Bridge the Gap

A Disappointing Beginning at Le Platane

Last Friday evening I met up with an old friend of mine who was in town from the Philippines.  Sunshine and I knew each other from New York days and it had been a good 5 or 6 years since we last caught up.  She was in China for the first time and had had her fill of local cuisine, so I booked us a table at Le Platane, a new French restaurant near Xintiandi.  I had read very good things about the chef there, Justin Quek.  He runs Les Amis, which is considered by the food press to be one of the top restaurants in Singapore. This is his first venture in Shanghai.

Sunshine and I had a quick drink al fresco to enjoy the springtime weather, before walking over to the restaurant.  Le Platane is located in a townhouse on Huangpi Lu and is divided into a brasserie on the lower floor and an haute cuisine restaurant upstairs.  We were eating at the brasserie, and upon entering walked through a relatively barren lobby to the main room.  The decor is appealing, with oversized chairs and tables that are well spaced.  There is an open kitchen running along the left side of the room with about 15-20 tables in total in the seating area.  Overall, the ambiance is pleasant but the overly bright room and muzak in the background definitely detracted from the setting.

The staff were helpful without being overbearing, giving us sufficient time to look over our menus before taking our order.  I started with the French onion soup and then chose an American ribeye steak medium rare for my main course.  Sunshine ordered a white asparagus appetizer and also went for the ribeye.  We added a bottle of Chapoutier Gigondas, a good table wine, and resumed catching up.

The appetizers arrived after a little while and we dug in.  In all fairness, I had quite high expectations of the food given the chef's track record.  So when I took my first spoonful of soup and was met with an overly sweet mixture I was disappointed.  Not bad mind you, but the stock did not taste of fresh onions; they were simply overpowered.  Sunshine liked her asparagus though, so I was happy that my guest was enjoying herself.  The wine was quite nice and we continued our conversation. 

The main courses arrived a while later.   The plates were rather surprising; the meat did not look like a fresh, strong ribeye from the US.  As we began to eat, Sunshine hit the nail on the head - the meat had either been frozen during shipment, was not of the highest quality to begin with, or both.  Somewhat acceptable in a regular Shanghai restaurant, but not at a swank eatery run by a world class chef.  I finished most of my steak out of hunger, while Sunshine left over most of her's.  The sides that we ordered - spinach and french fries - were bland, almost tasteless.

Given our lack of success thus far, neither of us had dessert.  I had a coffee, which was quite good, and after spending another half hour talking we asked for the check. In spite of the disappointing cuisine, the service had been very good throughout the meal, with an attentive staff that were well trained.  In addition, Justin Quek had worked his way through the room making sure that all his clientele were enjoying themselves.  However, the good service and hosting was momentarily broken when the bill came. I was surprised at the total and after a quick glance realized that they had rung up the Gigondas at 1,000 kuai rather than the 450 it should have been.  After a few moments of awkward confusion from the waitress while I explained the error, she spoke with the manager who corrected the bill and apologized for the mistake.

I have never been to Les Amis but am very curious to try it to see what Chef Quek has to offer when he has things running the right way.  For now, I suggest diners stay away from his effort here in Shanghai.  Le Platane has some of the right ingredients for success, but overall is not yet even close to being a destination dining experience.

Le Platane; 373 Huangpi Nanlu at Xingye Lu ; +86 21 5383-2998

789 Nanjing at the Meridian: Classy and Calm

Last Saturday evening I wandered over to People's Square through misty weather to meet two friends for some cocktails atop the (relatively) new Meridian Hotel on Jiujiang Lu.  I arrived on the 66th floor and found a darkly lit, classy room that was almost completely empty.   The bar, 789 Nanjing, stretches over 3 floors; my friends had grabbed a corner table overlooking the Huangpu and Hongkou to the northeast.

I ordered my usual gin martini, the ladies glasses of shiraz and we settled in to our comfortable chairs.  Although the bar was pretty quiet (several tables came in and out throughout the time we were there, but I suspect many folks were still away for Chinese New Year) it did not seem barren.  The staff was quite attentive without being obtrusive, and the setting made for a perfect background to discuss the challenges and potential of living in Shanghai.

We talked for a few hours, trading viewpoints and sipping our drinks.  The bartender seemed to know what s/he was doing as my martinis were pretty well mixed.  The good drinks and service combined with the peaceful, foggy city below us, lightened the spirit. 

I am not always a big fan of hotel bars, but 789 is definitely worth a look.  It feels like an oasis of sophisticated calm in a city overblown with cookie cutter clubs and must go restaurants that usually do not deliver.  Cheers!

789 Nanjing at Le Royal Meridian; 789 Nanjing Dong Lu at Xizang Lu, entrance on Jiujiang Lu;  021-3318-9999

Haiku: Good, But Not Quite A Poem for the Ages; Wagas Huaihai Redux: Never Again

Anyone who has lived in Shanghai a while will be very familiar with the standard all you can eat Japanese offerings.  Although these restaurants will leave you filled (and usually drunk) by the end of an evening, the quality of the food is not that high.  The sushi in particular, ranges from inedible to rubbery to barely passable.

Things are thankfully beginning to change, and Haiku by Hatsune, a new restaurant on Taojiang Lu in the French Concession, is part of the new wave of Japanese places in Shanghai.  Hatsune is well known in Beijing and offers extremely fresh sushi at reasonable prices.  Haiku is looking to replicate that and more.

When you enter the restaurant, the first thing that strikes you is the service; staff members are rushing to open the door for you and are very polite and amiable from the get go.  The space is modern and open, with clean lines.  This is a large restaurant, with two floors that encompass two sushi bars and seating areas.  On the night we visited, there were not that many patrons in the house, but it was a Tuesday and the restaurant has not been doing much in the way of publicity, yet. 

After being shown to our table, the staff was helpful in taking our order.  The menu includes a wide variety of rolls, handrolls, a decent selection of sushi and sashimi and a nice group of non-raw dishes.  The drinks list has a variety of hot and cold sakes, standard Japanese beer choices, as well as juices and sodas. 

The order came out very quickly.  Somewhat surprisingly, our Amy roll arrived before our appetizer. The roll was well-presented and had a decent taste and freshness, but there was too much sauce obscuring the flavor of the fish and shrimp. The agadashi tofu appetizer then came and was very good, crispy on the outside with a flan-like consistency inside.  Then came the rest of the main course, which for us was sushi in various forms. Yellowtail (my favorite) was decent, but slightly disappointing.  The flavor was a bit muted and the texture made me think that it had been frozen and thawed one time to many on its way to Shanghai.  The surf clam (hokkigai) was excellent, as was the albacore.  Tuna and salmon were also okay.

The meal was served flawlessly.  The staff is attendant but not obsequious and makes one feel very comfortable.  The house tea is excellent and (perhaps because it is early days) free desserts were brought out after we finished our sushi.  With a bill of ¥225 for two, including one beer, the prices are quite reasonable for quality Japanese fare.

Overall, the food at Haiku is good but not quite up to the offerings at Hatsune in Beijing. Service is top notch and the ambiance is comfortable and relaxing.  They have a lot of seats to fill, but I think it will be a winner and bet that as word of mouth and proper publicity kick in, Haiku by Hatsune will be hopping.

Haiku by Hatsune;  28B Taojiang Lu between Hengshan Lu and Wulumuqi Lu; 021-6445-0021

On the opposite end of the service spectrum from Haiku, I recently went back to the Wagas outpost on Madang Lu near Huaihai Lu.  I left wondering how a chain that caters to a well-heeled clientele could be so inept. 

I was meeting a friend to help her prepare for an interview.  After arriving a bit late and saying hello I went to the front to place my order and pay.  I returned to the table and we began our mock interview and discussion of the job opportunity.  The manager had warned me that due to the lunchtime rush, my wrap sandwich would take about 10 minutes.  No problem, as it was very busy.  After 15 minutes I asked the staff where the sandwich was.  They confusedly apologized and said they would look into it.  20 minutes and I rose to go speak with the manager; he came back to the table, checked the order, and went off to the prep area to see what as gong on.  He returned, saying my sandwich would be out shortly.  30 minutes, no wrap.  The manager came back over, apologized and after seeing that I was none to pleased brought out a piece of day-old chocolate cake.  Finally, after 45 minutes, my curry chicken wrap came out.

Now, I am a patient person and even when I was annoyed did not raise my voice in any way to the manager.  But 45 minutes for a wrap that probably took about 2 to prepare!  And to bring out a piece of dried out cake as a way to make things better.  It really just goes to show how poor the competition is in some segments of the Shanghai restaurant scene.  Wagas is not expensive, but is also not exactly a cheap lunch.  I think from now on I will stay with my old favorites Zentral and Element Fresh, both of which have food that is at least as good as Wagas and understand a bit more about service.

Wagas; 300 Huaihai Zhong Lu (entrance on Madang Lu); 021-6335-3739

Barnett-Oksenberg Lecture - Current State of US-China Relations

Wednesday night in Shanghai a cross section of the city’s political, business, and academic elite gathered for the third annual Barnett-Oksenberg Lecture at the Jinjiang Hotel. Billed as an unofficial "State of US-China Relations," this year’s main speaker was Ken Lieberthal, the professor from the University of Michigan and former Clinton National Security Council staff member. Professor Huang Renwei from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences provided commentary and also took part in the Q&A that followed the main session.

Lieberthal’s speech focused on current US perceptions of the cross-Pacific relationship. Much of it was textbook stuff, but there were some interesting insights as well. Lieberthal highlighted five areas that are driving US perceptions/concerns about China:

1) China has become a domestic issue in the US, especially due to the major impact it continues to have on the manufacturing sector.

2) There is strong uncertainty about the future development of China, which makes US policymakers and citizens in general, nervous. Lieberthal pointed out that of all the major developed and developing countries on the globe, China has the widest range of possible outcomes over the next ten to twenty years, and there is little clarity about where in this range the PRC will wind up.

3) There is concern in the US that the emerging "China model" or "Beijing consensus" is a threat to the democratic, free market development path that the US model offers. Although Huang pointed out that the "Beijing consensus" is a fabrication of US, not Chinese academics, the fact that China is taking a more aggressive diplomatic role across the globe is making more and more people within the DC establishment concerned about its intentions.

4) Along these lines, there is concern over the unclear intentions China has for its increased regional role. China has appeared to be happy at the rise of regional diplomatic groups such as the Shanghai Co-operation Organization, which do not have the US as members.

5) Within the US there is a major disagreement between hardliners and the center about the long term nature of US-China relations. Although this is nothing new, Lieberthal pointed out that the lack of transparency from China’s military buildup only gives firepower to the hardliners in the US, which in turn reinforces the hardliners in the PRC.

Lieberthal also highlighted the fact that 2006 will be a problematic year for the US-China relationship because of the midterm elections upcoming. He pointed out that given the strong possibility that China will be labeled a currency manipulator by the Treasury Department and that there is a strong possibility that Congress will gain final approval over CFIUS decisions, there will be a lot to test the relationship in the next nine months.

While summing up, Lieberthal had some constructive recommendations, including bringing China into the G8, establishing an integrated energy discussion forum so that the US and China could cooperate more rather than compete for energy resources across the globe, and forming a systematic impediments group to look at structural problems in the Chinese and US economies that are detrimental to the bilateral relationship.

Citizen and Cotton's: Two Welcome Additions to the Shanghai Scene

Although we are in the doldrums of winter, when skies are grey and temperatures cold, Shanghai is starting to look up. The days are getting a bit longer and the cafe and bar scene is getting better and better.   

This past Thursday night while I was awaiting the little lady, I was sitting in Citizen, a new Paris-style cafe located in the heart of Puxi. Unfortunately for the owners, it was extremely quiet (it was a bitter cold night, so maybe that had something to do with it), but after a long week of work it was a welcome respite.  The staff was attentive, the cocktail and food menus really solid (first time I'd seen Planter's Punch in Shanghai).  The red banquettes and jazz were good complements to what was one of the best martini's I've had in Shanghai. 

I always tell friends that for me to feel really comfortable with the nightlife anywhere I need two things: a good place for a Guinness and a good place for a martini.  Now, I found the Guinness a long time ago (as ex patty as it is, Blarney Stone on Dongping Lu is still the best pour, with Sasha's just down the block a close second).  But the martinis I've had run form bad to worse.  Not so at Citizen. Granted they have Tanquaray not Bombay Sapphire, and the olives aren't fresh, but the glass I sipped from was a real fine effort by the staff mixologist. 

The first floor of Citizen is a cafe/lounge and the second floor a restaurant.  There is also free if spotty WiFi access if you happen to have your laptop. Citizen has the added advantage of being down the block from everyone's favorite DVD shop, Ka Da Club.  The management definitely needs to do some PR, but as I sat there well appointed singles and couples filtered in for drinks and dinner, so there is hope. Just steps away from pulsating Huaihai Lu, Citizen is an oasis worth checking out next time you are in the neighborhood.  If nothing else, come by and have a martini – I could use a second opinion to make sure my taste buds haven’t completely left me! 

I first stopped into Cotton's a few weeks back.  I am told that two years back this was a great bar and a highlight of the Shanghai scene, but the place was forced to close down when the owner lost the lease on the space.  Well, it is back now in a new location, and it is fast becoming my favorite watering hole.  The staff are extremely helpful and friendly, the atmosphere excellent (it is an old house with lots of rooms and a nice outdoor terrace), and the drinks priced reasonably.  It is located at the corner of Jianguo Xi Lu and Anting Lu just around the corner from my old place.  Shame that I moved out a month back, but at least my new apartment's not too far away. 

The crowd is a mix of professionals and students, and the vibe is of laid back enjoyment versus the typical see and be seen wanna be Shanghai bar.  No Guinness on tap (that would have been too much I suppose) but the Carlsberg is fresh and the selection of spirits is decent.

So as the winter starts to threaten to turn into spring, I find myself happy that there are two good additions to the Shanghai scene.  Hope to see you at one of them sometime soon.

Citizen, 222 Jinxian Lu, near Shaanxi Lu

Cotton’s, 132 Anting Lu, near Jianguo Xi Lu