Ayi is an enigma. She’s the only one able to fix the coffee machine in the office. She may seem all elusive, but really she’s omnipresent, sitting in the shadows or walking slowly and silently down the darkened corridors. Sometimes you don’t see her for hours, then suddenly you’ll be aware of a figure sitting very close behind you, starring intently at your computer screen. If you move around too much she’ll steal your chair and occasionally the...[read more]Posted: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 under Chinese Culture | 1 comment
Eagerly anticipating watching the Alice in Wonderland film, whether by illicit DVD or an actual trip to the silver screen, I have been Googling the hell out of the film, the cast and all random related trivia. That's when I fell down the rabbit hole and landed smack bang on a page summarizing a lovely little 1970s' porno. That's right folks, Alice goes on her trip through Wonderland, and it's full of phallic interactions, girl-on-girl appreciation - and singing...[read more]
Do you ever just have one of those months when it seems like there's just no time to cook? You get home from work and it's like - I don't want to move, think or breathe any more than is necessary. Well, I'm having one of those months.
It's too cold and rainy to drag my butt over to the wet market. The idea of walking into a Tesco and listening to that stupid song they play over and over and...[read more]
Since first visiting Cha Canting a few weeks ago, I've been to the restaurant a couple of times and each time, I come away thinking, Cha Canting really IS the best Cantonese restaurant in town.
If you don't want to wait half an hour for a table, go to the restaurant after 8:30pm - you'll get a table after 5mins. Alternatively, while you're waiting, why not pop round to Hof - 2 doors away - and order a glass of wine...[read more]
1) What you sometimes need is a child. Heading out to examine Rosso Italiano's brunch and new chef, I enjoyed a thoroughly hearty Italian meal, full of lasagna, cannelloni, polenta, salami and Italian breads. As I was merrily reaching for my glass of wine, I suddenly realized I was completely surrounded by Italians - ‘a very good sign for the food', I thought, ‘I have truly stumbled into a promising little haven'. Only then, food in belly and wine...[read more]
So I admit it. I recently watched the movie Julie/Julia, and was probably the advertising departments dream target. Meryl Streep was electrifying as the odd-ball awe-inspiring cookbook author, and I promptly became fixated on the idea of Julia Child and her recipes. So much so that for Christmas I asked my mother to buy me the mammoth two-volume bible "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." This was an intriguing request for my mother, as she knows that I follow recipes...[read more]
A building suspended mid-mountain, being within 2 meters of a powerful waterfall, 2,000 year old Pingyao City are some of the sights to see in Shanxi Province. Pingyao City is the only Ming-Qing Dynasty style town still standing. The city was the birthplace of China's banking institution and at its height, much of the country's banking business took place here - but there are no longer any banks in the city today.
The City Wall gives you an idea of the...[read more]
1) Mexican food in Shanghai is set to get hot! New restaurant Mi Tierra is entering its soft opening phase and it is a truly opulent Mexican retreat - as well as being the lucky eatery slated to hold court in the Mexican pavilion. Starting out in deliveries and frozen foods, the owners are moving up up up and have rented and renovated a villa that is simply gorgeous. We'll have the full scoop in our review next week.
2) M1NT...[read more]
I don't own an oven, but for my sweeties birthday I was bound and determined to bake a cake. This is a dangerous prospect for a half-hazard cook like myself, but hey. A birthday's a birthday and love is love. So after getting the birthday boy out of the way, I high-tailed it to Tesco, where I was sure I could pick up an oversized oven, big enough to bake a small cake in. On arrival, I realized it was...[read more]
Cha's Cantonese Restaurant
The Soya Chicken, Beef Curry Rice and the Stir Fried Prawns with Egg are just three of the many dishes that should be tried at Cha. The Soya Chicken is HEAVENLY: the tender meat just melts in your mouth, it's definitely fresh chicken - and the accompanying sauce has just enough flavor to compliment, but not overpower the natural taste of the meat. I can't wait to try their Salty Baked Chicken!
I plan on visiting this restaurant once...[read more]
1) Stray animals will follow you home if you so much as wave at them. Not just strays either - I was almost at my door before I realized a woman was chasing me down the street, yelling "Stop! Stop!" Or some such equivalent. Turning, I saw that an adorable little puppy had trotted happily along behind me. Brave little mite, I resisted the urge to pick him up and make a dash for it.
2) Women killing chickens on the...[read more]
“Watch, looka, bagga lady! Watch looka bagga! Ok, DVD? DVD!”
“But I don’t want a watch, or a bag, or a DVD. I’m ok thanks, I’m just trying to cross the road without being hassled.”
“But looka lady, Gucci! Gucci! Bag!”
“But my Ayi already has that bag, I think she might be offended if I bought the same one as her. And I’m just trying to cross the road, I don’t want to buy...[read more]Posted: Thursday, January 21, 2010 under General | 4 comments
I like sour things, especially those that have been dunked in vinegar. And what better way to indulge in my cravings than pickles. Real and worthwhile Kosher dills are difficult to find in this dear metropolitan and a small bottle often costs a bundle. Plus a bottle of pickles will only last me...I admit it...probably about a day. For those who need something crunchy and sweet and sour to lighten up a heavy meal, brighten up a sandwich or satisfy...[read more]
There we sat in the "living room" of Boxing Cat Brewery with beers in hand during the wee hours Monday morning. Only American football playoff season can entice me to wake up at 1am, hail a taxi, and then sit in front of a TV in a room full of testosterone. While I sat trying to wake up the normal boisterous barks of boys bragging about their Boys and Vikings began.
I meanwhile savored my micro-brewed beer and ordered some...[read more]
I have to admit, while in the States for the holidays, I overindulged in all things "Western". I blissfully gnawed on chunks of sourdough bread, ate baby spinach by the crate, brie cheese by the wheel, hummus by the container and drank red wine by the bottle. I know we live in Shanghai, the most metropolitan city in China, but for the most part, all of that stuff tastes better in the states.
However, upon hitting the streets of Shanghai after...[read more]
This morning on the treadmill I contemplated, "Can one eat too much raw tuna, and if you have what should you do?" Last night, after a day of celebrating the Dallas Cowboy's triumphant playoff game dismembering the Philadelphia Eagles, we finally discovered Tenya. After hearing stories about this fabled Japanese restaurant serving only tuna, and the best tuna in town, we found someone to lead the way to their original small dining room off of Huashan Lu.
At Tenya...[read more]
All the cameras and lights of Hollywood are flashing away, as the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the BAFTAs and the coveted Oscars all get ready to unveil who they'll be rewarding with the most prestigious prizes of the film world. It's not just the big shots that are taking a turn in the spotlight. A new competition is giving one would-be filmmaker the chance to see their artistic vision realized on the silver screen. The Film Pitch Contest, co-sponsored...[read more]
How do you rate the art scene in Shanghai?
It's quite active and diverse, despite the city being known more for its concentration of commerce, shopping and dining. Shanghai is very international and its openness offers a chance for people with innovative and creative ideas to find their artistic outlet. There are a great number of art galleries that feature a wide range of works by both local and international artists. There are also a good number of museums scattered around...[read more]
We've just seen you open three new venues. What goes through your mind when you create new concepts?
What I usually do is find the spaces and evaluate, so it always depends on the clientele and the area. In the case of Balthazar, we found a 1930s' house and we had to renovate the entire thing - the floor, the staircases, the ceilings, etc. We felt that because it was in the French Concession and a French house, a French brasserie...[read more]
Don't get me wrong, I love Chinese food. I grew up eating it. It's in my blood and it is pretty much all I can cook. However, when going home for the holidays, there is just something extremely satisfying about going to a local supermarket and buying all-American. Leisurely perusing the multicolored isles, I have the freedom to ponder the infinite things that I would like to eat, and haven't for about a year. The snack food row housing "low...[read more]
1) Christmas dinner doesn't have to involve turkey - I've now had two pre-Christmas dinners in Shanghai, one involving a mix of pastries from a local Chinese bakery, chicken from Brasa and homemade salad with a deliciously simple balsamic vinaigrette; the other consisting of wasabi potatoes, garlic aubergine Chinese style, chicken from a corner-shop rotisserie and killer martinis.
2) They definitely do use better quality meat if you're not all-you-can-eat dining - perhaps obvious to some but confirmed...[read more]
Oh dear, after the first Christmas bash of the season with Mrs. Cotton on Xinhua Lu I arrived safe and snug and warmed by mulled wine. After the water man came with the weekly delivery, I forgot to check the door lock and an hour later: “Mei yo mao, mao”; “sans chat!” Oooops. How am I going to explain this one to my friend who lent me her cat to keep me company? I spent the half of...[read more]Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2009 under General | 1 comment
Ever wonder what to do with the old half a loaf of French bread that has been sitting in you cupboard for the past few days/past week? Have no fear; there are lots of ways to turn that shriveled loaf into a tasty, savory, fragrant dish. My personal favorite (and a favorite of guests) is my bread salad - Think a mixture with fresh veggies mixed with an even bigger proportion of homemade, savory croutons. No tedious roughage involved. It's...[read more]
How did the seven of you first meet?
Gilbert: We all played in different bands but we'd all been in Shanghai a long time so we knew each other.Gauthier: Yeah, we all used to play in JZ a lot. We were two bands of friends who decided to join forces.
You sing in several different languages but how good is your Chinese?
Gilbert: Gauthier speaks fluently. I can speak well but I'm not fluent.Gauthier: Being a band in China, it's good...[read more]
For the Chinese many of their taboos are related to their homophonic words. For instance the number 4 (sì) is similar to the word death (sĭ) and so people don't like this number as their house number, mobile number etc. and in some buildings there's no forth floor. This is also believed in Korea and in lifts there, instead of the number 4 they use the first letter of the word instead. Similarly fā, from the word fācái which means...[read more]
1) Karaoke devotees are not to be trusted - they will inevitably get horribly drunk, alternatively vomiting and spitting the remnants of their vomit onto your face, as they babble excitedly about what they're going to sing next. Try to leave for the bathroom and get partially molested. Get to the bathroom and be confronted by either more vomiting or someone performing unspeakable acts on someone else.
2) Spicy food is delicious - I've spent years avoiding all things resembling chili...[read more]
For pizza, people normally think Italian. Why did German brand Dr. Oetker decide to expand in this direction?
In the 1970s, many Italian migrant workers came to Germany. They opened pizzerias, which became very successful. That's when Dr. Oetker decided to bring frozen pizza to people's homes. In China, Pizza has been made popular by chains, like Pizza Hut and Papa John's, as something you go out to eat at a restaurant or order to your home. However, when you have...[read more]
I recently became re-acquainted with my love for lamb after a late night visit to the blandly named Xinjiang Restaurant (新疆餐厅). It's on Dingxi Road near Kaiba (#825) - You'll know it when you get there as there are always loads of Muslim men standing outside gnawing on rounds of bread and grilling skewers of lamb.
This place is (more or less) the real deal. All the servers and cooks in the restaurant were obviously Uigher, many of them speak better...[read more]
Some superstitions are the same across the globe, for instance the Polish and English both believe a black cat crossing your path is a sign of bad luck and a shattered mirror means an unlucky seven years. Others are unique from place to place. In Poland, if after leaving the house you've forgotten something, when you go back you shouldn't just pick up the item and go, first sit down for a moment and then leave again.
A Russian explained to...[read more]
I must admit that when I was first in Shanghai, I never really used an ATM. At the age of five, the necessity of a bank account - let alone a card to access it - is minimal. I suppose The Bank of China might have been a safer storage facility than my Tin Tin-shaped piggy bank but considering I mostly filled it with jelly beans anyway, I think the coiffed Frenchman sufficed admirably.
Returning to China, having learnt to casually...[read more]