The Place
Operating from the beautiful two-story villa that once upon a time housed VIA, Opposite is a new restaurant by Chef Jenson Pei and former Mercato GM, Kevin Hu. One part mixologist (Allen Hsu), one part chef (Pei), Opposite is the duo’s first permanent brick-and-mortar endeavor, having previously operated a private kitchen.
Image via dianping.com
The Food
As seems to be the style in Shanghai, Opposite serves a sharing menu. In this instance, it focuses on global dishes that might have been termed 'fusion' prior to 2004. A mixed bag of good value and fancier vittles, you could be dining on some chicken liver parfait (RMB18) one minute and M9 striploin (RMB388) in the next.
Said striploin is among the most imaginative plates Opposite offers, wrapping gamey chunks of foie gras in wide, thinly sliced strips of Australian M9 steak and tucking them, four in a row, to a hot skillet with potato purée and cheesy deep-fried rice balls.
That alone is enough to steer us into the depths of food coma, but Chef Jenson is of stronger stature and supplies two dips; one of truffled egg yolk, the other a distant cousin of spicy mayonnaise.
Leanly opposite to that utterly lavish creation is the sliced pork shoulder (RMB168), which may be the least fatty piece of pork we've ever seen in China. The idea is to wrap it in lettuce with kimchi and some spicy sauce as you would at a Korean barbecue joint, though we can't help but think that a more luscious cut like pork belly would have made more sense.
Beasts of the sea also get a look in at Opposite. Seen on almost every table is the house specialty of egg custard topped with sushi-grade tuna belly, sea urchin, caviar and the obligatory flower petal. At RMB148 a pot, it's a bit of a stretch, though undeniably tasty.
Sweet dishes are also rather good. Minty mojito-flavored granita with simple marinated fruit and yoghurt felt alive with flavor, while slices of the crisp, caramel topped apple tart are a doozy for non-committal dessert eaters.
Food verdict: 2/3
The Vibe
Trendy and with an awesome cocktail lounge downstairs (the domain of the brooding, genetically-blessed Allen Hsu), Opposite is frequented by a young crowd of locals. It’s the kind of place where the girls wear baseball caps to dinner, and look like they might have lots of followers on Weibo.
Service was excellent: genuine, unfussy, and fully bilingual. Be sure to ask about the pre-order menu if you book by phone – we felt pangs of envy when the adjacent table was served huge box of honey smoked ham with chipotle and mustard roasted vegetables.
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for Money
Opposite has a lot going for it in terms of style and quality, and it's clear that the two proprietors are a passionate, well-matched team. We'd return for cocktails, or to dine with a group to take advantage of the larger dishes on the pre-order menu.
Value for Money: 0.5/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 3.5/5
Price: RMB300-500 per person
Who's going: young locals
Good for: groups of 3-6, special occasions, fusion food, cocktails, al fresco drinking
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