chEAT SHEET Shanghai: Jesse 天平路41号

I met Candice in Shanghai in 2006.  Her love for food, the need to be highly organized, and her humor instantly bonded us from the get-go.  Whenever I visit town, I ask her to update my eat sheet, and for some catch up time.

Jesse came highly regarded with the all-but-necessary 3-days-before-you-dine reservations.  It is a very tiny two-storey restaurant; the photos above captured all the tables they had.  Somehow, I was wishy-washy with my schedule and Candice managed to snag a reservation for dinner without any fuss.  Do not try your luck like Candice did though, for only Candice has the uncanny ability to persuade the man on the other line for a table for five on a Friday night.


I left the daunting task of ordering food to Candice, after all, this was her "find."  On her must-have list are:


Ban Mien (Noodles in Scallion and Oil)

Hong Shao Rou (Braised Pork in Sweet Soya Sauce)

I forget the Chinese name of the next dish, but in my simplistic English, it's Chili Prawns and Chicken...

And, the Shanghainese experience won't be authentic for a few order mishaps.  We were aiming to get the Crispy Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish but ended up with the tasty and succulent Mandarin Fish with Steamed Egg...

Yet another order mishap, we were gunning for Sweet Fried Crispy Freshwater Eel but ended up with Braised Eel, which also did not fail us...

Satiated?  Fret not.  Their tea will help you with the digestion...

Jesse
41 Tianping Road by Huai Hai Road

天平路41号

近淮海西路

chEAT SHEET Shanghai: 1221 延安西路1221号 (近番禺路)

The first time I set foot in Shanghai was in 2004 and one of the best meals I had then was in 1221.  I was delighted by the experience, so much so that I've always made an effort to visit this restaurant whenever I'm in town.

Several trips through the course of 8 years (and hopefully more to come), their quality remains to be in place, and service in tiptop shape.

Always the perfect place for a quiet lunch or a prelude to a long night in the city; reservations may be necessary especially on weekends.


For starters, I highly recommend the following items:

Kaofu

Cucumber with Vinegar

Tofu with Century Egg


Try to eat here with other friends so that you get a good selection of dishes.  They say three's a crowd, but somehow, I wish we had more company so that we could have ordered other items like their Crispy Eel (one of my all-time favorites here).


Make room for the Crispy Duck (not Peking Duck)...

Spicy Beef with Bread (definitely not photogenic but tasty)...

and the Stewed Pork with Tofu Skin...

They also serve tea from elongated spouts...

and give complimentary dessert (Banana sticky rice).

1221

1221 Yan'an Xi Lu (near Panyu Lu)

延安西路1221号 (近番禺路)

62136585

Open: 11am-2pm, 5pm-11pm

chEAT SHEET Shanghai: 延安东路17号 (近四川南路) Lost Heaven (Yunnan Folk Cuisine)

Shanghai is one of my favorite cities in the world.  It's vibrant, hip, and the food is insane.  This post is dedicated to Lost Heaven, known for it's Yunnan menu (an amalgamation of several Chinese minorities and Han Chinese cuisine).

It boasts of 3 floors, each dedicated to a particular purpose - restaurant, bar, cocktail lounge.  Depending on what you're here for, it's best to have lunch so that you avoid the crowds, and swing by in the evenings for an early drink or two.  After all, Shanghai never sleeps.

There are 3 must-haves here: 

First up:  Da-Li Style Chicken with Chili and Green Onions

Must-have Second:  Steamed Bass with Dai Tribe Salt Black Bean 

Must-have Third:  Pumpkin Cake for dessert (no photo)

You can also add:

Yunnan Spring Rolls in Tofu Skin and if you have the need for a filler, add this:

Fried Rice Yunnan Ham

延安东路17号 (近四川南路)

Lost Heaven (Yunnan) - Bund Branch

17 Yan'an Dong Lu (near Sichuan Nan Lu) 高邮路38号 (近复兴西路) Lost Heaven (Yunnan) - French Concession Branch 38 Gaoyou Lu (near Fuxing Xi Lu)

Duck Noodle Soup

We've been experiencing some cool weather lately and we wanted something hot and hearty!  This noodle soup came to mind because it's fairly simple to bring together, as long as you have a good stock to begin with.

Here's how to make Basic Duck Stock:

Roast your duck carcass along with your mirepoix (onions, celery, carrots) until well-clored in the oven.  Deglaze the sediments with red wine.  In a stock pot, place your mirepoix, duck carcass, bouquet garni (bunch of thyme and bay leaves wrapped in a leek), whole black peppercorns, and for that seriously Asian touch, add some lemongrass stalks, galangal or ginger, garlic, a cinnamon bark, cloves, and aniseed.  Quite a lot of things to put into a pot, but hey, it's well worth it!  Besides, all you need to do is bring everything to a rolling boil then gently simmer uncovered for 4 hours.  Strain and keep all the broth you can.  You can then freeze in portion sizes once it cools down.  You can use this for other dishes I promise.

Now, back to the Duck Noodle Soup.  Cook the duck breast in a pot with boiling duck stock.  Once it boils, bring to a simmer and add your store-bought egg noodles.  Once everything is cooked, add some mung bean sprouts, coriander leaves scallions, sugar, chili, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Char Siu Pork Roast

I had to roast some pork for today's event with Glam-O-Mamas, so I decided to put together left-over ingredients. 

Marinate 1.5 Kilos of Pork Roast in a quarter bottle of Char Siu sauce, 1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning, 1 tablespoon soya sauce, 2 tablespoons crushed garlic, and 3 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil.  I usually put it in a ziploc or airtight bag, overnight.

Place the pork roast in a trivet and bake in the oven for 1 to 1.5 hours.  I like to add 1 cup of water in the baking tray so that the juices don't dry out.  How do you know if the pork is cooked to the core?  It's juices should be clear and not pink or bloody in nature.

I served this with butternut squash puree and sauteed spinach leaves.

White Jade Mushroom

I received a Cafe de Flore Paris (I miss you, someday, I'll be back!) postcard from my best friend Don, who resides in Shanghai.  We've spent many summers in Shanghai and I've come to love the place because of the food, the art, and the crazy fun people in it.  And so, I found it ironic that I came across these in the supermarket...

 ...White Jade Mushroom.  Quickly wash in running water and remove the edible bits by slicing or plucking it by hand.

Saute in a hot pan with vegetable oil and season with salt and white pepper.  Remove from the pan and plate it along with it's juices.  Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.  Serve hot.