/ Reviews / Southeast Asian
Bloody Marys, Paper Rolls ‘N' More
by Jaki Faulkner
on Friday, January 15, 2010 12:00 AM
Simon Lee mixes a very special cocktail; his Bloody Mary is a mix of different herbs and vegetables, which makes it complex but not too strong, and avoids the usual spicy nonsense you get with many of the more traditional attempts at the ultimate hangover kick. He keeps the ingredients secret but the passion with which he describes it mirrors the attention to detail he applies to the rest of the dining experience at N'More.
Following a successful run of restaurants spanning a decade, Hong Kong-born Lee came to Shanghai just three months ago to open N'More. Housed in a former private members' club, the 1940s villa has been renovated into a cozy, warmly designed restaurant, combining Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisine.
Their spicy Tom Yum Seafood soup (RMB42) comes with fresh ingredients. Supplementary stock is kept warm in a teapot to top-up the bowl while avoiding over-saturation of the constituents. Treat yourself to the Vietnamese-style rice-paper rolls, which are fresh and come with a spicy chili sauce. The lightly seared Peppered Tuna and Pomelo Salad (RMB55) is a great mix, either as an entrée or to share. Other tasty dishes include the king prawn (RMB118), cooked on a charcoal grill in a red curry sauce, and the Beef Green Curry (RMB63) with a perfectly steamed portion of jasmine rice.
Simon is as passionate about his wine as he is about his food. Trained under a wine master from the UK whilst working in Hong Kong, he happily takes you through the best wine accompaniment for your meal. A bottle of Quartilho Ribatejo DOC 2006 - a Portuguese red that is mildly spiced and light - is an affordable RMB355.
N'More aims to brand itself as a restaurant that offers more, with a detail-oriented service. At present, the menu is a compact list of core dishes but this is all set to change once the restaurant grows a following, using the feedback from customers to craft the entire dining experience.
The Bottom Line: Delicious Southeast Asian cuisine in a cozy ambience, with attentive service, fine wines and killer cocktails.
