Drinking Holes at Shanghai World Expo 2010

Long lines and big crowds of the gazillion (primarily Chinese) visitors to the World Expo in Shanghai makes the event an exhausting ordeal. What better to alleviate the pain and anticipated summer heat than drowning away stresses at one of the drinking holes on the Expo site?


The Belgian Pavilion featured a take away beer bar. For 30RMB you can get a pint of draft Hoegarten, 15 RMB for a small bottle of Martens, or 25RMB for a pint of draft Stella Atrois. They also offered soda at 10RMB. But where were the other Belgian beers like Leffe and Chimay?

Around the corner is the Porterhouse, set to server Irish beers crafted exclusively for the Shanghai World Expo. Being slightly hungover, a lovely beer and an Irish breakfast was in order. However, they were waiting for the taps to come from Ireland and none of the beers offered were actually Irish brews. The Irish breakfast was not even on the menu! Since the Expo is not actually set to open for another week, they must have time to get their act together?

After these promising finds, our little group was eager to seek out shots of Polish bison grass wodka, Russian vodka, Greek sambuca, Korean soju, Chinese Tsing Tao, German pils, American bourbon whiskey, and Swedish vodka, among the several possible choices each country's pavilion could offer to display their alcohol fare. Oh...but wait...most of the pavilions are either not ready or even open. Someone better put together an alcohol map of the Expo site since most places do not even distribute alcohol. The lines, heat, and stress are best alleviated with a non-soda beverage.

This is Shanghai, so of course there will be a soft opening for any event. There is a soft opening for every single bar, restaurant, club, lounge, store, you name it. The World Expo is no exception.

Dining Secretary Tasting at Mao Jia

Frenzied Palate must be moving up somewhere from a recent invitation to a tasting in Shanghai organized by Dining Secretary, a online table reservation service in Shanghai. Shau-Ru Lin, who writes the blog associated with Dining Secretary, From Dumplings to Donuts, hosted the tasting. These tastings, at least from the purpose presented, are meant to bring exposure to Dining Secretary and for the benefit of its registered members. It was not clear how the restaurant for the tastings are selected and if it will follow a particular schedule. The idea is good for its members and to attract more members. Free lunch once a month! And drinks! Awesome.

The tasting took place at Mao Jia, which is north of People's Square and specializing in Shanghainese cuisine. After the introduction of the tasting, the meal began and conversation took its own course. As there were about 12 in attendance, there was an assortment of cold and hot dishes. There was even a menu printed out in English to let everyone know which dishes were being tasted. The food was good for Chinese food, but nothing spectacular or anything that would motivate you to go back. The experience was only enhanced by the ambiance and attentive service.


Overall, the tasting was lovely. Different people from different backgrounds came to meet and share a meal. It was a lunch for strangers who left with new connections. Looking forward to the next one.

Mao Jia. 98 Liuhe Road (by Ningbo Road), 3/4F, Shanghai, People's Republic of China

Ben Jia

It is a daunting challenge to find a decent Korean restaurant in Shanghai that matches the level of service and free-flow kimchi of the restaurants in South Korea. This requires travel outside of central Shanghai to Ben Jia to the place where the Korean communities have settled. The ambition to consume authentic Korean food had driven us this far.

Arriving for a later lunch, the restaurant is still full and the server asks we wait a moment. This is promising. A full house means good food and a hungry stomach getting very excited.

As there were only two people, we did not have the chance to order everything off the menu for different tastes. We got the standard pork for barbecuing and spicy tofu soup with egg in a hot stone pot. I was not sure what to expect because I had become accustomed to the meager portions of sides that come with a Korean meal in Shanghai. I was proved wrong when they brought out the large platter of leafy greens, salad, cold soup, kimchi, sauces, and other delicious vegetable accompaniments. The vegetables were incredibly fresh and crispy. This meant that we would not have to constantly bother the server for more lettuce or kimchi. Excellent.


Before the meat came out, the spicy tofu soup was served. It was actually relatively spicy for Shanghai standards (Shanghainese have a lower tolerance for any sort of spicy factor, especially compared to the Sichuan food in Shanghai and Sichuan food in Sichuan province). The soup was lovely, though a little oily, and stayed hot throughout the meal.


Unlike Korea, the server in Shanghai insisted on helping us grill our meat instead of allowing us to go at our own pace and grill the meat ourselves. The pork was also served pre-cut and we did not get the massive kitchen shears to cut the meat up ourselves to desired size. Oh well. This is China, not Korea. The pork was still grilled nicely and went well with the extremely fresh selection of greens we could wrap them in.


This was a really nice meal and probably the closest thing I have experienced for an "authentic" Korean meal. It also turns out the restaurant is a short walk to the metro station, making this place more accessible from central Shanghai.

Ben Jia. 1339 Wuzhong Lu (near Jinhui Nan Lu) 吴中路1339号 (近金汇南路). Metro line 9 Hechuan Road. Shanghai, China.

No Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

A major issue with baking in China is that having an oven is a luxury. Only Western-style decorated apartments have ovens. Chinese use open flames and steamers instead of an oven. It seems like "caramelized" - a flavor achieved from high temperatures or broiling - is not characteristic of Chinese cuisine, a flavor maybe found in barbecue street skewers.

As it goes, eventually a potluck in Shanghai gets organized and somehow something has to be made. Buying something from the store is not an option. Baking something is not an option considering 1) a current lack of an oven at my disposal, 2) a lack of proper baking tools, and 3) funds. The easiest, cheapest thing to concoct must be found.

After a quick internet search, I decided to make something involving chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal (for the "health benefit"). I came across a few recipes and decided to sample the ones requiring the least ingredients (ie expending the least amount of funds). Butter is easy to find, but vanilla extract is extraordinarily expensive and only found in stores carrying Western goods. These no bake bars mean that I do not have to bake them in an oven. I just need a microwave - referred to as an oven on poorly informed real estate agency sites - and a form.

The recipe is really easy to follow and execute. The only part where a mistake can be made is heating the chocolate in the microwave for too long or an extended period causing it to burn and transfigure into this gloppy mess. The flavor is reminiscent of American baking and the chocolate peanut butter mixture hints toward a melted peanut butter cup. It is more sweet and a tad salty, lacking that fine bitter chocolate taste of a quality chocolate dessert containing little dairy and higher cacao content.

No Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Oatmeal Bars (adapted)
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup dark chocolate chips / chunks
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and oats. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Press half of mixture in to the bottom of a buttered 8 x 8 dish.


In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and blended. Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the crust, reserving a couple of spoonfuls to drizzle over the top.


Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and peanut butter, pressing gently to form a crust. Drizzle the remaining chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars.

Refrigerate for 3 hours before cutting and serving.