Shanghai is starving for pockets of varied and reliable dining experiences. With new tenants in the area, Pistacchio finally puts Ferguson Lane on the map as a viable high-level neighborhood option.
Tucked away in the basement of the SML Centre alongside a hundred other quick-eat and snack food outlets, Pho House serves up simple plates of wholesome Vietnamese staples.
There's nothing that can invigorate the essence of decadence more than an expertly presented Lobster Bisque. Let's be honest, they're in the realm of the hotel (where else will have 20kg of lobster shells on hand?) and so here are three of Shanghai's best offerings:
For clean and tasty shawarma in a cozy and considered environment, Jojo is a simple answer. It’s a small and tastefully presented café / bar with a gyro machine up front and a focus on the good stuff.
70 million years ago a meteor hit China 100km west of where the world's largest city would be. It filled with water, got connected to Beijing by the world's longest man-made canal and then pumped almost entirely full of the byproducts of industrial progress.
Anybody who's done any kind of time in Shanghai will have been to the water-based peripheral towns of Suzhou and Hangzhou. These quaint second tier cities, gargantuan in their own right (both upwards of 6 million people - the population of London) are a fitting retreat when Shanghai's streets have become claustrophobic enough to warrant a weekend away.
VUE is the total package. It has Shanghai’s best view, an eloquent dining concept and world-class, wonderfully prepared food. To be honest though, when the first two are put into perspective, VUE could be offering beans on toast. These are the upper floors of the Hyatt on the Bund, perched up around the corner of the Huangpu allowing 180 blissful degrees Pudong and Puxi. Inside is no less inspiring. VUE’s dining room spans a luxury apartment’s decor, from dark-wood library to stainless modern kitchen. Tables are scattered throughout, portraying an air of casual but comfortable sophistication.