Noodle Bull (and other food news)

Bullish: We stopped by Noodle Bull, the Taiwanese noodle joint in the new Mansion building on the corner of Fumin Lu and Changle Lu, for lunch last week. The decor was sleek and simple and the food was well presented and serviced. The noodles were authentic in texture and consistency, but the stock and meat pairings offered on the very scaled down menu were a bit ordinary and punchless when it came to flavor. Low prices (25-35 RMB), convenient location, and great service and environment are sure to offset these shortcomings for busy lunch-break professionals, who packed all the seats at the tables along the two walls and at the two large communal stretch tables the cut through the middle of the restaurant. We can see this place sticking around for a while.

Things that are coming to Shanghai: From Biz China Update we learn that Hong Kong's private member club KEE will open up its first overseas location this month at the new Twin Villas site on Huahai Lu. Expect a brasserie style restaurant with a lounge and bar. The member exclusivity model has yet to prove itself out in Shanghai, so we're curious to see how KEE does. Then again, there may be tons of successful private places we don't know about and will never get invited to.

Lovers of Cotton's have been excited for a while about the bar's second location, which will be officially ushered onstage on October 10th 18th, the day of its grand opening party. Open bar from 7-10pm at 294 Xinhua Lu. Dress code: cotton.

This one's a bit old, but for those of us you who have indulged in Shanghai's food options to the point of excess and are looking to trim a few kilos, global weight management titan Weight Watchers launched its first ever center in China last month. Just the mere thought of its existence makes us want to go eat a salad right now.

Off the press at moderate temperature: According to Tim Johnson of McClatchy, Alan Wong is "the most successful American restaurant owner in China." Read about how this Ferrari-driving dude made it big with Hatsune in Beijing and now owns all or part of seven Japanese restaurants between Beijing and Shanghai, with more to open.

UPDATE: Sorry, we were careless and had the wrong date up for the Cotton's party. It's actually on the 18th and has been corrected above.

Noodle Bull - No. 291 Fumin Lu, near Changle Lu (富民路291号, 近长乐路) Tel: 6170-1299

Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.