10RMB mojitos? Yes, please!

Shanghai is a city of indulgence, especially in regards to cheap drinks. SmartShanghai had on the listing of Azul 10RMB mojitos from 18:00 until close (though now the restaurant has in writing "until 23:00") on Monday nights. Who cannot pass that up?

The reputable brunch is the usual selling point to come to Azul, but 10RMB mojitos is also a draw. The bartender gave us a laminated menu with the varities of mojitos we could select from including ones with mango and lychee, but we stuck to the classic mojito. The bartender muddled the mint, lime, sugar, and rum in the glass itself before topping it off with some club soda. The mojito was properly sweet, using light brown cane sugar instead of white. It was slightly spritzy, but could have used the tartness known in the lime varieties available in North and Central America. The mint was alright, but such flavor is what you get given the local produce in China. The lime and mint varieties are just different.

Surprisingly, the mojitos were getting progressively stronger with each order. One would expect almost the opposite. Each following lowball glass tasted more and more like rum. These mojitos are worth going out for, even if it was a Monday night. And the drinks are way better than what you would get at Zapatas with their drink special of free beer 10-11pm for guys and unlimited margaritas that taste like lime slushies.

Spring has established itself in Shanghai and made its presence known. Mojitos in warmer weather is perfect to celebrate the season. Now if only Azul had a terraza.

Azul. 18 Dongping Lu, near Hengshan Lu. 东平路18号, 近衡山路. Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Túmén Cháo Kǎo 图门串烤

From the shadows barbecue hawkers come out with their coal grills and boxes of skewers for late night eats. Some places have a stand outside that will do it for you. At Túmén Cháo Kǎo 图门串烤, you can grill your own barbecue yourself. My Shanghainese colleague informs me that Túmén is in the northeast region of China and that the name of the place means "Túmén a lot of barbecue."

The restaurant is small with little ventilation so it is better to get a table in the front room or by the door. This will help from not coming out of the restaurant smelling like barbecue. Each table has its own grill where fresh coals are places along with a few embers and is then covered to heat up to an appropriate temperature. You place the skewers on top of the grill to start cooking. The restaurant gives you cloth napkins practically soley for the use of protecting yourself from the jumping embers and sparks shooting out of the coal grill whilst cooking.

To order, the server hands you a checklist of all the possible varities of meat and veg you can order and you just note how many you want of each. The price is also included on the menu ranging from .5-6rmb per skewer. If you need it, they have an English menu, but each line does not necessarily match the Chinese-only menu to the exact point, so you have to make sure that the characters match. Also, there were a few items on the menu that are not translated. We chose a selection of beef, spicy beef, lamb, lamb on bone, green beans, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, chicken hearts, chicken wings, bread, aubergine, peppers, and other random items.


At each table is a shaker of salt, cumin, and a spicy powder, which you can sprinkle on your skewer at the desired stage of cooking. In this case, you have control of the entire cooking process. This, however, may be disastrous if you do not pay attention to your skewers causing them to overcook or burn on one side. After cooking on the grill, you can rest the skewers above the flame to keep warm while cooking other skewers at the same time.

Seeing as there were 6 of us, there was a bit of madness. Not enough skewers cooking fast enough for hungry men and all so little. It is however, a very fun and social way of eating. Plus, there is a steady flow of cheap, cold beer to keep everyone happy.

Túmén Cháo Kǎo 图门串烤. 192 Wanhangdu Lu by Wulumuqi Lu. Shanghai, People's Republic of China

The Original Da Marco

The curiosities of an Italian friend on the authenticity of the Italian cuisine Shanghai has to offer led us to Da Marco. The restaurant had been recommended by several Italian-experienced friends and about every single restaurant guide in Shanghai.

The restaurant is hidden on the ground floor of the Golden Bridge Garden hotel to the back and left of the lobby entrance. When you enter, the scenery becomes very Italian and so Western, it seems that there are little to no Chinese influences in the restaurant. The decor gave a feeling that you were definitely in a Western place. The restaurant space is huge and there were people everywhere, even at 21:00 on a mid-week day. Granted, the majority of the diners were not Chinese or other Asian. Reserving a table in advance was definitely advisable.

I allowed my Italian friend to order for the both of us, as an Italian should know what is good to sample. There was a sense of nostalgia in the selection for food from the home country. We had three antipasti, one pasta, and one pizza. There was a chalkboard with the daily specials, but we just ordered off the menu. They also put a big basket of breads and mini bruschetta in front of us, which my friend reacted to in delight as other Western restaurants here never give you enough bread.


To start, we had the buffalo mozzarella with rocket salad (mozzarella di bufala capana), crispy bread with grilled vegetables and melted cheese (verdure alla griglia con scamorza gratinata su crostone di pane), and a sort of aubergine parmegiana. The mozzarella came on top of the rocket and baby tomato salad as a generous ball. The cheese was soft and slightly salty, but definitely locally made instead of imported. Receving fresh shipments of real mozzarella di bufala would be a costly affair, so this is understandable. The grilled vegetables with cheese was not so special, but at least the vegetables were not too oily. The aubergine was really nice though. Grilled slices of aubergine were stacked with slices of cheese (mozzarella it seemed) and had a sauce made of fresh tomatoes (it did not taste preserved or canned). Overall really tasty. With a glass of red wine, we were already feeling full and the pasta and pizza had not arrived yet.

The gnocchi and pasta came at the same time, which we placed between us. The server was attentive enough to bring us two clean plates and set them down in front of each of us at the same time. Service at Da Marco is definitely at a higher standard than most other establishments that cater to foreigners in Shanghai. A server was present when we needed one and did not infringe on the flow of our meal with constant attention. A great balance.


The pizza was huge. I was not sure how we were goign to finish it. The pizza had layers of aubergine with a layer of cheese on top, which was almost exactly like our antipasti but on a different medium. The crust was crispy, yet still thin and emphasized the toppings. If you peek into the kitchen, you can see the giant brick oven that is used to bake the pizza. The homemade gnocchi was perfectly cooked, rich and tasty. Each bite was soft and the spinach cheese pesto melted in your mouth.

The portions were generous enough that we could have done without either the pizza or the pasta. Next time perhaps we should try the second courses (fish, meats, etc) and forgo the carbohydrate overload. Prices were above average, but that is expected of non-Chinese establishments in Shanghai. The value for the food was totally worth it. The entire meal at Da Marco was simple and tasty. My Italian friend gives it a thumbs up for authenticity, especially considering the availability of some ingredients. Da Marco is definitely the prime pick when seeking out a close to authentic Italian meal in Shanghai.

Da Marco. 1/F, Golden Bridge Garden, 103 Dong Zhu'anbang Lu, near Jiangsu Lu. 东渚安浜路103号1楼, 近江苏路. Shanghai, People's Republic of China

French Crepes at work

Even in a country and city with delicious Chinese food from different regions, special treats from home are often yearned for. At a leaving lunch, crepes were prepared in the office. The actual crepe was prepared the night before and was to be filled with a savory and sweet filling right before lunch.

Typically French, butter was used. A lot of it.The first crepe had mushrooms, ham, emmental cheese, and a fried egg. The mushrooms were probably sauteed in a lot of butter as well. The pan was prepared with a nob of butter melted and coating the entire pan. The crepe was gently placed on top and the filling was carefully distributed in one quarter. After this perfect quarter section of the crepe was covered, the crepe was folded over to cover the quarter. In order for everyone to eat at once, they were placed in the oven to keep warm. ::gasp:: This place had an oven - in China!


The sweet crepe was a classic crepe suzette. As really lovely fresh oranges were not found at the fruit vendors, orange marmalade was used and mixed with a lot of butter. This orange marmalade butter was melted in the pan in large portions. About 3/4 cup first. Then pre-folded crepes were placed in the pan in quarters and more of the orange marmalade butter was melted on top, about another 1/2 cup. Midway through the cooking, the crepes were unfolded and refolded to soak up more of this melted buttery mixture. The Cointreau was prepared in a second pot, simmering to reduce. After part of the reduction, a flame was held against the fumes to burn off the remaining alcohol and also provide a show as well as the possibility of burning the kitchen. The Cointrieau was then poured on top of the crepes bubbling in the pan. These were definitely more decadent in taste from the buttery richness and tartness from the orange flavors.


It was nice to have something decidedly French in a palate primarily taken over by Chinese food as of late. All were left full and unable to move. Just don't think about the amount of butter used.

Sorry, no recipes available.

Bellagio for Taiwanese Shaved Ice

A bunch of friends tell me about the glorious food a Momofuku in NYC. Then CNNGo comes out with this article about David Chang preferring to go to Bellagio for late-night dining in Shanghai. I must try it.

The location on Xikang Road had mostly foreigner clientele and plenty of female servers running around with crew cut hair. Although it was already late in the evening, people were still ordering dinner items. Not wanting anything too heavy, my companion and I ordered shaved ice and dumplings.


My passion fruit shaved ice came out first. It was huge! On top there was a small spoonful of passion fruit seeds. The shaved ice was smooth and the passion fruit flavor did not taste artificial. It was a little on the tart side, perhaps for the lack of quality and ripe fruit reaching Shanghai. It was refreshing though.


My companion ordered the strawberry one, except the ice was blended with condensed milk so the flavor was more of a sherbert (less creamy than ice cream, but more creamy than sorbet) and sliced strawberries decorated this mountain of a dessert. It was also very tasty. We ended up alternating the sweet with the salty when our dumplings finally came out accompanied by soy sauce, vinegar, and spicy pepper sauce. The dumpling skin was a little thick, but the filling was lovely not being too greasy.

Bellagio is much better for dessert than an actual meal. The minimalist fashion interior and super clean presentation of the servers may equate to you paying more for the ambiance than actual food. The desserts, however, are spot on. The menu for is quite extensive and the varieties of shaved ice are enough to keep you cool during the unbearable Shanghai heat of summer. I must go back and try the peanut shaved ice.

Bellagio. 111 Xikang Lu, near Tongren Lu. 西康路111号, 近铜仁路, 地铁2号线静安寺站 Shangahi, China

Sichuan Citizen

Been curious about this swankily decorated restaurant on Donghu Lu with its red lanterns and wooden accents. Plus, expats have gave it a lot of hype maybe because its sister is Citizen Cafe and they also serve lovely drinks.

Being only two people at the dinner, the variety of dishes to try was limited. Might as well stick to the standard favorites. We ordered the tea smoked duck, mapo dofu, fish fragrant aubergine, and spicy bullfrog.


It took a short wait for the food to come out, the first being the tea smoked duck. The duck was not too fatty and the smoked process gave it a nice flavor. It was served warm to room-temperature. The duck was nothing extraordinary and it would have been nice if the duck skin had a bit of crispness to it.


All at once came the bullfrog, mapo dofu, and yuxiang qiezi. The portions were quite large for two people to share. The tofu in the mapo dofu was slightly hard and not as tender as expected, but still spicy enough. The bullfrog came in a huge bowl of oil and floated around a mess of greens hidden in the depths of the bowl. It was also the same spiciness as the tofu and served really hot. The cuts of bullfrog were large and generous. As for the aubergine, upon the first bite, it strangely had a buttery taste to it. The skin of the aubergine was also slightly tough.

Overall, I would say that Sichuan Citizen is more for the ambiance (or drinks) than the the cuisine. Dishes are slightly more expensive than if you went to a standard Sichuan restaurant. When choosing between Xin Xiang Hui and Sichuan Citizen, always go for the first unless the wait is excruciatingly long down the street.

Sichuan Citizen. 30 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu. 东湖路30号, 近淮海中路. Shanghai, China

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.