In January 2010, the culinary standards for all of Asia were elevated to another level when Chef Umberto Bombana amazed Hong Kong’s upper class by opening his now world-famous restaurant, 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA. As the only Italian ...[ read full review ]
Tiramisu Unexpectedly Authentic
Located along Xuanhua Lu, in an area particularly devoid of other Western restaurants, Tiramisu could easily be dismissed as another weak local attempt at providing ‘authentic’ Italian food. After closer inspection however, one will be pleasantly surprised to learn that ...[ read full review ]
Obelisco Raising the Steaks
Brazilian Steakhouses have become a symbol of indulgence; a place where diners can expect to be served endless quantities of various skewered meat doused in a flavorful collage of sauces and spices until they can barely move. Fewer people, however, ...[ read full review ]
It is that time of year where heaters and electric blankets are turned up to 11. The Sherpas website looks extremely convenient compared to trudging outside to eat in the dreary Shanghai weather. In case the occasion calls for a ...[ read full review ]
It is an open secret that the Shanghai dining scene thrives on mediocrity. For every Tavola that opens up, it seems like 5 ho-hum Italian restaurants tend to lurk behind. Whenever a dining trend arises (Pho, Tapas, etc.), the city ...[ read full review ]
Whether you like them or not, hamburgers have become synonymous with Western comfort food throughout much of the world. Restaurateurs in Shanghai know this and as a result have opened plenty of burger joints around the city hoping to make ...[ read full review ]
The tradition of a weekend dim sum feast amongst family and friends is a time-honored ritual cherished amongst Chinese people, especially those with Cantonese roots. Akin to a Western Sunday brunch, it is a welcomed opportunity to share both good ...[ read full review ]
Pelham's If it Ain't Broke...
If it aint broke, don’t fix it. Or so the phrase goes. Yet sometimes, even something that appears safe needs to be revamped in order to survive in an overcrowded market. There was nothing wrong with the old Pelham’s, ...[ read full review ]
Char CHAR Private
Located on the tops floors of Hotel Indigo and featuring world-class steaks and spectacular views of the Bund, the Huangpu River, and Pudong skyline, CHAR restaurant and bar has become a well known destination for anyone looking for a high-end ...[ read full review ]
While working and living in Shanghai, the accelerated lifestyle is a given. The workweek consists of constant movement from point A to point B while juggling a myriad of deadlines. Given the hustle and bustle within Shanghai, it can ...[ read full review ]
Pasha has been around for a while, and seems to have lost its touch recently. What made you want to come in and renovate it?
It was great when they opened it, close to Turkish standards. After that they lost their ...[ read full review ]
Rico Rico A Nuevo Latino Experience
The combination of damp cold weather and no central heating leaves most people in Shanghai struggling to stay comfortable in the winter. Luckily, the newly opened restaurant Rico Rico on the south bund hopes to pack enough hot Latin flavor ...[ read full review ]
A month and a half ago, a run-of the-mill mid-market Cantonese restaurant on Yanping Lu quietly turned off their lights and took their sign off the hook. Within a few days, a massive banner was wallpapered across the old ...[ read full review ]
You’ve been here for a while. What do you think are some of the biggest changes in the F&B industry in Shanghai?
If you went back in time, you would realize that when I first came, there were so few concepts ...[ read full review ]
Having been around for 9 years and with two locations in the Jing’An and HongQiao districts of Shanghai, Tima Harbour Café has become a popular Italian eateries among locals. Owner John Wang has always had passion for Italian cuisine and ...[ read full review ]
The recent development of foreign venues along Yanping Rd has gifted residents of the area some popular new spots, including Italian wine bar DVino and vegetarian favorite Kush; the later of which is directly adjacent to Sushi Abuse, the focus ...[ read full review ]
Gastronomy, which is the intelligent knowledge of nourishment, extends across a wide variety of academic fields that you are likely familiar with: natural history, physics, chemistry, cookery, business and, surprisingly, psychology.
Keeping the psychological aspect in mind, your brain tends to ...[ read full review ]
So tell me a little bit about PiRO. You took it over, you turned it around. Before you came in charge, what was the restaurant like?
They also made American food, but it was really bad. Honestly it was bad food, ...[ read full review ]
DOZO East Meets West
Much as Hong Kong was in the last century, Shanghai has recently become a new epicenter for Eastern and Western cultures to combine and form entirely unique creations. One of these creations is DOZO, a new Japanese fusion restaurant that ...[ read full review ]
Bocado Iberian Tradition
Fresh off the heels of the successful and recently closed Mesa/Manifesto, owner Charles Cabell has been a busy man. Having had a hand in running a variety of different cuisines in his previous projects, the Brazilian restaurateur this time ...[ read full review ]
Over the past year and a half, YongKang Rd in the former French Concession has slowly transformed from a sleepy vegetable market into a bustling creative hub. Enough high-quality F&B establishments have set up shop to alter the identity ...[ read full review ]
Could you tell us a little bit about why Duvel has been so successful in the last couple of years in Shanghai?
We have a really great team of guys, and the success has come from a group effort, hitting the ...[ read full review ]
With life in Shanghai moving at such as wild and frenetic pace, it sometimes seems impossible to avoid getting overly stressed out during the workweek. The Little Weekend Parties, hosted every Wednesday night at Chai Bites Lounge, provide the perfect ...[ read full review ]
On the corner of Xiangyang Bei Rd and Julu Rd in the French Concession, recently opened restaurant Brasserie La Fourchette hopes to provide an authentic yet accessible culinary experience that will appeal to expat and Chinese patrons alike. The restaurant ...[ read full review ]
Odds are rarely on my side when entering contests. Yet, this weekend, I lucked out and scored two seats at the private dining restaurant 12 Chairs, run by David Laris. The contest specifics involved online comments on actions you would ...[ read full review ]
Collective Concepts, the company responsible for both The Apartment and The Food Central, have kept themselves quite busy lately. Fresh off the heels of their previous venture, the recently opened Geisha is their latest project. Stepping into The Geisha's 3 ...[ read full review ]
Is Shanghai really so enamored with Italian cuisine that it justifies the veritable wealth of Italian options? Or is it that Italian food's relative accessibility makes it a preferable choice over the more distinct intricacies of other Western cuisines? The ...[ read full review ]
During my stateside travels last week I happened to sit in a chat with one of my restaurateur idols, El Bulli founder Ferran Adria. Over the course of an hour, one idea he reiterated was that the food is only ...[ read full review ]
Vienna Restaurant
Steak, seen as many as a more ‘accessible' option for the local market, has seen quite the resurgence lately. Steak houses, ranging wildly in quality, have appeared across Shanghai; many of them with dubious names identifying their main dishes, ...[ read full review ]
The first noticeable thing when walking through Bella Mia's arched doorway is the atmosphere. Nestled inside the space that used to house Bravo 10, the new ownership smartly kept the elegant patio, fully equipped with Greco-Roman columns, candle-lit chandeliers, mosaic-tiled ...[ read full review ]
