The 14 Best New Restaurants of 2017... So Far
By Betty Richardson
Here's a roundup of the best-rated restaurants, casual eateries and cafés we've reviewed this year...so far. Where you see 'book a table here' written you can – you guessed it – make a free real-time reservation with a our awesome new booking partner Baomi. Bon appétit...
Restaurants
Homeslice
One of the first restaurants to open in subterranean bar and restaurant spot Found 158,
British restaurateur and chef Nat Alexander (also of the Yangjingbang
pop-up series) raised the bar for pizza by the slice when he opened this
fun New York subway-inspired spot.
Catering cheesy carbs to
tipsy expats isn't exactly a hard sell, but what makes Homeslice special
are robust and flavorsome 48-hour aged sourdough bases, and quality
toppings like housemade fennel sausage, fresh ricotta, mozzarella and
many more. Best of all was when they started doing delivery via Sherpas.
Standout Dish: white pizza with artichoke, sausage, gremolata and Parmesan cream (above).
Homeslice, 158 Julu Lu, by Ruijin Yi Lu 巨鹿路158号，近瑞金一路
Okaeri
Atmospheric
Okaeri is a quality addition to the Jiashan Market area, serving
contemporary, feel-good flavors of Taiwan in a buzzy izakaya-like
setting, where drinking whisky highballs and shochu is of parallel importance to eating.
Particular
favorites include the deep-fried oysters, fried chicken with calamansi
and scallions, sake-steamed clams, and the signature braised 'lo mei'
platter. The only downside? the menu is in handwritten in cursive Taiwan
Mandarin with a Sharpie pen on brown paper – bring a Chinese-reading
pal!
Standout Dish: deep-fried oysters with Thai basil (above)
Okaeri, No. B103, Jiashan Market, 259 Jiashan Lu, by Jianguo Xi Lu 嘉善路259弄，嘉善老市内B103，近建国西路
Hooked
One
of the strongest restaurant openings within Found 158 (so far), Hooked
is The Camel Group's love letter to three of their favorite things:
craft beer, craft beer and craft beer. Just kidding – Hooked's other
specialties include proper battered fish and chips with mushy peas, poke
bowls and retro Brit dessert classic: deep-fried Mars Bar with vanilla
ice cream.
Standout Dish: Panko battered cod with chips and mushy peas (above)
Hooked, LG-5137, 158 Julu Lu, by Ruijin Yi Lu 巨鹿路158号5137，近瑞金一路
Book a table by pressing the QR below:
Palmetto
Southern
food done right – Palmetto charmed us with its affordable and delicious
homey dishes, notably the chicken fried steak, cornbread with sorghum
butter, hushpuppies and free-flow sweet tea. Outside, this relaxed and
cheerful spot benefits from a patio terrace, and hosts the Shanghai
Comedy Club open mic every Tuesday and Sunday.
Standout Dish: buttermilk fried chicken with pickles (above)
Palmetto, Bldg A3-1, 800 Changde Lu, by Changping Lu 常德路800号秦公馆1楼A3-1号, 近昌平路
Book a table by pressing the QR below:
Sober Kitchen (Sober Company)
Following the success of Speak Low,
Japanese mixology maestro Shingo Gokan achieved legendary status with
the opening of Sober Company, a triple threat café, cocktail bar and
kitchen concept. On the first floor, guests sip aperitivo and nibble on
casual brunch plates and desserts; venture up a floor and find a
bustling kitchen and bar that takes style notes from New York's China
town.
Sober Company was also named on the 2017 edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars, a remarkable feat for a venue just months old.
Standout Dish: foie gras mapo tofu; Ka's fried chicken
Sober Company, 99 Yangdang Lu, by Nanchang Lu 雁荡路99号, 近南昌路
Dodu
Fancy
French rotisserie has been something of a recurring theme with this
year's new openings, and Dodu, a pint-sized operation on Changshu Lu,
has led the charge thanks to their juicy 'Label Rouge' specification
chickens bred specially in Taiwan. See also the tasty housemade pâté and
creamy dessert pots.
Standout Dish: roasted chicken with cauliflower cheese gratinée and pesto green beans.
Dodu, 81 Changshu Lu, by Changle Lu 常熟路81号，近长乐路
Book a table by pressing the QR below:
The Chop Chop Club
Paul
Pairet continued his reign as monarch of the Bund with this
sophisticated grill concept inside Three on the Bund. Inspired by his
childhood 'race to the dinner table,' guests must bid for their choice
of either a single or whole portion of Chop Chop's large format dishes,
like côte de boeuf and Dover sole. We also loved their 50 percent of
booze before 7.30pm mandate; who can say no to an RMB150 bottle of wine
on the Bund?
Standout Dish: grilled octopus with lemon and aoli (above); chargrilled chicken 'Americain'
The Chop Chop Club, 2/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, by Guangdong Lu 中山东一路外滩3号2楼, 近广东路
Bombay Bistro
This
sleek Indian restaurant impressed us with their high quality curries,
naan breads and delicious charred tandoori grilled meat and seafood.
With chic interiors and a bar churning out decent cocktails, Bombay
Bistro shows a more refined side to Indian dining suitable for
impressing guests, without sacrificing traditional flavors and
techniques.
Standout Dish: tandoori masala prawns (above)
Bombay Bistro, 2/F, 47 Yongfu Lu, by Fuxing Xi Lu 永福路47号2楼，近复兴西路
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Sushi Taro Ten
Having
opened quietly earlier in the year, this immaculate sushi-ya is set to
give Shanghai's Japanese omakase institutions a run for their money. The
restaurant's original branch in Fukuoka has Michelin Star pedigree and
is noted for its reserved style, which head itamae Nakanishi Hirohisa
represents faithfully at the Shanghai branch. The set menu here affords
plenty of top-quality marine delights, including luscious chutoro (fatty
tuna belly) and uni (sea urchin) from Nagasaki.
Standout Dish: N/A (seasonal menu, chef's choice only)
Sushi Taro Ten, 466 Jianguo Xi Lu, by Yueyang Lu 建国西路466号, 近岳阳路
Book a table by pressing QR code below:
Highline
An
ambitious all-day dining project by proprietors Cody Allen (Le Baron),
Michael Sun (Muse Group) and John Liu (Coquille, Scarpetta), Highline
found its feet when power chef duo Anna Bautista and Sean Jorgensen were
brought on board to curate a menu of elevated American cuisine with a
California soul. Since then they've rolled out an extremely popular
brunch menu, and seen the restaurant's stunning al fresco terrace become
one of the hottest tables to book during warm weather.
Standout Dish: Slow-roasted M5 wagyu prime rib; fried chicken and waffles (above, brunch service only)
Highline, 6/F, 282 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Huangpi Nan Lu 淮海中路282号6楼, 近黄陂南路
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Diner
The
American comfort food trend has shown little sign of slowing this year,
with renowned local chef Austin Hu's Diner being case in point. Like
its elder sibling Madison Kitchen, Diner offers indulgent but casual
eats that offer serious bang for comparatively little buck. Being a
small space with a no-reservation policy, a wait often precedes chowing
down at Diner, though for smashed patty burgers and pancakes, we'll
oblige.
Standout dish: meatloaf with chicken brandy gravy and cheesy mashed potatoes (above); smashed patty wagyu cheeseburger
Diner, 145 Wuyuan Lu, by Wulumuqi Zhong Lu 五原路145号, 近乌鲁木齐中路
Cafes and Casual Eateries
Pâte
A
creative blogger and chef foodie power couple are behind Pâte (French
for 'dough'), an Insta-chic patisserie haven in Fuxing Soho near
Xintiandi. Former digital marketing consultant and Instagram blogger
Whitney Ng (@LittleLofts) handles the visuals and operational aspects of
Pâte, while patissier Ting Ting Chang takes charge of elegant,
Japanese-influenced sweet (and soon to be savory) bites that are baked
in-store.
Standout dish: kouign-amann pastry (above back)
Pâte, Room E107, SOHO Fuxing Plaza, 462 Hefei Lu, by Madang Lu 合肥路462号复兴SOHO广场1楼E107室, 近马当路
Ban Ban by Sproutworks
On
rare days that we feel compelled to 'eat clean,' this new opening from
the Sproutworks clan makes the job a game – and a tasty one at that.
Start with either a grain, green (read: kale) or noodle base, choose a
protein and 'style your bowl' with one of six flavoral themes and head
to the free-flow topping bar afterwards. At RMB65 a throw, we say this
is the one of the best ways to nutrient-load, though for extra virtue,
add a bowl of on-trend bone broth.
Standout Dish: 'Soul in Seoul' bowl with chopped steak (above left)
Ban Ban by Sproutworks, 5/F, Room L5-518, iapm Mall, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Xiangyang Lu 淮海中路999路环贸iapm商场5楼518室, 近襄阳南路
Brut Cake Cafe
One
part food blogger and one part chef, F&B power couple Priscilla
Young and Jun Wu made their mark with Melbourne-style café and kitchen,
Brut Cake Café. Opened in partnership with local furniture brand Brut
Cake and local roastery MQ Coffee, the cozy space offers cheerful and
good value lunch and brunch sets, and has a stepped decking out front
that catches the afternoon sun.
Standout Dish: Red coconut curry grain bowl
Brut Cake Café, 698 Yuyuan Lu, by Zhenning Lu 愚园路698号, 近镇宁路
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