Here are all the restaurant and bar openings we featured in our August 2019 magazine issue.
Restaurants
Heritage by Madison
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
When Austin Hu was still in the planning stages of Heritage by Madison, we asked him about the concept. “It’s all in the name,” was his reply. The heritage in question is the chef’s own reflection on his time spent in China, the US and Japan. Over the past 10 years, we’ve witnessed flashes of Hu’s character in his food, from boldly using locally sourced ingredients for Western fare at the original Madison on Dongping Lu to sneaking kimchi into monstrous grilled cheeses at Madison Kitchen. In his latest endeavor, Hu moves along similar lines with a bit more finesse and smaller plates.
One of several notable openings in the Bund Finance Center, the notoriously location-cursed Hu has traded the convenience of a central location in favor of a dependable address. Judging from the full dining room, he made the right decision.
Total Verdict: 4.5/5
Price: RMB400-500 per person, including one drink
Who’s going: locals, expats, international school alumni
Good for: barside snacks, group dinners, dates
Read the full review here. See listing for Heritage by Madison.
Peking Inn
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Nestled in Jiashan Market, up a concrete staircase above Cafe Sambal, sits Peking Inn, the newest foreigner-friendly Chinese cocktail bar and restaurant. Greeted by red neon lights, velour lounge chairs straight out of a racy movie from the 1970s and a bar stocked with over 100 bottles of rare liqueurs, spirits and tinctures, one would assume cocktails to be the main focus. However, while acclaimed mixologist Chris Xi (of EPIC) is the man behind the whimsical beverage menu, homestyle Northern fare is the central focus of this spot that stirs up nostalgic feelings for the hutongs of Old Peking with a modern sensibility.
While many diners associate roast duck with the Capital’s cuisine, the bird is notably absent from the offerings. Out to show that there’s more to Beijing food, the bedrock of this menu is chunbing, or spring pancakes.
Total Verdict: 3/5
Price: RMB150-300 per person, including drinks
Who’s going: mostly locals, curious expats, ex-Beijingers
Good for: Northern food fix, cheeky cocktails, patio catch-up sessions
Read the full review here. See listing for Peking Inn.
BOR Eatery
Image by Cristina Ng/That's
After three years of cooking ‘New Nordic’ cuisine at Pelikan, Danish chef Kasper Pederson has moved his entire team to Anfu Lu. Perched above Funk & Kale, which is also backed by the Wagas slash Mr Willis dining empire, BOR Eatery inhabits a light-drenched space broken up by the graceful curves of Scandinavian design. And yet, the food veers off the Danish track laid by Pelikan, completely unleashing Pederson’s creativity.
Time flies at a frantic pace for Shanghai restaurants, demoting hot spots into forgotten castoffs. Sure, Pelikan probably had a few good years left at the top of the heap, but we can’t blame them for switching gears. The move is still fresh, but crowds are already flocking for a taste of the new venture.
Total Verdict: 4/5
Price: RMB400-500 per person, including one drink
Who’s going: everyone who’s anyone
Good for: easy date nights, casual dinners
Read the full review here. See listing for BOR Eatery.
Bars
Birds of Paradise
Image courtesy of Birds of Paradise
Shanghai is a far cry from a tropical paradise, but in peak summer the temperature is as balmy as any South Pacific island. The remedy for the hot sticky exhaustion of August has arrived in the form of Birds of Paradise, a new tiki bar in Jing’an from barman Yao Lu and chef Austin Hu.
Their previous collaboration, Union Trading Company, is celebrating its fifth anniversary. UTC is a cocktail bar institution that regularly lands in Asia’s 50 Best Bars list thanks to its blend of friendly, unpretentious hospitality and excellent cocktails. With Birds of Paradise, Lu and Hu have given that same winning formula a cheeky tropical twist.
Read the full review here. See listing for Birds of Paradise.
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[Cover image by Cristina Ng/That's]
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