I have always been wary about tapas because the idea of dining on small plates does not sound very satisfying to me. I am a big boy and I need my meat. So when my friends suggested Las Tapas, I was already moving Carl’s Jr up to speed dial.
Las Tapas: Just the right size
Andrew James Art: "13 of Blondes" Opening Reception
Quality and beauty are the two features Andrew James looks out for when he sources for contemporary art. This was what he liked about Dorothy M. Yoon's works when he first came upon them at a London art fair. Last Saturday's opening reception for Dorothy's first solo exhibition in China attracted a good number of people, presumably intrigued by the bizarre portraits of Asian females in all kinds of blonde wigs imaginable. While surreal images of pallid-faced beauties may not appeal to every art buyer's taste, seasoned portrait collectors should figure if they like this series fast since the large group portraits come only in editions of 3.
Opening Today: Exhibitions at Don Gallery and Andrew James Art
Feeling artsy today? Go catch London-based artist Dorothy M. Yoon's exhibition which features 13 Asian females in blonde wigs and equally blonde bleached eyebrows inspired by her childhood fantasies. A joint exhibition by contemporary artists Christeene Britton & Wang Youling celebrating harmony and life can be a good bet if you're looking for something a little more abstract (and perhaps a little less quirky). Enjoy.
Amokka and Bliss: Two cozy comforts from the cold
Shanghaiist recently stumbled upon a couple of little, somewhat inconspicuous spots that seem perfect for hiding away from the obnoxious cold of Shanghai’s deep winter. We’re planning on being regulars at these places not because the food is mind-blowing, but because they’re cozy and warm and, well, we’re softies like that.
Blue Frog opens with a big bang in Macau
Over this weekend, Blue Frog celebrated its grand opening in Macau's Venetian in a glitzy event that featured performances by Shaolin monks, Australian DJ Alex Taylor and Shanghai's very own Sugar Mama and the Cotton Club Band. Apparently, quite a number of people flew over from Shanghai for the event (too bad for us, we were never invited). In this video, Blue Frog looks a lot more like a club than anything else, and certainly...
Arty Saturday: Yuichi Hibi, Rita Portugal Lima and Liuli China
There isn't a live music update this week, but it's art shows galore TONIGHT. Three picks that aren't in your conventional Moganshan Lu / Taikang Lu destinations.
The Southern Barbarian's triumphant return
Back in January, we told you how much we loved the food at Southern Barbarian, the great Yunnan restaurant that some people complained was too far away because it was north of Beijing Lu. Well, we are happy to report Southern Barbarian has moved farther south, and now resides amongst a cluster of art galleries and shops near the intersection of Maoming Lu and Jinxian Lu (just one subway stop from Shanghaiist headquarters). The grand reopening party, with requisite amounts of free food and booze (and live music from The Cardinals), was last night, and some photos can be found above.
Did they really call it SCAT?
Seen any other unbelievable store names while shopping around Shanghai? Why don't you snap a picture and send it to us at info AT shanghaiist DOT com?
H&Y: A Japanese kitsch-en on Maoming Lu
Maoming Lu is no longer a wild party street. Gone are the lascivious hostesses running around in a noisy chaotic fashion, challenging beer-drenched men to games of Connect Four. H & Y' s boss must have seen it all, because this low key Japanese restaurant is still going strong in this street after seven years. We enjoy this restaurant, because it has tasty, inexpensive Japanese food in a very casual environment. Inside, H & Y revels in Bohemian kitsch. It has "I heart you" sprayed on the mirrors, alongside kooky paintings, New Year emblems and Christmas lights. Expect to hear Eric Carmen or some Chinese power ballads as the soundtrack to your meal.
Weekend Recap: What was good (and not so good)
The good and the not-so-good from the previous several days
Night Notes: Glamour Bar, snooty people and foreign waiters?
Shanghaiist has a new favorite bar in town, and it’s great. It’s stylish yet unpretentious, has great cocktails, and a killer view. It’s ... Glamour Bar?!? Who knew! Adjoining old Shanghai chestnut M on the Bund, Glamour was once a nice place to chill while waiting for a table, but was easily outshone by the flashy upstarts elsewhere on the Bund.
Hurry! Only four more chances to catch Octopus 2!
We were walking on Maoming Lu near Huaihai Lu recently when we spotted (behind the watch/bag/shoe hawkers announcing to us that Xiangyang Market was no longer) a rather large image of the Statue of Liberty being attacked by a giant octopus. This caught our attention. The advertisement adorning the west-facing wall of the Cathay Theatre was for the movie Octopus 2: River of Fear (also known as "OCPOTUS" on some local posters). We generally try to stay on top of the latest goings on in the film world, and we were curious as to how we failed to notice the release of a movie about a massive cephalopod that attempts to take over Manhattan. So we did a little research.
What have you been told to do during the SCO Summit?
Someone just sent us this joke (in Chinese) about the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Shanghai. The rough translation is:
Let's talk about sex, baby
The last time Shanghaiist was in the Bund Sightseeting Tunnel -- way back in 2002 -- we didn't get a chance to peruse the Sex Culture and Education Exhibition that is currently housed there. Needless to say, had we known about it at the time, we would have checked it out ... and probably gone back a couple of more times, just to really absord all of the sexually explicit content information.
The greening of de-stinking of Shanghai
Last summer, Shanghaiist snapped this picture of the grassy roofs of the Jin Jiang Hotel on Mao Ming Lu. Hotel workers said the grass had been there "for some time" and that it was "mandated by the district government."
PAUSE for artistic thought
Bored of the same old over-priced and pretentious crap that seemingly dominates Shanghai’s nightlife scene? Then a new event kicking off on Saturday could be right up your street.
Lonely, lonely nights
Shanghaiist visited a bar the other night. A new bar: Free Soul, on Fahuazhen Lu.
Tongren Lu gets the summertime blues
Too often, we hear Shanghai residents bemoaning the lack of good live music, especially when compared to our neighbor to the north. Sure, we all love a good Filipino cover band every now and then, but ...

Cheapest beers in town
