bar Rouge and Ultraviolet and I do enjoy Mr & Mrs Bund.

The dining room on the sixth floor is a bit dark, but for the brunch we were escorted to the salon on the seventh floor that has a beautiful view of downtown Shanghai.

For brunch you can choose a 2, 3 or 4 items from the menu at a fixed price and a drink is included. Since I was with two friends we had a chance to sample the menu.

One of the first dishes to come was the a pair of poached Benedict eggs with a slide of crispy bacon. It was good.

I also personally tested their vitello tonnato (tunato on the receipt) that was a bit over the top with the sauce but a nice dish.

One of my friends has slow cooked eggs in a soup with foie gras.

Somebody in the party had a dish with some grilled salmon. A very regular dish, but nicely presented and executed.

Others main we ordered included black angus rump steak, iberico pork loin and lamb. We were all satisfied with our selections.

The portions were suitable for one person, but not too small.

Drink choices included smoothies, mocktails and beers.

The check

The 2 dishes menu cost 148 CNY (around 21 USD) and the 3 dishes menu cost 198 CNY (around 28 USD). The dishes were well executed and the menu offered a good array of options. All in all this was a satisfactory brunch in a nice location.

Where in Shanghai:
IAPM Mall,
6/F, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu,
Address in Chinese: 淮海中路999号6楼

Every dish a masterpiece at Taian Table in Shanghai

Taian Table debuted in mid 2016 and by October had gained a star in the inaugural edition of the Shanghai’s Michelin Guide. The restaurant, the brainchild of German chef Stefan Stiller, was named after Tai’an road, where it was initially located. The current location is on Zhenning Road, near Xinzha Road in Changning District in an office complex. The restaurant has retained its star in the second and third edition of the Shanghai Michelin Guide. This review is part of the Shanghai Michelin Guide Scramble. UPDATE: Deservedly, the restaurant got two stars in the 2020 edition of the Guide.

What is special about Taian Table that intrigued me was their changing menu. In some of these fine dining venues, modifications of the menu are infrequent if not rare. Contrast this with Taian Table team that, since its opening, has minted 17 different menus, sometimes with profound changes. This is an impressive degree of creativity. Even better, I love the current format. While Taian Table is a classic multi-course dining experience, only 8 dishes are fixed, then each guest can customize his/her selection with 2, 4 or 6 additional dishes chosen from “classics” and “specials”.

The visit

I booked through the website and it was very simple. I had to put down a 500 CNY deposit for each guest (I and a friend) that was easy to pay electronically.

I and my friend arrived at around 7pm and were welcomed in the dining room dominated by two L shaped counters enclosing the open kitchen. The counter sported high chairs, which I usually hate, but these were comfortable (also thanks to a foot rest space placed on the counter base).

We were immediately welcomed with the initial “snacks and nibbles”: some honey-glazed nuts and crackers with flavor coming from nori and kombu seaweeds. The nuts were nuts, but the crackers were remarkable, with a decisive “sea” flavor.

As part of these initial snacks we were offered a cappuccino with foie gras, chicken stock and Parmesan emulsion and some bread crumbs. It was something delicious.

More nibbles were waiting for us with a trio: a dumpling with tomato extract (I think reminiscent of Italian fagottini), a pastry with vitello tonnato and a salmon tart.

At this point we also had a chance to know the chef in charge of the kitchen, Mr Johnny Pham. Johnny would personally explain each dish to us throughout the rest of the evening.

The first “institutional” dish was called Foie Gras Snow. Foie gras flakes were covering a layer of lychee panna cotta and Riesling jelly. The dish was very refreshing, with no single flavor dominating others.

Next came a small work of art: thin slices of char fish (a freshwater fish found in cold mountain lakes) enclosed in equally thin slices of cucumber (and with trout roe on top). I admired this dish, but honestly it was probably my least favorite as I prefer stronger flavors.

The third dish consisted in snails covered in parsley. The white pearls in the dish were made of garlic. I am not a big fan of snails, but with these dressings they were very pleasant to eat.

At this point I was served the first of my two “free” dishes: a spoon of sea urchin on sour-dough bread (that appeared to be caramelized I think thanks to brown butter) and capped with a slice of apple. I ate it in two bites and I found that the sour-dough greatly enhanced the sea urchin flavor.

My friend opted for a piece of seared foie gras.

Then we went back to a dish made with French components with a bite of Dover sole and mussels in a sauce made with daikon and dill-oil. This was incredibly satisfying.

Then there was some more sea waiting with a charcoal grilled turbot fish on a layer of sauerkraut and capped with a teaspoon of caviar.

My friend opted for a bite of lobster (again in dill-oil).

The next masterpiece was the chef’s interpretation of the classic Oeuf en Meurette. In this case the poached egg came with a slice of crispy Parma ham and a wine sauce with pickled Shimeji mushrooms. I was later explained by chef Stiller that the pinkish color of the egg is the result of a brining process lasting for about 2-3 hours during which the eggs are soaked in a mix of beetroot juice and reduced port-wine. The inspiration coming from the Chinese Tea Egg.

Now time for a sorbet: a watermelon sorbet served with some borage (and at the perfect temperature).

But before entering the final act, we were served another big ticket item: a bite of slow-cooked beef short-rib with various condiments such as celeriac mash, chanterelle, and crispy beef tendon. I was able to cut the meat with my chopsticks.

Th last official dish was called ‘Îles flottantes’ (Floating island) and was a glorious lemon sorbet with various fruit condiments.

In the closing act, we were offered a trio of mini sweet pastries, a selection of chocolate pralines and a stick with cotton candy. More than enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

The check

We spent 1228 CNY (177 USD) per person that was the cost of the 10 course menu (including two dishes chosen from the list of the classics). We did not drink wine and we relied on the house water. This means that this was the absolute minimum to dine at the restaurant. We opted for the 10 course menu with the idea to throw in a couple of additional dishes if we felt like it, but by mid-dinner we realized that 10 courses were more than enough for our appetite. Special appreciation for the staff that was very professional and not pushy in asking us to order wine or cocktails. I can only recommend to go for dinner with an healthy appetite since every dish is just phenomenal and it would not have been bad to try the 12 course option.

Of course 1228 is a handsome sum for a dinner, but I think the value and the creativity of the offering justify the price point. Many of these dishes required hours of preparation. Every single dish was unique and creative and, overall, provided a nice balance between Eastern and Westerner flavors.

I wish Stefan, Johnny and their team continued success as I would totally go back to try one of their future menus if I have a chance.

Where in Shanghai:
465 Zhenning Road, Lane No 161, 101-102, Building No 1
Address in Chinese: 上海市长宁区镇宁路465弄161号1号楼101-102号
Pro-tip: the restaurant does not seem to be listed on Didi, the Chinese Uber. If you use Didi, you can indicate “Anken South Gate”: the entrance of this complex is next to the location of the restaurant.
Reservation and menu on the restaurant’s website.