/ Reviews / Fusion
New Faces and Flavors at Mesa Manifesto
by Stephanie Sherrill
on Friday, August 07, 2009 12:00 AM
Mesa Manifesto has been recruiting some of the city's top F&B talent and refreshing its seasonal menu to make this Shanghai stalwart an even more attractive spot for summertime drinking and dining. The new restaurant manager Benedict Porter comes from M on the Bund while cute new bar manager, Adam Devermann, brings his expert mixology and showmanship down the road from Velvet Lounge.
Mesa's contemporary candlelit dining room, adorned with cast-iron fixtures, wooden floors, a spiral staircase and open kitchen, is well suited to a formal business meal while also being intimate enough for a romantic dinner a deux.
The summer menu features Mesa's classic dishes along with a wide variety of seasonally inspired creations. For starters, try the light and piquant salad of grilled calamari, seared scallops, tart oranges, fennel, cucumber, rucola and sprouts (RMB82) or the hot crispy pigeon and confit chicken against a backdrop of sweet apple cherry chutney and peppery greens (RMB72).
Two of Mesa's additions to their mains include Veal Medallions (RMB182) and Oven-Roasted Sea Bass (RMB158). The perfectly cooked-to-order veal came with a summer salad of peas, artichokes and rucola. The sea bass was served with a creamy risotto flecked with goat's cheese and dressed with beetroot and pink grapefruit juices. From the updated wine menu, Devermann suggested a crisp bottle of Chablis (RMB115) to complement the sea bass and also balance the gamey flavors of the veal.
For a sweet finish, the delicate, whisper-thin Pineapple Carpaccio (RMB48) was served atop a rich, moist pear and olive oil sponge cake and topped with white chocolate tuile. The Jack Daniels and Raisin Ice Cream - which tasted rather like a grown-up root beer float - came in a waffle cone with a spoon for sharing. After your meal, climb the spiral staircase to the upstairs bar Manifesto, which remains a constant gem and summertime favorite.
The Bottom Line: Mesa's new summer menu and new faces are just a few reasons to return to this popular dining spot. A trip to Mesa isn't complete without a trip up the spiral staircase to Manifesto for drinks before or after the main event.
