The Place
There’s been a lot of buzz about new deli Le Daily’s opening. “Too much buzz?” we wondered, and delayed our visit to see if the whispers were actually just overhype. Mistake.
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The all-star lineup of Francois Seguin (SOiF), Michael Chen (The Cannery, Laiba) and Andrew Moo (TasteCollective) is a team that oozes creative deliciousness. And there is a reason that, since soft opening began in mid-April, they have succeeded in packing out every one of the 20+ seats at all hours of the day; they are crushing it, pumping out shining, glorious tributes to all things lunch that we haven’t seen the likes of since Madison Kitchen.
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Le Daily is technically a deli, but that’s sort of like saying Prince was a musician. In reality, it’s a homage to the deli tradition, whose gluttonous, cholesterol-laden pleasures are elevated with unrivaled ingredients. If it can’t be made, sourced or presented in the absolute best way, it’s not going on the menu.
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The humbly decorated, white-tiled, planter-filled space has a Montreal aesthetic – it’s old school yet contemporary, quaint yet cosmopolitan, cozy yet stylish, bold yet modest. The simple, brown barstool seating throughout is functional rather than decorative, encouraging guests to eat, enjoy and then get out for the next round of hungry diners. It knows what it is and doesn’t try to be what it’s not.
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The Food
Consulting chef and idea man, Andrew Moo, understands deeply that the first step to a great sandwich is great ingredients. If it can be homemade, it is. From bubbling kombucha to tangy dollops of labneh to zesty pickles – no corners are being cut.
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The most common lunch order here, the Shanghai Reuben (RMB88) sees a limited number of coveted portions prepared to order per day. That’s because the homemade hong shao rou pastrami is a process. Brown sugar, star anise, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and red furu – or fermented bean curd – form the marinade. Once cured, it simmers for hours before finally being finished in the oven.
The components of the sandwich are experienced individually rather than amalgamated, cyborg-like, into the whole. The thick-cut pastrami, the pungent emmental, the pickled sauerkraut, the Russian dressing bolstered by the marinades’ drippings for extra flavor – every individual item is there to be tasted.
That being said, this is not a conventional Rueben by any means; it’s a 10/10 hong shao rou sandwich with all the fixings of a deli Reuben that is as consistent as Venus Williams’ backhand.
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Pink-tinted quinoa kernels serve as the base of the Beetroot Salad (RMB48/whole, RMB20/side), dressed simply with a homemade creamy vinaigrette. Soft chunks of sweet beetroot, orange segments, slivered almonds and fresh herbs are topped with a velvety mound of creamy labneh – a Greek yogurt-like soft cheese made from strained yogurt.
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The Mouthwatering Chicken (RMB68) is not the sad chicken salad sando you would disappointingly discover in your elementary school lunchbox; it’s stacked, with a height that exceeds the diameter of even the biggest of yawns.
Shredded chicken is smothered in a creamy mayonnaise, with crunchy nibs of chili oil-spiced peanuts all atop crisp, refreshing cucumber slivers and lettuce. Like we would expect to encounter at a New York bodega, the rye sourdough is untoasted on this one, fluffy, acting more as a tasty vessel to allow the chicken salad to shine in the leading role, unencumbered.
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Like an ode that plays deep in the hearts of all New York Jews, the Gravlax (RMB68), served with diagonally-sliced toast triangles, is a lingering limerick to bagels and lox. Cured with beetroots for four days, the thickly-sliced, ruby-hued salmon is sweet, subtle and oily in the richest of ways.
Whole caper berries perch atop a skim of more of that luscious labneh, dusted with lemon zest and fresh dill. Orange pearls of salmon roe pop with flavor, releasing mini tidal waves of the sea in each bite.
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Spanish morcilla blood sausage, pork mince and fat – plus a secret blend of spices – are rolled into a flaky filo crust and sprinkled with roasted fennel seeds as the Morcilla Sausage Roll (RMB58), a nod to Moo’s Australian roots. The resulting dense meat pie doesn’t feel heavy, especially with added brightness from the Indian curry-spiced Kasundi sauce that’s thickened into a ketchup with xanthum gum.
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A veggie lovers wet dream, the Eat Your Greens (RMB58) is a layered sub of kale, broccolini, fried shallots and confit garlic, held in place by melty mozzarella and bright orange, umami-bursting mimolette. A double shmear of Kasundi ketchup and lemon mayonnaise kick the flavor up to an 11.
Balanced on toasted bread that tastes like it belongs in a health food commercial – gritty whole grains and bits of nuts and seeds – the structurally sound protective exterior holds the many ingredients in place just so they don’t cascade unfettered after a single bite.
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An indication of what’s to come for the snack-focused dinner menu – designed to act as complimentary finger food for alcoholic libations – the Gilda Plate (RMB58) is a textbook example of the original pintxo from San Sebastián that helped put the culinary Basque powerhouse on the map. A briny combination of Spain-imported white anchovies threaded through green olives and paired with pickled hot guindilla chilies is exactly what we want to pair a frosty glass of vermouth with.
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The Whipped House-Made Ricotta (RMB58) served as the only slight misstep for us. Aerated ricotta, fermented white asparagus and a lashing of lemon-infused olive oil sound mouth-watering on paper, but in actuality, it felt like something is missing. The simple components are somewhat overshadowed by other, flavor-bursting menu alternatives.
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Coffee is surprisingly affordable given that each includes a double shot, ranging from a simple espresso for RMB15 to a latte for RMB26. Lanlan runs the machine, using a roasty blend of beans from Tanzania, Costa Rica and Colombia.
Add RMB3 for Oatly or an extra double shot, and save RMB5 for bringing your own cup. That’s RMB17 for a double shot piccolo latte with your own mug that you can order to go from the coffee window if you so choose – crack prices.
Like everything else, the kombucha is also homemade, with fermenting flavors like grapefruit and strawberry in the side fridge rotating daily on tap. Taihu lager and Bravo Session IPA are also on draft, and bottles of Cantillon Gueuze go for RMB350 for 750ml.
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In the evening, (or the early afternoon, we’re not here to judge), sip on the Daily Highball (RMB68) with Buckwheat Chivas 12yo and Pao Yuzu Jasmine, the Daily Spritz (RMB68) or a Gibson (RMB78) – that features the same house-pickled onions and swollen Spanish green olives that make a debut on the Gilda Plate.
The Vibe
The customers who sit at the counter are a curious cross section of Shanghai itself – global-minded Shanghainese, food-obsessed expats, nearby office workers and students. The occasional older couple wanders in, curious to see what the line outside is about.
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Music isn’t at the forefront, like the pulsing jams of neighboring SOiF. Instead, the beat of clinking pans, frothing milk and chopping vegetables create their own rhythm that match the pace of the restaurant that so emulates our city.
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Le Daily is all about featuring something that seems pedestrian at first glance and making it inimitable, causing diners to constantly do a double take. Unique nuances elevate this little deli to more than just a sandwich shop.
The food doesn’t arrive quickly, but instead it’s a carefully crafted work of art that follows a regimented process. The wait, or rather, the anticipation – a part of the experience – is always worth it.
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Price: RMB85-125
Who’s Going: Sandwich connoisseurs, North American deli fiends, people who like photographing meat as much as we do
Good For: Big lunches, running into fellow foodies, carb
See a listing for Le Daily. Read more Shanghai Restaurant Reviews.
[Cover Image by Sophie Steiner/That’s]
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