Classic Seafood Specialties

2 Photos

by Tom Lee
on Friday, April 30, 2010 12:00 AM

Constantly reinventing and reinvigorating its food, the Whampoa Club's modern Shanghainese concept changes with its seasonal dishes. Through the varicolored glass panes slicing between circular tables, other patrons are glimpsed in a rainbow of oranges, blues, purples and reds tucking into the kitchen's latest spate of culinary ingenuity.

For those that have yet to visit this Bund spot, it's divided into two halves. One contains a series of private tea rooms - tea tastings having become a regular refinement within the Whampoa Club's repertoire. On the opposite side, a huge chandelier hanging before the entrance droops down to the ground, glinting reflected light into the surrounding translucent and transparent materials.

Refocusing on the traditional touch, they're also shifting through the roots of Shanghainese cuisine with their ‘Dazzling Classics' menu, available from May 10. These include some of the most expensive - not to mention controversial - ingredients China has to offer, like shark's fin (RMB558 per person). Appearing in a broth, the sleek fin cuts through globules of crab meat and roe. Along with plenty of salt and pepper, it is braised into a congee-like substance, which is absorbed into the fin to provide it with its flavor.

Mixing two popular pieces into one, sea cucumber and red-cooked pork belly is another item set to feature (RMB358 per person). Plump, gelatinous pieces of cucumber bristle with fleshy spikes, sliming their way across cubes of the classically prepared pork. The belly pieces are equally divided into half fat and half lean, both hungrily sucking up the soy juices to create a moist, sweet meat.

Less typical than the other two seafood specials, the spotted garoupa (RMB288 per person) is cooked to the point of falling apart, not melting but crumbling into fishy flakes. Thin slices of curled woodland mushrooms are steamed with the fish, along with chewy bamboo shoots, to complete a well-rounded balance of vegetable and protein.
Saturated with a rice wine sauce, the alcohol is pleasantly heady and contributes significantly in adding some much needed excitement to the overall essence.

Dishes at the Whampoa Club are generally fun melds of distinctively Chinese specialties. With prices at the high-end range expected for the Bund, diners are treated to a stylish décor and great HuangPu River views.

The Bottom Line: Serving up the weird and wonderful classics of China, it's a great place to take guests looking for some local flavor and excitement.