Blogs
Preview: Brunch @ Waldorf Astoria
Shanghai's brunch scene has a new addition with the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund recently launching their 'Sunday Brunch Tour'. The idea is that people will start at the Long Bar, near the entrance of the hotel, for Champagne and oysters, before heading through to Peacock Alley cafe for freshly brewed coffee and pastries and then finally heading down to the main event at the Grand Brasserie restaurant.
Tastes from East to West can be found at the Grand Brasserie's buffet, there's a seafood bar, tartare and roast carvings, dumplings and much more. Not wanting to box themselves into the generic “one-size-fits-all” five-star hotel brunch, you can also order a main course a la carte. The crab bouillabaisse is a particularly nice choice.
As you would expect, all of the food is top notch. The service is also on par with the best in Shanghai. It's difficult to tell as yet what kind of crowd will be attracted to the Waldorf Astoria brunch, but the hotel's air of quiet elegance would make it an odd choice for a rowdy group or family brunch. Perhaps it would be a nice way to kickstart a potential romance, or impress your hard-to-please business associates? It's hard to see how they could find fault with the quality on offer at this welcome addition to Sunday morning in Shanghai.
RMB 488 per person (+15%), includes still and sparkling water, freshly squeezed juices, soft drinks, coffee and tea. An additional RMB 100 buys free-flow Veuve Clicquot Champagne, as well as red and white wines.
11am-3pm. Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu. Tel: 6322 9988. Email: [email protected]. Web: www.waldorfastoriashanghai.com
Night TALK: Vegas Comes to You
Gambling is against the law in China, although some would argue that it’s a gamble every time you nosh down on some street food. Illegal or not, the law doesn’t stop many an event being themed like a casino…and more power to them, the thrill of playing competitive cards is about as fun much as you can have without getting into too much trouble.
This Friday night sees Le 98 at the Grand Mercure Hongqiao host Vegas Comes to You, their very own casino night. Games on the cards (wink) include blackjack, roulette and plenty other casino classics as well as fancy drinks and fusion canapés; with prizes and pride up for grabs for the winners and nothing but a good time for the losers. A night to remember should be had by all.
The dress code is ‘Dress to Impress’ whatever that means, but it’s probably best to get decked (wink again) out in your best threads and make your way over to the hotel and play some cards. RMB 198 pre-sale and RMB 250 on the door.
Le 98 Lounge. 369 Xianxia Lu, near Furongjiang Lu. Tel: 5153 3300. Emaiil: [email protected]
Night TALK: Champagne Campaign
The Apartment is turning one next month but it looks like they have started the party early with their ‘Champagne Campaign’.
The offer is as simple as it gets…buy one bottle of Mumm Cordon Rouge for RMB 700, or two bottles for RMB 1,300! By the glass it’s RMB 120 with on the house strawberries and chocolate the Champagne Campaign is about as good an event as there is on a Tuesday.
Discounted Champagne and plates of chocolate covered strawberries…yes please. What was that? It’s happening every Tuesday…you’re too kind.
The Apartment. 3/F, 47 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu, Tel: 6437 9478
Night TALK: Get Classy at Salon de Ning
After a long day of shopping in the famous brand name stores that dot the Bund, those dresses are screaming to be let out of their bags for their debut. You start to wonder if there is a bar elegant enough to match your shiny new dress and unparalleled shopping savvy. The Salon de Ning at Peninsula Shanghai has the whole package. No loud music pounding in your ear or smoke blurring your eyesight. You don’t need to shout to be heard here; your new clothes will do the talking. The Salon de Ning shimmers in classic décor of the 1930s and the soft music signifies nothing but class.
Named after the celebrated hostess famous for her global travelling and socialite life, Salon de Ning nostalgically relives the era of Madam Ning when Shanghai was known as the Paris of the Orient. The sophisticated night spot, based on a traditional Shanghainese “Shikumen”, is where east meets west, where Chinese and international influences fuse into a stylish mélange of culture reflecting the glamour of old Shanghai.
The world-renowned Japanese bartender mixes up cocktails with elegant dexterity, while the DJ tones down the music to match the ambience of the venue. Get cozy on the sofa with a glass of Ning Royal and let the tender music soothe you. Would the night be more perfect?
BF, 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near the Bund. Tel: 2327 6731 Website www.peninsula.com
Dining Out:German Delicacies at the Expo
Many pavilions are gone with the Expo, but lucky for us, the much acclaimed Bavarian restaurant Paulaner Bräuhaus Shanghai continues to bring us delectable German cuisine and freshly brewed beer from its Pudong location.
When you think of German food, the first thing that comes to mind is sausage with beer, but Paulaner has much more to offer than just the stereotypes. The German salad layered with eggs, cooked ham, corn and celery is a flawless artwork, and the pork salad is exquisitely chopped and soaked into a specially made sour sauce, leaving it light and fresh. Even the brezels, the signature German style pretzel, are delicately crafted in to the shape of a tree and comes accompanied by three different sauces: schalz, liver mousse and butter. Don’t miss Paulaner’s mixed Bavarian combination. The meaty course is a combo platter of varieties consisting of cured pork knuckle, braised pickled smoked pork neck, meat loaf, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. For drinks, there are three types of beer: Lager, Dark and Wheat. The perfect marriage between delicate German meal and soft, yet bitter German beer makes you almost believe you are in Bavaria.
Did we mention the beer is made in Paulaner’s own distillery? Since you’re already there, remember to take a tour in its shiny microbrewery.
555 Shibo Dadao. Tel: 2206 0555. web: www.bln.com.cn
Night TALK: iClub
Just a month ago had someone mentioned iClub, the reply surely would have been: who? what? where? Today, it’s the nightlife location on everybody’s lips. This Friday, Canadian progressive house DJ Deadmau5 will bring his oversized mouse head/hat thing back to Shanghai to wow crowds with his unique style of electronic music. It is sure to be a massive night and for those lucky enough to have tickets will be an event they won’t soon forget. If like most people you don’t have your ticket yet show up early as there will be some tickets on the door.
Located in Guandii’s old space, iClub is setting its stall out early and trying to make it in Shanghai’s hyper competitive nightlife scene. Renovated and ready to go, the people running the place have done all they can to get the club ready for the huge crowds that will be drawn in by the allure of the world renowned recording artist. Rated as one of the world’s best DJs, Deadmau5 is someone to get excited about. His music both critically and commercially acclaimed is a great starting point to get into electronic music.
iClub. Inside Fuxing Park, 2 Gaolan Lu, near Sinan Lu. Tel: 5596 8888. Web: www.iclub-sh.com
Dining Out: Cinco de Mayo
Despite at first sounding like a basin full of mayonnaise, Cinco de Mayo is in fact a pretty cool festival celebrating the unlikely victory of the Mexican army over the French on 5 May 1862. Honestly though, even if the whole thing was terribly boring TALK would still put its full support behind an event that celebrates putting the French in their place.
Tomorrow night Mexican food heavyweight Mi Tierra is offering a night so full of tacos and tequila shots it’s almost stereotypical. For the very reasonable RMB 99 you can enjoy free flow tacos (do tacos flow?) from 5 – 9pm. After that there will be special drinks deals for revelers to imbibe to their hearts content. Corona, Sangria and tequila shots for RMB 28 and margaritas for RMB 38, and what’s more you can still, if you have any room let, get tacos for RMB 18.
17 Yongjia Lu, near Maoming Lu
Night TALK: Block Party
Everybody likes a good block party, whether it for a specific celebration or just a get together to meet some new people. Luckily this Sunday the guys at Brownstone are putting on a little soiree for Shanghai.
With no entry fee and plenty of good company to boot, the day will be a sun soaked (forecast: Partly Cloudy with a High of 29°C) day of fun. In an effort to ramp up the party spirit, all people who live/work in the area will get a shot for free.
Beer, wine and selected cocktails will be half price and hot dogs will be on the house. Get down there on Sunday, because as we all know watching back to back episodes of Project Runway in your pajamas can always be saved for another weekend. The event runs from 2 – 6pm.
570 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu
Comments
Seems nice
I had some German food in Hongqiao area, like you said, all I got was beer, sausage and weird meat.. but that's how I met Jägermeister though! Hope this restaurant will change my mind about cuicine da Deutsch =)
Amy