I was walking down Urumuqi Rd to check out whether the new Village complex is open and also found La Creperie, which is at the end of Dong Ping Rd/TaoJiang Rd near YueYang Rd. It's still in soft opening so they put up a sign to say they don't accept credit card and also don't give fapiao yet. This is a lot more decent than some of the existing restaurants who always tell you they're out of fapiao. There was a wine tasting instructor there teaching the staff on how to appreciate the Rosé wine.
The interior was of Brittany style with wooden panels and flooring, with high chairs and tables. I keep wondering what the small bowls on the tables are for, cuz they take them away when you're seated... the crepe menu is pretty extensive but the pricing is definitely not cheap. The afternoon tea set is $45RMB for a crepe and a cup of coffee or tea (I was told that you get the coffee/tea for free and pay just the crepe's menu price but apparently there was some mix-up). I order the stewed apple and caramel sweet crepe ($38RMB). The crepe came promptly, with a big serving of the caramelized apple. The taste is pretty good except maybe a slightly stronger alcohol taste. I think the serving would look a lot prettier and more complete with some garnishes, like fresh fruits or whip cream.
With the expensive rent around the HengShan Rd area, I can understand why the pricing is such. So the thinking should be how to make your customers feel like money well spent by packing more into the dishes? I was reading the crepe recipe books in the shop and realized that you can make crepes ahead of times and store in the frig for up to 3 days. Hmm... I think I'll try that at home now that I got some good tips on making them...
Mixed in among the trendy shops on XinLe Rd closer to DongHu Rd across from the Source, this 5-table dive serves some very tasty Chinese comfort food straight from the tiny kitchen behind. You can get sweet 'n sour pork, kungpao chicken that almost taste like those in the States, as well as tofu, claypotss/stews, and veggies of the day. The meal is completed w/ a bottle of chilled QingDao beer. The prices have gone a bit and I noticed they actually got an English menu now. You also take away the rice plates, which are as low as $8RMB.
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I took my houseguest to Whisk today for lunch. Didn't find the place in my Enjoy coupon book but decided to pay it a visit since it's been a while. We ordered some chicken arrabiata and pesto penne pastas, as well as an Italian chop salad with honey mustard dressing. Also got the Dark Granita chocolate smoothie, which is made of dark truffle. The servings were huge, enough to be shared between 2-3 people. Both the presentation and taste of the food were much better than some of the disappointing and overpriced places we went to recently. The paninis could use some more authentic bread but their panacottas and volcano cakes are heavenly. Espresson drinks are reasonably priced, and you must try their mocha --- it's perfectly laced with caramel --- yum!
I'm beginning to think it might be better for restaurants/cafes to NOT be listed in Enjoy; they might be cheaper and taste better...
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Nestled on the short stretch of JinXian Rd near Shaanxi Rd, this low-key, classy cafe is a haven from the bustling streets of Shanghai. During the day, you can spend hours sipping on your coffee while surfing the net for free. At night, enjoy a candlelight lounge scene over some yummy martinis, romantic jazz music, and beautifully arranged flowers. They do a decent job on appetizers and light fares. I like their quesadillas, chicken wings, pastas and sandwiches. The fries are very good too. They also serve a nice but limited brunch menu on the weekends. If you're looking for a place to relax, this is it.
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If you want quality sashimi and sushi, this Japanese seafood trading company owned restaurant has the best toro in Shanghai. You forget what good fish is supposed to taste like after eating at those buffet style Japanese places. The original location on HuaShan Rd is tucked away in a service apartment hotel building on the 2nd floor, but you should go here instead of their newer locations because the food seems to be more authentic. At $250RMB/set menu includes 3 kinds of otoro, chutoro, and marinated toro sashimi, chirashi, and a hotpot with crabs, veggies, tofu, etc. it finishes with an ice cream as dessert. I'm not a big fan of crabs so it's really the toro that does it for me.
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This new little cafe/restaurant is located on on AnFu Rd near the Center office building. It looks like a vintage home decor shop from the outside. The owner, a Shanghainese girl, has created a funky but homey space with her collection of vintage furnitures, complete with an antique barber chair and a birdcage with live chirping birds. What's really impressive is that the set lunch menu changes DAILY. There are both Chinese and Western set menus in the $25RMB range. It comes with a soup, 2 main dishes of your choice (they come in petite bowls), as well as a icy dessert of some sort. It's a relaxing place to have lunch or take a break from the office.
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This is their 2nd cafe on Changshu Rd., not the original Wukang Rd location, and it's in a much bigger 3-story glass building. In my opinion, it's MUCH nicer than the original one, although it's not much of bar/night lounge as the original one seemed to have been. I was really happy when it opened, because it's close to where I live, and has by far the best brunch deal around. Free wifi internet is also available, along with all the free English magazines such as SH, City Weekend, Shanghai Talk, and That's Shanghai, etc. Ranging from $80-90RMB, you can choose between Italian (my favorite with salmon filet, salami, prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella), Scandinavian, American, Mexican, and coffee (espresso drinks included) or tea is included. The price is a bit on the high side, but with ingredients they put in there, it's a far better value than some of the other places I've been to. The burger is pretty good too, while the other selections are more standard fares. A nice French manager who was working there gave us free refills on espresso drinks but he's gone now... It's interesting to see that these western restaurants start off using Filipino waiters but later switch to local staff --- to save some money?
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Cafe serving yummy sandwiches, steaks and other creative dishes..
This cafe used to be on ChangShu Rd hidden in a cute courtyard. I guess it was too hidden so it was shut down and moved to the current location on Julu Rd near Fumin Rd. Embre joins a group of chichi restaurants-hidden-in-old-houses on this stretch of Julu Lu, including Velvet Lounge/Casanova, People 7, Shintori, Nepali Kitchen, etc. The new place is in a 3-story non-descript building, with minimal deco and no trees. There's a small garden out front, although it's a bit close to the sidewalk so not very private. The wait staff doesn't appear to be carry-over from the old place and doesn't seem to know about the old place. The menu is the same as that at the old location, which has a similar look as those of a Future Perfect and Arch. I usually get the sandwich set (~$60-70RMB), which comes with a soup and a nicely dressed salad on the plate. My favorite is the caviar with eggs on Italian bread. The bread is done less crunchy than at the old place (hmm, I just really miss the old place...) The breakfast can be order a la carte, but I find the pricing to be on the high side if you starting adding everything you want up. The meat and fish entres are done with an interesting tangy twist in the sauces; prices are reasonable for the taste and portion you're getting. The juices are way overpriced --- they should consider giving drink discounts to people who are ordering meals.
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French cafe that serves crepe in Shanghai...
This location on the corner Urumuqi Rd and ChangLe Rd just opened in July. I used to go to their XiangYang Market location until the Market was shut down June last year. This old cafe was more "frenchy", crowded tables, full of smoking foreign tourists, and served crepes from the crepe station. This new one as well as their two other branches in HongQiao and north JingAn's TongLe Fang (Haifang Rd), are more like full-range restaurants than casual cafes. I'd say that with the spanking new furnitures and decor, the casual romantic French feel is lost somewhat. Also, they need to beef up on the waitstaff and turn that thermometer way down! The Mon-Fri business lunch for $55RMB was a pretty good deal. You have a choice of pastas, sandwiches, or quiche to go with a soda or coffee/tea. They also write their daily specials on a chalkboard and bring it to your table. Brunches are $125RMB. At the moment, they have not set up the crepe station, so there's only one kind of sweet crepe you can order. I'm looking forward to being able to order savory crepes again soon. I will also check out another crepe shop, La Creperie, which is not far down on near DongPing Rd. Why aren't there just little take-out shops that sell crepes on the cheap?? No need for fancy deco...
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