The Urban Edit
Shanghai isn’t exactly the coldest place in the world – at least that’s what the government seemed to think when they neglected to provide the city with any decent heating system – but it can darn well feel like it sometimes. Luckily, Shanghai’s residents have a whole range of delicious wintertime snacks with which to combat the cold. Here’s what you’ll find Team Bespoke munching on over the next couple of months.
Few chefs can present a dish that looks like a used condom on a beach and still get 3 Michelin Stars (true story) – so we were already in awe of Alvin Leung even before we tried his first Mainland China restaurant.
Otherwise known as The Devil Chef, Leung is famous for two restaurants: Bo Innovation in Hong Kong and Bo London; the former earning 3 Stars in 2014.
Leafy Jinxian Road in Bespoke’s own corner of the former French Concession is best known for its home-style restaurants and copious amounts of laundry flapping in the breeze. Now, however, in Shake it can claim to have one of the city’s best intimate live music venues too.
Tucked away in a 3rd floor loft, Shake is an small space with a well-stocked bar at the rear, but all the seats set to face towards the stage. Expect live performances of soul and funk at least four nights a week* from a roster of Shanghai’s most-seasoned performers – on our visit the house band’s classic funk set was going down a storm with eager punters, so much so that we wished the owners would clear the decks and include a bit of a dance floor.
Remember when the Park Hyatt opened and we all ooohed and aaahed over its elegant white walls, blond wood furniture and subtle lighting. Shanghai was ready to embrace a future of tasteful elegance and refined sophistication. Well, folks, that was way back in 2008 and guest what – it turns out minimalism was simply a passing fad. Wanda’s new Reign on the Bund hotel leads the new charge of ‘more is more’ venues that reminds us just how much fun unbridled extravagance can be, and then some. Watch out Vegas, Shanghai is coming for you.
Wanda, the Chinese mega-conglomerate, has been busy furiously buying and developing commercial properties the world over, but it’s Shanghai that they’ve picked for their top level, flagship hotel. And when your CEO is Wang Jianlin, the country’s richest man, you don’t do things by halves that’s for sure. It’s very clear that no expense has been spared here – and whilst the building’s exterior has been overseen by none other than British ‘starchitects’ Foster and Partners, it’s the interior design by the company’s own Wanda Design Institute that is very much the star of the show here.
Shanghai’s glam ladies enjoy a reputation as the nation’s most fashionable, but the city’s millennial gents are snapping at their heals thanks to up-and-coming designers like Weixu Wang. His quirky little studio is tucked down a narrow lane behind the elegant old Meilong Zhen restaurant just off Nanjing Xi Lu, and you’ll need to pass groups of knitting aunties and bathtubs full of goldfish in order to find it. Inside, you’ll find a dazzling array of bow ties made from almost every conceivable material (including plastic ceramic and metal) that cover all the bases from conservative to crazy! Weixu Wang is at 1 F, Building 72l Nanjing West Road 1081.
The glorious old Art Deco wing of the Okura Garden Hotel – formerly the ‘Cercle Sportif’ – is well worth exploring, however many ignore the modern tower block stuck on the back. It does offer one wonderful gift though: a glass elevator on the outside of the building that whizzes from the lobby to the 33rd floor, giving those inside wonderful views right across the rooftops of the former French Concession and across to the skyscrapers of Pudong. Even better, the staff doesn’t seem to mind outside guests bumbling about, as long as you keep it low key. The Okura Garden Hotel is at 58 Maoming Road.
Those of you who know Bespoke know that when it comes to Beijing, we’re all about the hidden gems, the hutong hideaways, the independent boutiques and eateries with bags of character.
But sometimes this kind of inverse snobbery doesn’t pay. Sometimes the best restaurants can be found inside big glossy car showrooms right in the center of town. No, we’re not kidding.
