Today I rode out the Shanghai International Circuit for F1's friday practice sessions. It's no more than 30km away from downtown Shanghai so with the usual tailwind along the Cao'an Highway you could easily get there in 60-90 mins... basically the time it would take to get there on the Metro.
It looks like the new K11 mall is where the cool kids and young professionals hang out for browsing and nibbles. Azul Urban, up on the fourth floor, is in a strong position to snap up passers-by with light bites and a good drinks menu.
Sometimes when you’ve been frequenting the same restaurant for a while, you get stuck in a rut. You try not to disrupt a winning formula and simply order the same core set of dishes, exploring outward once in a while by ordering a bonus dish or two. Kota’s is a great example: there are pages and pages of delicious yakitori and small sides to choose from, but we almost always end up with the same ones on the table. And while they’re always good, who knows what else we’ve missed out on. Recently, we discovered a new favorite: Kota’s korokke (RMB35).
If nicely laid out, well-intentioned Western cuisine served in a choice location is enough for success in Shanghai’s gastronomic melee, then La Maison Gourmande has cleared the first hurdle. However, if it must be prodigious to jostle alongside the Anfu Lu heavyweights, then this French bistro needs a far more accomplished offering.
For damn fine Tex-Mex food in a themed but relaxed environment with great service, Mexico Lindo brings the goods. Situated down the Hongmei Pedestrian Street, they’re serving up a huge menu to the strolling masses, piñata-bashing families and regulars who know their daily specials by heart.
Here's a ride through the arm-pit of Shanghai south-west to the Sheshan & Songjiang area and the Shanghai Botanical Gardens. It's not pretty, not clever and not hard. For a slice of modern-day mainland and an opportunity to soak in all the aromas of light-industry before seeing some flowers (and once awesome garden-feature) then take this route...