Thursday, April 19, 2007

Thanks for your posts!

Thank you all so much for your posts. I really enjoying reading them. Please keep them coming. Thanks to MJ for the restaurant recos in Beijing, and CH for the "power bar" reco.

Today I had a hot stone massage at the spa in the hotel. It's the most beautiful spa I've ever been to. After a week off walking 5+ hours a day, it felt nice to finally relax.

Shanghai is very different than Beijing. I'll write more later, but wanted to do a quick post to say hello.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I went through my Zagat Guide and picked out a few of the best-sounding restaurants for you in Shanghai! I pulled from a few different categories, so you have options depending on your mood/time:

“Best Buys”

Dongbei Ren
You can “sample northern [Chinese] cuisine in a funky” setting at this “colorful, friendly” chainlet offering an “extensive menu” of “inexpensive” Dongbei regional cooking, which emphasizes meat, potatoes and a “wide range of breads”; “cheeky singing waiters” dressed in rustic garb and “spacious” digs that evoke a country village make for dining that’s “entertaining” as well as “delicious.”
Ratings: 23 food; 19 décor; 20 service…Y73 cost
3 locations:
Gubei/Hongquiao Neighborhood:
555 Shuicheng Lu
(Maotai Lu)
Shanghai, China 200036
6233-0990
Luwan Neighborhood:
1 Shanxi Nan Lu
(Yan'an Zhong Lu)
Shanghai, China
5228-9898
Xuhui Neighborhood:
46 Panyu Lu
(Yan'an Xi Lu)
Shanghai, China
5230-2230

Huxinting Teahouse (Huxinting Chalou)
A “slice of authentic China in an increasingly un-Chinese city” describes this “beautiful”, long-established teahouse set in a lotus pool in Old Town’s Yuyuan Garden and accessible only by a ‘bridge of nine turnings’; offering a “good selection” of teas served in the “typical manner” along with rather pricey dim sum snacks, it can be a “touristy” “madhouse”, but it’s a “must-see, inside and out.”
Ratings: 23 food; 22 décor; 18 service…Y86 cost
In Old town:
Yuyuan Garden
257 Yuyuan Lu
Shanghai, China 200010
6373-6950

Bao Luo
This “Shanghai tradition” in Jing An is “always packed” with a mostly local crowd (though it’s “friendly to foreigners” too) drawn by “marvelous Shanghainese cuisine” and “excellent value”; no-frills decor and a “raucous ambiance” make it “great fun for large parties”, especially since it’s open until 6 AM.
Ratings: 24 food; 11 décor; 14 service…Y67 cost
In Jing An:
271 Fumin Lu
(Changle Lu)
Shanghai, China 200040
6279-2827

“Top Food”

Jean Georges
Jean-Georges has done it again”: the celeb chef’s first Shanghai venture is a “wow”, ranking as the city’s No. 1 for Food and No. 2 for Popularity; set in the upscale Three on the Bund complex, it delivers “exquisite” New French food in a “drop-dead gorgeous”, “1930s-esque” setting by Michael Graves complete with “amazing skyline” views; service, while “accommodating”, might need “to mature” and prices are steep, but it’s “a must go” and there’s no arguing with the “great bargain” 188 RMB lunch prix fixe
Ratings: 27 food; 26 décor; 24 service…Y471 cost
In Huangpu:
Three on the Bund
3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu
(Guangdong Lu)
Shanghai, China 200002
6321-7733

Yuan Yuan
Outstanding Shanghainese food” (with regional Chinese and Japanese touches) coupled with “inexpensive” prices make these “contemporary, bustling” eateries very “popular”; maybe they’re “not much to look at” and “service leaves something to be desired”, but they’re bright, welcoming and highly regarded, so “book your table early.”
Ratings: 27 food; 17 décor; 18 service…Y121 cost
4 locations:
Xuhui Neighborhood:
550 Wanping Nan Lu
(Lingling Lu)
Shanghai, China 200030
6438-1015
Putuo Neighborhood:
1038 Nanjing Xi Lu, 7th fl.
(Jiangning Lu)
Shanghai, China
6272-6972
Pudong Neighborhood:
2000 Longyang Lu
(Jiangning Lu)
Shanghai, China
6892-6665
Xuhui Neighborhood
201 Xingguo Lu
(Tai'an Lu)
Shanghai, China
6433-9123

Club Jin Mao
Amazing views of the city from 86 floors up”, a “luxurious” room with “well-spaced tables”, “excellent”, “creative” Shanghainese and Pan-Chinese cuisine and service that “can’t be beat” add up to a “memorable night out” at this “high-end dining extravaganza” in the Grand Hyatt in Pudong, where the “exclusive, clubby feel” from its days as a “members-only” establishment still linger; prices are as lofty as the locale, so “take your expense account.”
Ratings: 25 food; 26 décor; 25 service…Y330 cost
Pudong Neighborhood:
Grand Hyatt
88 Century Blvd./Shiji Da Dao, 86th fl.
(Yincheng Dong Lu)
Shanghai, China 200121
5049-1234

Xin Jishi
Whether at the simple, “hole-in-the-wall” Tianping Lu original (a cult favorite known as Old Jishi or Jesse) or one of its bright and airy siblings, expect “excellent Shanghainese home cooking” that’s “the real deal”; empty seats are rare, especially at the “very vibrant” Xintiandi branch, so brace for a “crowded”, noisy scene mixing locals, tourists and, at the original, occasional “Hong Kong movie stars”; N.B. the Shanghai Stadium location opened post-Survey.
Ratings: 24 food; 14 décor; 19 service…Y162 cost
Xuhui Neighborhood – 2 locations (plus a third at Shanhai Staduim):
28-3 Taojiang Lu
(Hengshan Lu)
Shanghai, China 200031
6445-0068
1800 Zhongshan Nan Er Lu
(Caoxi Bei Lu)
Shanghai, China
6469-0151

Da Marco
An “old expat favorite”, this “unpretentious” paesano pair proffers “excellent pastas”, “interesting pizzas” and other Italian fare served by an “efficient” staff; the “no-fuss, no-frills” settings may strike some as “boring”, but most appreciate their “casual, comfortable” feel and “reasonable prices” – you can “take a date or group of friends without breaking the bank.”
Ratings: 22 food; 14 décor; 17 service…Y130 cost
103 Dongzhu'anbang Lu
(bet. Jiangsu Lu & Zhengning Lu)
Shanghai, China 200050
6210-4495

Element Fresh
Lives up to its name” say fans of this Jing An New American serving “healthy, fresh Western-style sandwiches, salads, pastas and smoothies” plus some Asian options; a “popular see-and-be-seen” lunch spot and a “Sunday AM hangout”, it’s often “noisy and crowded” with “expats and locals alike”, and while servers are “friendly”, their “alertness” varies – some act as if they “didn’t yet have a shot of spirulina in their OJ”; N.B. the grab-and-go Express offshoot in Xujiahui offers sandwiches and salads, and a new satellite has opened in the K. Wah Centre
Ratings: 22 food; 17 décor; 18 service…Y98 cost

2 locations (plus a third new one at K.Wah Centre):
Xujiahui Neighborhood:
279 Wuxing Lu
(Zhaojiabang Lu)
Shanghai, China
5116-9897
Jing An Neighborhood:
1376 Nanjing Xi Lu
(Xikang Lu)
Shanghai, China
6279-8682
Enjoy!
MJ