Shanghai Food & Drink Gossip: May 2017
By Betty Richardson
New Restaurants
This month we’re a little unreasonably excited over news of a new bar dedicated to milkshakes. Named The Milkshake Bar (fitting!), the place is a spin-off from Charlie’s Burger a few doors down, and is envisaged as a diner with “lots of fancy milkshakes.” See below for an idea of what to expect.
If you needed further proof that diners are indeed the Shanghai F&B concept order of the day, look no further than Palmetto, a Southern Kitchen slinging everything from chicken fried steak, deviled eggs, to cornbread and meatloaf. Chef Jason Oakley (of Coquille, Scarpetta) consulted on the menu. We snuck from the shackles of the That's office for a preemptive visit and found the below fried chicken. Finger lickin' good, as the phrase goes.
You’ve heard of Netflix and chill, but might you be inclined to grill instead? Grill & Chill is willing to bet you will once you set eyes on their Turkish doner kebabs and craft beer. But is it any good? Stay tuned for our verdict next month. They’re in the same complex as the aforementioned Palmetto, 888 Changde Lu.
A mixed bag with this nugget of gossip: a third location of popular poke-mongers Little Catch will be taking over Spread the Bagel's shop on Madang Lu. We're sad to see the latter go, but can't argue with what's going in. Little Catch 3.0 will be open from May 8, and they've also taken over the shop next to their OG Wulumuqi Lu location, which means more space and more menu items. Yum!
Veteran restaurant man Eduardo Vargas' cool new Peruvian restaurant, Colca (above), is also on the brink of being open. We also clocked a big new Cuban bar opening soon called La Bodeguita Del Medio, and an eatery that looks like it took a page out of the Bull & Claw (which by the way, is due to open pretty soon at their new location on Fenyang Lu.)
It almost slipped under our radar, but Le Rivage, a new Italian fine dining place has opened on the North end of the Bund. The work of worldly local chef Alan Yu, expect fancy fine dining, beautifully presented. But is it any good? Stay tuned for our review next month.
Last but not least, no gossip column would be complete without some mention of Found 158. In addition to being absolutely packed with people now the weather’s nice(r), the subterranean complex has also welcome Mito, a pretty new Italian place from the kids behind Xixi Bistro and Sel Bistro & Lounge. French, we’re guessing, smart casual it looks. But is the force with it? Find out in our forthcoming review...
New Bars
Back to Found 158 (again!), DEUS, a cocktail lounge bar from the guys behind Craft on Donghu Lu is open and looking very plush indeed. Looks like it could go either way here, classy like Blackstone next door, or slippery pre-gaming slope before Arkham. The choice is yours.
The DADA crew have also stepped in with a new bar at the back of the venue: RUIN. In Chinese it's 入音 ('sound') or 'ruyin' – sounds like Ruin, geddit? Unlike DADA, Ruin will be a place to "chill and talk," with a "no party music" policy. Instead, you can enjoy organic wines by the glass and the occasional art exhibition. Head next door if you're trying to party. Ruin opens May 17 (after the Nathan Fake show) with free drinks for everyone from 8-10pm.
Next, news of a forgotten jazz favorite reopening: Wooden Box. Enjoying a particularly pleasantly leafy location a few blocks West of People’s Square, you can expect a revamped bar, menu by Bites & Bottle-O and a verdant roof terrace with speakers that mean you needn’t miss out on the live action downstairs.
Also making a comeback is Hollywood, in its former Yueyang Lu spot (which was rescinded to ousted electro club Lola) no less! We fully welcome the late night club’s return as a den of debauchedness that we low key love but will be ashamed to admit we go to.
In classier news, two Michelin Star Italian restaurant Otto e Mezzo has a rolled out a new summer cocktail menu that shifts, surprisingly, into a more experimental gear. Normally ones for doing things by the book, we found ourselves liking a salted tequila and kombu (Japanese seaweed) creation the best.
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