By Betty Richardson

It’s getting cold outside, but the eternal flames of Shanghai’s restaurant scene are burning brighter than ever. We’re super excited for former Wishbone  restaurateur Sam Norris and Kobe-native Jun Nishio’s new restaurant, Xime. With Nishio in the kitchen, this new casual Japanese place serves sashimi, udon noodles, and house-made fruit-infused shochu.

Found 158 has said adieu to SEL Bistro, but will be inviting yet another Camel Group concept into the fold. Aussie beer label Little Creatures Brewer's Lab  will be moving in, the first of its kind in China. The concept will offer a 'sensory station' where hopheads can pour their own brews into custom-made glasses, and a canning machine that allows you to take home your favorites. 

An untimely demise comes next: Tour, a bar concept in United Valley that paired snacks with creative. This won’t be the last we’ll see of its talented Torontonian mixologist, Mack Ross. He's been snapped up by Bund gastrolounge The Nest.

After installing Madison Kitchen at its new Donghu Lu spot, Chef Austin Hu has finally revealed a second layer to his other restaurant, Diner. Dubbed 'D2F,' a nod to, er, being on the second floor of Diner, the 10-seater chef counter will host one-off dinners, and also accommodate overflow from downstairs during busy periods. 

Also, Diner has a secret menu. Just putting that out there. Wink conspicuously and ask for the 'MCG' (McGriddle): sausage, egg and cheese between two pancakes. There are others, too...

The owners of Flask have had a phenomenally busy few months. No sooner have they ushered in a second location of the former, in addition to its rather awesome bao snack bar street façade, Tiger Bites, have they also unveiled a wine bar and bistro called Krū. 

On Jianguo Xi Lu, a new café called The Picnic has opened. Out front sells a perplexing selection of coffees, teas, sweet and savory ice cream cones (the latter filled with such options as mac ‘n’ cheese, apparently gross), while a secret izakaya-style operation is tucked in the back. 

Within that same complex, wedding cake designer and patissier extraordinaire Bobo Lee is opening his first boutique. Inside you can buy their gorgeous mirror-finished celebration cakes and ogle at the multi-tiered wedding cakes.

Malaysian restaurant, Awana, has changed tactics and rebranded as a bar called Roadhouse Sports Saloon. Bizarrely, the Southeast Asian menu is still in place, along with cheeseburgers, ribs and a smattering of Tex-Mex classics. 

Bottles XO are in high spirits this month, not only did they announce a windfall of investment to the tune of USD3.4 million, they’ve also expanded their repertoire to include high end spirits as well as wine. We’re eyeing up the Plantation Rum, decent value at RMB165 a bottle.

Meet Peet’s Coffee, the latest US transplant to make an entrance in China. The West Coast coffee chain opened its first branch on Donghu Lu to almost instant rapture, if the 45-minute line is anything to go by. While the menu selection might not look like more than what Starbucks has on offer, we can only guess the cozy, living room-like interiors are the cause. 

Speaking of Starbucks, a bloody great big 30,000 square-foot Starbucks Reserve Roastery is scheduled to open in Taikoo Hui complex on Nanjing Xi Lu early next month. Customers can look forward to an 'interactive retail environment,' and 'rare, limited availability coffees' exclusive to Starbucks Reserve. 

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