Tag: IFC

Dim sum lunch at Jade Mansion, Shanghai

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.

Ginza Bairin tonkatsu in Shanghai (closed)

Like Maisen and Saboten, Ginza Bairin is an old Japanese tonkatsu joint that became a large chain with overseas branches. I have not been at the original shop in Ginza, Tokyo, but I have visited two shops in Shanghai.

The visit (IFC)

One of their stores is on the fourth floor of IFC mall in Pudong.

Inside they have a variety of sitting arrangements.

I ordered their signature tonkatsu that is different from usual: it is a fillet cut (not the usual loin) and the standard portion comes with three pieces. The fillet is pinkish inside and the meat is imported from Japan. It was tender and spotless meat.

They also have other deep fried dishes: scallop, beef, salmon, white fish, prawns… it is possible to combine them to make a customized platter. They have on the menu the katsu sando (pork cutlet sandwich) but, to my dismay, it was not available at the time of this visit.

For lunch, they had a special set that also included rice, pickles, egg custard, and miso soup.

One important part of the experience is the special house tonkatsu sauce, to add a sweet flavor to the cutlet. They claim that “originated in 1927, this sauce is a sweet blend of spices, apples and vegetables. Its smooth yet rich taste is unique to Ginza Bairin”. Also the more common sesame dressing was available and a spicy wasabi dressing as well.

I also tried an additional dish: egg omelette with eel. It was just ok. The rest of the menu is extensive, but not really attractive to me.

The check (IFC)

The lunch set was 108 RMB (16 USD) and the egg dish was 58 RMB (8.6 USD). Not having visited the original store in Tokyo I cannot comment on the authenticity. Overall was good, but I was not carried away like in Saboten (but it was Taipei). My impression is that in order to cater to the local customers they have lost the focus on the pork cutlet and other deep fried dishes and tried to offer a more complete Japanese food menu including sushi and sashimi. I would not recommend it for Japanese food other than tonkatsu.

The visit (Hongqiao Airport)

Curiously, I came across a Ginza Bairin branch at Hongqiao Airport (airside, near the international departure gates). Food in Chinese airports is usually so bad that was like a mirage.

I also had the pork fillet lunch set, that came with rice and miso soup.

The usual set of sauces.

The lunch set had fewer sides than the one at IFC, but here I got a scoop of green tea ice cream included in the price.

The check (Hongqiao Airport)

The price was slightly more expensive than the IFC lunch set at 118 RMB or 17.5 USD (please note that there was a mistake on the pictured receipt, it was a fillet tonkatsu, not a loin).

Where in Shanghai:
Hongqiao Airport Branch: Terminal 1 International Departure Airside Mezzanine Floor I-206.
IFC: Shop 9-10, 4/F, Shanghai IFC mall, 8 Century Avenue, Lujiazui, Pudong New Area.
On June 2020 the IFC location was closed and I could not find indication of the Hongqiao location anywhere.

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). 

Fine Cantonese Cuisine at Lei Garden (IFC)

Lei Garden is a Hong Kong based restaurant chain. Established in 1973, the brand has become synonymous of Cantonese fine dining in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China and Singapore. Their restaurant are regularly awarded stars by the Asian editions of the Michelin Guide. In Shanghai they have two branches and both of them were awarded one star in the 2019 edition of the Shanghai Michelin Guide. This review is based on a visit to the IFC branch in Pudong and part of my Shanghai Michelin Guide Scramble. (IFC is a luxury mall in Shanghai.)

Before delving into the review, it is worth noting the story of the founder, from their website:

Mr. Chan Shu Kit, founder and chairman of the Lei Garden Restaurant Group, was born in Guangzhou, China. His father was the famous Kuomintang military general Mr. Chan Ji Tang, who governed the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of China in the 1930s…  When Mr. S.K. Chan was young, his family residence was frequented by social dignitaries and he had the rare opportunity to taste the exquisite cuisines prepared by master chefs. These experiences have engendered in him a refined sense for gourmet food and a cultivated knowledge for what it means to be served. 

The visit 

I had made a phone reservation for a Saturday evening. They tried to reach me for a confirmation in the morning (but the caller did not speak English). Anyway, they had my reservation when I arrived. Thanks. By the way, all the service was impeccable.

One good thing of Lei Garden is that they are organized to cater to solo diners or couples. They have small tables and not all of their dishes come in huge platters to share.

Unfortunately most of the dishes I was interested in (crispy pork, prawns, a type of scallop) were already sold out (but it was only 7pm!). 

I ordered some aged pur’er tea that was replenished throughout the dinner. 

Then I decided to have a little splurge and try a bird’s nest soup. I believe it was the first time I tried it. It tasted as glass noodles (the bird’s nest is the jelly-like substance on top of the soup pictured above). I do not think I am going to have it again. This particular soup came with 50 grams of bird’s nest (quantities are indicated in the menu), some small bits of crab meat, minced chicken and egg white. 

Then I had a dish with sauteed scallops and vegetables (the vegetables included yellow fungi). This was quite good value considering that there were at least 8 scallops (150 grams) and it also tasted good, but nothing exceptional. 


Finally I had a noodle soup with rice vermicelli and some pieces of grouper fish. It was quite good. 

The check

Final check was 840 CNY (122 USD). Not a cheap meal by any stretch of the imagination. It should be mentioned that almost half of the bill paid for the bird’s nest extravaganza. So you can definitely eat for a little less, but not that much considering the quantity of attractive and expensive dishes on the menu (a lot of expensive seafood). 

I need to try more Cantonese restaurants before making up my mind about Lei Garden. 

Where in Shanghai:
IFC Pudong, 3/F, 8 Shiji Da Dao,
near Lujiazui Huan Lu
In Chinese: 世纪大道8号， 国金中心IFC商场3楼， 近陆家嘴环路
Nearest metro station: Lujiazui (one exit is connected directly to a lower level of the IFC mall).