Year of the Rabbit Recap: New Shanghai F&B – Part 5

By Sophie Steiner, February 5, 2024

And so we bid adieu to the Year of the Rabbit – a wild ride of high highs and low lows. Yet, the show must go on, and that means enjoying it in the way we know best – through good food and plenty of drink.

Here's our A to Z recap of some of the major restaurants and bars that swung their doors wide open and bunny-hopped through into the Year of the Dragon.

See Part I here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 6 here, and Part 7 here.

Narisawa

After years – yes years – of delays, two-Michelin-starred and consistently World's 50 Best ranked restaurant Narisawa from Tokyo finally opened up in Shanghai’s 1000 Trees this past July.

Considered ahead of its time, Narisawa Tokyo was awarded the Sustainable Restaurant Award all the way back in 2013, and a Michelin Green Star for its strong focus on environmentally conscious dining, amongst countless other accolades.

And, with Narisawa Shanghai being the only other location in the entire world outside of Tokyo – a decision to expand that took nearly two decades – this opening is kind of a big deal for the Shanghai dining scene.

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With food sustainability as his core tenet, Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa aims to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture's historic influence on the Japanese diet, and demonstrate his appreciation for the interconnectivity of both cuisines through his own cooking at the Shanghai location.

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Using local Chinese ingredients, imported global proteins, and a mix of modern cooking techniques built upon a Japanese backbone – a style dubbed 'The Narisawa Way' – the menu takes diners through varying altitudes of Japan’s geography to present naturalistic “satoyama cuisine” – food from the areas between the mountains and flat lands, where people live sustainably, connected directly with nature.

So instead of a gluttonous experience spanning a dozen courses, this omakase meal (comprised of edible works of culinary art) represents a balance of nutrition, sustainably-sourced organic ingredients, respect for Mother Nature, innovative cooking methods, and – well – downright delicious flavor pairings, the likes of which Shanghai hitherto had not seen.

Read a full review here.

Narisawa, 7/F, 1000 Trees, 600 Moganshan Lu, by Changhua Lu, 大洋晶典7楼, 莫干山路600号, 近昌化路.

Paal

With nearly 30 years of combined bar experience between the two, Paal co-owners Crawford Su and Aya Guan are no strangers to China’s bar scene; the duo met in Guangdong, where they both grew up and started their drinks industry careers.

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Thus it's no surprise that Cantonese flavors weave their way through the menu’s nine cocktails, drawing on the two owners’ favorite dishes and Guangdong-specific ingredients from their hometown of Jiangmen.

Sweet and sour pork, salted egg yolk zongzi, and aged tangerine peel have been known to make an appearance in crystalline clear and clarified, sippable cocktail form, with drinks rotating every few months.

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Like the décor design and menu layout, 99% of what you perceive in the glass in real time has been carefully curated on an Advanced Chemistry level, employing tools like a sous vide machine, hot plates, clarification gear and a rotovap – kit that plays with the senses so your eyes see one thing but your tongue tastes something completely different.

Read a full review here.

Paal, 94 Nanchang Lu, by Nanbei Gaojia Lu, 南昌路94号, 近南北高架路.

Pado

Pado is a Korean-style bistro that centers around none other than Korea’s contribution to global alcohol: soju.

More than just a drink to get your night going, sipping, shooting and bombing soju is a culture onto itself in Korea, one that continues to evolve even today.

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Started by Chef Tom Ryu, a bit of an icon in Shanghai – the humble restaurateur is famed for having his hand in many of Shanghai’s top Korean restaurants, including Genesis and previously Jeju Sagye (formerly known as Jeju Izakaya).

And now he's got two more venues underway, Nabi and Wuli, but more on that later in the alphabet.

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At Pado, Chef Tom pairs all these rare sakes with his contemporary take on Korean bar food, inspired by culinary research conducted during his recent travels back home.

Read a full review here.

Pado, #A101, 1107 Yuyuan Lu, by Fenggang Lu, 愚园路1107号A01，近凤冈路.

PIИK OYSTER

The timeless Shakespearean quote "the world is your oyster" comes to life at PIИK OYSTER, located within the Long Bar at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund.

Image courtesy of PIИK OYSTER

After opening this past September, the venue's coveted eight seats afford diners an opportunity to indulge in China's only oyster omakase experience, a 10-11 course exclusive degustation menu of the freshest oysters from around the world cooked in a myriad of methods.

The 'pink' in PIИK OYSTER represents the effervescent rosé champagne which threads together the many dishes on this tasting journey, while the 'oyster' symbolizes the daily, fresh bivalves that grace the hotel's bar.

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The concept is for an ever-evolving menu; one that hones in on freshness and seasonality while simultaneously allowing repeat guests an updated experience on each visit.

Read a full review here.

PIИK OYSTER, The Long Bar, Lobby Level, Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, by Guangdong Lu 地址中山东一路2号, 近广东路.

Roodoodoo

Celebrated three Michelin-starred chef Paul Pairet (Ultraviolet, Mr & Mrs Bund, Polux, Charbon) has opened a new concept in Pudong, Roodoodoo – an all-day, every day snack and bakery-centric casual dining concept in IFC Mall.

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A kind of amalgamation of his other venues, the space combines a coffee shop, sandwicherie and deli, restaurant, bar and ice cream parlor – plus the new addition of a patisserie / boulangerie with baked in-house daily breads, cakes, tarts and viennoiseries (French breakfast pastries) for dine-in, delivery or takeaway.

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Pulling most from Paul Pairet's answer to a casual French café, the Shanghai institution that is Polux, Roodoodoo can be seen as an extension, with an emphasis on simple yet expertly executed, all-day snacks and sips.

Read a full review here.

Roodoodoo, LG1-40, B1, IFC Mall, 8 Shiji Dadao, by Lujiazui Huan Lu 世纪大道8号, 近陆家嘴环路.

Sage Gastro

Suzhou Creek’s F&B scene is on the up and up with the much anticipated opening of Sage Gastro, the first venue by Singaporean-Japanese Chef Jun Nishiyama – whose impressive pedigree includes six years at Shanghai’s top-rated restaurant, Paul Pairet’s Ultraviolet.

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Located right next to Cometa – and partnering with its owners Alan Grillo and Anqi Xu – Sage is a globally-influenced gastropub that offers a refined version of bistro fare, owed to Chef Jun's fine dining background.

Using his years' of experience and knowledge, Chef Jun pares down the fuss customarily associated with fine dining, instead delivering humble yet downright delicious morsels.

The first iteration of the menu was a condensed one – consisting of six starters, four mains, three desserts, and a few daily specials.

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That was just the beginning; the goal is to have the offerings center around a tasting menu that hones in on local, seasonal and organic produce, set to launch after Chinese New Year. A la carte options will still remain.

Read a full review here.

Sage Gastro, 1407 Nan Suzhou Lu, by Chengdu Bei Lu, 南苏州路1407号, 近成都北路.

Sake Ichi Oden

Restaurateur Henry To and business partner Michael Tao have opened not one, but two new venues in the last month, expanding their Sake-X Group Japanese-leaning foodie empire.

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Riding on the coattails of the success of their Dagu Lu outpost Sake Ichi Yakitori (酒一烧鸟酒场) (that opened four years back, yet still garners quite the crowd) the duo opened Sake Ichi Oden (酒一关东煮酒场) at the beginning of November – a dimly lit, all wood-outfitted space on Shanxi Nan Lu doling out steaming bowls of Japanese comfort soup (called oden) just in time for winter.

While the conventional vegetable-based stock is on the menu, so is an unconventional chicken broth, one that repurposes the 'waste' from the group's Sake Ichi Yakitori joint into a soul-warming stew that simmers with Iberico pork bones for eight hours.

Oden, Image by Sophie Steiner/That's

Bowlfuls are filled to the brim with diners’ choice of tofu, braised vegetables, fish cakes, seafood, and more.

The setting is a more traditional looking izakaya, with unfinished wood, hanging paper lanterns, sake bottles lining concrete walls – and Japanese bangers from the 70s and 80s providing the beat to which employees ladle, pour, scoop and sear.

Read a full review here.

Sake Ichi Oden, 35 Shanxi Nan Lu, by Jinxian Lu 陕西南路35号, 近进贤路.