Read on (or check out our calendar) for more! more ›

We've heard about this for a while, but never managed to head down so we weren't sure what to expect when we got to Kommune the other day. An OCN-style networking mingling over dinner? Thank god for the laidback Aussie nature, it's more of a cozy get-together among friends, i.e. booze and all-you-can-eat BBQ minus the pretense. So the price has now been upped to RMB 148 (from RMB 100) with two drinks thrown in instead of one. Still, it's a bargain if you like hamburger patties, sausages, kebabs and salads (4 kinds, well mixed). Too bad there's no warm summer breeze yet and it got a little chilly while we were waiting for the food, otherwise it's all good. Nothing to complain about a hearty meal midweek. Would we be asking for too much if we want a little more variety and how about BBQ vegetable kebabs next time? more ›

Heading south down Hengshan Rd from Dongping Rd, turn trustingly left down a dark lane with a large ad for Yang's Kitchen on the wall. Keep walking till you see an old villa on your right-hand side where there is a faded brass plate with the faint engraved lettering "Le Garcon Chinois." (Actual address is No.3, Lane 9, Hengshan Rd). Go up the stairs and you are there. Le Garcon Chinois restaurant has a cosy and unpretentious bar that serves good quality drinks at very reasonable prices. There is an extensive cocktail list with most drinks priced RMB35-55. House spirits are mostly RMB35-40, including Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray gins, both at RMB35. Vodka sippers can enjoy Grey Goose for RMB55, while Tequila massacists can revel in self-destruction by slamming down shots of Jose Cuervo 1800 at RMB45 a pop. Even though the bottled beers are run-of-the-mill, they are good value priced between RMB20-25 (Qingdao RMB20; others RMB25). For those on the wagon, soft drinks are also priced RMB20-25. Wine drinkers will be pleasantly surprised, with several wines available by the glass priced from RMB45-58, with the pick of the bunch being a fine Bordeaux red at RMB58. Should you wish to indulge in a bottle, a good selection is offered with this scribe noticing Vasse Felix merlot, Petaluma chardonnay and Henri Bourgeois sauvignon blanc. Being located close to many other well known expat bars and restaurants, this place should be on many more drinkers' drinking circuits. Go give it a try. more ›

From Shanghai Daily:

SHANGHAI issued an orange alert for heavy fog this morning. It was the first orange fog warning since winter began early this month. more ›

The last time an anchor from our favourite TV channel made it to the news, he created such a brouhaha that culminated in the eviction of one coffee company from the Forbidden City. In the news this time is New Zealand-born anchor Edwin Maher who for many years before arriving in China was a weatherman with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The Los Angeles Times published a profile of Maher that started it all off. It... more ›

With Christmas just around the corner, there are plenty of parties to attend, plus more wine tastings and other opportunities to get thoroughly blotto. Here's what Winopete has heard about so far: Nov 29 Oriented Happy Hour at MoCA art gallery in People's Park. Please visit www.oriented.com for details. Nov 29-Dec 1 Italian wine exhibition at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre (Tongren and Yan'an Roads) hosted by the Institiute of Fine Italian Wine. No other details... more ›

With the dust now settled on last week's APEC summit in Australia, we came on a juicy tidbit of news that either didn't get much mileage in the Chinese press or escaped the news that we read. Shanghaiist reader Fergus Ryan filled us in: more ›

Would you believe the Eager Beaver? Check out the list to the right (paying special attention to the prices) and let us know what you think. They have most of the beers imported by American Craft Beer Partners (they have Brooklyn Lager, but it isn't on the menu), Coopers, Sam Adams and big bottles of Paulaner, which we hadn't seen elsewhere. We suppose they could use some Belgian beers and some Kiwi beers and maybe they should look into these Aussie beers headed to town soon thanks to Mat Ryan, formerly of Senses. But what Eager Beaver has now, already ranks the dive as perhaps the city's best hideout for beer lovers. What other places compare? Moon River Diner at New Factories comes to mind. Any other candidates? more ›

"A local education official who organised the song and dance performance, Kuang Li, locked herself in the toilet, keeping out children who suffocated, according to Chen's blog. Kuang was jailed for four years." more ›

We've never been to an H&M before, but it can't be worth waiting in line for, can it? more ›

At least, that's what the Swedish fashion retailer would like you to think, given the massive party it threw last night at the Pudong Science and Technology Museum, which included a brief appearance by Aussie pop queen Kylie Minogue. It's clear that expansion into Asia, specifically China, is high on H&M's priority list, so their media machine can be forgiven for grand pronouncements like "Asia is about to change" that show up in our local rags. more ›

The match signifies the dawn of a new era in Asian football, as the A-League side enter the Asian fray for the first time since Australia quit the Oceania confederation a year ago to join the Asian one. more ›

Editor's note: Sorry for getting this up so late in the day. But if you still happen to be stuck behind a computer, there is plenty of time left to show your love for Australia! more ›

Good more ›

We emailed indie-music bible Pitchfork Media about the Dirty Three story we told you about last week. They went and interviewed the band's violinist Warren Ellis, who said Shanghai gave him "one of the most exciting moments I have ever had onstage" (OK, so it was more an "afraid for my life" excitement than a "holy shit, Shanghai's music scene is awesome" excitement -- but we'll take what we can get). We were not really surprised to learn that certain officials threatened to cancel the Dirty Three gig before it even happened, because they assumed, from the band's name, that it was a "pornographic act." They wanted the Aussie chamber rock trio to go by the name "Dirt Three" while in Shanghai, but when they found out the band had no lyrics, Dirty Three got the go ahead. Here are some of Ellis' comments on the night: more ›

Son: Mom, you're never going to get old. more ›

Shanghaiist wound the clock back a few years yesterday afternoon at the New Jiangwan City SMP Skate Park (the biggest in the world!) watching a scarily young posse of locals and laowai get around a massive series of concrete bowls and ramps on skateboards, inline skates, BMXs, motorbikes and scooters. There were plenty of t-shirts with statements, lots of spills, some impressive frontside-180-nosegrind-to-fakies, and far too many members of the local constabulary considering the modest size of the crowd. more ›

In case you have missed -- and really, how could you -- we have been asking daily Aussie trivia questions in a build up to tonight's Shanghaiist Dinkum Drinks Happy Hour at Senses. The winners of these daily contests get a free drink at the party (if they can find us in the crowd). more ›

Only 26 hours to go before you get to drink cheap Coopers beer while wearing your Drizabones and listening to Regurgitator's "Kong Foo Sing." And no, we have no idea what any of that means. more ›

Today's Shanghaiist Dinkum Drinks Happy Hour reminder comes with another chance for you to have Shanghaiist pay for your first drink at the party Friday night. more ›

We're sure you are all marking the days off on your calendar, but just in case, here's a reminder: Three days and less than two hours to the Shanghaiist Dinkum Drinks Happy Hour! more ›

So here's the deal: Friday, Sept. 22, 7-11 pm; 2 for 1 on selected Aussie wines (normal prices start at 40 RMB) and 2 for 1 on Coopers beer (that's two bottles of one of the better brews found in Shanghai for RMB 30 ... we haven't seen a better deal in a long, long time). They will also be firing up the barbie (burgers and other meats at good prices) out on the patio, where they will be showing some Aussie movies (no, not Young Einstein). We'll be playing Men at Work's "Land Down Under" over and over and over Aussie music all night long -- and if you are lucky, Shamus might break out the ol' didjeridoo. more ›

Despite our admiration for the career of this fellow Aussie (who has won a swag of majors), Shanghaiist couldn’t help feeling a bit better about our own very ordinary golf game upon hearing the news of her bunker blues. After all, we might be bad at golf, but we’re not that bad. more ›

Shanghaiist asked its contributors (and a few "music people" in town) to list their five favorite albums released (or yet-to-be released) somewhere in the world in 2006. Got a list of your own? Submit your favorite 2006 music as a comment to this post. Enjoy! more ›

A brief note regarding the City Diner we told you about not too long ago: We have learned that it is supposed to open this week, either today or Friday, depending on who you believe. We assume the source that said today is reliable, because he was seated in one of the City Diner's booths working on a computer. We'll explain: We ate at Eat, Drink, Man, Woman on Saturday (delicious, as always) and afterwards decided to snoop around upstairs to see what the diner was looking like. Honestly, it looked a lot like Eat, Drink, Man, Woman -- the same beige pseudo-suede upholstery. We were kind of hoping for some red vinyl and at least one jukebox. The only things that really screamed "diner" were the retro Coca-Cola fridge, the hanging lights and the neon sign outside. So, we figured they still had some redesigning to do. But the guy with the computer sitting in the booth (who we didn't notice at first -- good thing we didn't steal that wine) said it was scheduled to open on Monday. And who would doubt a guy sitting in a booth working on a computer? Well, we would. We just called iiiit!, another one of Eduardo Vargas's establishments, and they said the City Diner will open Friday, but that it didn't have a phone number yet. If any of you decide to go with the computer guy's word, let us know what you find. more ›

Since Shanghaiist kicked off in July this year, we've inflicted opinion after opinion on you, our faithful readership. Here comes a whole bunch more. more ›

It is with sheer reluctance that Shanghaiist brings itself even to utter the word “cricket”. We’re still in disbelief at Australia’s loss to England in The Ashes. Arriving at work on Tuesday morning in drizzling rain and having relinquished the little urn, we finally understood what it feels like to be a Pom. more ›