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Cinematheque: Mulan is finally Chinese again! (and other film news)
Right when we walked into Issimo, the classy new Italian restaurant at the Jia boutique hotel, we wanted to fall in love with the place. Dressed in brick and wood and adorned with dark leather furniture, Issimo seduced us with its warm beauty. The staff seemed to be in on the game as well, lining up near the large and lively open kitchen to greet us as we walked in.
Immediately after we were seated in the main dining room, the servers pounced with a creepily jubilant smile. Conceptualized by Salvatore Cuomo of The Kitchen, Issimo represents the Puxi extension of the celebrity chef's authentic and hearty Neapolitan cooking. We had been told to expect family-style portions, and indeed most of the mains on the menu were priced for two (although there is an option for single portions). Soaking up the gorgeous atmosphere, the lively and attentive staff, and the ostensibly satisfied looks on the faces of our neighboring diners, we braced ourselves for gorging on mounds of deliciousness.
We were just a tad bit disappointed. We started off with the assorted appetizers (178 RMB) platter from their "anti-bar" showcase, which was light and brisk and not too particularly memorable. We moved onto the seafood risotto (168 RMB) and the ruote with gorgonzola and ham and walnuts (178 RMB), both served in copper pans and definitely large enough to satisfy an additional blogger or two. While the flavors were tightly balanced and satisfying, both the rice and the pasta were undercooked slightly beyond our tolerance for al dente, adding seconds of grainy annoyance to each bite. A side of spinach was caked with a bit too much sea salt, and was pretty much ignored the whole night.
That being said, there was plenty to admire on the plates of our neighbors. We stared at the platters of cured Spanish and Italian hams parked next to the delectable looking wood-fired pizzas (138 RMB), and couldn't help but think to ourselves that we'd be back very soon. The sorbet and the line-up of staffers that bid us a fond adieu pretty much sealed the deal.
Issimo - 2/F 931 Nanjing Xi Lu near Taixing Lu (南京西路931号2楼, 近泰兴路) Tel: 6287-9009, Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-midnight
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.
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With all the great eateries available in Shanghai, why are you focused on some obscure Italian joint? What demographic is Shanghaiist trying to appeal to?
"The sorbet and the line-up of staffers that bid us a fond adieu pretty much sealed the deal."
Staffers bidding your adieu? Where is that NOT true anywhere else in Shanghai?
You know, you don't have to attempt to exude the same type of personality as the gothamiist.. Different country, different culture.
Booggerg - I don't think Eric is trying to appeal to any certain demographic.
From the way the article reads, it sounds like this "obscure Italian joint" is really a newly opened restaurant. Being a good Food/Drink reporter, he's writing a review of its food and services.
I wouldn't really call this obscure -- it's the anchor restaurant of a newly-opened hotel designed by Philippe Starck, a place I've heard several people, both foreign and Chinese, mention as "def. worth checking out." Maybe Shanghaiist should re-review all the old favorites for the new people? One of the problems with all the pap magazines is that if you live in Shanghai long enough, you end up reading the same old articles written by FOBs with little or no insight. Personally, I like the write-ups about the concerts and the restaurants, even if I don't go, and I think the "volunteer" aspect of Shanghaiist is what makes it so good because there are no hidden conflicts of interest, unlike the others with semi-advertorials as the bulk of the content. I think the target audience is obvious -- English speaking people that live in Shanghai. And this is right in our sweet spot. I don't really understand what's your beef. If you want a restaurant site, go to Dianping.com or even Zagat. I don't think there is a clear personality to the site anyway -- every writer has his/her own interests and style.
I guess it just feels to me.. all the cultural articles seems like they're written by Asians who think they are a "Lauwei" or by Lauweis themselves and obviously appealing to only certain demographics.
A bit of sarcasm:
I'm sure all the people in Shanghai are lining up to see some obscure DJ at The Shelter... yeah a real reflective of the local culture. If this isn't attempt to appeal to certain demographic, I don't know what is..
Perhaps I'm just not familiar with the mission statement of the Gothamist and all of its regional franchises.. Thought the Shanhaiist might be unique but I guess not..
I guess it just feels to me, and I'm not sure how many people would agree with me here, that boogerg sounds like a racist, and a prick.
vlad: sounds like to me you haven't had to deal with racism much in your life.
social commentary - ever heard of it my friend?
i agree with booggerg as much as shanghaiist is a volunteer write ups they tend to have a certain type of demographic to me they seem be a lot small town joey's from US notice how excited they get all excited about tall buildings and street vendors wow! :)
booggerg:
I always thought Shanghaiist did a good job covering a crapload of different topics that might be of interest to a crapload of different people. The only demographic I think they really make a concerted effort to target are people who can read English. There are posts that I skip and posts that I get really into...but this site never struck me as having any sort of agenda or mission, other than to post about stuff related to Shanghai and China. And it's also been around for a long time now, with lots of writers from different backgrounds (check the staff page - not only "small town joeys" as far as I can tell) moving in and out and adding their own perspectives and styles, which is what I like so much about it. From your comments you come off as someone who might be new to this site, and not really sure what it's all about. Or maybe you're just looking for a post that only caters to people interested in anything non-expat related. I mean, Issimo is hardly "obscure," as it's been reviewed in all the expat mags already. If that is what you're looking for then, yeah, Shanghaiist is probably not for you.
Wow, I never thought that the existence of a simple food review would cause criticism about this site's decision to post simple food reviews.
Seriously, if you want a food review site, go to dianping.
"Asians who think they are a "Lauwei" or by Lauweis themselves and obviously appealing to only certain demographics."
You mean English speakers/readers? Funny for an English language blog in a foreign country to target English speakers/readers.
Also? Laowai. 老外. Anyways, anyone who tosses around victimization ("haven't had to deal with racism") should be the last one to accuse "Asians who think they are "Lauwei".