Category: Cuisine: American

Heritage by Madison: The legacy of a legendary Shanghai restaurateur

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.

Thailand’s dry aged butcher in Chiang Mai: Arno’s in the Old City

Arno’s restaurants in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya are owned by Mr. Arnaud Carre, a Frenchmen butcher that lives in Thailand. I was recommended the place for its burgers and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Arnaud is a fan of aged beef.

The visit

During my weeks in Chiang Mai at the beginning of 2020, I went to Arno’s restaurant in the Old City twice. (It is the only location in Chiang Mai).

The restaurant has 40 seats on two levels.

The space has an open kitchen downstairs dominated by sizzling grills and a display fridge where you can see the meat available.

The first time I went for their traditional burger with a 200-gram dry aged patty. It was a good burger, but not exceptional, the other ingredients were a bit bland.

In my second visit I had one of their steaks, a Picana cut (200 grams) that I ordered medium. It came with fries. The presentation was depressing, with a small piece of blackened meat alone on the plate… but the meat was good.

I had their mac ‘n’ cheese that was very good.

The check

The burger with a bottle of water ended up costing 250.38 THB (around 7.8 USD). I guess the price was ok.

The steak and the mac were 673.24 THB (a little over 20 USD) and I guess also in this case it was ok.

While overall I was not impressed, I might still consider it for a simple steak dinner since I like dry aged beef.

Where in Chiang Mai:
114/1 Racha Phakhinai Rd., Phra Sing, Muang Chiang Mai.
Website: http://arnosgroup.com/arnos-chiangmai/

Best burgers in Shanghai (and some to avoid)

This post is a collection of the best burgers I tried in Shanghai (and a few to avoid). And some that were not so good.

Highline Foie Burger

Not only a generous slice of foie gras, but also Parma ham make this burger particularly succulent. At 198 RMB the most expensive of this round-up, but also the most satisfying. They bring it cut in two. You might want to ask them to leave it intact.

Highline full review.

The Grinder Foie Gras Burger

Here’s another foie gras burger with a generous amount of duck liver. Choose wisely the sauce to add. You can choose among mayonnaise, Thousand Island, sweet pepper, honey mustard, mayonnaise mustard, blue cheese, BBQ, or spicy. At 98 RMB is not breaking the bank.

Full review of The Grinder.

Beef & Liberty Ambrosia

A lamb burger topped with Greek tzatziki (a dipping sauce made with yogurt), red onion, mint, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. This was a burger full of aromatic flavors. Unfortunately a seasonal item for fall 2019. However all Beef & Liberty burgers are solid. It was 109 RMB.

Full review of Beef & Liberty in Shanghai.

Polux Burger

It may look small, but it is not. The patty sinks in the lower patty that is “excavated” to accommodate the extra meat. A very solid classic cheese burger. Only defect, the buns are a bit oily. Also, it may be overshadowed by so many other interesting dishes on the menu of Polux. 121 RMB.

Full review of Polux.

Shake Shack Smoke Burger

Of the iconic American quality burger chains (Five Guys, In and Out, etc.), only Shake Shack has landed to Shanghai so far. The smoke burger with crispy bacon to complete this spicy cheese burger is our favorite. 58 RMB for a single patty.

Full review of Shake Shack in Shanghai.

Robuchon Burger 👎

You would expect great things from the chef of the century, Robuchon, but his burger is quite ordinary and comes with just a 110-gram patty. Not cheap of course at 140 RMB. Just overpriced.

Full review of Le Salon.

If you like burgers, also do not miss the greatest burgers in Hong Kong.

Beef & Liberty in Shanghai

Beef & Liberty is a burger chain from Hong Kong with several outlets in Shanghai. For this review I visited the branch at the Shanghai Center.

The visit

Similarly to their Hong Kong locations, Beef & Liberty offers a clean and comfortable dining environment.

The menu is a clone of the offering in Hong Kong. During this visit they had a special, the Ambrosia burger, with a lamb patty topped with Greek tzatziki (a dipping sauce made with yogurt), red onion, mint, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. The burger was not bit, but it was full of flavor.

I also had their tomato soup.

And an avocado and ricotta cheese from the brunch items, same as tried in Hong Kong (maybe with more ricotta).

The check

Check was 222 RMB (31 USD). Prices were at least 10% higher than in Hong Kong. But their burger are good and have my recommendation.

Where in Shanghai:
Shanghai Centre, Rm 111, 1/F, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu.
In Chinese: 南京西路1376号, 上海商城1楼.
Other locations on their website.

A no-nonsense steakhouse in Saigon that delivers: B3

B3 Steakhouse & Craft Beer is a steakhouse located in the middle of Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, as central as it gets when it comes to Ho Chi Min City.

The visit

To get to the restaurant, that is on the first floor, you have to go through a travel agency. Not the most impressive way to start, but the rest is much better, I promise.

Hidden upstairs the restaurant is spacious and well appointed. They even have some tables on a terrace overlooking the busy Nguyen Hue.

Upon my arrival I was immediately served some complimentary salted peanuts.

My order was quite straightforward. A big steak! They had a 400-grams Chateaubriand that was exactly what I was looking for.

On the menu they had all the classics cuts (from fillet mignon to striploin) that could be ordered in three different sizes: 200, 300, 500 grams.

My Chateaubriand was part of a selection of big steaks to share and it came with two sauces and two side dishes.

I had mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.

The steak was thick and perfectly cooked medium rare as I asked. All their beef is grass-fed and is imported from New Zealand. It was not the most tender steak like this I had, but it was very juicy and I enjoyed every bite.

Finally I had a chocolate mousse, which was very good.

The check

If you do not need an official invoice, they do not add 10% VAT, which makes their prices even more competitive. I spent 1,030,000 VND (or around 44 USD). Their pricing is even more reasonable considering that sides and sauces are usually included in the price of the steak, not like in some other greedy places where everything is extra (El Gaucho, I am talking to you…).

Apart from the good pricing point, I enjoyed the experience because they gave me what I was looking for that evening: a no-nonsense steak. Nowadays steakhouses have become like boutiques, with Kobe beef, Nebraska cuts, not to mention all the fake wagyu that you see on menus everywhere. For this reason, I really enjoyed finding B3 Steakhouse that could serve a dam good steak without all the mambo-jumbo that you see nowadays (and the crazy prices associated with it). Yes, B3 delivers (metaphorically, I do not know if they have any delivery service, ok?).

Where in Saigon:
90 Nguyễn Huệ, District 1.

The Fat Boy’s Burger in Singapore

One day walking on the streets of Singapore, during my July 2019 trip, I noticed this sign:

It attracted my attention and later I came back for a meal. It was the Orchard Road location of Fat Boy’s Burgers, a homegrown Singaporean burger chain. Established in 2009 by two brothers, now it has multiple venues in Singapore and branches in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and Phom Penh.

The visit

It was a Sunday evening and the location was packed but they were able to squeeze me in one of the last seat available.

I had their YOLO (you only live once I suppose) Burger. It was a massive burger with a beef patty (but I was also offered the choice of lamb or pork patty). On top there was a fried egg, fried spam, fried onion strings, Mozzarella Cheese Sticks with Smoked Chipotle on a sesame seed bun. The most striking feature was certainly the deep fried mozzarella, very cheesy inside.

They have an extensive menu of burgers and you can also make your own burgers (they calculate that over 4400 combinations are possible).

The check

Only the burger cost 21.75 SGD (15.72 USD): one the pricey side, but in line with gourmet burgers in Shanghai or Hong Kong nowadays. This was one of the most expensive burgers, a classic cheeseburger was around 10 USD. Overall recommended.

Where in Singapore:
38 Orchard Rd.
For other locations and menu see their website.

The Grinder Burger experience in Shanghai

This is not the best burger in Shanghai. But it is pretty good. And it was the first burger I ever tried in Shanghai. So it deserves a review.

The visit

Grinder Burger original shop opened in 2016 on Wuding Road, a street full of Western eateries. Since then, they have opened other locations around town. It is called “Grinder” because they grind their own meat.

The interior is very spartan, fast food vibe with an industrial touch.

I ordered their most expensive burger, the foie gras burger. It comes with two big chunks of foie gras. When ordering you can choose the side (fries, vegetables, or sweet potato fries for an extra 10 RMB), the cooking (medium, medium well, well done) and the sauce (mayonnaise, Thousand Island, sweet pepper, honey mustard, mayonnaise mustard, blue cheese, BBQ, or spicy). I had the blue cheese sauce (but it was too watery). At an additional cost, you can also boost your burger with avocado, cheddar cheese, fried egg, and so on. With all of these options they do better than your run of the mill fast food. The only critique that I have is that the buns are quite large (or the patty is too small). A different ratio closer to 1 would have been better. However, it is a tasty burger.

These are the burger recommended by the chef.

They have a buy one get two promotion on Mondays.

The check

This particular burger cost me 98 RMB (totak check 116 RMB or 17 USD with a drink). The regular cheeseburger is 58 RMB. The menu is quite extensive and includes a seasonal burger (at the time of my visit it was a taro burger).

Where in Shanghai:
1097 Wuding Lu
In Chinese: 武定路1097号.
Nearest metro station: Jingan Temple (but it is over 1km away, better take a cab).
PS: They also have other locations.

Little: An all day brunch restaurant in Ningbo

All day brunch is a thing in China, or at least in Ningbo thanks to an eatery called Little. At time of posting there are two locations in Ningbo and a third one is planned. I spoke to the owner, a young local woman, who studied in the UK and brought home the passion for brunch food. She is part of this wave of young Chinese bringing Western food in Ningbo (see La Pizzeria Echo and the Meating Room for similar stories).

The visit(s)

The shop that I visited is located in Yinzhou, in the Southern part of Ningbo, near Wanda Plaza.

The venue is intimate and has a tasty decor. There are two levels in a peculiar zig-zag white building.

In one visit I had their breakfast platter that was quite nice with bread, scrambled eggs, two sausages, mushrooms, and cheery tomatoes. Some butter for the bread would have been nice.

I had also their fried chicken with waffles that was particularly good. The fried chicken retained a juicy texture inside. A very good execution of this hipster dish.

They also have an extensive drink menu. Pictured above a non-alcoholic sangria that I enjoyed.

On another occasion I had their salmon Benedict eggs that were not only nicely presented, but also delicious with some extra melted cheese on top.

Their seafood risotto is not too big and a good complement. The risotto is infused with squid ink and comes with some cubes of salmon, a meaty prawn, and a mussel.

I also tried their tiramisu French toast that was a bit below my expectations, maybe because of the choice of bread.

The check(s)

The first visit (two courses and the sangria) cost me 132 RMB (around 20 USD). The second visit (two courses and a dessert) cost me 175 RMB (26 USD). The dessert could have been shared between two people.

The dishes are reasonably priced (considering the premium at which Western food is sold in China) and the quality was excellent. It is a place where I am always eager to go back and try more dishes.

Where in Ningbo:
39 Linyu Road, Yinzhou (a few blocks north of Wanda Plaza) – This is the shop I visited.
52 Leigongxiang Road, Yinzhou (near the Sheraton hotel). For Chinese information see Dianping.

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Falling for a grilled cheese sandwich in Shanghai

Co.Cheese Melt Bar is literally a hole in the wall place in Jingan. Their grilled cheese sandwiches remain unsurpassed in Shanghai.

The visit

Inside they only have bar chairs.

Really difficult to choose a sandwich on their list (around 30 options, including creative concoction such as Mac & Cheese and Kimchi) and they even offer the possibility to make your own sandwich.

In the picture above their Canadian Bacon sandwich (n. 28 from the menu) with bacon, secret sauce, and cheddar. Pictured a regular sized sandwich. They also have an option for large.

They have a large selection of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. In the picture a grapefruit juice.

They also have some other food items on the menu. Once I had their cheese board. Their Philly steak seems very attractive.

The check

Regular sandwiches are 50 RMB (7.5 USD). This check was 75 RMB (11 USD) including the drink (I believe that during the week for lunch they have a deal with a drink included with the sandwich).

Where in Shanghai:
32 Yuyuan Dong Lu
Address in Chinese: 愚园东路32号

The location visited for the review was closed at the end of September 2020. They operate another location at 509 Nanchang Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu (behind IAPM mall) – in Chinese: 南昌路509号, 近陕西南路.

Steak lunch at Morton’s in Shanghai

Famous Morton’s Steakhouse from Chicago has restaurants in China. I had lunch in the one located on the fourth floor of IFC Mall in Shanghai on my way to Pudong at the end of the summer 2018.

The visit

The storefront is kind of unassuming.

The small storefront hides a huge restaurant with numerous private rooms.

I had their lunch menu that included an appetizer and a steak. I chose the lobster bisque. A bit small, but the soup concealed a nicely sized piece of lobster.

The steak tasted pretty regular to me. Around 300 grams rib-eye. I guess that in the lunch deal they threw in the lower quality meat (this should be from Australia, while higher quality cuts are from the US).

The check


The steak, mashed potatoes, the bisque and a grapefruit cost me 410.30 RMB (61 USD). For a simple lunch that felt pricey. But Morton at IFC is positioned as a fine dining venue and unfortunately steaks are very pricey in Asia and even more so in China. My tip? Go to Taiwan.

Where in Shanghai:
4F/IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue
In Chinese: 世纪大道8号国金中心商场4楼
Nearest metro station: Lujiazui (one exit is connected directly to a lower level of the IFC mall).