We've all been there - all you want is a salad and just don't want to make one yourself. And then maybe you do, and it doesn't taste the way you want it to. Total bummer. Well, next time this situation arises, we've found at least one good place to get a fix. Origin, a small café and restaurant tucked around the back of Taikang Lu.
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The Japanese restaurant En on Taikang Lu serves regional Okinawan cuisine, which is stamped with the imprints of its Chinese and other southeast Asian neighbors. Amidst the fresh sashimi, fermented cuttlefish, and crispy yakitori that En's menu shares with its mainland Japanese brethren, you'll also come across the quintessential Okinawan goya chanpuru (40 RMB), a stir fry with egg, tofu and chunks of bitter melon clinging to thinly sliced pork belly. Or a somen version of the chanpuru (38 RMB), with thin angel hair-like pasta swimming in meaty fragrance. Pork plays an important role in Okinawan cooking, and at En there is no better manifestation of this than the negi chashu (45 RMB), thick slices of pork with streaks of fatty goodness, smothered in green onions and miso. Wash all that down with
FCC (tasty but in overly small portions) and Golden Bull (crap) aside, we were dismayed when Le Garcon Chinois stopped serving Vietnamese on its menu (because we haven't had a chance to go try it after all that we have heard). So it's opportune that we stumbled upon the newly-opened Pho No. 1 at Taikang Lu the other weekend. In spite of the mediocre review we've recently read, we think they did up decent enough pho to satiate our craving nevertheless.
Chinese art is where it's at, especially in our own city of Shanghai, says this video featuring interviews with curators at MOCA and Moganshan. The swelling popularity of the genre is evidenced by an impressive statistic — in 2004, Sotheby’s auctioned off $3 million in Chinese art, a number that increased to $70 million last year. Respect for the burgeoning art scene doesn’t just come from abroad, but from China’s own youth, who are becoming increasingly interested in artistic expression as a means of self-expression during a time that they, and the nation, are undergoing massive and accelerated change. But don't just take their word for it — get out to some of the exhibits that are in the city this month. Our picks: World Press Photo Exhibition, a stroll in Taiking Road Art Center or a trip to MOCA’s first-ever exhibition of exclusively Shanghai-based artists. World Press: Songjiang Art Museum, No. 601, Lane 900, Sanxin Road North, Songjiang District; Taiking Road Art Center: Lane 210 Taiking Lu; MOCA: Inside People's Park, next to Barbarossa. Enter near Starbucks and Shanghai Art Museum at 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huangpi Lu or Xizhang Zhong Lu 人民公园 ，南京西路231号，人民广场
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.
Taikang Lu has developed rapidly in the last few months — expanding from the original alleyway into a sprawling collection of labyrinthine lanes populated by galleries, arty shops, and some great restaurants. However, the revitalisation of Taikang Lu hasn't been welcomed by everyone. Yesterday, on a gloriously sunny afternoon that saw large numbers of people flock to the area, some local residents decided to voice their dissent against the ongoing development.
Taikang Lu is best known for its quiet galleries, trendy cafes and relaxed atmosphere but hidden away inside Building Three are a group who take beating you into submission very seriously. Unlikely as it sounds, studio 311 is home to top Brazilian Jujitsu and MMA trainer Tony Eduardo Lima.
This Shanghaiist has been living in our fair town for over four years, most of it spent searching for two things: the love of a beautiful woman and a great, authentic burrito. While we're still striking out on the woman front, we're inching ever closer on that elusive burrito, first with the action-packed weekend special from NYC Deli, and now with the cheesy wonder found at Taikang Lu's Togo taco stand.
Shanghaiist has been wanting to tell you about the remaking of Taikang Lu which for a while was in danger of getting a 'lil old and tired, but has changed pretty rapidly over the last few months. And now we even have a video to show you. Many new al-fresco cafes and creative stores have sprung up and the place has expanded. On our last trip there, we found many old residents that have stubbornly...
Well, this weekend there might not be a 1234 Beach Rock Festival, but that is no reason to stay home, curled up with a blankie, crying about what might have been. Live Bar out in Yangpu has shows going every night, showcasing emerging underground acts from Shanghai and Beijing. Friday night, Yuyintang will be hosting big hair, metal band Arch Enemy from Sweden. Apparently this is a pretty well known European metal band, and after listening to a few of their songs, they might make you want to kick some dude (any dude) in the balls. This, in case you didn’t know, is a big thumb’s up for a metal band. For those who don't really like kicking (or possibly being kicked) then check out the Lulo Reinhardt Latin Swing Quartet at the Melting Pot on Friday or on Sunday at Labella's Cafe. We have heard rumors Lulo Reinhardt is an amazing Jazz guitarist and we are looking forward to seeing him play. Antidote, one of Shanghai's favorite monthly parties is holding an exhibit of party posters and videos from the past 2 years at the Source gallery and will hold a party at the gallery, tonight.
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.
What's happening now: The Thai Food Festival is currently running in Shanghai through September 9th at four Thai restaurants that have received the official "Thai Select" designation from the Thai government. Organized by the Commercial Section of the Royal Thai Consulate General, Baan Thai, Lan Na Thai, Ma Boon Krong and Simply Thai will aim to present dishes that represent the four regional cuisines of Thailand.
Shanghai. It is all happening. Here's the proof:
Hollywood is a new DVD shop just a few doors away from Oscars (nee Ka De Club) in Taikang Lu. This new DVD emporium stocks an amazing range of new and old American, Chinese and international titles. It is very similar to its neighbour, but with more choice and better merchandising. All of the films are boxed in hardcases on tall shelves along wide aisles. Hollywood is spacious and the layout makes it almost possible to find what you want. One day they may even get round to filing titles into alphabetical order, grouping them by genre.
Just when you think that everything is starting to turn rosy for Shanghai's live music scene, something comes along that hits you like a kick in the teeth.
While we were "researching" information for this post, we came across an Answers.com entry about the Yangpu district which says that Wujiaochang was constructed in 1929, and the English name of it is "Pentagon Plaza." Maybe it's just because we're Americans, but we think that of all the English names we've heard for places, that's about the snazziest one. Well, not quite as snazzy as "Email Plaza" by Jing'an Park, but a close second.
The previous week's hits and misses
Every couple of years, Shanghai's art and culture scene comes alive as a slew of exhibitions are organized in tandem with the Shanghai Biennale, arguably the biggest art event in the city. And every couple of years, Shanghaiist is disappointed by the various offerings. Shanghai never claimed to be the cultural center of China but one would think out of all the events and exhibitions this fall, something would get Shanghaiist excited. Instead, we can sum up this fall's art events with one word: Boring!
We hate to sound like we're shilling for Live Bar, but with ten shows in the five weeks since they officially opened, the Yangpu dive is fast becoming the number one venue for live rock music in Shanghai. Three consecutive concerts this past weekend meant six long cab rides, 13 bands, and innumerable (20-kuai!) pitchers of beer.
What was that NWA song again? "Love Tha Police"? "Truck Tha Police"? "Funk Tha Police"? Well, whatever it was, that song came to mind when Shanghaiist learned that every hipster's favorite Shanghai bar -- Tang Hui Pub -- was being forced to shut its doors. "We're in a quiet neighborhood, and the police are always coming in," explained bar owner Zooma, who is also the soulful and spasmodic frontman for the band Xingfu 13, which kicked ass last Friday at the Shanghaiist launch party. The bar, located on tiny Xingfu Lu in Changning District, will close sometime in November.
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