Welcome back to the April 2016 edition of the Shanghai F&B Gossip, we have a moderately-sized cache of new restaurants for your delectation this month. Let us begin:
News 'n' New Restaurants
Praise be, veteran restaurateur Franck Pécol’s new crêpe place Far-West has opened (behind his café, Grains, on Wukang Lu) and it’s so good we’ve been back twice already. Our favorite is the ‘complète classique,’ with Parisian ham, cheese and runny egg. Or the one with chocolate ice cream and melted chocolate sauce. Tough call.
Over at Bund 18, another Gallic import has finally arrived: the long-anticipated L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Find here a quintessentially French fine dining menu headed up by Chef Francky Semblat, formerly of Robuchon’s Michelin three-star restaurant in Macau, Robuchon au Dôme. Reservations are filling up fast, so book early if you want in.
That isn’t the only new restaurant in Bund 18, however. High-end sushi-ya and teppanyaki, Onodera Ginza, has too opened its doors. Sectioned into private rooms, each is dedicated to different dishes like sushi, wagyu steak and tempura.
Friendly Jing’an neighborhood bar, District, has reeled out a new RMB50 lunch menu. Options include bacon mac ‘n’ cheese or thin crust pizza with peppers and soft egg, plus a cup of soup and a soft drink. Word is that a brunch will follow soon…
The Lost Heaven Group is taking a new route, this time along the legendary Silk Road with its new eatery Lost Heaven Silk Road. Open for dinner only until April 23, the Julu Lu restaurant will serve eclectic specialties from along the legendary intercontinental passage, from Xi’an to the Mediterranean.
Over at Xintiandi, a new bistro from the group that brought the city Paris Rouge has opened: Paris Bleu. In the kitchen (part-time, at least) is French chef Jean Christophe Ansanay-Alex, who interestingly, cooks with just one arm having lost the other in a car accident aged 24. Against the odds, he rose through the cut-throat culinary ranks to become the head chef at Auberge de L'ile, a Michelin two-star restaurant in Lyon, France.
Anyhoo, Paris Bleu has a menu of bistro-style dishes that come in at around RMB170 per person. Stay tuned for our forthcoming review.
(image via dianping.com)
Speaking of French restaurants, Jean Georges is back open with a brand spanking new white décor scheme.
Barely recognizeable from the dark wood old boy's club thing they had going on before. You can read our interview with the man himself right here.
In other news, fucking JOHNNY ROCKETS has opened in Parkson Mall (that one you never go into next to IAPM). Expect a menu of American fast food; milkshakes, onion rings, burgers, fries and the ilk. No word on whether the staff are wearing rollerskates, but we sure do hope so.
Also, Tepito, Kelley Lee's new Mexican restaurant, is open. It's bomb. Read our review right here.
Booze News
Popular Italian/Chinese eatery Xixi Bistro has unveiled a bar on the second floor, coquettishly titled 'Xixi's Bedroom.' Mixing the drinks is Jiang Yifu, who presides over a menu of cocktails priced from RMB70-80.
Shanghai's after party scene took a hit last month with the closure of Amber Lounge. Looks like the only place to go at 5am now is your bed.
(image via dianping.com)
Another longstanding booze legend has also closed, sort of. The Thirsty Seahorse has indeed renovated to become ‘Bar Code.’ Not much has changed, except for the addition of a TV screen and less tables.
Meanwhile Xintiandi is getting another new resident in the form of 'Reel to Reel,' a new club from the folks behind the always awesome URVC club in Jing’an. The opening is anticipated on April 18, so sit tight for the opening party on that date.
Harley's Bar, a Xujiahui dive bar popular with expats, has relaunched to become 'Harley's Underground.' They're still in the original location, but have upped the ante with sexy new interiors, a DJ booth, live music events space, and a sports bar section. Sounds like a blast.
Feel free to email us any tips, gossip and rumours vicious or otherwise to dining@urbanatomy.com.
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