Dakota (that American spot in front of Monkey Champagne) is dead, long live Bonobo! Having died a quiet death last year, Dakota has been stripped bare and emerged as a fun arcade-themed Asian fusion eatery called Bonobo. Bonobo – Monkey Champagne, unifying primate theme, get it?
Interiors-wise, we really can’t praise more highly. Some of the custom artwork is from local designer The Orange Blowfish, with references to gaming culture in neon light artworks and coasters (see below) and the rest was taken care of by Max Trullas (brother to sexy chef Willy) of MTMDESIGN. The vibrant color-scheme is a refreshing change from the ‘urban industrial chic’ that has plagued Shanghai’s trendier establishments in recent years.
Food-wise there are some consistency issues, which we hope will be ironed out in time. Menus are populated with trendy-sounding fusion dishes derived from Taiwanese, American, Korean and Japanese cuisines. Out of our group, opinions were almost totally divided as to what worked and what didn’t. We imagine a similar phenomenon awaits your visit but luckily, Bonobo’s prices are not high enough to leave you reeling from order mistakes (except the beef short rib - more on that later).
For starters, a trio of house-made Korean pickles (RMB28). Slightly watery and not pungent enough, the kimchi could have done with more of a spicy kick, although this milder version may well suit those with sensitive palates.
Next a tuna tartar with avocado and herb salad (RMB78) was weak but fixable. Fresher tuna, less mushy avocado and a lighter sprinkling of dressing would turn this lifeless dish around.
Asian slaw with crispy ramen and kimchi dressing (RMB48) was moreish and textured, definitely recommended.
Another winner was Brussel sprouts with XO/Iberico sauce (RMB35) ironically, the only dish to unanimously please. Exceptionally crunchy chicharrones with ‘pixie dust’ and Sriracha mayo dipping sauce (RMB38) followed suit. A perfect accompaniment to beer, these are best avoided by those with dentures.
Ramen with pork belly, deviled egg and ‘three-day broth’ (RMB38) sadly missed the mark. A shallow-flavored broth lacked the viscous opacity of a proper ramen, and the deviled egg was a bizarre touch. However, a generous slab of pork belly made this little dish a decent value.
More of the aforementioned pork belly featured in a bao-style bun with pork neck and Asian slaw. RMB42 gets you two of these – both delicious.
The low point of the meal came in the form of the roasted beef short rib with herb salad and beef jus, which at RMB238 was an expensive mistake. Served in pre-chopped cubes, an apparently decorative rib bone struck as largely superfluous. Sharp little slivers of what transpired to be beef floss in the salad were a bizarre addition.
Bonobo is also experimenting with skewers, which range from RMB6 for veggies and Korean rice cakes up to RMB22 for wagyu brisket. Unfortunately these come with a too-sweet sauce and generic-tasting seasoning. Hopefully a few tweaks in the recipe will sort it out.
Happily, cocktails are definitely a strong suit. Try the shiso delicious (RMB72) cocktail and a pitcher of Taiwanese Sangria (RMB128).
Price: 100-250RMB per person
Who’s going: Hip/scenesters, locals, yuppie expats
Good for: Pre-party dinner, casual, small groups, fusion, cocktails
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