Triple Five Shanghai
Pho House
Tucked away in the basement of the SML Centre alongside a hundred other quick-eat and snack food outlets, Pho House serves up simple plates of wholesome Vietnamese staples.
Shanghai's best Lobster Bisque
There's nothing that can invigorate the essence of decadence more than an expertly presented Lobster Bisque. Here are three of Shanghai's best offerings
Ride: 100km from Suzhou to Lake Taihu
70 million years ago a meteor hit China 100km west of where the world's largest city would be. It filled with water, got connected to Beijing by the world's longest man-made canal and then pumped almost entirely full of the byproducts of industrial progress.
Rolling Shanghai to Suzhou
100km across some of the world's flattest terrain between some of the world's fastest developing infrastructure.
Shanghai Rides
Shanghai goes further than the French Concession. Much much further. Check out these rides for a few hours in the saddle and a slice of China Antitourism as the destination.
Pistacchio
Shanghai is starving for pockets of varied and reliable dining experiences. With new tenants in the area, Pistacchio finally puts Ferguson Lane on the map as a viable high-level neighborhood option.
Briccocafé has been serving both sides of the river for years now, and we recently headed to the off-Huaihai Lu branch to try their new menu. We were pleasantly surprised. The space is something of a hybrid. Downstairs feels half café, half Feidan. Upstairs is a dining area with an open kitchen. The menu is [...]
Having recently completed an intense course on conflict resolution and negotiation I thought I’d try none of it at the builders upstairs. They’ve been excavating the apartments on the floor above the drok embassy for 4 months and the end is still not in sight. I’ve tried everything to persuade them to work by the [...]
This lucky boy got bought an extra special trip to Japan for Christmas. We’ll be sliding through powpow, pulling into a natural onsen and being served green tea by snow monkeys. Might have to buy a new lens and definitely heading down to Kejiguan to top up on Spyder skipants. Any tips on Hakuba? …let [...]
Thanks to Katy and Jon’s suggestion, we took a roll up to the Malu Vineyards – home of Ai Weiwei’s Shanghai Studio. The creator of the Tate’s porcelain sunflower-seed carpet and advisor to the birds nest has seemingly been sailing too close to the wind recently. His newly built space is to be demolished thanks [...]
With friends in town we revisited the back-streets of old Shanghai. After a time, the culture shock of stinky tofu, yelling for no reason and homes made from spit & newspapers begins to wear off. It has started to seem normal behaviour to wander around in pyjamas and get live frogs skinned on-demand. The truth [...]
To celebrate Alex winning another bike in the Shanghai Alleycat (and because it was halloween) we smacked it in C’s with a brummie Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a guy who’s freckles bleed one day every year and a Teletubby. The result, a pretty hilarious night with pretty much everybody in the place taking it in turns [...]
Rolling around the streets in the corner between Changshu and Huaihai we chanced upon an awesome sushi shack. Through a tiny window is a cute table, at which a Japanese chef is rolling one of a handful varieties of maki with absolute precision. It’s picturesque beyond belief, tasty as it gets and comes with with [...]
We bought the little ones a new scratching pad made from compressed cardboard. They like it so much, the fish (which they could surf all day), is long forgotten – see it ignored in the background. The board is so popular they literally queue up for it. Here, Larry looks on whilst Lady maximizes turn.
As part of getting ready for the mighty Asics SP3′s, I’ve started a transition to running flats by picking up a pair of Nike Mayflies. In line with their namesake, they’re designed and marketed as a disposable pair of ultra lightweights, lasting for only 100k or a couple races. Whichever comes first. I’ve put in [...]
The Manhattan Steakhouse has been in-residence at the Honqiao Marriot for some time. Now that we’ve found a little slack in the budget, we took the opportunity to head over and see if their reportedly expensive steaks make the cut or are just inflated sub-prime offerings. Once you’ve managed to find this hidden away Marriot [...]
As an indication of how hygienic the country is – these were plastered all over staff bathrooms in the Expo. If USA can write “employees mush wash hands before returning to work” everywhere – China can go one better! Of particular value is the list of when to wash your hands, the last point is [...]
As part of Shanghai’s “one city nine towns” initiative, a bunch of faux-european towns have sprung up around Shanghai. We already explored Thames Town and this time took a roll up to Luodian – otherwise known as Sweden Town. It’s a 60km round trip along a good mix of city streets, canal side paths and [...]
A new addition to the ongoing Tianzifang gentrification, Vitosha serves up overpriced Bulgarian food that leaves you feeling like you could have easily rustled up something similar at home. Decked out as authentically as it could be on a Taikang Lu side alley, this two-floor restaurant has brightly covered tables made of horse carts. Condiments [...]
Confirmed. All the way up, at the top of the 7, line the metro does come to and end [For now]. The big G recently confirmed those plans for a 50% increase in metro line by 2015.
Many moons later and with this weekend’s closing ceremony the Shanghai World Expo 2010 will draw to an end. As to be expected, there are a few things we never got round to: eating Michelin stars in the Spanish Pavilion; riding the Swiss Ski lift; actually seeing one of the Haibao parades – but of [...]
We took a roll to explore Shanghai’s four corners. From hazy voids to 17th Century mansions to fried dust – the diversity, surreality and beauty of this city never fails to impress. Here’s what we found: For some reason, along the side of the canal near to M50 at Moganshan Lu is a small walled-off [...]
Little Huia’s casual, well-designed interior makes it an appealing spot to relax with a coffee (RMB25), but we weren’t impressed by its Kiwi approach to food. Sharing a house Huia Pizza (RMB60), it’s no closer to New Zealand than the frozen food section at City Shop, as the spicy pepperoni topping is lost on a [...]
When the seedy strip of Tongren Lu got shut down in the pre-expo spring clean, the future looked bleak for Shanghai’s talking bar scene. After a couple months it became pretty clear that they all weren’t working for the Big Bamboo like they were advertising. So where did they all go? Surely not back to [...]
The iconic ‘bottle opener’ that is the Shanghai World Financial Centre looks pretty good from afar, especially good from up close (sat atop a flush plinth of grey stone) and particularly magnificent from the wrap-around windows of the Park Hyatt, occupying the building’s top 14 floors. It’s a badly kept secret that for the price [...]
In China, we’re no stranger to the dragon-condusing holes in buildings or the fascination with UFO-style platforms on the rooftops.. but this takes the biscuit. Up by the creek on the corner of Changshou Lu and Wanhangdu Lu is a recently finished apartment complex with 15 stories of rock stuck to the side of it. [...]
The first time I came to Shanghai we stayed in the Hyatt on the Bund. I can remember asking to switch my room to one overlooking the river. “sir, you currently have the Jewish view” the receptionist said. I bit my tongue.
Shanghai has a Beach! Right on the Bund next to the ironically named Cool Docks is a man made plot of imported sand – it’s sandwiched in between a parking lot and the entrance to the pleasure-port. For 20RMB you can lay back on a lounger, listen to the car-horns, soak in the view of [...]
Having enjoyed a few drinks on the roof terrace, it was about time to try The Waterhouse’s Table No. 1. Seated at a table under a skylight which also serves as a guest-room window the restaurant is modest, airy and flanked by highly polished glass. We’re it not for the rickshaw of plastic bottles parked [...]
There are a few odd pursuits that the Chinese enjoy, not that the UK is any different… but there’s one (at least) that I’ll never fathom. Over at 405 Xizang Lu is the shanghai ‘flower, bird and insect’ market. It’s tight alleyways are packed to the hilt with shops selling all creatures great and small. [...]
Not long now before we’ll find an honest pancake on the side of the road, can take a rickshaw taxi from the metro station and the polystyrene men will roam free. Maybe too, we’ll be released from Shanghai’s extortionate flight prices captivity…the Expo 2010 is finally drawing to an end. Unless they extend it for [...]
The north bank of Guangzhou’s Pearl River is bristling with freakytecture. Just behind a monstrous grandstand overlooking the world’s smallest athletics field and to the left of a building made entirely out of crazy paving is the biggest name on the strip. Zaha Hadid’s Opera House. From across the river (by a half kilometre tower [...]
One of the easiest things about Cantonese food is that it generally tastes as good as it looks. Restaurants tend to put their best stuff in the window. A glance over someone’s shoulder at the colours and consistency of what they’re eating will give a good idea of whether it’s worthwhile. Besides, it’s a custom [...]
Save for the grubby looks I get when I admit it – Guangzhou is one of my favorite cities in China. The food is good, the weather always fine (except when it’s chucking it down) and the culture emerging. Maybe it’s just the super-smooth roads but explore a random hutong in Haizhu, particulary the area [...]
I remember when Hong Kong was as different from England as I could fathom. Now a week there seems like a homecoming break from the intensity of Shanghai. We took a roll around the Island, cruising through the mostly flat Sheung Wan, Kennedy Town and onto the undulations of Pok Fu Lam. The 46×11 ratio [...]
After a few days of locking umbrellas with the locals we were positively Pavlovian at the prospect of being out on the open water. Thanks to Tomeat’s company Junk and a clued-in captain we cruised north-east around Kowloon to the peaceful Clearwater Bay. Anchor down and what followed was some rooftop bombs, diving practice and [...]
Punctures, dings and videos about Banksy aside it was super sweet to roll around Hong Kong with the guys from hongkongfixed.com/, run by Masa. They’re an awesome bunch with some really slick rides, I glimpsed an incredibly high spec Pista, a dozen aerospokes and some highly polished chains. The guys in Guangzhou told us that [...]
No better way to say goodbye to London for a while than with a Great Queen street Chicken pie for four… for two! It’s as amazing as I remember it. Having written plenty about Shanghai’s restaurants it’s a strong reminder about how essential good service is to good food.
Good to see Broadway market intact and thriving after the year England has just endured. Maybe that’s why the falafel was a little smaller and the brownies are no longer three for two. The park was heaving, the Rasta selling DVDs on top form and the Victoria plums selling for extortionate prices. But what’s this? [...]
Ah. Maybe that’s why the Phoenix frames didn’t sell so well; They’re already all over the place. Every other lamppost has a Phoenix hanging off it. Seems people like to keep the old rod-brakes and wheels on them. Wonder if it is as fun as Shanghai to ride around London with almost useless components.
Only after being in China for a year do I really appreciate London’s diversity. For living, we concentrated on one area, E2. At the beginning we were pioneers, “I don’t understand why you guys want to live here” said our first landlord, “I bought this building for £100k and didn’t expect to get it back”. [...]
