It’s that time of the year again when summer slips into fall, T-shirts are quickly replaced by sweaters and – all too soon – thick jackets. Still, what better excuse to tuck into cold weather comforts than our bellies being hidden for the next six months? Here’s some of the new menus we’re gearing up to hibernate with as the impending chill sets in.
Check out Part I here and Part II here.
Le Daily
There’s a reason Le Daily's all-star lineup of Francois Seguin (SOiF), Michael Chen (The Cannery, Laiba) and Andrew Moo (TasteCollective, Yaya's) – a team that oozes creative deliciousness – continues to succeed in packing out every one of the 20+ seats at all hours of the day since opening last spring.
It's because Le Daily is technically a deli, but that’s sort of like saying Prince was just a musician. In reality, it’s an homage to the deli tradition, whose gluttonous, cholesterol-laden pleasures are elevated with unrivaled ingredients.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
If it can’t be made, sourced or presented in the absolute best way, it’s not going on the menu. And that menu is getting a seasonal upgrade with some winter comforts and a new lineup of libations that make us want to start our day with a cocktail.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Following in the footsteps of the famed (yet short-lived, damn you seasonality!) Lobster Roll, now there's the Shrimp and Chips Roll (RMB118), made with a heaping portion of Nordic shrimp slathered in horseradish mayo, skirted by potato chips, 'shrettuce' AKA shredded lettuce and celery, all piled high on a plush and buttery brioche bun.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Le Daily ensures that each menu rendition includes at least one vegetarian and one vegan sando, and the Spam & Pineapple (RMB78) falls in the later category, featuring plant-based Omnipork luncheon meat stacked high with an assortment of roasted pineapple slices, avocado, dill pickle, shrettuce, laoganma tahini, yellow mustard and chips for extra crunch. It's pretty much a rainbow between two buns. A giant, thick, flavor explosion of a rainbow.
Lamb Sandwich (RMB78), Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Combining Indonesia's answer to comfort eats with the ultimate guilty pleasure – mac & cheese – gets you the Mi Goreng Mac And Cheese (RMB58), an addicting mashup of macaroni noodles, bechamel cream, allllll the cheese, tangy kecap manis, sriracha plus pickled and fried shallots – somehow taking an already 10/10 dish and making it even better.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
The evening menu affords the biggest change, with an array of nibbles for sharing made for pairing with some truly noteworthy cocktails. Options like the Le Daily Plate (RMB148) come with a full Reuben sandwich-size portion of hongsharou corned beef, assorted housemade pickles, Mimolette cheese, a rotating daily salad, toasted bread and a trio of dippings sauces – hongsharou Russian dressing, lemon mayonnaise and olive tapenade.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Then there's also the Cold Cuts Plate (RMB98) – with three cuts of meat (right now its mortadella, Napolese salami and llapis Spanish sausage, but who knows what next week will bring?) plus homemade pickles, olive tapenade and whole grain mustard – and the Cheese Plate (RMB98) featuring four different imported cheeses, both served with toasted bread.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Winter isn't truly winter until the soup makes a showing, and this month sees Potato & Leek (RMB28), a fully vegetarian offering where the meat isn't missed for the addition of miso and soy add an extra hit of umami richness, along with nutmeg, watercress and toasted croutons.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
As for the cocktails, Michael Chen has been a busy man, releasing six daytime Italian aperitifs, four highballs and seven nighttime libations that pack a punch. From the savory Salt N Pepa (RMB95) martini – with a depth of flavor from mezcal, Ayuuk, fino sherry and canteloupe with a dusting of pink peppercorn – to the Skins Off (RMB90) tart and bitter pairing of coffee and pineapple with tequila, Montenegro and housemade funky kombucha, each sip brings you that much closer to just ordering the whole damn menu.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
We also love the refreshing Hipster in Tokyo (RMB95) – with shochu, gin, Empirical Spirts' The Plum, I Suppose liquor, parsley and lemon husk, and the autumn-inspired Granny Smith (RMB85) with applejack, mead and cardamom apple cider.
See a listing for Le Daily
PHÉNIX
PHÉNIX has welcomed new executive chef Ugo Rinaldo, just in time to shake the menu up for the holiday season. Hailing from Paris, Chef Ugo's stacked CV features work experience with numerous high-end restaurants and hotels around the world, including Alain Ducasse in Monaco's Michelin three-star restaurant Le Louis XV and helping open Yannick Alleno's hotel in Dubai.
Image courtesy of PHÉNIX
Now, he brings his rich expertise to PHÉNIX, expanding on lunch and dinner offerings, as well as set tasting and discovery menus. His is a philosophy of simplicity – with both ingredients and plating.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Starting with Le Caviar (RMB888), Nordic langoustine is lightly seared with lime and a blend of hazelnut and walnut oils, accented by a delicate quenelle of Kaluga Queen 10 years sturgeon caviar. A velvety bavaroise, or Bavarian cream sauce, is made from the langoustine head, filled out with cream. Verdant dollops add color and brightness as an additional caper, chives, hazelnut and rapeseed oil sauce.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
A play on a traditional French recipe, the L'oeuf Confit à la Truffe (RMB228) features olive oil confit egg yolk resting on a pancetta and garlic cream. A thin layer of melted Comté cheese encases the runny yolk, so it can be pierced with a forkful of Yunnan truffle – notable for its subtleness compared to other more bolder black truffle alternatives – and pickled mushrooms.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
L'agneau de Te Mana (RMB338) showcases New Zealand Te Mana lamb – the Wagyu of lamb for its higher percentage of marbling – saddled against lamb shoulder ragout-topped al dente hand-rolled semolina fusilli pasta and dollops of sweet potato purée.
Mont-blanc chestnut cream, meringue, chantilly, Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Like a work of art, La Noix de Coco (RMB128) is plated in all its symmetrical glory. A parfait made from coconut purée, fresh coconut and Malibu is chilled into a mousse, bedazzled with petal-like cutouts of chocolate ganache made from sustainable Vietnamese organice chocolate. Tart dots of passion fruit curd add the only semblance of color to this monochrome sweet, yet size doesn't matter when elegant balance is the result.
See a listing for PHÉNIX
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Powerhouse French chef Joël Robuchon's maiden voyage into Shanghai, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon serves Michelin star-worthy French cuisine in an ultra-luxe Bund environment, no doubt with a fitting bill at the end. For a man with more Michelin stars to his name than he has fingers and toes, (Robuchon holds 25 at his restaurants around the world) you might just leave feeling it was money well spent.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Headed up by executive chef Andrea Cofini, this season's menu involves all things Alba white truffle, an indulgent use of this famous fungus that we suggest splurging on with the Menu Degustation (RMB1,798 for seven courses + 10% service charge).
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Worth it for the bread alone – a fresh-baked daily spread spanning mini French baguettes, seaweed croissants, beetroot focaccia, squid ink focaccia, black truffle escargot buns, chestnut rolls and crisps with assorted nuts and seeds – you'll be double convinced after just the amuse bouche, a slurpable quail egg and potato foam mixture, accented by aromatic lapsang tea and shaved truffle throughout.
La Truffe Blanche (beef carpaccio), Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Pan-seared Hokkaido scallops rest on a hot butter and orange citrus sauce, interspersed with pumpkin purée as Le Saint-Jacques. A thin sheath of pumpkin swaddles the scallop, attracting the shaved truffle 'snow' that arrives tableside.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
The Chinese meets Italian meets French hybrid, Les Tagliolini, sees al dente hand-rolled tagliolini noodles – perfect for their imperfections – studded with hairy crab roe and, of course, a generous shaving of more truffle.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Confit Le Turbot is flanked by topinambour, or Jerusalem artichokes, three ways – a purée with garlic and anchovies, sautéed in butter and sauced with chicken jus, plus crunchy topinambour crisps. A dusting of cruhsed hazelnuts add texture while spinach and baby sorrel leaves vibrantly brighten the plate.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
A circular round of veal tenderloin is served alongside a savoy cabbage ravioli as Le Veau. Applauded for its simplicity, the meat's gamey nature is enhanced by earthy truffle.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Exactly what you crave from a winter dessert, Le Marron acts as a play on a Mont Blanc, featuring confit chestnut purée cloaking vanilla ice cream in piped, vermicelli-esque ribbons, studded with dots of meringue and chantilly cream.
See a listing for L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
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[Cover image by Sophie Steiner/That's]
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