Kabb

Comfort breakfast staples are well-advertised in Shanghai brunch establishments, at least outside of the flashy brunch buffets offered at high-end hotels. Word of the banana pancakes at Kabb were thrown around enough in Shanghai expat publications that it beckoned a try.


Located in the lanes of Xintiandi, Kabb provides an excellent spot for al fresco dining on the cooler, more temperate Shanghai days. Perfect for people watching (mostly laowai), it is a nice setting for a lazy brunch.

The idea of pancakes was thrilling. The actual plate was not.


The stack was large at four high, but plain. The menu description was misleading because all that was delivered was a stack of plain pancakes with a few slices of banana. The pancakes were on the dense side, though offering a somewhat decent medium to absorb any liquid. Most of the flavor lay in maple syrup. Not exactly a breakfast I would ever run back to spend 70RMB on.

Also slightly disappointing was the spinach frittata with a slice of bread and potatoes cooked with ham. The spinach and feta mixed with egg only existed in the top half of the frittata. It seemed like the bottom layer of the frittata was just plain egg and all the flavorful bits were poured on the top half instead of being equally distributed. The potatoes were slightly on the oily side.


The plates are large and filling for what you get, but the food is nothing special, especially for what you pay (though you are in Xintiandi). Kabb better serves as a spot to have a coffee or a drink in a more trendy setting.

Kabb. Unit 1, Bldg 5, North Block, Xintiandi, Lane 181 Taicang Lu, Xin Tian Di, Shanghai. Near Madang Lu. Metro Line 1 Huangpi Nan Lu Station. 太仓路181弄新天地北里5号楼单元1室 近黄陂南路, 地铁1号线黄陂南路站