Origin in Tianzifang

Among the numerous restaurants and shops in Tianzifang, Origin strives to set itself apart with "seasonally fresh cuisine." It sits along one of the busier lanes shooting off Jianguo Zhong Lu with two small outdoor tables on either side of the ground floor entrance on a nice day. The space is airy and bright making use of large exposure to natural light. There is a bar to sit at and few inside tables on the ground floor with more seating on the second floor as well as a small outdoor area. On the third floor, there is also a very small area that may be reserved or taken for a more intimate affair. On warm days, the windows are easily opened to allow for a natural circulation of air instead of cranking up the air-conditioning unit. The whole ambiance expressed the ideals of the cafe wanting to get back to the basics of what is fresh and natural.

Lunch time and brunch seemed busy with people passing through Tianzifang enjoying anything remotely relating to warm, temperate weather in Shanghai. The cafe was filled up quickly and easily. Service seemed to be a bit slow as the window into the kitchen revealed only one guy taking care of everything. The service staff at least tries to be helpful when they can.



Out of the sandwiches, the sweet potato and goat cheese sandwich (48RMB) on foccacia with arugula jumped out. It was a mix between sweet potato mash or really soft sweet potato on delicious bread and a thin, minute spread of goat cheese. This disappointed the expectation there would be a nice, thick layer of tart goat cheese to offset the sugary sweet potato. The fresh arugula and sliced tomato was not already in the sandwich, which was to be assembled at the diner's discretion. The continental breakfast was filling with its assortment of toast, eggs, roasted baby tomatoes, yogurt, cold cuts, jam, butter, and brie. The filling parts of the breakfast were the pieces of toast and large cup of yogurt and skimpy on the eggs and cold cuts.



Also unfotunately small was the sausage plate (about 98RMB). The link of sausage was unfortunately small (the photo may deceive you of its size) as well were the two weak slices of streaky bacon sitting atop some potatoes. The eggs were alright. The breakfast plate also lacked toast to carry the meat and eggs on. Its cost definitely did not match what was presented on the plate. The banana pancakes showed some promise with a full saucer of syrup. Each pancake was large and fluffy with bits of real banana in the batter (more would have been better!!!). The plate also came with a large serving of yogurt and a few pieces of fresh fruit. The smoked salmon eggs benedict (at a whopping 98RMB...It turns out the online menu has not been updated in any way to show price changes) showed some promise. The base bread was amazing, thick, soft, and crusty. If English muffins were not available, this bread would have been the next best thing. The servings of smoked salmon were on the skimpy side, but the addition of greens was much appreciated to bring a fresh zing as well as color to the dish. The eggs were nicely poached and gooey on the inside, though close to being set. The hollandaise sauce was buttery and on the thin side, leaving a small wet coating on the poached egg. Each eggs benedict had 2-3 capers on top. The dish has so much promise, but the let-down of a scant slice of smoked salmon and runny hollandaise sauce makes the smoked salmon eggs benedict fall flat.


The smoothies and freshly-made juices were very good. The pear juice was served cool and was not over-sweetened. The papaya smoothie (36RMB) was thick and large. The fruit was not underripe and the smoothie not too icy. In this regard, Origin is using the fruits of the season.

Origin in Tianzifang has a great atmosphere for a fresh bite to eat or drink. Like most places in the immediate vicinity, the prices are a bit high for the little that you get as rental prices in Tianzifang are on the rise.

Origin. House 39, Lane 155 JianGuo Zhong Lu (by RuiJin Lu), 建国中路155弄39号（近瑞金路）, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. www.originsh.com.

The Alchemist Brunch Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Brunching around Shanghai gives you an opportunity to see what is trendy and popular in main choices. The smoked salmon twist on classic eggs benedict is revealing itself as a hot brunch item.

A friend had recommended the smoked salmon eggs benedict at The Alchemist, so a visit was made for the sole reason of trying it. The smoked salmon eggs benedict (98RMB) came with asparagus and a roasted tomato half. However, as good as the eggs benedict looked, the overall execution fell flat. The base of the eggs benedict was not even an English muffin, but a piece of untoasted sliced bread cut into a circular shape. The smoked salmon atop the bread was well-portioned for the serving. The poached egg was slightly overdone to the point that the egg yolks were set, though not cooked all the way through. Actually, during this particular visit, all the eggs that should have ooey gooey centers had set yolks compared to the first visit for The Alchemist weekend brunch. The hollandaise sauce was lovely and light, though personal tastes for hollandaise in warmer weather would prefer a bit more lemon for a fresher zing. In any case, the smoked salmon eggs benedict showed promise. If only the disappointing cut-out of sliced bread was replaced with something more worthy of carrying smoked salmon, hollandaise, and runny poached egg.

One item of note...With the higher cost of food in Shanghai, this dish has gone from 68RMB to 98RMB across the board ie in several other restaurants. What exactly is driving the price so high? Smoked salmon eggs benedict is definitely worth a weekend brunch indulgence, but for that high of a price tag?

The Alchemist. Sinan Mansions, Block 32, 45 Sinan Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu 思南路45号32号楼，近复兴西路. Shanghai, China.

McFlurry International - China 3

Màidāngláo (麦当劳) has a new 10RMB McFlurry (麦旋风, mài xuànfēng) in time for spring. 法式布蕾 (fǎ shì bù lěi) translates to "French brûlée." Behind the image of the actual McFlurry is one of a caramel custard or flan. Note that crème brûlée is commonly served in the ramekin the custard is cooked in before sugar is added on top and broiled to form a crunchy, caramelized topping. The actual "French brûlée" McFlurry is vanilla soft-serve with Oreo cookie and butterscotch. The actual flavor combination would have done better with caramel instead of butterscotch to achieve the taste of browned sugar. Though, the texture of the crisp topping is hinted at by the bites you take into the cookie while tasting the butterscotch. Creamy frozen yogurt carries the smoothness of a custard.

McFlurry International - Seoul Incheon International Airport

The transfer and international terminal at Seoul Incheon International Airport has more than creature comforts for transit passengers and cultural shows to remind those never leaving the airport what they are missing. There is also a McCafe selling fancy McFlurries for 1700.00KRW (about US$1.58). The Berry Choc McFlurry seemed similar to the version first tried in Harbin with vanilla soft-serve mixed with Oreo cookie and berry flavor. The girl behind the counter served an adequate portion of soft-serve, a heap of Oreo cookie crumble, and the "berry" flavor. It was well-mixed in the McDonald's McFlurry machine before being handed over. Opening the lid, the McFlurry appeared to come up to almost the top of the container, a more accepted portion than the half-filled ones in China. The Berry Choc McFlurry did not have that artificial after-taste and seemed to allude to a more mixed-berry flavor than sticking to any one particular berry. It was fruity and tangy with a nice chocolate crunch. Yummy.