Set back from the junction of XinLe Lu and XiangYang Lu, opposite a blue-domed Russian Orthodox Church stands the Mansion Hotel. A limestone building in manicured grounds, this place gives off the same whiff of 1920’s luxury that you see in the grand old financial institutions of the Bund; if you like Hamilton House you’ll love this place. On the fifth and highest floor, the Mansion Veranda restaurant is one of the nicest terraces in......

The title of "Best pizza in Shanghai" is a hotly contested one that frequently sparks passionate debates, not least within Shanghaiist towers, and these days, it's a crowded field in Shanghai, with a number of restaurants jostling for position. However, in this correspondent's humble opinion, Pizza e Pasta might just pip the others to the post. Quite simply, this is authentic Italian pizza. We'd always assumed that such a thing was impossible outside of Italy......

Before you click play on this video, be warned: it is not for the squeamish or for animal lovers. A little while ago we headed out to He Lin, a Korean seafood restaurant on a street crammed full of other Korean and Japanese seafood restaurants, in Minhang district. We live beyond the ring road in the wilds of Putuo, but even we thought it was a bit of a trek to get there — and......

“You’d think Mister Tsuri would’ve tasted the food before he opened his stadium,” slurred a jovial member of our dinner party, as we spilled sake down our throats in a red-shag-carpeted cube. “There is no Mister Tsuri,” we explained. “It’s called Matsuri – it’s a restaurant name, not a person.” “Shut up and drink,” he shouted, toasting over a table littered with half-eaten dishes. That pretty much summed up our experience at Matsuri 123 Japanese......

Healthy eating is anathema to Shanghaiist; why deprive oneself of all the deliciousness in the world just so one can live a few more extra years? However, we understand that folks here sometimes need to feel a tad better about themselves after one too many 3 a.m. lamb skewers outside [insert overpopulated club of the moment here] any given morning. Thank goodness for RU? Cafe and its aim of providing balanced and nutricious offerings in......

By Julien Bertrand: On his first official visit to China, French President Nicolas Sarkozy must have been dizzy, witnessing the signing of contracts worth 20 billion euros in total, comprising of 160 Airbus aircrafts, two EPR nuclear reactors (to be built in Taishan, Guangdong, by 2014) and signal equipment for Shanghai’s future 36-kilometer metro line #10, a long-awaited deal between Alstom and Shanghai Metro that will link New Jiangwan Town to Hongqiao Airport. In an......

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......

Yen Falls as BOJ's Fukui Says No Preset Time for Rate Increase [Bloomberg] The yen fell against all 16 of the most-active currencies as Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said there was no set time for raising interest rates.Survey shows Singapore is Asia's most desirable city to live in [Channel News Asia] According to the latest Country Brand Index, Singapore is the top Asian city to live in. It was also ranked third globally......

This week's Shanghai pub news HAMILTON HOUSE: Hamilton House Restaurant and Bar (137 Fuzhou Road 福州路137号) opened last week and is located at the corner of Fuzhou and Jiangxi Roads, opposite the Metropole Hotel and a couple of blocks back from the Bund. Hamilton House is a 1930s art deco building with nice high ceilings and reminds me of many bars in Melbourne. On the ground floor (i.e. first floor for you North American readers)......

Someone told us recently that there was a new Mexican burrito place called Cal Kitchen that opened up not that long ago on Dagu Lu, and being long-time residents of California, we decided to see if it lived up to its billing as place for authentic Californian/Mexican food. Long story short, it doesn't. We ordered a big chicken burrito that in better days, might have been a contender—but as it was, it was a soggy......

Don't be too surprised if you're walking down Nanjing Lu next month and you see a bronze chariot rampaging down the street. War hasn't arrived. It's just one of the shoots for the Hollywood blockbuster The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor which stars Jet Li as Emperor Qin Shihuang, alongside Brendan Fraser and Michelle Yeoh of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame. We hear it's a massive production (like anything isn't in China), and they're......

At 7:00pm on a Sunday night all three floors of this sleek looking restaurant were packed. The modern industrial steel and granite motif works nicely in the space, and the bright lights and high ceilings mean smoke isn't a problem. The place was alive with conversation and wait staff hurriedly shuffled between tables bringing out food and drinks. If loud dining isn't your thing try to book a private room. The soup pot arrived......

Walking into Steak & Eggs, Shanghaiist was flooded with fond childhood memories of chowing down on big greasy breakfasts at truck-stop diners during family road trips along Interstate 10. Sure, we love Moon River and its classic 1950's theme, but Steak & Eggs is the first place we've eaten at in Shanghai that fits the mold of the no-frills American roadside diner. The owner is a friendly Canadian named Paul, who opened the first two......

We just got word that Blue Frog will be opening a restaurant at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel on August 28th. From their press release: blue frog bar & grill is strategically located on the main casino level of The Venetian, which opens its doors on August 28. The stylish 6,500 sq ft, 200 seat venue, will offer all-day dining from breakfast, lunch and dinner to afternoon snacks, wines and cocktails. “While incorporating the classic elements of......

For this Shanghaiist, lunch during the work week typically consists of lukewarm slop served downstairs in the company canteen. So, when we get a rare chance to take a day off from work or telecommute, we like to venture out and take advantage of the many lunch specials that are offered by Shanghai's popular restaurants. Boonna 2 has already earned its reputation as a hipster favorite with its cozy and laid back vibe. It's now......

The problem with objectively trying to discuss food is that it’s an inherently subjective experience. Let’s face it; when it comes to eating out, everybody and their uncle has an opinion, and they inevitably polarize into two distinct groups: those who think ‘this place is great!’ and those who think ‘this place should be razed to the ground and sown with salt so that nothing can ever grow in this spot again.’ It makes discussion…......

Gil Kim is a professional baseball player from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, which we are sure you all know is the home of Yuengling Lager (and is not too far from Bloomsburg, which we are sure you know is home to the Bloomsburg Fair). After graduating from Vanderbilt University, where he was "primarily a role player," Kim spent 2006 playing with the Omron Pioniers, a minor league team in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2007, he was signed by......

Wonderful as living in an egalitarian utopia may be, it’s sometimes nice to get away from it all and enjoy a little taste of luxury. Now, we’re not talking about the plebeian pleasures of foot massages or fine dining here; such extravagances will do in a pinch, but fail to deliver in moments of truly-deserved immoderation. No, we’re talking about the pinnacle of class and sophistication, the very essence of luxury itself: a swim-up bar.......

Shanghaiist had an interesting challenge: do a restaurant recommendation for a restaurant that doesn't really have a name. Well, at least one that we recognize. We got a business card but the Chinese name is simply "烧肉" (grilled meat) and we didn't know how to read the Japanese characters. On a tip from a friend of a friend who had spent most of his life growing up in Japan, we decided to check out the......

The recent hoopla over poisonous, tainted, and otherwise malignant Chinese exports — toothpaste, toys, and pet food, oh my! — has left us with an unpleasant taste in our mouths (and not just the minty-fresh kind). Industrial malfeasance has become the bane of Chinese commerce, and we have no intention of downplaying the unique brand of terror experienced by a parent who realizes he just gave his kid a lead-addled plaything. But it is difficult......

So last week the parents were in town and that meant fancy food for free! We decided to take them to Jade on 36, the Paul Pairet helmed restaurant in the Shangri La, and even we were surprised at how amazing it was. We can say without a doubt that it was one of the best, if not the best, meal of our lives. And we’ve eaten at a bunch of those uber-haute restaurants named......

Chinese portal penalised for mocking mentally ill A Chinese website has been ordered to pay $2,631 in compensation for publishing photographs of a mentally challenged 63-year-old man dressed up like a teenage girl. China plans highway on Mount Everest China plans to build a highway on the side of Mount Everest to ease the Olympic torch's journey to the peak of the world's tallest mountain before the 2008 Beijing Games, state media reported Tuesday. Shanghaiist......

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We remember, a few months ago, walking to Embre on Changshu Lu only to discover it had closed down, after decent reviews and six months of existence. We were exploring the restaurant options near our new apartment, and our second choice, a tapas place on Huashan Lu, also was no longer in operation — really, the building had been leveled. Food and beverage places disappear quickly here in Shanghai ... but sometimes they reappear quickly,......

Over the weekend we briefly mentioned MGM Studio World, a huge indoor entertainment complex coming to Shanghai. And today we found an image of the plans — hope you like Rocky. Here's what the press release says: It is an indoor venue combining dining, unique retailing, night-time venues and entertainment in a space of approximately 200,000 square feet. The consumer-friendly entertainment destination is slated to be unveiled in the summer of 2010 to coincide with......

Large hydropower project in Chonqing to start production in October Started in 2005, the new project is slated for completion in 2009 and will account for for approximately 30% of Chongqing's total installed capacity. Shanghai Subway Line 1 experiences problem causing up to half hour delays This happened on the 19th, around 12pm. The train stopped in the middle of the tunnel, and then began to slowly move again, only to stop and start......

Shanghaiist is in a panic. Our Enjoy card expires on Saturday and we have a million (OK, not really, but it seems like it) coupons left in our book and they are all useless by tomorrow midnight. After swapping vouchers like baseball cards with other coupon clippers, the plan for today is to maximize our discounts to the fullest extent for 12 hours or more… 9:00am Buy one get one free breakfast at Kabb 10:30am......

Zakaria: The Sky Isn't Falling in China "It might be time to admit that we really don't understand China. The country simply does not conform to our most basic beliefs about what makes nations grow." Curbs sought on violence in Chinese films "China needs a law to restrict a 'violent culture' in films and Internet to protect the youth from being corrupted, a Chinese lawmaker said Tuesday." China is source of bird flu virus,......

We love WiFi — Shanghaiists are sociable folk, and this Shanghaiist in particular has fallen into an easy Sunday routine of catching up on news and email with a cappu and sandwich at local cafés. We like having a “third space” — a local hangout where we can meet up with friends, have the occasional coffee, and wile away the hours. We’ve already mentioned a few recent faves, and celebrate the expansion of free internet......

Shanghaiist hopes that Valentine's Day 2007 went better for you than it did for us. We had planned, after dinner and drinks, to get drunk and screw, especially after watching the above sex ed video for inspiration. However, we had a bit of a problem when, after dinner, we headed to 1001 Nights on Hengshan Lu to smoke the sheesha (water pipe) and have a small but potent cuppa Arabic joe. Just FYI, this......