Our Favorite Tantalizing Autumnal Treats This Month
After a long humid summer and tropical vacation getaways during Golden Week, we are finally ready to put our swimsuits to rest, break out the baggier fall attire and nestle up with some comfort food. This month we really got our fill of dairy with a variety of cheese, went to town on the sweets - especially the waffles - and slurped some Tokyo-quality ramen. All in all, another month full of foodie favorites that make us all the more happy to live in the international hub of Shanghai.
Hot Stuff Stuffed Pumpkin at TRIBE
TRIBE is a brilliant organic café and restaurant that's been serving up some tasty and healthy food in both Beijing and Shanghai for a while now, allowing you to sink your teeth into everything from salads and wraps to grain bowls and noodles. With their glossary of goodness adorning every menu, you can be sure that what you’re indulging in is good for you too. Following a mantra of “organic creativity”, TRIBE sources all of their ingredients from organic suppliers and change their menu every season to get the best out of the seasonal produce available.
With their new Autumn/Winter menu, they’ve got some wonderful additions of autumnal goodness for breakfast, salads, grain bowls, entrees and desserts, but our new favorite from the new menu has to be the Hot Stuff Stuffed Pumpkin. For RMB 88 you’re presented with an incredible looking whole (!) pumpkin that’s stuffed to the brim with roasted cauliflower, couscous, peas, roasted pumpkin, corn and Hunan ham for an extra salty kick on the palate. Loaded with vitamins and high in fiber, this is a beautiful autumnal treat – just be sure to scrape down the sides of the pumpkin too!
Address: A Mansion Building, 103B, 291 Fumin Lu
Tel: 021 6093 2982
Hours: Daily, 11am-8pm
Fresh Burrata at Alimentari
Alimentari is a key destination for cheese, antipasti, and meat-lovers alike, so it’s no surprise that one of the best things I ate there this month was pure cheese perfection in the form of a little pillow of fresh burrata. This seemingly simple plate actually opened a wormhole that pulled me in, defying the entire space-time continuum, and plopped me down into a small café located in the heart of Apulia, Italy. Creamy and luscious, this burrata is truly on a whole different playing field.
Pro tip: The caper berries provide an excellent crunchy texture contrast to pair with the velvety burrata. While you’re at it, order up any and all varieties of the stuffed olives, oil-preserved anchovies, and pickled pearl onions for that briny kick of saltiness.
Address: 343 Jiaozhou Lu
Tel: 021 6256 5005
Hours: Sunday to Saturday, 10am-12am
Fourme d’Ambert at Blackbird
More cheese? It’s been a dairy-filled month for me, but as the imported cheese game has really stepped it up these past few months, this American Midwest dairy loving gal is one happy camper. While the appetizers and bar snacks are more commonly ordered by Blackbird patrons, it would be a shame to skip the cheese course, usually paired with the full menu or dessert. A standout bite for me was the Fourme d’Amber, a cheese sandwich of sorts with pungent, semi-hard blue cheese nestled between two fluffy pieces of brioche bun and cured mountain ham (RMB 45 each or RMB 110 for all three cheese courses). The cheese on its own is rich, but when served with all of the other ingredients, it’s pure unadulterated decadence.
For an after-dinner aperitif to go with your cheese course, the Freud Lies (RMB 128) is a sultry, blend of gooseberry infused bourbon, elderflower liqueur, pear brandy and pear liqueur. Yes, you read that correctly, it’s booze mixed with more booze, yet it goes down so easily, you’d never know and we’ll never tell.
Tel: 187 0199 0479
Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 11am-1am; Friday to Saturday, 11am-2am
The Black King Ramen at Butao Ramen
Photo credit: Dianping user 流浪的喵喵小姐
Within the first sip of Butao’s unctuous broth, I knew it rivaled some of the best, even when compared to the ramen Mecca that is Tokyo. The thick, pork-bone based broth is packed with so much flavor, it’s hard to even comprehend it all. I went a bit rouge and ordered the Black King Ramen (RMB 72), and it was probably the best decision of my life. Filled with the aroma of roasted garlic, the saltiness of squid ink, and the subtle sweetness from the minced pork, my mind went as black as the color of the broth, and before I knew it, the bowl was empty.
At Butao, patrons can customize every aspect of their ramen; from the richness of the broth to the spiciness of the seasoning, the thickness of the noodles to the fattiness of the pork cut, every detail can be tailored to the consumer’s liking. Without a doubt, the add-on of the Marinated Japanese Egg (RMB 13) is a must. It is hands-down the most expertly cooked egg with an oozing creamy yolk that screams #yolkporn the second you cut into it.
Address: Room L112, 1/F, 66 Tongren Lu
Hours: Sunday to Saturday, 11am-9pm
Grilled Mackerel at Commune Social
While many shy away from mackerel because of its reputation as a “fishy tasting” fish, when cooked properly, it’s actually more delicate than other popular high omega-3 fatty acid counterparts, like salmon. The fish is buttery and soft on one side and perfectly crispy with a salt crust on the other.
Paired with a pickled brocollini, shaved asparagus, and sea grape seaweed atop a fluffy, bread pudding-esque broccoli quiche along with a broccoli couscous and dill lime cream, the dish contains a litany of textures and flavor profiles that we would never think to put together, yet they marry together like Romeo and Juliet.
Address: 511 Jiangning Lu
Tel: 021 6047 7638
Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12pm-2:30pm, 6-10pm; Saturday, 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-10pm; Sunday, 11:30am-2:30pm
Sea Urchin and Sake at Le Coq Wine Bistro
You may be familiar with the Le Coq restaurant family. There are two different locations in Shanghai each with a different focus meat and oysters, each in a different location. Well they have now been joined by a third, Le Coq Win & Bistro. They specialize in high quality imported food and wines from all over Europe and other wine producing regions.
One of our fave dishes this month (and one I can't stop talking about) is their sea urchin with caviar and Sake. This dish is as close to perfect as anything I have ever eaten, the urchin has a creamy richness that is perfectly blanced by the salty popping caviar. A raw prawn at the bottom of the urchin adds to the diverse range of texture in this dish. Paired with a sip of sake this to finish off. This dish is complex with it's simplicity and allows the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine
Address: L122 Zhonghai International Huanyucui Plaza, No. 838, Huangpinan Lu
Tel: 021-63866828
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12pm-2am
Strawberry Overload Waffle at Liquid Laundry
Photo credit: Dianping user baiyun551
Apparently I’m on a waffle kick this month, and there’s no better place to get my fix than Liquid Laundry. Fluffy and light like a beignet, these Belgian waffles really belong on a dessert menu rather than a breakfast one. The crisp exterior is topped with a perfectly shaped quenelle of homemade vanilla whipped cream, fresh strawberries and a bright strawberry coulis that is anything but that sticky, sugary mess that tops most diner-style waffles across the Southern United States.
I know this breakfast falls under the “sharing is caring” section of the brunch menu, but within the first bite, the power of my taste buds triumphed over my humanity, and I fought off the rest of my fellow diners with knives and forks until I’d consumed every last crumb. Sorry not sorry.
Address: 2/F, 1028 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Donghu Lu
Tel: 021 6445 9589
Hours: Monday to Friday, 2-4:30pm