The Shanghai Scoop – Food & Drink News (February 2019)

The Shanghai Scoop is a monthly column dedicated to the latest food and drink news happening in Shanghai. Here is a round-up of the newest restaurants and bars, hotel news, and upcoming projects.

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Xintiandi Plaza Update

Xintiandi Plaza is a newly refurbished mall on Huaihai Zhong Lu across from K11—lots of new restaurants and a basement food level that is thriving.

Here, you’ll find Rye & Co, (from the crew behind The Nest and The Cannery), Karaiya (same people behind Kagen and Haiku/Hatsune), FOMO (soufflé pancakes), and another outpost of Brut Cake and Ippudo.

Rye & Co

If you do go to Rye & Co, be sure to order the meatballs.

Brut Cake Express at the basement food court level

Others are popular chains and sensational brands—Songfa, a popular Singaporean bak kut teh chain; Elle Cafe, located inside a bookstore; L’éclair de Genie, a renowned Parisian éclair chain, and Singaporean staple PS.Cafe. Wanghongs can fulfill their week’s quota with just one visit.

Overpriced desserts and coffee

In a MUJI-esque bookstore

Eclairs stamped with the Parisian seal of fame

Also pretty expensive. A single eclair is ¥48-52.

Double Chocolate Blackout at PS.Cafe

Things Instagram boyfriends dread

Meanwhile, basement level Japanese soufflé pancake stand FOMO is doing very well for itself—lines for pancakes following shouty articles on Chinese media. It’s the first of the brand and is an offshoot from Yorkys Brunch, a pancake house from Kobe and Osaka. The pancakes are with fresh batter and cream.

The consistency is lovely. The Amalfi Lemon Tart (¥52) has a crusted top, fluffy on the inside, and a generous helping of lemon custard .

Amalfi Lemon Tart at FOMO

However, the wait of at least 15 minutes per pancake is just too long for something that’s meant to be a grab-and-go. FOMO is looking to franchise… They’ll have to iron out some kinks first.

New Restaurant Openings

Nakama, an upmarket Japanese yakiniku serving dry aged premium wagyu. It’s fantastic. Great for dates and entertainment. Also, Ochobo reopened, located upstairs.

Dry-aged wagyu at Nakama

Breakfast Company is finally open after having their signage up for more than a year.

Hunter Gatherer has revamped their Hubindao location, rebranding it as Open Kitchen. It has the same core values, and is more or less the same idea as the previous HG, but with an emphasis on the open kitchen idea—they cook for you, or you can cook your own, minus the clean up. The new menu is classed up with improved appetizers, a plethora of bowls, and hearty yet healthy mains. Emphasis on healthy.

Coming soon is Cypher on Xiangyang Nan Lu next to Bread etc. Is it a café? A speakeasy? A portal into an Ender’s Game-esque world? Probably just a café.

Wait. Is it Cypher or Foreplay?

In the space that once housed Capo, a popular steakhouse and Italian restaurant, is now C House, also a steakhouse, TBD on the popular front, run by Muse Group.

Wagas has opened another upmarket brand as a follow up to their extremely popular all-day breakfast restaurant LOKAL. Located in L’Avenue mall, Funk & Kale does wraps, pastas, bowls, salads, breads, coffee, juices, and the like. It’s exactly like Wagas, but with more in-trend plating with hip ingredients like beetroot and whole-wheat spaghetti, and brunchy items like smoked salmon and poached eggs.

There’s a second location due for Anfu Lu. Shanghai, never a shortage of smoked salmon and poached eggs.

Second Locations / Reopenings

Papito Pancakes has found a space to roost and has reopened not too far from the Nanjing West metro.

Middle Eastern / popular Wulumuqi Lu kebab shop Eli Falafel is opening a second location near People’s Square.

Meat platter at Eli Falafel

Yasmine’s Butchery & Steakhouse is venturing into the realm of hotpot. Yasmine’s Hotpot is attached to all three existing locations of the steakhouse, and serves meat that the butchery can’t finish selling or cuts that are not as desirable for meat shoppers. It’s a means of reducing waste, and you have to applaud them for trying. Seafood, vegetables, mushrooms to supplement the beef. Individual or sharing-style pots available.

Pâte’s kid brother/coffee shop Milkstand is open at Taikang Terrace. It’s only open on weekends, and perhaps a few other days depending on the available product—cakes and ice creams, made fresh on the day.

Photos via Milkstand

Specials change based on seasonality and their mood for the week. It’s basically their  R&D stopgap and for fans of their first location in Xintiandi. Milkstand's opening hours for are weekends 1-6pm.

They've also just launched The Short Collection, a gift box of shortbread cookies. The Shanghai box (¥198) has cocoa, butter, pandan coconut, and milk tea flavors. Visit Milkstand to find out more.

New Bars in Shanghai

Boxing Cat has opened First Round in the old Kaiba Dingxi Lu space.

As a follow up to his noodle shop / cocktail lounge Bar Flow, Eddy Yang’s latest Grand Bar Flow Hotel cracks open a new universe of speakeasy entertainment. Inspired by Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, the speakeasy is decked out with brass luggage trolleys, bathtubs (filled with plastic balls), and plenty of gold banisters. SmartShanghai has photos and the write-up.

Temporarily Closed

Al’s Diner Xiangyang Lu is having some reno work done, as is Bar Rouge and Chez Maurice. Both to reopen shortly after Chinese New Year.

Korean BBQ restaurant Park on Shaanxi Nan Lu (next to Sumerian) is temporarily closed for reno, too.

Places That Have Closed

Cinker Pictures, a Beijing import serving bad, expensive food trying to market the private cinema experience.

Vegetable and tuber puree. How was this appetizing? (Cinker Pictures)

The original Seesaw Café on Yuyuan Lu, DNA café on Nanjing Xi Lu, all locations of EQ (Equilibrium), Sushi ‘O on Yanping Lu, The Caxton, Michelin copy-paste Yannick Alleno at Raffles City Changning, and veteran steakhouse Roosevelt Prime.

Roosevelt Prime is looking for another location to reopen, though.

PF Chang’s failed to capture China with Americanized Chinese food.

Battered and deep-fried with sweet sauce and mayonnaise—not a thing for the locals. (PF Chang’s)

The Paris Group has wrapped up all 3.5 of their restaurants. French brasserie Paris Rouge at Rockbund, failed fine dining turned bistro Paris Bleu and upstairs Mendo Noodle Bar in Xintiandi, and the infamous Paris Blanc, an upscale French rotisserie whereby diners are entertained with unending evenings of pole dancing.

Sigh. This really did happen.

In the place of Paris Blanc is Fu Gong Guan, uber high quality hotpot with an average check of ¥500 per person.

Also, passing through Anfu Lu—didn’t know La Maison Gourmande closed. Guess a terraced restaurant on rich expat family street is up for grabs.

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Directory

Bar Flow
Address: 1/F, 600-3 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Xinzha Lu 陕西北路600-3号1楼, 近新闸路

Breakfast Company
982 Wuding Lu, near Jiaozhou Lu 武定路982号, 近胶州路 // Tel: [phone]

Eli Falafel
686 Jiujiang Lu, near Guangxi Bei Lu 九江路686号, 近广西北路 // Tel: [phone]

FOMO
B2-17, Xintiandi Plaza, 333 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Huangpi Nan Lu 淮海中路333号新天地广场B2-17, 近黄陂南路 // Tel: [phone]

Fu Gong Guan富公馆

S212, South Plaza, Taikoo Hui, 288 Shimen Yi Lu, near Weihai Lu 石门一路288号太古汇南花园S212，近威海路 // Tel: [phone]

Funk & Kale
L122, 1/F, L’Avenue, 99 Xianxia Lu, near Zunyi Lu 仙霞路99号, 尚嘉中心, 近遵义路 // Tel: [phone]

Grand Bar Flow Hotel
No. 121, 1520 Huashan Lu, near Xingfu Lu 华山路1520弄121号,  近幸福路 // Tel: [phone]

Milkstand
1/F, 169 Jianguo Zhong Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu 建国中路169弄1楼, 金瑞金二路

Nakama
283 Taiyuan Lu, near Jianguo Xi Lu 太原路283号, 近建国西路 // Tel: [phone]

Open Kitchen by Hunter Gatherer
B1-E04, Hubindao, 150 Hubin Lu, near Ji’nan Lu 湖滨路150号湖滨道B1-E04, 近济南路 // Tel: [phone]

Papito Pancakes
325 Taixin Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu 泰兴路325号, 近北京西路

PS.Cafe
No. 3-11, 3/F, Xintiandi Plaza, 333 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Huangpi Nan Lu 淮海中路333号新天地广场3层3-11室, 近黄陂南路 // Tel: [phone]

Rye & Co
6/F, Xintiandi Plaza, 333 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Huangpi Nan Lu 淮海中路333号新天地广场, 近黄陂北路Tel: 63391993

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