Hunan Cuisine and The Bund

85th day in Shanghai, Out with the expats (23/11/07)

Finally it was the last day of the week. Everyday seems to pass very fast now. Maybe because we have got things to do although it’s like a routine.

Met up with Denis and Raymond, managers of F&B Shangri-la hotel and resorts, China (Big shots huh!!) as they wanted to bring us out for a dinner.

Took a cab down to this Hunan restaurant (spicy food) for dinner. And while waiting for the food to come, Raymond opened 2 bottles of white wine for us to try. Too bad we weren’t wine drinkers coz apparently he told us that one bottle of wine cost RMB1000+ (S$200)

Hunan Restuarant

(We went there for 2 reasons: They wanted to bring us out for dinner plus they were planning to have a business proposal with this restaurant to set up the restaurant at some of the opening Shangri-la in China)

After awhile, Mr Sunny Pow, VP of marketing Shangri-la hotel and Resort, China together with the VP of Assort (ex GM of Swissotel, Singapore) came over to join us for dinner. (A table full of Singaporeans)

So this whole table was filled with half Super rich expates (them) and half super poor interns (us).

The food there was supposed to be very nice but it was just too spicy. The only thing that I really like there is the fried rice coz that is the only thing that is not spicy.

Some of the dishes are quite unique where there is this bun with an arc at one of the side to put some meat fillings in it (which is super spicy)

Another one was tofu plus crabmeat and egg. The egg taste was quite strong and thick but I can still taste the crab. I think it is quite nice.

Some other things that we ate were pork ribs, sweet lotus with sweet glutinous rice in-between the holes of the lotus, some super spicy fish (after eating the fish, the waitress will put in the noodles which will be soak in the gravy. Super nice but super spicy), cucumber with some type of peanut/sesame sauce, Chrysanthemum cake and some others that I cant really remember.

And throughout the dinner, Raymond made us drink 3 cups of rice wine (48%alcohol) and a lot of white wine. So even before the dinner ends, Angela and Kim was like half dead.

After the dinner, Raymond and Denise bought us to the bund. Like finally!! After almost 3 months in Shanghai, we went to The Bund.

And I found out something new. The bund is only in Pixi. All along, I thought that the bund was that 2 stretch of road along the Huangpu river. Then I realized that they always show the picture of the pearl tower and the view at Pudong side as the bund is to show that that is the view you can get if you are at the bund.

We took the cab down to pick up Joanne first at Shangri-la and headed to #3 on the bund, Laris to look at the view of Pudong at the balcony. The view was really nice. Is exactly like the view you get from buying those postcards.

The restaurants there look really nice and super high class. I think one dinner can cost a few hundred SIN.

Next, we went to #5 on the bund, M on the bund, rated #3 for all Shanghai Restaurants. A fine dining restaurant there, we went to the bar just one floor lower, Glamour Bar.

The place was quite nice-high-class. Came beside the window but the view wasn’t as nice as the on at Laris maybe due to all the window frames.

And Raymond was quite a killer. He would make every single one of us drinks. Drank quite a bit and have some small chats with them before we head off to #18 on the bund, Bar Rouge.

Bar Rouge is one of the most popular pub in the bund. Wanted to go up and have a look but it was so popular that people got to queue up at the lift area just to get up to the bar. We didn’t want to wait so long and decided to head to Baby Face since Raymond and Denise haven’t went there for a very long time. (not very their age to go there=))

Reached babyface and it was quite weird at first. Like it was super not their social class to go to such places.

Comparing bars at the bund and Baby face, I would say it is heaven and hell. The feeling... no, environment is so much different.

Stayed there for a while and went to eat supper at this Hong Kong restaurant beside it. And surprisingly, this restaurant’s Pork Bun is like damn nice.

After a long night out, we didn’t spend a single cent. Even the cab home was paid by Denise =)

Very good experience for the night I guess as I get to go to all the places where I don’t think I can even afford to go now. (Maybe I will go but not to spend money there but just to look at the different structures of the restaurants/bars there)