Franck

I am a huge sucker for french bistros, with food that is incredibly rich, delicious, and comforting, and an atmosphere that is cozy and warm (well good french bistros anyways!). My best friend and I were visiting Shanghai over the summer and our friend who works there recommended we go to Franck for a nice dinner. Franck's ambience is classy and charming with a old fashion light bulb hanging over each table. The menu choices are written on a chalkboard which the waiter will bring over. There have been some negative reviews on cityweekend's site but my experience there was utterly wonderful.

Tomato with buffalo mozzarella 
This dish was amazing. The tomato was so sweet and juicy and the mozzarella was creamy and of the highest quality. The arugula and caramelized onion on top was dressed perfectly and the duo of pesto and balsamic dressing beautifully drawn out on the plate complemented the dish perfectly. This is the perfect example of a simple dish done to the next level. 

Charcuterie plate
The BEST charcuterie plate I have ever had. All the cuts of meat on this plate were of the highest quality and I particularly loved the generous portion of pate and head cheese. The pate was incredibly rich, buttery, and fragrant. The figs were also deliciously sweet and went so well with the parma ham. 

Lobster risotto 
This restaurant seem to really do no wrong! Dish after dish they have impressed me. The risotto is cooked perfectly, it is creamy, al dente, and permeated with the rich flavors of lobster. They also do not skimp on the amount of fresh lobster meat. 

Ragout de boeuf (beef stew) 
Another great example of a simple dish done to an exquisite standard. This is almost as good as the beef stew at Bistro Jeanty in Napa Valley. The beef has been cooked for hours and hours until all the rich flavors have soaked into the tender melt in your mouth meat. The sauce is thick and rich and they provide a slightly sweet mash of carrots to soak it all up. A meal fit for the kings!

Lamb with lentils 
Another perfect dish... the lamb was so amazingly flavorful and the texture of the meat was also top notch. The lentils were cooked perfectly and was the perfect accompaniment to the lamb. The whole dish had such a robust yet elegant balance of flavors. I only wish there were more of it! 

We also got amazing dessert but I didn't take pictures of it! But I do remember eating the salted caramel ice cream which was the perfect ending to one of the best meals ever. This is absolutely a must try if you are in Shanghai, I am fantasizing about the taste of that ice cream as I write this post.

Franck

Ferguson Lane

376 Wu Kang Lu

French Concession

Shanghai 

China

Ding Tai Feng 鼎泰豐

Ding Tai Feng is an extremely famous award winning restaurant from Taiwan. The restaurant is well known for its xiao long baos and has been named one of the top ten restaurants in the world by the New York Times. Although Ding Tai Feng has various outlets all over the world, I feel that it has been able to maintain is standards which is great because I've seen way too many restaurants's food quality go down due to fame and expansion.

Xiao long bao with crab roe filling
Crab roe is one of my favorite things to eat but sadly it is not always in season. Restaurants tend to always serve it anyways but the most rich and fragrant crab roe is available only during the fall (Oct to Nov). Although we savored this off season, the roe was still delicious :) Will write about the xiao long bao in the next photo.

Success. Did not break. Whew! 

The famous xiao long baos 
These exquisite little buns really do live up to their reputation. The skin, whilst thin, is firm enough to hold all the juicy meaty glory in. Many places have skins that break easily which result in the ultimate xiao long bao fail - all the juices break out. The top of the bun where all the skin is twisted together is not too hard or dried out which is a common mistake. The inside is filled with fresh and well seasoned meat and the juice is delicious and not too oily. My favorite way to eat these is  to wait til they are the perfect temperature and then pop the entire thing in your mouth for the perfect experience. I could eat these all day. 

Dan dan mian
Apart from its famous xiao long baos, the other dishes are Ding Tai Feng are also delicious. The noodles are firm and chewy, the soup is nutty and extremely flavorful. My only complaint is that the serving are way too small! 

Ding Tai Feng (various branches)

11A, 2nd floor 

Building 6

Xin Tian Di South Block

123 Xing Ye Lu

Lu Wan District

Shanghai

China 

Nougatine

Nougatine by Jean Georges is the celebrated chef's more laid back restaurant that is inspired by the bistro concept of dining. The restaurant is located in the Bund and has a beautiful dark wood interior that is classy yet cosy.

Salmon with roasted garlic and peppers
The salmon was cooked perfectly and the crispy skin was a perfect textural contrast. The garlic was not overpowering and the sauce brought the entire dish together. I also liked how the sauce was ringed around the plate. Oops the salmon looks like a white blob :( blame the flash. 

Mushroom and truffle pizza 
The crust was incredibly thin and crispy, I especially liked how the sides poofed up which resulted in a great crunchy side. This crunch worked great with the topping because the cheese and mushrooms were very rich and aromatic. The fresh handful of greens on top were also great because it provided a refreshing element to the pizza. 

Nougatine 

4/F

3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Lu

The Bund

Shanghai

China 

小楊生煎 (Xiao Yang San Jian)

Ask anyone about Xiao Yang San Jian, and faces will instantly erupt into expressions of longing and excitement. The fried buns here are TO DIE FOR. I have had a lot of San Jian Baos (fried buns) in my life and these are the best I have ever had. These buns are a mixture between a normal bun and a xiao long bao (thin skin pork dumplings) because the skin is not as thick as a normal bun but definitely not as thin as a dumpling. They are fried until the bottom becomes are delectable crunchy skin and then sprinkled with scallions and sesame. The inside is filled with juicy succulent meat, the amount of juice is one of the main thing that sets this bun apart. Make sure you don't bite into it right away because it will all drip out and burn you! Here is a short article on CNNGo for Xiao Yang San Jian. This is a must try if you are in Shanghai!

Busy churning out these tasty delicious buns! 

Love of my life 

Xiao Yang San Jian
No. 54-60

Wu Jiang Road

Jing'an District

Shanghai

China