Gourmet Shanghai
Gourmet Shanghai
by Ms Q
by Ms Q
Shanghai is a fascinating city with a history and culture that is part traditional and part colonial outpost, but always authentically Chinese. Shanghai's modern history was influenced largely by the influx of foreign traders after the 1st Opium War. Once the British, followed by the Americans and the French, were granted trade concessions in the mid 1800s, the character of the city was changed forever. That coupled with an economic and building boom in the 1990's has crafted Shanghai into a vibrant Chinese metropolis with a distinct international flavour.
Due to Shanghai's varied and colourful history and recent economic explosion, new, sophisticated hotels and restaurants have opened that rival other cosmopolitan destinations. Many of the upmarket brand hotels have representation in Shanghai, but there also some home-grown favourites.
The historic Peace Hotel, formerly the Cathay Hotel, is an elegant example of Shanghai's colonial past. For an excellent view of the Bund, the 5 star Pudong Shangri La is tops. Business travellers and shopping enthusiasts alike will be extremely well-catered-for by the Portman Ritz Carlton. And a fantastic new-comer, the JW Marriott, has raised the bar with stunning views, luxurious amenities, and a fantastic location near People's Park and Xin Tiandì.
Many of Shanghai's top restaurants are located in hotels, but there are also many well-run, stand-alone restaurants, so you are no longer obliged to frequent hotel outlets only. All Chinese regional cuisines are amply represented as well as European and a wide spectrum of other Asian cuisines.
Shanghai 's iconic waterfront promenade, the Bund, has been through an amazing transformation and is the city's latest lifestyle destination. M on the Bund was one of the city's first independent, international restaurants. They have been serving up an inventive menu rooted in classic European techniques since 1999. Their modern art deco interior overlooks a stunning view of the Bund.
Three on the Bund is another fantastic addition to the waterfront renaissance. With an Armani flagship store, the only Evian spa outside of France, and numerous chic dining options, this is truly a destination for the city's glitterati. Jean Georges, that NYC-exported bastion of haute cuisine, Whampoa Club, high-end contemporary Shanghai cuisine and New Heights, which has 180 degree views of the Bund, all comprise the next level of sophisticated dining.
The ultra hip TMSK in the Xin Tiandi neighbourhood is not to be missed. Its cool, modern design featuring exquisite coloured glass and its upscale Chinese fusion cuisine recommends it to visitors and locals alike. In the same neighbourhood is the superlative T8 Restaurant and Bar. Combining Mediterranean flavours with Asian flair, this culinary and nightlife trend-setter continues to be one of the city's top tables.
In the Luwan district (French Concession), Face, offers both an Indian and a Thai restaurant along with a luxurious bar filled with opium beds and other Chinese artefacts. Also in the French Concession is the uber trendy restaurant complex Park 97 where the city's chic go to see be seen.
In the newly-created financial district of Pudong, Jade on 36 at the Shangri La Hotel is well worth crossing the river for. Designed by the renowned restaurant designer Adam Tihany, it is a harmonious marriage of innovative cuisine, dramatic design and awesome views. Downstairs in the same building is the elegant restaurant Nadaman serving exquisite, contemporary Japanese cuisine.
If dining in a beautifully restored colonial mansion filled with antique objects from a bygone era is your dream, La Villa Rouge, located on the edge of Xújiahuì Park should be your first stop. Expect upscale French fusion cuisine served up by classically-trained Japanese chefs.
Shanghai is definitely a city that stays up late, so after dinner head for one its numerous fashionable nightspots. Babyface is filled every night with designer-clad locals and fashionable foreigners queuing up to dance to bass-heavy beats - from house music to trance. The industrial-chic Fabrique attracts young lovelies who can't wait to shake their groove thang on its spacious dance floor.
If jazz is more to your taste, don't miss the stylish JZ Club. The simple, dark panelled-wood with red drapes décor and unobtrusive service keep the focus on the music-from Latin jazz to funk to traditional sounds. International artists are usually on offer and late-night jam sessions keep the joint jumpin.
Adding high diversity into the mix of Shanghai nightlife is Ice Bar. The 30 square-metre bar is built entirely of ice including the stools and the glasses. The temperature is kept at a chilly -11° C and customers are provided giant Eskimo-style silver parkas and black leather gloves upon arrival. Outside is a spacious, warm restaurant and bar serving Scandinavian-style cuisine.
Shanghai's culinary admirers and night-time tastemakers and trendsetters never had it so good.
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