Crayfish Boil at The Public [Shanghai]

On Shouning Road in Shanghai, mountains of shells litter the streets as people come out in flocks during warm weather to enjoy the crayfish or 小龙虾 xiǎolóngxiā by the kilo. It is one delicious mess that even disposable plastic gloves cannot stop.

The Public is jumping on this warm weather treat by offering Wednesday night crayfish boils. 180RMB gets you 2kg of crayfish and the equivalent of one corn on the cob (cut into 4 pieces), 1-2 sausages cut into medallions, and a sprinkling of new potatoes. Butcher paper is laid out and it all comes out together on one big platter along with lemon water and wipes for cleaning. The source of the crayfish is unknown and very, very small. The corn was not the freshest with its deflated kernels and the sausage was so dry and chewy. The potatoes seemed to be the only item in this boil that was cooked properly. It was not overly impressive and not worth the trip for 180RMB since the boil did not include any other sides or beverages. It just makes you nostalgic for the trips to Shouning Lu with the beer you brought, fresh corn on the cob, and other barbecued vegetables. The crayfish boil at the Public is a bad deal, especially considering there are other establishments in Shanghai that specialize in xiǎolóngxiā for at least half the price. Well, unless you like to dish out for modern atmosphere.

Stick to the Public's fried chicken offered on Sunday and Monday nights. A half-chicken, 2 biscuits, a dollop of mashed potatoes, and a dollop of slaw is only 125RMB.

The Public. Sinan Mansions Bldg 2, 4/F, Lane 507 Fuxing Zhong Lu (复兴中路507弄思南公馆2号楼4楼)

Now Open: CaliBurger ie "The Fake In N Out"

CaliBurger finally opened its doors near the end of Chinese New Year holidays in late January. All is right in the CaliBurger world post-settlement with In N Out with new signage, menu names, and revamped interior.

I am not sure who picked that brown color scheme for the dining area, but the original mockup on the CaliBurger website had shown a black and white scheme. It is now this unappetizing light brown reminiscent of a chocolate shake. The rendering is now updated on the CaliBurger website. The art in the wall alludes to the vibrancy of California. The speakers blared current hits, a welcomed change from Celine Dion.

The number of staff running the place is considerable. They are everywhere. One opens the door for you; one escorts you to the counter; a couple people take your order; and a kitchen team whips it up in viewing distance. The menu is still basic and kept to a minimum, which is characteristic of the In N Out menu. "Off-menu" requests are also granted like a mustard patty, whole grilled onions, and extra-crispy fries.

Staff ready and awaiting command to serve / Menu display
Not only is CaliBurger a fast-food restaurant, they also do table service. Instead of waiting by the counter for your order, you are given a number and a team member will deliver your cardboard box of food. Better yet, they tout table service for wine. The wine is imported from California and sells at 44RMB for a glass or 132RMB for a bottle. The label looks like Clint Eastwood, but Roy Newman claims it is an image of himself. To be honest, I did not see the resemblance (see for yourself). Edward, one of the CaliBurger team members, came over to the table with a white cloth napkin draped on his arm to uncork the wine and pour it into real wine glasses. He was very polite offering a tasting immediately after the uncorking before serving the rest of our table. This is fancy. You are at a fast-food joint and wine is being poured at your table with a white cloth napkin to clean up spills and breakable glasses. It makes me wonder a takeaway glass of wine is packaged. Loving this perk.

Roy Newman California Red Wine / Table service for wine by Edward
The "Wild Style" fries (38RMB) had melted American cheese, chopped grilled onions, and special sauce on top. Others who were better versed on the original "Animal Style" fries said that these were pretty good. CaliBurger does claim that their fries are always fresh, but we were informed that they were currently using a "high-quality" frozen fry. "Frozen" does not necessarily translate to "fresh," though "freshly frozen" or "frozen fresh" may ensure some bit of quality. In any case, the textures did not impart any qualities that freshly cut potatoes do. The sourcing team is waiting until spring for this year's crop of potatoes to see if they will match standards. So in the meantime, if you are thinking you are getting a freshly cut fry, do not be fooled. On top of that, Australian beef is still being used.

Set meals will soon be added to the menu as follows: Meal A = Hamburger + French Fries + Soda = 35RMB (a savings of 23RMB); Meal B = Cheeseburger + French Fries + Soda = 40RMB; Meal C = CaliDouble + French Fries + Soda = 55RMB. Now that is 5RMB extra for a bit of cheese or 15RMB for an extra burger patty with cheese. But Wild Style fries are 38RMB, so that may tack on another 20RMB to your meal set. Check out the set menu here.

There are still people skeptical if CaliBurger could even live up to the fraction of the greatness that is In N Out, which it is attempting to pay homage to. The only true test is the taste test, which is already subjective, but even then comparisons to those using California-grown produce would be difficult to make.

CaliBurger. 98 Yanping Lu (near Xinzha Lu), 新闸路98号(近新闸路), Shanghai, China. Caliburger.Asia

French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese Sandwich

A bowl of French onion soup emitting a fragrant aroma with hints of dry white wine (and perhaps cognac), big crouton, melting Gruyère and maybe (I say maybe for the 'purists') thyme and bay leaf is screaming grilled cheese sandwich. All the components are there (bread and cheese, clearly) and a French onion twist with its slow-cooked onions caramelized to a golden brown sweetness.

Grilled cheese is a simple American classic. But to make it taste outstanding, quality components are necessary. In addition to good cheese and bread, the texture must also be considered. A golden, buttery, crisp bread surface with soft interior and cheese melted through until gooey. Lackluster grilling and un-melted cheese are already signs of grilled cheese gone wrong. Personally, I prefer to butter toast the inside of the sandwich bread as well so the interior is not soggy, mushy, nor saggy.

This French onion soup grilled cheese sandwich was my first experiment. I took some freshly baked French baguette already at room temperature and cut it in half lengthwise. From a vat of French onion soup, I ladled a healthy helping of the soup onions onto the bread. Rich soup the onions carried soaked into the bread to add flavor, but the thick crust would protect the exterior from getting soggy. A layer of Gruyère was placed atop the onions. In a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat, a nob of butter was melted and the sandwich placed on top and weighted with another heavy pan until one side browned. The process was repeated for the other side so it the sandwich would be evenly crisped. Toasting the sandwich in the oven would also be effective.

The resulting grilled cheese sandwich was actually pretty good. The flavors of each aspect in the assemblage of a classic French onion soup were present: onion soup, crouton, and Gruyère. The bread was buttery and crisp on the outside and the Gruyère was completely melted. However, the bread on the inside was soggy from the soup. The interior sides would be best dry-toasted to counter this. It is also important to use a good French onion soup. The one used at this instance did not have as deep of a color as one would like and the onion flavor was less intense. Time and patience are necessary to draw out the sugars from the onions, which creates that lovely dark brown color.

Yeah, I am definitely going to make this again.

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.

Weekend Brunch at The Alchemist

Spring means temperate weather, sunny days, and the hopes that it will last a while before the wretched heat in Shanghai. Popular for its molecular gastronomy cocktails, Kelley Lee decided to expand the appeal of The Alchemist by offering a brunch starting on a particularly lovely early spring day. Inside tables were void of people as most diners opted to sit outside to soak in the sun. The brunch menu featured 3 set specials: Brunch Set A - 1 brunch item with choice of drink +30 RMB; Brunch Set B - 1 brunch item with choice of drink & brunch buffet +50 RMB; and Brunch Set C - brunch buffet with choice of drink 100RMB. The drink choices include coffee, tea, juice, sodas, sparkling Chandon, mimosa, red wine, white wine, Bloody Mary, and cocktail of the day. Attentive staff was on hand to take your food and beverage order and make sure everyone was comfortable sitting outside. It was the first run of the brunch, so we just must be honest with the experience.

It did not take a while for the food to come out. Each table had a bread basket to pick at in the meantime which had a few slices of white bread, squares of rosemary and olive foccacia, and a sweet muffin. If you ever tried the brunch at Azul, the muffin looked and tasted like it came from the same supplier. If the brunch buffet was part of the set, you could walk inside and help yourself to the plates of Mediterranean-influenced antipasti, meats, fruits, and salads. The yogurt served at the buffet came with unfiltered honey. However, the runny yogurt tasted like the regular plain yogurt you can find at the local supermarket or convenience store and was not anything special.




A few brunch and non-brunch items were ordered. The Farm (58 RMB) was a dish of grilled asparagus, slow cooked farm egg, parmesan cheese, and hollandaise sauce. You broke the yolk of the runny egg (the yolk was a bit more solid than gooey) to mix with the parmesan and hollandaise, creating a rich sauce that went well with the crispy asparagus stalks. The dish was really wet, but at least the bread basket had pieces of country bread to soak it all up. This item was on the small side to really be considered a brunch main. The Soft Scramble on Toast (88 RMB) was soft scrambled eggs with fresh herbs & roasted bell pepper-tomato coulis with a side of chorizo sausage and potatoes. The scrambled eggs were definitely not wet and cooked through all the way. The combination of flavors was comforting and slightly on the sweet side. The chorizo was mild and tasty, though the potato was underwhelming and slightly undercooked. The Caramelized banana-wheat pancakes (48 RMB) were wheat pancakes made with toasted wheat germ and served with coconut cream. This was a highlight breakfast item. The caramelized bananas tasted like it was cooked with a good knob of butter and some rum, which made this terrific sauce to go with the pancakes so maple syrup was almost unnecessary. No one could really taste the coconut in the cream, but there were enough bananas, cream, syrup, and pancakes to create several perfect bites where every component was represented. The Croque Madame (98 RMB) had thick sliced grilled ciabatta, jamon iberico, fried farm eggs, bechamel, and Gruyere. Cutting into the egg, the gooey yolks spilled over in this bright orange mess over the entire croque madame. The jamon iberico was a little difficult to cut into, but offered a nice salty bite to the dish. Burgers were also an evident feature on the brunch menu with The Alchemist Burger (138 RMB) being the most decadent. The large burger is made with 100% Australian ground beef layered with seared foie gras, caramelized onion, truffle-balsamic glaze, and crispy bacon and served with skinny fries with braised oxtail gravy.

Some criticisms include some confusion on the wording of the set menu deals. For example, for Brunch Set B, would you pay the price for the brunch item and drink and an additional 50RMB for the brunch buffet OR is the drink and brunch buffet equal to 50RMB? With the way the bill was printed, it also looked quite confusing. Perhaps better wording could have cleared this up. Also, individual pricing of each drink was not listed on the menu, as if to suggest diners are not mindful about the costs associated with the drink. The brunch at The Alchemist was a great value for standard Western brunch fare. It was also nice to lounge on cushioned garden furniture to digest after the meal. A return visit is a must to try the smoked salmon eggs benedict to see how they stand up next to the plate at Kabb.

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.

Apothecary Sunday Dinner Fried Chicken

If the classic cocktails with an inventive twist are not enough to get lure you into Apothecary, then perhaps the American southern inspired Creole cuisine will. Apothecary came down to jazz up Shanghai from its original location in Beijing with its in-house-made touches and quadruple distilled ice cubes. It made its home in Sinan Mansions and is not to be confused with the nearby Alchemist, which specializes in molecular gastronomic drinks. Apothecary tries to make everything that can possibly be made in-house from its breads (still in works) down to the bitters used in its drinks. The front entrance displays bitters and tequila batches (for its Mi Amante cocktails) curing in jars that indicate when it was made. Just in its soft opening, Apothecary already started its Sunday dinner featuring fried chicken, biscuits, and coleslaw. The menu claimed in writing that the kitchen at Apothecary will remain open until 01:00. That guarantees you can get your fill of bar bites while enjoying one of their several concoctions.

The service staff is still in training, but at least eager to please and not afraid to ask the managers for advice on bettering their work (as witnessed). The managers were also apologetic about the current state of their service and were eager to ensure that they aim to improve service significantly in the near future. After ordering a dirty vodka martini and receiving a delicious gin and tonic in return, management gave the gin and tonic as a complimentary drink and reason for pardon while the dirty vodka martini was being prepared. Their consideration also guaranteed that waste was not made!


The dinner that was supposed to be centered on country fried chicken became a dinner sandwiched by bacon, which is cut and cured in-house. Greens with poached egg and maple bacon (50RMB) included the description of "mash the egg on top and leer at the runny yolk oozing out of the fried poached egg melting into the baconified greens. It's rather obscene...obscenely good." It was pretty good. The greens had a bit of stalk in them, a tad leafy, and cut into bite-sized portions. It remained crunchy and light to balance the saltiness of the thickly-sliced bacon. After puncturing the lightly poached egg and letting the yolk run out, the egg was tossed with the greens and bacon, almost visibly disappearing in the dish. The combination was excellent: salty, thick bacon you can really chew on, crunchy cooked greens for a fresh bite, and a luscious coating from the yolk. If only there was more bacon...

The reason for dining at Apothecary on a Sunday evening is the fried chicken special only available on Sundays. Currently, half a chicken with 2 biscuits and coleslaw is priced at 100RMB while a whole chicken with 4 biscuits and coleslaw comes at 200RMB. A whole, large organic chicken arrived on a massive plate, though pre-cut to fry appropriately, and on a second plate the biscuits and red cabbage coleslaw. The chicken is prepared by brining in advance before battering and frying. From the look of the chicken cuts on the plate, the deeply brown whole chicken was there, but cut in pairs of wing, breast, and drumstick pieces so it was easy to share and divide the bird in half. It is encouraged to eat the fried chicken with your hands instead of being polite about it with a fork and knife. The batter was simply seasoned with generous amounts of black and white pepper to allow the natural flavors of the chicken to come through. It was light not weighing down the exterior of the chicken yet incredibly crunchy and, at times, you would get bites of pure, crispy, delicious fried batter. The meat is cooked all the way to the bone and moist throughout with particularly supple and plump breasts. There was enough chicken to easily satisfy four diners or leave two absolutely stuffed. Management informed us that they will be soon switching to a new supplier of organic chicken that apparently gives its birds a special wheat feed that imparts a slightly sweeter taste to the chicken meat. This new bird will tack on 50RMB to the current price of the whole chicken dinner.

The biscuits had a texture more of a popover than a buttermilk biscuit. It looked like batter was dropped in small muffin tins and allowed to "pop over" giving the biscuit an airy, though somewhat chewy texture. It was incredibly buttery, but being more of a popover, throwing some fresh herbs in the batter would have helped balance out the peppery taste of the fried chicken. The red cabbage coleslaw was not mayonnaise-based and tasted very sweet.

The end of the dinner sandwiched with bacon was a dessert of candied maple bacon. The idea is thrilling as candied bacon implies both sweet and salty in one meaty bite. Or maybe it was from watching too many episodes of Epic Meal Time that the excitement of bacon became paramount. The thick-cut candied bacon was served on a plate roughly chopped to bite-sized chunks. There was a thin layer of what seemed to be granulated sugar on the bacon, as if freshly fried bacon was dredged in a vat of granulated sugar to candy. Whatever sugar clung to the bacon pieces were probably there from absorbing all that pork fat. The texture from this felt a bit gritty in your mouth. For some reason, my expectation was that the candied portion would basically be cooked bacon covered in a layer of sugar heated at least to a low-ball stage so the bacon would shine from the sugaring and not grease. Regardless, it tasted wonderfully salty, sweet, and smoky.

Just as the drink menu provokes exploration, the Creole-style food should also not be ignored. It will be interesting to see what in-house creations are made as this dining trend is also getting attention from Austin Hu at Madison. Summer should also be favorable to Apothecary as patrons can enjoy their drinks on the small fourth floor patio overlooking Sinan Mansions.

Apothecary. Bldg 2, 4/F, Sinan Mansions, Lane 507 Fuxing Zhong Lu (by Chongqing Lu), 复兴中路507弄2号4楼 (近重庆路), Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Morton's The Steakhouse Happy Hour - Volume 3

Let it be noted that the complimentary filet mignon sandwiches at Morton's The Steakhouse happy hour in Lujiazui are no longer served in fours on plates. Servers now come around with a large silver platter loaded with them. At first, one could believe that the bar staff has acknowledged most people were consuming these sandwiches en masse, but it allows patrons not to break off more than they can chew. Each person is given an individual plate on which to place the one, two, or three sandwiches removed from the silver platter. This method prevents waste of washing numerous plates and allowing individuals to dictate how much they would like to eat. The best places to sit for maximum filet mignon sandwich exposure are along the direct exit lines from the kitchen. Along these lines, the attention of the server is gained first and the surrounding tables either get what is (or not) left on the platter or will have to wait for the next wave of filet mignon sandwiches.

Morton's The Steakhouse. Shop 15-16, 4/F, Shanghai IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, People's Republic of China. Tel: +86 21 6075 8888. www.mortons.com

Morton's The Steakhouse Happy Hour - Volume 2

The happy hour at Morton's The Steakhouse was so good the first time that it is no surprise another visit was made. Word must have gotten out to the Shanghaiers because the bar area was absolutely packed shortly after the happy hour started at 17:00.

This time seats were taken at the bar to watch the bartenders in action and perhaps get a quicker order of those 120RMB plates of filet mignon sandwiches. The best thing is the sandwich plates were seemingly unlimited. All you have to do was smile and ask the server or bartender to put one more order in for you and the next thing you know, another plate of delicious beef between four fluffy, buttery warm buns with a bit of horseradish sauce were smiling back at you. The "Mortinis" were still tasty and made to order. The bartenders this time did not ask if you would like regular or blue cheese olives in your Mortinis as the servers did the first time. However, they still heeded your requests for the right olive and if they forgot, you got another toothpick-full added to your drink.

The kitchen had taken a little more care in cooking the filet mignon for the sandwiches. The meat was still rare, but at times, it looked like the cuts were on the verge of being cooked medium-rare. At least the awkward chewiness of the meat was avoided so as not to interrupt the flow of the happy hour. Mmm...so good. After about three 38RMB martinis each and multiple sandwiches, the happy hour leaves one feeling full, and happy with a relatively unscathed wallet.



Morton's The Steakhouse. Shop 15-16, 4/F, Shanghai IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, People's Republic of China. Tel: +86 21 6075 8888. www.mortons.com

Morton's The Steakhouse Happy Hour

Morton's The Steakhouse is synonymous with American fine dining and prime beef. As a somewhat recent import to Shanghai, it still causes a stir with its quality steaks and high prices, deterring budget-minded diners. However, Morton's has a great happy hour which is not well-advertised on the lifestyle websites in Shanghai (so far). Arriving to the restaurant bar is painless as it is not packed, even during the second half of the happy hour. On the fourth floor of the IFC Mall, patrons are immediately greeted by hospitable staff and a sectioned bar area awaits. The happy hour "mortini" night runs from 17:00-19:00 Mondays to Fridays and includes complimentary filet mignon sandwiches with mustard mayonnaise. There are five martinis to choose from: gin mortini, cosmopolitan, vodka mortini, appletini, and chocolate mortini for just 38RMB each. For the classic martinis, there is a choice to have olives with or without blue cheese. The pours are not skimpy and the martinis are well-mixed.

Morton's claims the prime beef served is never frozen, always served fresh after being aged in a cyro-vacuumed bag. The idea of the care put into their beef will make any carnivore's tongue tingle. After the drink orders were placed, plates of mini filet mignon sandwiches arrive. The bar menu indicates that the filet mignon sandwiches are 120RMB per order should you desire to order it outside of happy hour. The complimentary filet mignon sandwiches make this happy hour an excellent deal because it is like eating a plate of money made with filet mignon. There are four mini sandwiches on a plate with a thin slice of filet mignon between a buttery, toasted, warm bun. The mustard mayonnaise is thinly spread in order to present the filet mignon as the star of this sandwich. The filet mignon is served rare, as a fine cut of beef should be. It was so rare that it even bled onto the bread (pictured). However, the filet mignon was inconsistent as some slices were less cooked than others so your jaw was locked around a chewy piece of raw beef while other slices melted in your mouth against the bun.

Happy hour at Morton's The Steakhouse has to be one of the better happy hour deals in Shanghai. Not only do you get a martini at a great price, but also complimentary filet mignon sandwiches to keep you from drinking on an empty stomach. Fans of the Morton's happy hour only have so long to wait until the rest of Shanghai finds out about their precious happy hour gem.


Morton's The Steakhouse. Shop 15-16, 4/F, Shanghai IFC Mall, 8 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, People's Republic of China. Tel: +86 21 6075 8888. www.mortons.com

Big Bamboo Pizza + Beer Monday Night Promotion

Mondays are becoming the night in Shanghai to get over the workday blues with dining promotions although the work-week is barely 8 hours old. At Big Bamboo, the Monday night special is pizza and a pint of beer for 58RMB from 18:00-02:00. At 20:00, the bar is filled primarily with middle-aged men taking advantage of the deal and already in need of an after-work pint. The servers are quick to seat you and receive your order. The pint of beer is standard Budweiser or Carlsberg on draft. Looking at the regular menu, all the pizzas are listed at the same price, so selecting one pizza over another will not mean that you are getting more value from the pizza through this deal. Thus, there is no feeling of satisfaction from beating the system by ordering a more expensive pizza. Feeling a bit hungry, we ordered the Chicken Pesto (chicken breast, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, feta cheese with tomato pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese) and Mediterranean (spinach, black olives, peppers, onions, tomatoes, feta cheese).

The pizzas promptly arrive and were larger than the server described them (about 12-inches). The crust was extremely thin and crispy, even able to hold the weight of the chicken without folding. The Mediterranean pizza was not impressive. The nobs of feta were generous, but the black olives were sparse. The remainder of the vegetable toppings looked and tasted more like an attempt at pico de gallo. The chicken pesto was slightly better as the chicken was cooked through, seasoned and not dry. There was not as much feta as the Mediterranean though. The pesto tasted non-existent with no hint of extra-virgin olive oil, basil, and pine nuts. The only green splash of color came from the broccoli. The mozzarella cheese on both was just enough to cover the pizza, but almost disappearing in the pizza. Overall, the crust is the best part of the entire pizza. At least a pint was served with this deal.

Big Bamboo. 132 Nanyang Lu (by Xikang Lu), Jing'An District, Shanghai 200040, People's Republic of China. 海市静安区南阳路132号. www.BigBamboo.cn

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie

When I heard that a friend planned on bringing me back one of the infamous Momofuku Milk Bar compost cookies from the United States to China, I was absolutely ecstatic. The Momofuku compost cookie created by Christina Tosi held promises of sweet, salty, savory, and decadent all rolled up into a cookie. It is made of pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, chocolate chips, butter, unbleached wheat flour, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crumbs, pretzels, potato chips, glucose syrup, eggs, whole oats, cream, milk powder, coffee grounds, salt, leavening, and vanilla. The milk powder is an interesting addition, but its distinguishing properties in a cookie is somewhat of a mystery.

Granted its enjoyment would not occur until a few days after its delivery, anticipation was still building. My friend gave me one lone cookie enclosed in cellophane. Having read a recipe (among the many variations) on how to make my own compost cookie, I started to think the calories alone could be a meal in itself. The first bite was one of buttery decadence. There is so much butter in this cookie, your teeth and tongue could feel its baked texture and presence. The cookie was also incredibly sugary with the slightest hint of coffee. There were small bits of saltiness from the pretzels (the crunch from the potato chips probably baked away), but the cookie was overall sweet. Almost too sweet. The compost cookie was still very tasty. My stomach could have managed another one had there been one available. Now, if only I could sample a compost cookie fresh out of the oven...

**The cookie photos may not be of the entire cookie, but the excitement from the idea of its consumption may have caused a lapse in memory.**

Momofuku Milk Bar. Multiple locations in New York City. www.momofuku.com/milkbar

Bistro Burger Dissatisfaction

Another burger, another year. It is safe to say that it has been about a year that I have consumed a burger and, coincidentally, I returned to the same place - Bistro Burger, another Eduardo Vargas establishment. The first visit was a blurred memory of dissatisfaction after trying the signature burger and the "protein-style" version. This last visit is another reminder of the disappointment I first felt.

Scouring the menu, few of the burger options jumped out as something unique or comforting. Bearing witness to countless false promises made by various menus in China, expectations were already low. The burger selected (another seemingly insignificant, yet important memory for the food blog) arrived with a bit of arugula salad and was topped with grilled onions. The bun had a fluffy appearance and was warm. However, the entire burger was poorly constructed. The hamburger itself did not stay together well, falling apart instead of being a cohesive mass of beef. Each bite into the burger resulted in more contents of the burger falling apart or off, preventing me from having the perfect bite with the right balance of all the ingredients. Having been seated with intense hunger pangs to accompany me, I could barely finish half the burger. It simply was not satisfying. Another year, another Bistro Burger disappointment.

The fries were served hot out of the fryer and were pretty tasty after an introduction to salt and black pepper. The consistency of the fries was good - crisp on the outside with a soft center. The milkshakes were not bad either. The server brought out the metal cups each milkshake was made in so there was slightly more milkshake per glass serving. The milkshakes could have benefited from more ice cream and less milk, as the texture was on the thin side.


Still not the best burger in Shanghai, but the fries and milkshake may be worth the snack.

Bistro Burger. 1/F, Mansion, 291 Fumin Lu (near Changle Lu), Shanghai, China. 富民路291号1楼,近长乐路

New Year's Eve Tasting Menu at Madison

If you were in any city aside from Shanghai during Christmas, it is highly doubtful you would even know Christmas was near if not for the calendar and colder weather. Trying to make the best of something celebrated elsewhere in a country not accustomed to recognizing it makes it a challenge. Why not then go balls to the walls with a fancy meal to celebrate a Western religious and cultural holiday tradition? Out of all the restaurants in Shanghai, Madison has left the greatest impression (though Avalon might have been up there if Hilary Ambrose did not leave), so why not try a holiday meal there? Austin Hu told us what he had in the works in early December, something slightly closer to home sounded great. There were two menus to choose from between 8 courses and 5 being set at 688RMB and 388RMB respectively. The set menu for each was about the same, but with the smaller 5-course dinner, out went the Smoked Trout - Housemade Trout Caviar, Pickled Water Celery, Chestnut Chips, Foie Gras Ravioli - Braised Goose Leg, Cranberry Compote, Hazelnut Crumble, and Yogurt Panna Cotta - Plum Compote, Prosecco. As much as the 8-courses tempted the stomach, the wallet (and waist line) was not having it.

I would also like to say as much as I am opposed to taking photos with flash in a dining room, the camera being used was not up to par for the task so concessions were made. Hence, the hodgepodge of flash and no-flash shots.

First off was the Warm Cauliflower Flan with Chinese Caviar served in a shot glass and a little metal spoon (note this is not a "mother-of-pearl" spoon to avoid giving the caviar a metallic tinge, but this should not be something to complain about given the circumstances). The origins of the caviar was not made clear aside from the indication that it is "Chinese," but not even the sort of fish it was harvested from was known. The flan was light and delicately sweet, hinting only of cauliflower. The caviar was delightfully salty, slightly acidic, and bitter, cutting into each creamy, warm bite of eggy flan in a way that will widen the horizon of the palate.

Next we were served the cured kampachi with hawthorne jelly and decorated with purple gynura leaves. As soon as the dish is set down, truffle aromas permeate the air. It was similar to the cured fish from Goga (Brad Turley's restaurant in Shanghai). It was not a heavy dish being cool and not over-seasoned to emphasize the cured kampachi and also anticipating the other courses to come in the meal. The Hawthorne jelly gave it a slightly sweet taste, bringing out the fresh sweetness of the fish.


Prawns had a saffron-vanilla sauce and rested on Chinese watercress. It was only one moderately sized prawn, which made you wish there were two instead of one. Following the cured kampachi, the saffron-vanilla sauce continued the slightly sweet savory palate. Perhaps this sweetness permeating the entire menu is an ode to the fact that the restaurant is in Shanghai and also is celebrating the Shanghainese sweet-tooth. Cutting into the prawn, watercress, and other roasted vegetables in the dish, I carefully put each equal-sized piece on my fork with a swirl in the saffron-vanilla sauce to get the perfect bite.

A traditional American Christmas meal is not complete without the holiday goose. However, Austin Hu did not present the table with an entire goose, but rather a sliced pan-roasted goose breast with sunchoke puree, braised treviso, and truffle vinaigrette. The goose tasted game-like and rich, warming the senses as well as filling the stomach. Using goose instead of other fowl made this course taste more decadent only for its more rare use in Shanghai and everyday meals because of its rich flavor and fattiness.

Before the dessert course, there was a long break. The server asked if we would like coffee or tea to accompany our dessert or act as a digestif.

The dessert was a peanut butter chocolate opera cake with raspberry ice cream. The raspberry ice cream was more a sorbet than ice cream for the clear lack of silky dairy texture. The cake served at room temperature was not undercooked or too dry. The tartness of the raspberry balanced the richness of the chocolate.

Compared to the other courses in the meal, the cake was relatively large and you would almost say the portion was generous. If your stomach was not full from the small tastings, the peanut butter chocolate opera cake will definitely fill any voids left. A fellow diner had stated before the meal that everything was delicious, but so small. After consuming the incredibly rich cake, that same diner was decidedly full almost as if to say that the cake served the same function as rice at the end of a meal.

The Christmas Eve meal was thoroughly enjoyable. Eaten in small bites, the entire meal could be found as filling as the diner is meant to relish in the flavors and not find gluttonous satisfaction in a large volume of food. As a pillar of American fine dining in Shanghai, I would have hoped for more takes on classic American Christmas dishes than bringing in the fusion of Chinese culture. Though, being in Shanghai, the menu represented the finer touches of each.

Madison Brunch - A Locavore Delight

Brunch is a weekend institution. It is not breakfast and it is not lunch. It is a way to spend time free of work responsibility and sharing conversation with friends over a comforting meal. Brunches are best when lazy requiring no set beginning or end, though dimming light is an indicator that perhaps Sunday dinner should have already started. In Shanghai, brunch tends to span between the hours of 11:00 to 15:00 accommodating the late-risers, church-goers, and everyone else in between needing midday nourishment. The options in Shanghai are endless, with the hotel brunches pushing their more expensive buffets in every free expat magazine. The majority of other brunch options involve a set meal with 2-3 courses, coffee or tea, and a pastry. Seeing the menu at Madison, everyone who had not brunched there before was surprised to see that there was no set meal option on the menu. With a decent-sized group ordering a myriad of items off the menu, the cost per person was actually less than the set menus of popular brunch spots, like Azul, which is right downstairs. You would expect the complete opposite when ordering a la carte!

All the egg options had a great twist to them, though we neglected to try the deviled eggs. My indifference to the choice probably came from the fact that I know of university students who have made their own in their dining halls. The scotch eggs were completely devoted to duck. The duck eggs were encased in duck sausage and had a healthy dollop of whole-grain mustard and rocket on top. It was cut into quarters, which made it easy to share. The scrambled eggs were a favorite. The eggs were not dry nor runny with all sorts of mushrooms and served on top of a puff pastry round. Immediately when the server puts the plate down, you need to attack as the pastry would go soft from the wet egg on top. There was also a hint of truffle oil in the scrambled eggs. The eggs Benedict came out with a healthy serving of hollandaise sauce over pig trotters and muffin. The shredded pig trotters were compacted into a flat disk that flaked apart nicely when cutting into the egg and the bread it sat upon. The hollandaise sauce was thick and not too acidic, complimenting the pig trotter.


Other highlights on the menu included the incredibly creamy Chili Biscuits, house-cured pancetta, potato pancakes with sweet house-made catsup, and the breads (chocolate bun and cinnamon bun). One good thing about the rolls were that the buns were cooked all the way through and you were not left with a doughy mess on the inside. Not so impressive were the beignets, which were more fried donut holes than the pillows of dough doused with powdered sugar from Cafe Du Monde an American commonly associates with the word "beignet." Being an American fine dining establishment, a refined take on the classic donut with chocolate, berry, and cinnamon dips could be forgiven, but to call it a beignet is something I do not agree with. The French toast with yogurt and berry was good, but not an outstanding point on the brunch menu. To top off an already slightly sweet meal, we recieved a s'mores and pb&j trifle. The s'mores trifle had bits of chocolate cake, thick marshmallow creme, chocolate pudding, and a giant graham cracker cookie stick. The pb&j trifle had their wonderfully creamy and rich peanut ice cream, berry, and creme with toast sticks as garnish to complete the "sandwich concept." Sprinkled on top of both were what seemed to be crushed pistachios with a sort of medium-ball sugaring.




The brunch at Madison is really good, especially for the quality you get for the price. Taking into consideration the locavore trend in Shanghai is barely beginning, it is nice to see Austin Hu leading the pack. Madison is by far the best brunch in Shanghai when it comes to an American standard.

Madison. 3/F, 18 Dongping Lu, near Hengshan Lu. 东平路18号, 近衡山路. Shanghai, People's Republic of China.