Little Catch
Little Catch opened in 2014 as a premium fishmonger selling restaurant quality fish and seafood, then grew into a local chain of poke shops after their bowls became a big hit.
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They essentially brought Shanghai the poke bowl back in the day, along with supplying customers with those once hard-to-find ingredients like anchovies, cuttlefish ink, oysters, and filleted monkfish and cod.
What a different time that was.
Well, after a quiet couple of years due to COVID and lockdowns (and country lockouts), co-owners Wenyi Huang and Jiayi Huang have decided it is once again time to make some noise, nearly doubling the size of their menu.
They are also planning to expand to a second location in Xuhui, and preparing for their next evening menu launch, with an eclectic wine list and more creative bites.
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But hold your horses; we're just here for the new summer menu (for now) – one that is more elevated and fleshed out than before, with mainly Japanese and regional Asian flavors, and seafood still the focus.
Their signature items – the masterpiece that is the poke bowl – still remains, but with a handful more options.
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Namely the Torched Belly Salmon (RMB122). Delivered fresh every morning, the salmon is selected based on firmness and a lower fat content than other Nordic counterparts, resulting in a guaranteed delicate texture, regardless of the season.
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This results in a cleaner flavor, one that is amplified by a “kiss of fire” char on the edges, while still maintaining an oily center that melts on the tongue.
Glistening beads of salmon roe, homemade pickled carrots and daikon, a marinated jammy ramen egg, almonds, and furikake seasoning make every bite a new experience, while a zippy orange zest and white soy dressing laces all of the ingredients together.
There’s also a newly launched Ponzu Scallop and Amaebi Shrimp (RMB98) that warrants a revisit to try.
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Aside from poke bowls, there’s a smattering of new small plates – like the Hokkaido Mini Bowl (RMB98), a typical Hokkaido region combination of supple uni, salmon roe, and scallop sashimi atop rice, finished with a dusting of furikake and a cured egg yolk that sultrily coats each individual rice kernel.
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Sushi-grade cubes of salmon are tossed in Korean gochujang as the Sweet & Spicy Salmon Crisps (RMB56) – a crunchy cabbage slaw nestled between the fish and crispy seaweed and rice chips.
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An ode to seafood salad, the Crab Cream Cheese Dip (RMB48) is whipped with whole milk for a velvety mouthfeel, sprinkled with roasted peppers and a bright herb salad.
A seed-flecked water cracker acts as the ideal scooping vessel, only bested by a large spoon that could shovel more of that lush cream straight from plate to dome.
Passionfruit Green Tea Soda (RMB25) and Homemade Berry Kombucha (RMB38), Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
After its success at the recent Feast Food Festival, the XO Scallop Noodles (RMB98) are officially on the menu, sporting arguably Shanghai’s freshest Hokkaido scallop sashimi, coated in homemade XO sauce – made from Hong Kong-sourced dried shrimp and scallops, plus American style pork belly bacon in place of the conventional Jinhua ham.
Crunchy julienned sugar snap peas round out the plate of bouncy alkaline ramen noodles.
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So much more than your average Chocolate Chip Cookie (RMB22), Little Catch’s alternative sees the addition of coffee – plus 72% dark Valrhona chocolate – with that textbook gooey chew owed to the use of brown butter and a hit of bread flour.
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After attending culinary school in Paris, it’s no surprise that chef Jiayi’s Lemon Tart (RMB38) belongs in a French boulangerie.
A homemade butter pastry shell encasing tart lemon curd is studded with fresh lemon segments for a pop of extra acidity, topped with a quenelle of vanilla bean cream, and a sprinkle of candied pistachios for salinity and crunch.
Little Catch, 2C, 98 Yanping Lu, by Wuding Lu, 静安寺延平路98号2C, 近武定路.
Commune Reserve
Followers of Stone Brewing and fellow craft beer lovers alike flock to Commune Reserve along Yuyuan Lu for more than just their extensive 30 beer tap list.
The menu is an eclectic list of global comfort food favorites – chicken wings, sticky ribs, pasta dishes and burgers. Bites that pair well with – no surprise here – a frothy mug of the good stuff.
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The same resident chef since the Stone Brewing days, native Shanghainese James Tao recently launched a series of warm weather menu items, ideal for munching on in the sunshine.
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Available on both the lunch set and brunch menu, the Tuna & Soba Noodle (RMB68) sees thick slices of tuna sashimi atop buckwheat noodles, swimming in an aromatic vinegar-based cold broth.
Pudgy soft-boiled quail eggs, chopped chives and seaweed flakes make it a complete meal.
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Supple prawns are sautéed in Commune Illusionist lager with cherry tomatoes, green beans and mushrooms as the Shrimp & Bonito Flakes (RMB98).
Toasted farm bread adorned with wavering bonito flakes acts as the ideal fodder for sopping up the buttery mustard seed-laced shrimp sauce that pools at the bottom of the bowl.
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Minced beef and melted mozzarella cheese form a thick layer atop the Spicy Aubergine (RMB68), a Western play on yuxiang qiezi (鱼香茄子).
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We are no stranger to Commune Reserve’s burgers – still one of the most gloriously stacked sandos in the city – and the Deluxe Burger (RMB138) is no exception.
One hundred and seventy grams of freshly ground Wagyu beef is crowned with an unctuous slab of seared foie gras.
There’s melty cheddar, crushed avocado, crispy fried shallots and a homemade onion jam, all atop a plush brioche bun.
It’s a behemoth of a burger that warrants every calorific bite.
READ MORE: 17 Not Your Everyday Shanghai Burgers
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The pièce de résistance, 600 grams of salt and citrus-flecked Mediterranean-style Whole Snapper (RMB188) is baked atop a medley of juicy cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, baby potatoes, fennel bulbs and garlic in an herb-infused white wine sauce.
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The delicate flesh pulls away easily, flaking off in buttery hunks, and is enough to feed two people.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
And if you’re still hungry after all that, go for the Garlic Ciabatta (RMB58) – buttered toast served alongside an addictingly smearable eggplant and tuna dip.
Salty, sweet and umami flavors compliment the house beverage of choice.
Nothing screams summer like endless free flow deals, and Commune Reserve has got you covered with two-and-a-half-hour free flow sets at tiered pricing depending on day and time.
Every single day of the week from 2-7.30pm, crush two hours and 30 minutes of select craft beer free flow for just RMB148 per person.
Some quick back-of-the-napkin math reveals that comes out to under RMB60 an hour – you just can’t afford not to.
And, for the post-work drinking, every Sunday through Thursday, from 7.30pm-11.30pm, two-and-a-half hours of free flow is just RMB198.
Even weekend nights get their own deal; from 7.30pm-12.30am every Friday and Saturday two-and-a-half hours of free flow is RMB208.
Commune Reserve, 1107 Yuyuan Lu, by Fenggang Lu 愚园路1107号, 近凤冈路.
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