Results tagged “donyap”

Photo from Don Yap.

Have you ever wondered what life must be like for someone who is watched everywhere she goes, whether she's eating, drinking, sleeping, shopping? It's the reason why Shanghai photographer Don Yap has tagged her "jailbird" in one of his recent portraits of her. Watch Paris eat xiaolongbao at Nanxiang and sip tea at Yuyuan, and go shopping at Lu Kun's (the greatest PR coup scored yet by any Shanghai-based designer!). The Shanghai municipal government...

Tuesday saw a new champion being crowned at the Shanghai Regional Finals of the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup at Bar Rouge. Although we were expecting to see a lot more fancy shmancy juggling and tossing, there was a wide variation in the style of cocktails, and plenty of showy tricks -- liquid nitrogen, torches, fancy garnishes and what have you. Cross from Vault Bar & Lounge, who used to be a chef, showed how the kitchen and the bar are coming much closer together, by completely reinventing the '90s nightmare with his 42 Rosemary Chocolate Martini which was topped with a Sichuan pepper foam. Alex of Volar, the second runner up will join Cross and Johnson Ren from Aria at the China World Hotel (the winner from the Beijing leg) in representing Team China in Queenstown, New Zealand for the grand final shakeoff. We didn't get to sample any of the winning creations (nobody knows we're a cocktail connoisseur), but before Cross heads down under, we might make our way to Vault and get him to make us his rosemary choctini (mmmm... death by chocolate). Once again, we hate to come across as taking yet another tired jibe at Bar Rouge, but service kinda left a lot to be desired (and we know we aren't the only ones complaining) on an otherwise splendid evening in a fabulous location. [Photos by Don Yap]

We've been hearing about the "gypsy jazz" phenomenon happening in Shanghai for the last few months already, but only last Friday finally got to check out the music in action. We stopped by LaBella cafe on Yongfu Lu Friday night to check out French guitar duo Jay and Etienne before going to salsa night at JZ around the corner. After finding the place quite easily from the music bouncing out the door and down the block, we realized that this cafe used to be a foot massage place that we had been to once or twice. The massages were never very good, so it's no wonder the place went out of business. The cafe it has become, however, seems to be doing pretty well judging from Friday's healthy attendance. Apparently Etienne, who has played extensively with well-known French gypsy guitarist Angelo Debarre, brings in a different musical partner each week to join him for this regular Friday performance. We've also been told he is only in Shanghai himself for one more month. Shanghaiist recommends you check out this hip cafe anyway, so might as well do it before this great guitarist is gone.