By Betty Richardson

Transitioning into winter, some of our favorite restaurants have been busy putting out seasonal menus. Here's are some highlights from the absolute best of 'em. 

1. Highline's truffle roasted chicken

The ultimate home comfort gets a gourmet upgrade in the hands of Highline's power couple chefs Anna Bautista and Sean Jorgensen. Brined for 24-hours prior to roasting for ultra-tender texture, black truffles give it an added boost of flavor; foie gras gravy and herb roasted potatoes accompany. Can't manage the whole thing by yourself? Take it home and make the mother of all roast chicken sandwiches the next day, and maybe some chicken stock while you're at it. (RMB488)

Highline, 6/F, 282 Huaihai Zhong Lu, by Huangpi Nan Lu 淮海中路282号6楼, 近黄陂南路

2. Yi Long Court's Iberico char siu 

The king of all Cantonese BBQ, char siu is delicious whether you're eating it at a HK diner or a two Michelin Star dim sum palace like Yi Long Court. This version uses Spanish iberico pork, prized for its flavor and fat content. The secret? Mid-way through roasting, it's dipped in more of the sweet syrup before being roasted again. Available à la carte during both dim sum brunch and dinner service. 

Yi Long Court, 2F, The Peninsula Shanghai, 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, by Beijing Dong Lu 上海市黄浦区中山东一路32号上海半岛酒店2楼, 近北京东路

3. Wujie The Bund's handmade chive noodles with Sichuan-style chickpea sauce

Now annointed with a Michelin Star of their own, it seems Wujie's passion project to bring creative vegetarian Chinese food to the fore is finally getting the recognition it deserves. These lightly spicy and rich noodles are the highlight of their new seven-course 'Harmony' menu, RMB399. 

Wujie (Bund), 22 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, Bund 22, 4/F, by Xinyong'an Lu 中山东二路22号外滩22号4楼, 近新永安路

4. Homeslice X Chef Christopher Pitts' BBQ chicken charity pizza

Tennessee-born chef Christopher Pitts has teamed up with Homeslice Pizza for their Fall 2017 pizza line, revealing an unapolagetically American BBQ chicken pizza. Topped with shredded chicken, cheddar, flat leaf parsley, red onions and secret spices on a BBQ sauce base, we say its delicious and compassionate – 10 percent of sales go to Shanghai-registered charityStepping Stones. Get it in store or on Sherpas for RMB150.  

Homeslice, 158 Julu Lu, by Ruijin Yi Lu 巨鹿路158号，近瑞金一路

5. Colca's cau cau seafood stew

We can't get enough of Eduardo Vargas' Peruvian restaurant, Colca. The winter menu has plenty of highlights, but the undisputed star is the Afro-Peruvian 'cau cau' seafood stew (RMB198). In centuries past, Spanish conquistadors imported slaves from West Africa, who brought with them dishes like cau cau. Despite tragic origins, its popularity has seen it canonized as an emblem of Afro-Peruvian culture. 

In this version, panfried halibut filet is the star, surrounded with mussels, octopus, prawns, scallops and prawns, all intermingling with a bright, spicy and tangy yellow chili and mint sauce. RMB198. 

Colca, Room 2201, 2/F, 199 Hengshan Lu, by Yongjia Lu 衡山路199号,2楼2201单元近永嘉路

6. VUE's ribeye aux vieux sarments 

With a new chef in the kitchen, Austrian-born Patrick Gigele, the signature restaurant at Hyatt on the Bund has a menu studded with big-portion, big-format dishes, many of which are prepared tableside (looking at you caesar salad with traditional egg yolk and raw garlic dressing.) 

Their ribeye steak is cooked aux vieux sarments – smoked over dried shoots of vine shoots of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc and Merlot, grown in vineyards of Ningxia and Shanxi, giving it a unique smokiness that doesn't interfere with the flavor of the beef. Topped with diced shallots, and served with béarnaise sauce, duck fat fries and sautéed mushrooms. 500g (RMB950++) for two diners, or 800g (RMB1,450++) for three to four. 

VUE, 30/F Hyatt on the Bund, 199 Huangpu Lu, by Wuchang Lu 上海市虹口区黄浦路199 号, 上海外滩茂悦大酒店西楼30 楼, 近武昌路

7. CHAR's Robbins Island M9 wagyu 1.2kg tomahawk

When it comes to steak, we say go big or go home. At Char they have a promo going for an absolute beast of a cut: a tomahawk ribeye from a full-blood wagyu cow raised on the beaches of Tasmania at the Robbins Island farm (this cow almost certainly had a nicer life than you prior to visiting the abattoir), with an a marbling score of 9...out of 9. Feeds 3-4 people, RMB3598. Offer only until December 31. 

CHAR Bar & Grill, 29-31/F, Hotel Indigo, 585 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, by Dongmen Lu 上海市黄浦区中山东二路585号29-31楼, 近东门路

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