I recently ran into a small dining problem. A girl, who I didn't know, got in touch through a friend. "I've just arrived in Shanghai and I love it," she perkily exclaimed. "Johnny Do-Good said you were here also. I'd ...[read full review]
Where did the restaurant's unusual name come from?From a conversation with my friends. We were discussing how to name this Japanese restaurant and a friend, who is Shanghainese, said: "Don't dao jiang hu with me" [similar to the English idiom ...[read full review]
Schlepping out to the PuDong New Area Library, I took the metro (of course) - and I'm glad I brought my iPod, as it took about 30 minutes on line 7 to get to JinXiu Road from the city center. ...[read full review]
Your first Southern Barbarian is now a well-known, popular restaurant for Yunnan cuisine. How does your new project differ from the original?
I think we grew up. The first Southern Barbarian was just small, like a baby, and now it's grown ...[read full review]
Does anyone else wonder why so much time and money was spent on making the JingAn Temple steeple taller and shinier than it already was? Whatever the reason, the builders have accomplished at least this much, and now that the ...[read full review]
With the green line extension, Shanghai's jetsetters rejoiced at having a direct metro route to the PuDong Airport that cost less than a Maglev or taxi ride, though in hindsight it was all just a little premature. If you are ...[read full review]
The world around metro stop DaShiJie on line 8 is full of little societal contradictions. The area in the vicinity of Times Square is probably one of the most traffic-compliant areas I have ever been in. No one dares cross ...[read full review]
There are two consecutive stops on line 4 that have always been baffling to me. The poorly named Shanghai TiYuGuan and Shanghai TiYuChang. In English, this means a stop for the Shanghai Stadium and the Shanghai Indoor Stadium. What is ...[read full review]
The location is great, but of course there is a lot of competition in Shanghai for business. Have you found it difficult to carve a niche in the market?
It is very hard to run a restaurant. It is difficult to ...[read full review]
Ah, university. When pennies are tight and coffee shops are homework havens. Every time I alight from the line 12 Shanghai Jiao Tong University Station on HuaShan Road, I think about all the possibilities. So many young minds, so many ...[read full review]
The Expo has over 128 restaurants. Figuring out where to eat in the massive grounds is still a bit of a mission. Last week, I talked about eating on the fly. Why sit down and have a nice meal when ...[read full review]
Now I know that it's been beaten into us ad nauseum - and the creepy little toothpaste man has followed Shanghai citizens relentlessly - but the sheer amount of time devoted to TV advertisements, construction and discussion means I absolutely ...[read full review]
It's easy to give in to that very human comfort of habit. For me, I think I know this city simply because I have my patterns down. I remember by heart the stops from lines one to four and feel ...[read full review]
You advertise yourself as a wood grill and wine bar, but your menu is much more complicated; what is the concept behind the restaurant?
My original concept for this place was a Mediterranean wood grill, but then we got our ...[read full review]
Out of all the cuisines you could have chosen, why Belgian?
It's very rare to find Belgian food in China. I think it's a great cuisine to attract both Westerners and Chinese. For instance, mussels really seem to appeal to the ...[read full review]
The new line 10, which has transfer stations at NanJing East Road and HongQiao Road, also has a stop dedicated entirely to XinTianDi. Where previously the walk was a full 10 minutes from HuangPi South Road Station on line one, ...[read full review]
I have to admit, I seldom frequent the HongQiao side of town. Living in PuXi has made me relatively comfortable with the dense helter-skelter of the city center, where everything from a restaurant to an ear cleaning specialist is a ...[read full review]
With all of the rain, I have completely lost hope that I'll ever go three complete days without getting stuck with cold, wet feet. This meteorological unpleasantness has not only given me utter disdain for outdoor activities, including - but ...[read full review]
When 1933 opened up last year, it was promoted with great fanfare. The former abattoir complex, a decidedly breathtaking architectural feat, was touted the up-and-coming hot spot to see and be seen; a space to nurture creative arts. It was ...[read full review]
What do you think about vegetarian culture in Shanghai, a lifestyle or just popular?
I think it is both. Now people eat too much meat in daily life and their diet is not healthy. At my restaurant, there are more than ...[read full review]
At the point where lines 2, 3 and 4 meet is the clamorous ZhongShan Park, where one misjudged turn leaves you on the wrong side of the road gazing forlornly across an eight-lane highway. While it's easy to grab a ...[read full review]
Who says the weather will never get better? Last week, Shanghai got a glimpse of sun; a fresh breath of air and a peek of pink tulip and cherry trees. After living like moles beneath layers of clothing for months, ...[read full review]
How did you come to be a chef opening restaurants in Shanghai?
I started out in a very small village in Greece, and I really wanted to get out of there. So I took on an apprenticeship as an electrician ...[read full review]
With the coming of the World Expo, Shanghai is suffering from construction compulsion. Everything is being torn down, built up, and prettied for the impending May deadline. Traffic is clogged worse than an American's arteries. However, I am ecstatic at ...[read full review]
My days of "enjoying Shanghai" are quickly evaporating. Before relinquishing this column to the next foodie willing to indulge to the max in food and wine, I must pass along two important numbers: "Mean John" at Eternity Fitness' Bootcamp (6215-1519) ...[read full review]
Fried dumplings (生煎) are a must have in Shanghai. Actually not dumplings (饺◊") but little baozi, these bundles of happiness are crispy on the bottom, sprinkled with sesame seeds on top and hot as hell in the middle! Yes, fried ...[read full review]
One night around 6:30pm, I was riding home and got hit suddenly by a wave of absolutely distracting hunger pangs. It was too late to grab a baozi. I had a dinner date at 8 so it was too early ...[read full review]
I'm not sure what's going on but I like it. The buzz surrounding the plethora of restaurants opening around the Lunar New Year is deafening. I feel like Pavlov's dog, salivating in anticipation. Who has me most excited? Basically, it's ...[read full review]
Why did you decide to make the huge jump from frozen food production to a three-story restaurant?
Oscar: I feel at home with people. Frozen food is a good business but you never meet the people. But here, they are a ...[read full review]
With the day of love coming up, romantics and chocoholics alike find their thoughts turning to silky and beguiling cacao temptations. Under normal circumstances, a simple bar of Dove chocolate from the local mart might suffice. However, satisfying the more ...[read full review]
