Kabb Revisited

Newly appointed head chef, Greg Gilvison, originally from the San Francisco Bay area in the United States, has taken on the challenge of the badly needed reform and refinement of Kabb's menu. The rather poor reviews of the quality and inconsistency of the food at Kabb means that Gilvison has a tough road ahead. He is up for the challenge. Already, he is revamping the seasonal menus before fleshing out the standard menu.


Saturday brunch time is still busy until about 15:00 packed with patrons for the weekend brunch or for the drinks. I asked Gilvison to make me whatever he wanted and let him have free range on my palate. For my brunch, he served eggs benedict on smoked salmon over dark bread, which was accompanied by a citrus salad and grilled tomatoes. The eggs were perfectly poached and the hollandaise sauce was not extremely acidic. The grilled tomatoes had nice grill marks and caramelization. This was quite promising compared to the disaster that was my first visit to Kabb.


Another highlight of the Kabb menu is the DIY Bloody Mary. The pint glass receives a generous pour of Skyy vodka and a row of horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Each bloody mary can be tailor-made by you to fit your personal taste. Now you cannot blame the bartender if the bloody mary is not up to your standards.

I am feeling quite optimistic for the new head chef. The character that Gilvison carries is open and bright, looking to keep negativity out of the kitchen. Discipline and firmness - yes. Negativity - no. The fare at Kabb is already looking up.

Kabb. Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu (near Madang Lu). 太仓路181号，新天地北里, 近马当路 Shanghai, China