I was writing this review when I came across the news of the sudden death of Austin Hu, the Chinese-American chef behind this restaurant and many other culinary enterprises in town. I did not know him. I think I never met him. Still it is a shocking news as I have enjoyed the cuisine of Heritage by Madison for several months. Let this review be an homage to his work
The visit
I began visiting the restaurant back in June 2020 in the post Covid-19 Shanghai.
It is located at the Bund Finance Center, along with the Fosun Foundation building, a designer’s mall (in the basement of the plaza) and more. Recently a Baker and Spice location opened nearby. They usually have weekend markets and the exhibitions at the Fosun Foundation, when not overly commercial, may be interesting.
The interior is slick and modern. On a nice day there is a lot of competition to secure the outdoor seats.
What I immediately liked was a streamlined menu and straightforward dishes mixing Western and Chinese elements. Austin Hu’s hallmark. I have tried almost half of the items on the menu, here’s some of my favorites.
Among the appetizers, the assorted pickles including kimchi are a nice nibble.
Even better, the fried cauliflowers are crispy and tasty.
But my absolute favorite is the crispy pork belly. The crispiness of the skin and the juiciness of the meat are hardly encountered together at this level.
Once I tried, off-the-menu, their famous pastrami sandwich. If you like sour and spicy flavors this is a great sandwich.
Their duck ragout pasta was also very good (I did not entirely liked the shredded vegetables on top).
The check
The dishes described came from two visits, costing 271 and 256 RMB respectively (38-40 USD). That’s what you may expect to pay for a couple of dishes and a drink.
During weekdays they have an economical lunch set for just 10 USD.
At weekends they do not serve the standard menu, rather they have a brunch deal. You can choose three dishes from the brunch menu for 188 RMB.
Where in Shanghai:
1/F, 600 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, near Longtan Lu.
In Chinese: 中山东二路600号1楼, 近龙潭路.
Easy bookings via Chope.