Famed French chef Nicolas Le Bec moved to Shanghai with his Chinese wife and opened Bistro 321 Villa Le Bec. Then, in 2017, he doubled down and on the same street he opened a shop/cafe/wine bar called Épicerie & Caviste 62 Le Bec (the number is the street address). An epicerie is a grocery and a caviste is a wine shop in French.
The visit
Actually this place is even more. It sells fresh baked pastries and other products coming from Le Bec’s kitchen (including his famed pate).
The wine cellar is beautifully stocked and offers a comfortable space for having a glass of wine. Or two. Or three.
But I was there for the food. They have two menus. One features classic cafe dishes that are reasonably priced. The second menu includes some of Le Bec’s more elaborated dishes and they come at a premium.
From the premium menu I had the cold tomato soup with a burrata that was excellent. A very good dish for the Shanghai hot summer.
The croque monsieur came with a small salad. The bread was crisply toasted and super-filled with cheese.
My biggest discovery was this creamy chocolate mousse. I would easily devour two or three on every visit.
Also of note, they have Alain Milliat juices and nectars, that are simply the best in the world.
The check
My little brunch cost me 255 RMB (37 USD). Not cheap, but the final check was mainly influenced by the tomato soup with burrata (130 RMB). If you can resist the temptation to order from the premium menu, prices are quite reasonable.
Where in Shanghai: 62 Xinhua Lu, by Panyu Lu In Chinese: 新华路62号, 近番禺路 Nearest metro: Jiaotong University station. Note: they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays at lunch.
Jardin De Jade is a popular Chinese restaurant chain with branches in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Macau. The Hong Kong Wanchai Branch has been granted one Michelin Star since 2013.
Jade Mansion is the new fine dining concept of the group in Shanghai and their original location at the 4th floor of IFC mall has been granted the iconic Michelin star since 2017.
The visit
The location is very convenient. Sometimes I stop eating at IFC on the way to Pudong airport of Hongqiao station since the mall is directly connected to the line 2 of the subway that connects these two major hubs. It was one of those days.
The reception.
The evening before I went to the restaurant to make a reservation in person. Staff did not speak English, but the menu is fully translated.
The restaurant is very large with no shortage of private and shared dining rooms. Above the dining room where I was seated. It is a modern elegant environment (even if my sofa was a bit worn).
If you go for lunch make sure to ask for the “Guangzhou” menu, basically a menu of dim sum dishes available until 4pm.
I ordered some dim sum and one of their signature dishes. The first dish was three vegetarian dumplings with herbs. It was really good. Recommended.
Then I had a dish of Osmanthus and Water Chestnut Cake. I am very glad that I ordered this dish (first time) as it was really a nice flavor in a unique solid yet gelatinous texture.
The classic Sao Mai was not so classic… it had some big chunks of shrimp and abalone. Overall I did not particularly liked it.
The steamed buns with pork were very well executed. A perfect exemplar of this classic.
I thought that trying the just the dim sum would have not been fair. So I also ordered one of their signature dishes from the extensive menu. It was a hilsa herring (ilish) fillet boiled in a delicate soy sauce. Unfortunately the fish was full of small bones and very difficult to enjoy. However, there were so many interesting dishes in the regular menu: stewed turtle, duck in brown sauce, flatfish with scallion, crisp chicken with caviar and mango, a matsutake and watercress soup with Evian (sic) water, to name a few that caught my attention.
The check
Total check was 344 RMB (half for the fish, dim was very affordable). There was service charge, but for some reason there was a lunch discount. In the menu they have a lot of very reasonably priced dishes.
The dim sum was overall excellent and the menu is large and well curated. Dishes are well curated and executed. If this deserves a Michelin star, I am not sure though.
Where in Shanghai: 4/F, IFC Pudong, 8 Shiji Da Dao (Century Avenue) In Chinese: 世纪大道8号，国金中心IFC商场4楼.
T’ang Court is the flagship fine dining restaurant of the luxury Langham Hotel in Shanghai (in Xintiandi). In Hong Kong the Langham uses the same name for their top Chinese restaurant. Both in Hong Kong and Shanghai T’ang Court is a Michelin-starred restaurant. In Hong Kong has been awarded the top honor, 3 stars, for years. In Shanghai, the inaugural edition of the Guide (2017) awarded 3 stars as well making T’ang Court the only triple starred restaurant in Mainland China. For a while. In the 2019 edition of the Guide it was demoted to two stars and, for some inexplicable reason, to one in the subsequent 2020 edition. It is headed by executive chef Alan Sun. Here’s my visit as part of the Shanghai Michelin Guide Scramble.
The visit
I booked with a simple email. The website features the menu and a nice interactive picture showing the venue. I did not take pictures of the dining room to avoid bothering other guests. The main dining room is relatively small, accommodating only 20 people; most of the space is dedicated to private dining rooms, but the small size is not an issue: tables are nicely spaced and there is a terrace. It is modern understated luxury.
There was a complimentary amuse bouche: a shrimp and pork dumpling in soup and some carrots wrapped in radish and marinated in vinegar. It was very nice.
My first dish was a soup with grouper and handmade tofu (two pieces of grouper, one not edible).
My main was grouper fillet with yam and vegetables. This was a very good dish. Live seafood seems to be one of the strong points of this restaurant.
By the way, at the beginning I was also given a set of sauces: chili sauce, Xo sauce, and soy sauce. I was recommended to use the Xo sauce for the main dish.
Following the grammar of a classic Chinese meal, I included a rice dish at the end. This was fried rice with crab meat and sea urchin. The sea urchin was almost invisible…
I had some room for a dessert. In the room the most popular dessert seemed to be mango ice cream coming in a bowl contoured by fuming dry ice. The presentation of my dessert was less spectacular, but the taste was great. It was an almond tofu pudding that was simply superb in flavor.
Also of note the Chinese tea menu. They have some of the best of the best Chinese teas. It is an impressive list (with a serving easily costing 30 USD and more).
Another special note about the service. The staff was really professional. They knew how to have a conversation with me about the menu and talked me out ordering a very large dish that would have been unsuitable for me. Well done.
The check
For three courses plus a dessert the check was 936.30 RMB (or 135 USD). This is the price point you can expect from this kind of establishment.
It was a seamless meal, even if the dishes did not blew me away. In comparison, I think Yi Long Court remains a better Chinese restaurant in the two star category of the Michelin Guide.
Where in Shanghai: 5/F, The Langham Shanghai Xintiandi, 99 Madang Lu In Chinese: 马当路99号5楼 Check their website for menu, email for reservation, and virtual visit.
I have eaten in terrible Italian and French restaurants with Italian and French chefs. So no surprise if I just loved the perfect French food of Le Bistrot de Reacine even if there is no French chef in the kitchen (but the head chef trained in France for years according to the maitre).
Le Bistrot occupies a large old-style villa in a street full of Western eateries, Wuding Lu. And do not be misled by the Bistrot thing… this is a fine dining venue.
They also operate a bakery in the same building (on the right). Their bread is well worth a trip.
The visit
Once a year I treat to lunch in Shanghai two good friends and this year I invited them to Le Bistrot de Racine for a Sunday lunch.
My phone reservation (that I had to change, so there might have been some misunderstanding) was lost, but there were tables available. I was escorted to my table in a lateral dining room that must have been a veranda. The maitre spoke English.
The table was splendidly appointed.
The bread basket deserves a special mention: all the bread was fresh and perfectly baked. And just good old-school bread, with the addition of a brioche and some flatbread with pistachio.
We ordered three appetizers and three mains for this lunch. We did not try the desserts because we moved to another venue for a sweat treat afterwards.
The first dessert was a classic beef tartare (with M5 quality wagyu and an organic quail egg) that came with hand-made potato chips. A bit skeptical about the chips, but, as I could say of all dishes, it was perfectly executed and very enjoyable.
Another tartare, this of bluefin tuna with guacamole and topped with Russian caviar. It came with rice chips with pepper seaweed.
We also had a pâté en croûte with an amazing array of ingredients: Rougie duck foie gras and leg, veal, Iberico pork, French ham, black truffle. It was an explosion of flavor, better shared among several people. This dish also illustrates the chef’s predilection for crusts and pastries that will be in full display in the mains that we ordered.
The first big ticket item was a Wellington steak that came presented like an abstract painting.
The Wellington steak is a dish that requires a certain degree of technique to cook the beef without burning the pastry. On top of the steak there was also a nice chunk of foie gras. We all greatly enjoyed this dish.
The next main was another dish “en croute”, this time a seabass.
Inside the crust lied a perfectly cooked seabass in a delicious sauce.
We also had lamb chops (char-grilled from New Zealand). This was another excellent dish, some of the best lamb chops I saw in Asia with some morel mushroom and truffle mushroom jus to delicately enhance the flavor.
The check
We spent 2,050 RMB for the food and water (296 USD). A main and an appetizer will easily set you back of 100 USD, more if you add a dessert, and much more if you drink wine. And I would not say that the dishes are suitable for sharing, with a few exceptions (like the pate and perhaps the Wellington). It is an expensive restaurant, but the quality is there. The food is perfectly executed with top ingredients and I will certainly go back to try some more dishes.
Where in Shanghai: 609 Changde Lu near Wuding Lu In Chinese: 静安区常德路609号，近武定路
Shanghai Edition hotel has an izakaya, or, more appropriately put, an izakaya-inspired restaurant located on their 27th floor. As all the restaurants hosted by Shanghai Edition (Shanghai Tavern and Canton Disco), the venue is supervised by Jason Atherton, the Michelin-starred London-based restaurateur. Shanghai Edition occupies a heritage building on Nanjing East Road, not far from the Bund, once an utility company’s headquarters.
On the menu they explain: “Hiya kitchen is an expression for the love of Japanese cuisine. Our inventive and often natural cooking style combines the familiar of classic Japanese dishes using premium ingredients and modern techniques”. That’s the restaurant’s philosophy.
The visit(s)
To write this review I visited Hiya in May 2019 twice, on Saturdays, once for lunch and once for dinner. It is already a very popular venue and I had reservations with Open Table.
One thing to note: apparently having an elevator with low (very low) lights is now stylish… bring a lamp to find the right button. Out of the elevator you will see the reception, while the first thing that will strike you upon entering the dining room is the sight of the bronze staircase. It leads to the terrace cafe.
I like this window that offers a view upon the Custom House (the building with the clock tower) and Pudong’s skyline.
A view of the main dining room. Sofas and chairs are both available.
The menu is divided into sashimi, chilled dishes, temaco, tempura, grill, and desserts. A tasting menu is available. It is not an extensive menu (everything fits two pages), but every dish has something special to offer.
My first dish was a marinated tuna temaco (a cross-breeding between a temaki, a type of roll that you eat with your hands, and a taco). The shell was very crispy. The tuna was complemented by avocado, scallion and tobiko. Great innovative dish rich of substance.
Then I had their stuffed chicken wings (with rolled turnips). This was a remarkable dish as the top of the wings came already de-boned, so they were very easy to eat. And tasty.
I tried all the four tempura dishes (not really classic tempura, just an indication of fried dishes). The chicken karaage was my favorite. The chicken inside was juicy, but at the same time perfectly cooked. Best fried chicken in Shanghai. It came with hot tomato sauce, spices, matcha salt, and lemon salt.
The broccoli were another small masterpiece as they were covered in aged Parmesan cheese. They came with a classic tempura sauce and a kimchi dip sauce.
Another excellent dish in its simplicity was the wagyu beef agemono. Agemono technically is the general term for a number of Japanese deep fried dishes (including tempura and karaage). In this case indicated two deep fried beef meatballs with bonito flakes (katsuobushi on the menu). A simple but extremely satisfying dish.
The last deep fried dish I tried was the black cod tempura that was also impeccable. During these initial visits I did not have any of their big ticket items (better shared and I was alone). The thought of their tonkatsu and their beef gyuodon certainly makes me hungry.
I had their signature dessert, the Fuji Mont Blanc covered in chocolate sauce. A small marvel of a dessert.
The service was excellent and very friendly. In my visit by night I could appreciate the young vibe, a lot of young couples and party of friends enjoying their life. The music was not too loud.
The check(s)
In one visit I ended up spending 513 RMB (74.5 USD) and the second time 463 RMB (67 USD). Not your run-of-the-mill izakaya bill, but Hiya is not really an izakaya, it is more a homage to Japanese food. As a big lover of Japanese izakaya dishes, I had a lot of fun sampling the menu and I look forward to continuing the exploration.
Where in Shanghai: 27/F, Main Building, The Shanghai EDITION, 199 Nanjing Dong Lu (East Road). In Chinese: 南京东路199号. Booking via Open Table. Nearest Metro Station: East Nanjing Road.
This brunch was really random. I literally ran away from another venue where the level of noise of the crowd was just unbearable (I am talking about the Westin). The contrast with my previous destination could not have been starker: the Tavern is an elegant and quiet place, especially for an early Sunday brunch.
The visit
Shanghai Tavern is located on the lobby level of the luxurious Shanghai Edition and has its own entrance at one side of the hotel on Nanjing East Road.
On a typical weekend Nanjing road is very crowded so it is really refreshing to step inside the Tavern to find a little urban oasis with many types of seating arrangements from sofas to booths and normal tables.
The Tavern serves British and European food in an elegant yet laid down environment. I think the name is misleading: I kind of assumed that it was a Chinese restaurant (maybe because of the Chinese Tavern in Rockbund).
I was welcomed by the professional staff, got a table, and served the bread basket with butter. The restaurant offers all-day dining starting from breakfast at 6am. For weekend brunch they have a fixed price for either two or three courses. For additional coins, you can also get a glass of quality champagne.
I had their “royal eggs”, just salmon poached eggs. A very well executed and fitting brunch dish.
The pan-seared snapper with kale mash was just a perfect dish.
Finally, I had their cheeseburger. A big boy, with smoked bacon and caramelized onion. It was what a cheeseburger is supposed to be and alone could satisfy one’s appetite.
I did not have the champagne, but I enjoyed a Japanese soda, because Japanese sodas are fun.
The check
The brunch deal was 348 RMB (50 USD) per three courses and 298 RMB (43 USD) for two. Prices were listed net. After adding the soda, I spent 403 RMB (58.5 USD). It is an average price for a Bund-worthy high-end location.
The food was good, solid Western food, not without some special touches (the kale puree was something). I did not regret changing my brunch plans and I would not mind visiting again.
Where in Shanghai: 199 Nanjing Road East. Check their website for reservation info.
After reviewing Gelato dal Cuore (still open, but I had the impression that quality went down and there are less flavors rotating) and Movo (not checked for a long time), it is time for a fresh selection of gelato parlors in Shanghai.
Bonus
In Ruijin 2 Road there is a gelato parlor that has become my favorite. Bonus claims to produce real gelato according to Italian methods. Not sure if it is from scratch, but they have some interesting flavors, such as cheese fig that was great with a scoop of chocolate.
35 RMB (5 USD) for two scoops. It is nice that they have a few bar chairs inside the shop, so in a hot day you can consume your gelato in a air-conditioned environment.
Address: 39 Ruijin Er Lu – 瑞金二路39号.
Il Buco
Il Buco (the hole) is just that, a window to the side of a bar, where to get Salvatore Naselli’s artisanal gelato.
Only 8 flavors are available at any given time.
40 RMB (5.80 USD) for two very generous scoops. Hazelnut and pistachio were excellent.
Address: 20-2 Donghu Lu – 瑞金二路39号.
De Medici
De Medici is located across the Waldorf Astoria, near the Bund, specifically near the intersection in front of the Gutzlaff Signal Tower.
I tried chocolate and hazelnut chocolate. It was just ok. I am pretty sure that their gelato is made with pre-mixed components. Two scoops were 35 RMB (5 USD), but smaller than the previous two parlors.
Address: 17 Yanan Dong Lu – 延安东路17号.
Luneurs Boulanger & Glacier
I also tried the ice cream (not really gelato) from Luneurs, a hipster French bakery opened by some of the staff that used to work for a popular French bakery called Farine that, until it closed amid a scandal, also featured a queue-conjuring ice cream.
I tried their raspberry/strawberry sorbet and their signature chocolate (with dried banana bits) and I really did not like it. Not creamy and low in flavor.
Two scoops for 35 RMB (5 USD) like most places, but it must be acknowledged that their scoop size is the largest among the parlors reviewed on this page.
To complete my Michelin challenge, I visited again Lei Garden in Shanghai, this time the branch in IAPM mall that was awarded a star in the 2019 edition of the Shanghai Michelin Guide. (You can read a more extensive review of Lei Garden in Shanghai from my visit at the IFC location.)
The visit
I went to Lei Garden (IAPM) on a Saturday evening. It was a quiet night, not much business in the restaurants. Without a reservation, the receptionist found a table for me instantly.
The restaurant is a bit smaller than the one at IFC Pudong. The main dining room is decorated with an dome resembling a tree embracing the whole room and a piece of rock art.
The table was decorated with a not perfectly achieved swan-shaped napkin.
I ordered the crispy roasted pork that was sold out in my previous visit. I liked it, but the skin was a little too hard.
Then I had their braised chicken with clack bean and shallot (plus some ginger, garlic, and capsicum). It was quite good, the chicken pieces were reasonably meaty. It was a large portion (250 grams of chicken according to the menu).
As a side dish, I had pickled mushrooms in a vinaigrette sauce. Quite forgettable.
The check
The relatively light dinner cost me 359 RMB (52 USD).
With this meal I think I am done with Lei Garden. During my two visits I did not experience any dish that would motivate me to come back, even if it is an impeccable restaurant in terms of service and food quality.
Where in Shanghai: IAPM Mall, 4/F, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu (Middle Road) In Chinese: 淮海中路999号4楼. Nearest metro station: South Shaanxi Road.
Yi Long Court is the main Chinese restaurant of the Peninsula Hotel in Shanghai. It has two stars in the 2019 edition of the Shanghai Michelin Guide (and one in the 2020 edition). It is run by a veteran: Hong Kong-born Michelin-starred executive chef Tang Chi Keng opened this restaurant in 2011 before moving on to Hei Fung Terrace at The Peninsula Tokyo, and LiLi at The Peninsula Paris. Then in 2016 he returned and he has been at the helm since then.
A small tip: enter the Peninsula from the entrance on the Bund (precisely Zhongshan East Road). The restaurant is on the second floor.
The visit
I dined at Yi Long Court on a Saturday. I did not have a reservation and the restaurant was almost empty.
The main dining room was impeccably appointed and exuded understated elegance as you might expect from a Peninsula hotel. From the windows you can see Zhongshan road and some of Pudong’s skyscrapers at a distance.
I ordered the chef’s seasonal set menu reinforced by two dim sum dishes. The first was a trio of vegetarian steamed dumplings with mushrooms and truffles. The truffle flavor was quite distinct. Delicious.
The other dim sum was scallop dumplings with caviar. The caviar was probably unnecessary, but the scallops were meaty and tasty.
Then the first dish of the set menu arrived and it featured more dim sum items alongside two barbecued meats: glazed pork and chicken, a delicious spring roll with shrimps, and a classic shrimp dumpling.
At this point I also got the house spicy sauces: one based on tomatoes and one based on fish. Both only lightly spicy.
Finally I received a complimentary snack: sugar-coated walnuts. These were particularly addictive.
Then I was served a soup: the broth was based on dried scallops (conpoy) with shredded sea cucumber. The soup had a creamy texture and was enjoyable.
The next dish featured a wok-fried king prawn (yes, it was really big) with some scallops and vegetables. Perfect dish.
Next was braised minced pork with bean curd and hot chili sauce (known as mapo tofu). This dish marked a departure from Cantonese classics, introducing a Sichuan dish. The meat had a very good taste. It was a big dish to the point to be difficult to finish and markedly hot.
While I was still working my way through the mapo tofu I was served the last dish before the dessert, a bowl of Yangzhou fried-rice, particularly generous with shrimp. This is a simple dish but it was perfectly executed and cannot remember a better specimen anywhere else. It helped in finishing the mapo tofu (it would have been good to have the two dishes together since the beginning).
The last dish was a chilled mango pudding (with an almond cookie). I am not a big fan of mango, but this pudding was excellent (and also a big portion).
The check
Total check was 756.73 RMB (or 111 USD). The set menu alone was less than 500 RMB, the rest was an expensive bottle of water and the two dim sum dishes. The dim sum menu that I believe is available only for lunch has excellent value.
Overall I enjoyed the lunch very much and I was particularly impressed by the dim sum dishes. Thinking about the Michelin Guide, this restaurant is way above other Cantonese restaurants that I have visited so far in Shanghai, including Canton 8 (two stars as well), Lei Garden, or Seventh Son.
Where in Shanghai: 2/F, Peninsula Hotel Shanghai, 32 Zhongshan East 1st Road, Huangpu District Booking and menu on the hotel website.
Time to time the Shanghai Michelin Guide reserves some positive surprises. Moose is one of these. It is an amazing restaurant in many ways. It got a star in the 2019 edition of the guide.
Located in Changning, on Xinhua street (like Villa Le Bec), Moose occupies a renovated three-story colonial-era mansion. The shared dining space is on the ground floor, while upstairs business in private rooms take place.
The visit
Incredibly, in this world-class restaurant none of staff speaks English. I was unable to make a reservation by phone and I had to pop up in person to make a reservation for the next day. I used my phone to translate in Chinese. A bit odd considering that the owner studied in London. But the staff was extremely friendly, the menu is professionally translated in English, so overall language is not a big issue.
The main motif of the interior design is white: white-painted brick walls and immaculate white tablecloth. And, of course, antlers found their way into the lamps as an homage to the name Moose (but no moose on the menu). Oil paintings complete the contemporary decor. According to an old news report, the owner wanted to blend East and West decor.
I was immediately served some fruit (useful as a palate cleanser throughout the meal) and a welcome tea. Then I made my order after browsing the extensive menu of Huaiyang cuisine delicacies.
One of their signature dish is the boneless duck filled with rice and eight Chinese delicacies. Unfortunately I was alone and I could not order it, so I am left with a reason to go back.
Instead I had another classic, also recommended by the chef: braised pork belly with baby squids in brown sauce and bamboo shoots. The pork belly was excellent (I wish a bit more tender) and the squids were tender and a nice complement.
I ordered a soup and it was a home run. It was a matsutake and tofu soup and the tofu was cut into threads and looked like a blooming chrysanthemum. The broth did retain the flavor of the mushroom.
Then I had another of their signature dishes, crispy white teat fish with scallion. The teat fish is effectively a type of sea cucumber. It went in a very crispy crust. It was an interesting dish, I wish the teat fish was tastier.
Finally, I had a trio of very nicely presented pan-fried beef ravioli.
The check
Final check was 742 RMB (109 USD). Almost half was the teat fish. Prices on the menu were net, including tax and service.
Even if I did not enjoy all dishes equally, I found the dining experience very pleasing, with very professional service and the opportunity to discover new dishes prepared with top ingredients and perfect technique.
Where in Shanghai: Lane 1, 119, Xinhua Lu, by Panyu Lu 新华路119弄1号, 近番禺路
