Tag: Shanghai brunch

My favorite French on the Bund in Shanghai: Mr and Mrs Bund

There is no lack of French restaurants on Shanghai’s Bund, from Le Robuchon to the long-running M on the Bund, but I find myself coming back again and again to Mr and Mrs Bund by Paul Pairet (the creator of Ultraviolet).

The restaurant is open for dinner, including an early bird turn with discounts between 5.00pm and 6.30pm, for brunch on Weekends, and on a late night turn after 11pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (also with discounts).

I tried all the timeslots (except the early bird for now) and I particularly like the vibe on the late night dinners. Of note, that they also have a nice bar and a small terrace, but if you are looking for a lounge and unconstrained views of the Bund, the ultra-popular Bar Rouge is just upstairs.

The restaurant is located in Bund 18, together with other fine-dining venues such as Hakkasan and L’Altelier de Robuchon, and sports beautiful views of the river and Pudong’s skyline.

The visit

In this review I will combine what I ate in a couple of visits in the first part of 2018. Some of the pictures are pretty horrible… unfortunately the dining room is quite dark by night and this is all I could do without a flash. I am adding also some pictures from a brunch.

The service begins with the bread basket and a delicate salmon pâté.

Even if it was late night, I could not resist from ordering the croque monsieur. This would be more appropriate for brunch, but I cannot find such a good snack anywhere else in Shanghai (I must admit that the croque from Le Bec is even better).

Then, it would not be a complete visit without a ration of meunière truffle bread. This is a slice of toasted bread soaked in meunière sauce, a very traditional French sauce made of brown butter, chopped parsley, and lemon (usually used for the sole fish). Then the bread is covered with truffle flakes. The result is something unique: first your mouth is inundated by the flavor of the meunière sauce that is followed by the sweet flavor of the truffle. It is like the two run after each other. Ok, just to say that I like it.

I finished this late dinner with their signature chocolate mousse with rum and hazelnut. The dessert list is a bit underwhelming, this is my favorite item.

I also have pictures of another dinner with some more adventurous dishes. Pictured above a Truffle Petit Camembert to spread on bread with salad.

And a creamy lobster risotto.

In this case the dessert was a Coca-Cola sorbet with strawberries (I must say the only dish so far that I disliked… but the chef really likes to play with Coke).

In the featured image at the beginning of the post you can see the massive “long short rib” in teriyaki sauce. This huge chunk of beef can easily feed two people and it is one of the chef’s signature dishes (550 CNY, 80 USD).

Update: some brunch dishes

Mr & Ms Bund is quite famous for its brunch. They have a special menu featuring many brunch dishes in addition to their classics.

Their egg Benedict with ham is outstanding.

Another great egg dish is the scrambled eggs with foie gras and porcini mushrooms.

The beef carpaccio is another dish I recommend.

The check

I have retained the check for the first three dishes on a late night dinner: 517 CNY (around 75 USD), including a bottle of water. On the late night turn, if you only order from the list of the standard items you can have three courses for 330 CNY. Set menus for dinner start at 536 CNY (77 USD) per person; a three course dinner will most likely set you back by 100 USD excluding wine and spirits.

Is it worth? Unfortunately this is pretty much the standard price point for upmarket French restaurants in Shanghai and you are on the Bund.

I like the combination between tradition and innovation in the menu and I must say that I have never been disappointed. So I guess that quality and location justify the splurge time to time. And if you are an early or late bird, there are some good bargains.

Where in Shanghai:
6/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu,
Address in Chinese: 中山东一路18号6楼
Nearest metro station: Nanjing East Road.
Check the restaurant’s website for reservations and menus.

An affordable brunch with gourmet dishes at The Cut, Shanghai

Brunch is the best meal of the week in Shanghai. You can find great menus at affordable prices even in not so affordable places. The brunch menu that I tried with two friends at The Cut falls into this category. I had lunch at The Cut during the week and tried their burger that left me unimpressed. But the brunch was a different story.

The visit

The Cut is located on the sixth floor of IAPM mall (hint, connected to South Shaanxi Road Station of the metro). I learnt that it is operated by the same company behind Mr & Mrs Bund, Bar Rouge and Ultraviolet and I do enjoy Mr & Mrs Bund.

The dining room on the sixth floor is a bit dark, but for the brunch we were escorted to the salon on the seventh floor that has a beautiful view of downtown Shanghai.

For brunch you can choose a 2, 3 or 4 items from the menu at a fixed price and a drink is included. Since I was with two friends we had a chance to sample the menu.

One of the first dishes to come was the a pair of poached Benedict eggs with a slide of crispy bacon. It was good.

I also personally tested their vitello tonnato (tunato on the receipt) that was a bit over the top with the sauce but a nice dish.

One of my friends has slow cooked eggs in a soup with foie gras.

Somebody in the party had a dish with some grilled salmon. A very regular dish, but nicely presented and executed.

Others main we ordered included black angus rump steak, iberico pork loin and lamb. We were all satisfied with our selections.

The portions were suitable for one person, but not too small.

Drink choices included smoothies, mocktails and beers.

The check

The 2 dishes menu cost 148 CNY (around 21 USD) and the 3 dishes menu cost 198 CNY (around 28 USD). The dishes were well executed and the menu offered a good array of options. All in all this was a satisfactory brunch in a nice location.

Where in Shanghai:
IAPM Mall,
6/F, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu,
Address in Chinese: 淮海中路999号6楼

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.

The pleasure of French food and hospitality at Villa Le Bec

There is a great French restaurant hosted in a villa in the heart of the Former French Concession in Shanghai. This beautiful place is the brainchild famed French chef Nicolas Le Bec who, in 2012, decided to move shop from Lyon to Shanghai (hint: his wife is Chinese).

He took him a couple of years to turn the villa, dating back to the 20s of last century, into a multi-function dining destination that now includes a bistro, several private dining rooms and two gardens.

The visit

In my second visit in early October 2018 I was seated in the backyard garden. It is a spacious but yet intimate location. If the sun is not too hot, this is one of the best outdoor dining locations I visited in the Former French Concession.

The bread arrived still warm, in the form of two types of ciabatta bread.

I started with a rich pâté en croute, a French dish that could be defined as a meat pie. But much better than a meat pie… the meats and the spices were perfectly amalgamated under the pastry shell. While it is certainly a filling dish, I found it delicate.

Then I had one of my favorite dishes in the world, a beef tartare. I had high expectations from this beef tartare and I was not let down.

The waiter aptly mixed the beef with an egg, crushed capers and some Tabasco pepper sauce. The result was a dish of exquisite texture and taste.

Then I was served the main consisting in a lamb shank (the shank is the portion of the meat around the tibia of the animal). It came along with mashed potatoes.

This was a very compact yet meaty piece. The skin was lightly fried adding to the flavor.  It was a bit dry, but the great sauce that came with it solved any issue. I found it an excellent execution of this French classic.

Unfortunately, at this point I had no room for a dessert. There were some attractive specimens on display in the bistro.

I was also happy to find on the menu Alain Milliat juices (otherwise they do not have many options for people who do not like alcohol).

The check

For these three dishes I spent 680 CNY (basically 100 USD). It is not the check of your everyday bistro… however it should be noted that most dishes were perfectly suitable for sharing between two people.

Given the quality of the food and the surrounding (with English speaking staff) I have no problem with this price point. I think Villa Le Bec is the perfect place where to taste authentic French food in Shanghai.

Pro-tip: for a memorable experience if the weather permits try to get a seat in the garden and if you have a party try to use one of their private rooms.

Where in Shanghai:
321 Xinhua Lu
Address in Chinese: 新华路321号
More information on the restaurant’s website.
They also operate a wine bar called Epicerie 62 at 62 Xinhua Lu.

Brunch at the Phénix – Shanghai

The Phénix Eatery and Bar is the flagship restaurant of the luxurious Puli hotel in Shanghai. They were awarded one star in the 2018 Shanghai Michelin guide that was confirmed in 2019. I also visited them for dinner.

The visit

I had heard that they had started offering Sunday brunches and I had been thinking of trying for a while. On a sunny Sunday of June the stars aligned and I showed up.

They are one of the many establishments now offering a “semi-buffet”. It works like this: you order a couple of dishes from a menu (usually the choice is quite limited) and while you wait for the hot dishes you can indulge yourself in a buffet with exquisite sides and cold dishes.

The Phénix follows this format. The menu is based on breakfast dishes (from omelettes to tartares). You can choose two mains and a dessert from the menu and have fun with their buffet spread.

From the menu I chose an omlette (with a hint of truffle) and a beef tartare. Small portions. Done by the book. From the buffet I chose to try their oysters, a quiche Lorraine, cheese (they had five or six types available, more than the average buffet in Shanghai), cold cuts (in particular some ham) and some other random stuff. I certainly enjoyed the dessert from the menu, a nicely made chocolate cake.

Juices and tea/coffee were also included. You can check the menu on their website.

The check

The final check was 545 RMB and changes (around 85 USD). When I think about it, I cannot complain about anything, but at the same time there was nothing that stood up and made me think: “I need to come back for it!” I guess the brunch is not indicative of the cuisine that won them the Michelin star. Would I go back? No, in Shanghai there are way better choices for less that money (the weekend buffet at the Kitchen Studios at the Andaz hotel comes to my mind as the best deal at the moment and it is a bona fide full buffet; for a semi-buffet, with a little bit more the Cathay Room at the Peace Hotel offers a choice of more substantial dishes). Subsequently I also had dinner with them and I was equally not that impressed. I might go back to try their full fledged menu though.

Where in Shanghai:
2/F, 1 Changde Lu, near Yan’an Xi Lu
常德路1号璞麗酒店二楼, 近延安西路