Tag: high-floor

Blending class and creative izakaya dishes at Hiya, Shanghai Edition

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.

Bars and cafes with a view in Shanghai

This post will collect bars, cafes, lounges in Shanghai located on high floors and offering great views of the city. If acrophobia is a thing for your, stop reading now! The rooftop bars on the Bund do not qualify as they are not really located on a high floor. These are venues good for drinks and snacks, but some share the space with full fledged restaurants. They are listed on this page by floor number and they were tested mostly during afternoons, so this is not a night-life guide.

91th floor: 100 Century Avenue Restaurant

One of the restaurants of the Park Hyatt in Pudong, the 100 Century Avenue Restaurant is also available for guest for drinks and desserts. To my knowledge this is the highest dining venue in Shanghai (waiting for something new in the adjacent Shanghai Tower) as it is located on the 91th floor of the Shanghai World Finance Center (aka “the bottle opener”).

The view is truly spectacular. You can clearly see the Jin Mao Tower and, behind, the Oriental Pearl Tower. Across the river, the view captures both the Bund (to the left) and Hankou (to the right).

In one of my visits I tried their sundaes that were just mediocre.

They do better with their cakes. The chocolate mousse is memorable.

And they even have a namesake chocolate cake (not tried).

On weekends they even have a dessert buffet (with a very limited choice though). The cost is around 200 RMB per person.

Make sure to ask for the cake menu (they always fail to present it even if you specify that you are there for drinks and cakes). Service is underwhelming in this place.

A dessert will cost you around 100 RMB (15 USD) after tax and service charge. The desserts to share are better than the sundaes, so try to bring a friend along.

Address in Shanghai: 91-93/F, 100 Shiji Dadao (Century Avenue) / 世纪大道100号91-93楼.

47th floor: La Terrazza at Bulgari Hotel

The top floor of the Bulgari Hotel hosts Il Ristorante (The restaurant), Il Bar (The Bar), both operated by Niko Romito’s staff, and La Terrazza (The terrace). The latter has nice views of the Bund and offers high-teas (probably the most expensive in Shanghai at over 2000 RMB per person) and casual drinks and snacks. Unfortunately Niko Romito’s desserts are not served in this venue.

It is a narrow space, with some sofas and a touch of green. On a weekend visit, it was full of selfie-obsessed guests.

The view is interesting as the hotel is located in a position to dominate the Northern Bund.

I was with two friends and we had an hot chocolate (very Italian), a mocktail (very good), and a huge pot of tea (even if for one person only).

Prices were not prohibitive. We ended up spending 256 RMB in three (37 USD).

Inside, Il Bar deserves a mention for its impressive oval counter.

Address in Shanghai: 47/F, 33 Henan Bei Lu / 河南北路33号上海宝格丽酒店47层.

47th floor: Sky Dome Bar

This is the rooftop lounge of the Raddison Blu hotel in the New World complex near People’s Square.

The view is interesting, you can see Pudong at a distance and some other architectonic landmarks like Shanghai Museum, People’s Park and K11 Mall. Unfortunately the view is obstructed by the dome structure (that is remarkable per se, though). You can freely walk around the bar with probably a 270 degrees view.

They have an extensive drink menu, a few non-alcoholic choices (I settled for a tomato juice in my visit), and a few snacks. Nuts were complimentary.

With a juice, the price of admission was pretty reasonable, 58 RMB (8.65 USD). Service was ok. The place however was a bit worn-down and seemed in need of a renovation.

The view is better from the restaurant on the 45th floor, Epicure on 45.

Address in Shanghai: 88 Nanjing Xi Lu / 南京西路88号.

33th floor: Sky Bar

The Sky Bar is the cocktail lounge of the Okura Garden Hotel in the former French Concession. The floor is shared with two overpriced restaurants.

The view is remarkable as you can see a mix of old and new buildings.

I had a tea set. My choice of tea was longjing. The quantity of food was excellent, but the quality forgettable. Service was a bit cursory,

The afternoon tea set for one person was 149.30 RMB (22.20 USD) after tax and service charge.

Pro tip: take the panoramic elevator to get directly to the 33th floor and to enjoy the panorama as you go up. (The two pictures above are taken from the elevator; you can see the other side of Maoming Road).

Address in Shanghai: 58 Maoming Nan Lu / 茂名南路58号.

Italian high cuisine at the Bulgari Hotel in Shanghai with Niko Romito

Niko Romito is one of the big names of Italian high cuisine. It has the definitive accolade, the three Michelin stars, for his Italian restaurant. Recently, Romito went international collaborating with the new luxury chain of hotels named after Bulgari (or shall I write Bvlgari?). 

Niko Romito’s Shanghai restaurant – called Il Ristorante – is located on the 47th floor of the hotel with beautiful views of the North Bund. The restaurant gained one star shortly after its opening in the 2019 edition of the Shanghai Michelin Guide. 

The Visit 

I made a booking using the form on the hotel’s website for a lunch. Small issue: at the time of my visit, end of 2018, the hotel was not properly indicated on Google Map; this wasted some of my time (for heaven’s sake, why these ultra-luxury locations cannot afford a competent social media manager! I guess their usual customers arrive at the hotel by helicopter and do not bother to check online maps). 

As you might expect the dining room is luxurious sporting beautiful views (even on a foggy day), but not baroque, with a modern decor. 

I ordered two dishes from their quick tasting menu (only available at lunch) plus Romito’s signature lasagna. The quick tasting menu changes weekly (it was different from what I had seen on the website… again… please hire a social media manager!). The lunch menu is no different from the dinner menu (for dinner they also have an additional tasting menu). It is a succinct menu, but everything is there: some meat, some seafood, pasta. 

In an Italian restaurant the bread is no minor concern. They brought me some nice flour products and some Italian olive oil (thanks for not mixing the olive oil with vinegar), called Essenza di Carnia if I recall correctly. 

As an amuse bouche, I was served a soup called “assoluto” (absolute). The soup was a distilled concoction of carrot, onion, and celery. Very delicate. 

The first dish was pork belly with spinach. According to the waitress, the pork was slow-cooked for 30 minutes at 45 degrees. It was a seamless cut of quality pork meat made more delicious by the topping of onion and tomato. 

Then I got the lasagna, that did not look anything like a lasagna. This was clearly a creative interpretation. The delicate pastry contained melted mozzarella, provolone cheese (not the usual besciamella) and beef ragout. It was good, but it did not blow me away. I appreciate that it was served at perfect temperature.

The second dish from the set menu was beef cheek with mash, tomato sauce and parsley. This was a melt-in-your-mouth beef cheek as it should be.

The dessert included in the set menu was a cream caramel with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They have some more creative desserts in the menu.

But before the check there were some additional sweet treats: a candied piece of pineapple and a mini “bombolone” (a type of Italian donut filled with cream). 

The check

Final check 913.10 CNY (132 USD). The set menu before 15% service charge was “only” 398 CNY, but that becomes nearly 500 CNY (575 with service charge) when you add a super expensive bottle of water and that would be the very least to dine for lunch at this luxury restaurant. The lasagna alone was over 50 USD (the only 50 USD lasagna I have ever had). 

That’s a handsome sum of money for a three course lunch, but we are speaking about a luxury location, so no surprise here. 

Before leaving, the chef, a young Italian gentleman, came out and we had a brief chat. He explained Niko Romito’s mission to turn staple Italian home-cooking dishes into high cuisine creations.

Clearly, this restaurant is not for everyone or for an everyday meal, unless you really have deep pockets. 

Overall, I enjoyed the lunch and I may go back one more time (and more times if I win the lottery). 

Where in Shanghai:
Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai, 47/F, 33 Henan Bei Lu, near Tiantong Lu
In Chinese: 河南北路33号上海宝格丽酒店47层, 近天潼路
Menus and reservation on this page. 

Turning American fare into gourmet food in Shanghai: Highline

Highline opened in Shanghai in the summer of 2016 and became an instant hit with both locals and expats. Reservation, especially during peak hours on weekends, is a must. From what I read, the restaurant, located on the 6th floor of the Ascott hotel in a very central shopping area, is a collaboration between three Shanghai veterans: John Liu, Cody Allen, and Michael Sun. I guess they knew what they were doing.

The visit

This review is based on their brunch menu and is part of my Shanghai brunch series. They have different menus for lunch and dinner during the week.

The ambience is refined and modern and they have different seating arrangements: from sofas and armchairs to regular tables and booths. The dining room opens on a terrace from which you can not just see, but feel Shanghai’s skyline, surrounded by high-rises and malls.

I was with a friend so we could try a few dishes. My friend chose their foie gras burger, that I had on another occasion. This is a glorious burger that is enriched by a substantial piece of foie gras and wrapped in Parma ham. It is one of the best burgers I had in Shanghai and elsewhere (it is also one of the most expensive at around 200 CNY or 29 USD). If you order it and like eating burgers the old fashioned way, you might want to ask them not to cut it (on the other side, this is a great way to share it).

The foie burger is one of their four signature dishes for brunch, the others being the shrimp and crab roll, the chicken and waffles, and the Philly cheesesteak.

Personally I opted for the half lobster (one of their cold dishes) and for one of their creative egg Benedict. The lobster was ok, but if you are hungry will not satisfy you.

The egg Benedict I had was the one with a spicy deep fried soft shell crab. It was a delicious combination.

Finally my friend had their “Acai”, a massive yogurt and fruit bowl.

The check

The bill was 622 CNY (or 90 USD) for two people. House water was complimentary that is nice. For two courses 300 CNY is on the pricey side even for Shanghai, but the combination of good service, great ambience and quality food make the expense tolerable.

Where in Shanghai:
6/F, 282 Huaihai Zhong Lu
Address in Chinese: 淮海中路282号雅诗阁公寓6楼
Tip: I usually use Chope to reserve.