M on the Bund

I was bugging Chew Chin to bring me to Jean Georges, however, after surveyed and looked at the average pricing of RMB600 per person, he offered to bring me to M on the Bund for brunch. This is our second time to go M on the Bund. The first was with his friends when they visited us last year and we had our New year Eve dinner. It was a pleasant dinner however due to New Year Eve crowd, they only offered limited courses.

Yesterday, we re-visited the restaurant and this time is a weekend brunch. There is a balcony outside where you can you sit down and enjoy the panoramic view from the Bund to Pudong and you must make reservation for that in order to get a good seat. However, it's not highly recommend for brunch as the sun is actually sit on top of your head and summer in Shanghai is not a joke. They offer high tea for weekend as well, perhaps can have a try next time and I think the weather will be just nice after 3.

The brunch menu comes with some selections. You can choose a 2 courses with cocktail and "limitless" tea or coffee for RMB218 per person or 3 courses for RMB258 per person. Can have a guess on what we ordered from the pictures.

I ordered a starter and main course and the portions were too big until I was too full to get my all the time favourite - dessert :~(. I was asking Chew Chin whether am I a fool if next time I am going to order a starter and a dessert :P.

You must be wondering why we suddenly indulged ourselves for the fine dine. Yeah, just to celebrate our first year registration anniversary which falls on 11 May :D.

鹿港小镇的肉粽

我家大少爷一口气在鹿港小镇买了十粒台式肉粽，在店里吃RMB16一个, 外带只是RMB10，买十粒并多送甜辣酱。大少爷是 typical Malaysian stomach，早餐是咸口味，不能天天面包，麦片，pancake, cereals； 最好来个炒米粉，汤面，nasi lemak, roti canai， 但我无能为力。那肉粽就是他的早餐。

还好，家婆，家翁来了，应该可以两天搞惦那十粒台式肉粽， 不然肥死我了。

还好，家婆来了，至少两个星期不用为大少爷准备早餐伤脑筋。

包子访 : 小杨生煎馆

生煎包也是万万不可 miss out 的上海小食之一。 上海小笼特产，有蒸，有煎。 有如蒸汤包，包内也有汤汁，只是皮厚一点，因为要拿去煎嘛。生煎的美味特点 ：底脆，味鲜，汤多。

我只吃过小杨生煎，真的很好吃。脆脆的底皮，热腾腾的汤汁，香香的肉馅和芝麻，一级棒！小杨生煎馆有好几间分行，黄河路，南京路都可以找到。当然也免不了要排队，尤其是在 peak hour。听说别家的也很好，是时候来个上海生煎拜访团，看哪家比较好吃。不过，每人的口味不同，见仁见智。

包子访 ： 佳家汤包

上海著名小笼包，无人不知； 在上海也无所不在。 小笼包也叫汤包，因包内含有汤汁，咬一小口，慢慢吸出汤汁，再点个醋和姜丝一起吃，简直是 uhhhh ahhhhh ho chiak! 可是好吃的汤包哪里找。通常我们都钟爱鼎泰丰的小笼包，皮薄馅香， 汤汁也可口， 只是价格偏高。在那吃一笼， 可以在外的小馆吃三，四笼。

周末，友人带了我们去了一家要排队的小馆，叫佳家汤包（在黄河路）。 真的还不少人在排队， 连老外也排，应该是有名声，价格也好便宜。 我们大约三点多去，普通汤包都说卖完了，只有蟹粉鲜肉和纯蟹粉。 那我们就叫了一笼蟹粉鲜肉。 只是好奇怪，这些汤包都是现包，现蒸，虾仁，鸡丁会卖完，蟹粉鲜肉还有，为什么纯鲜肉也会没有呢，动一动脑筋吧。尝一尝，味道还不错，不过里面的汤和肉馅都好油啊，我不小心把汤汁逼出来，弄到了我的包包，呜呜。。。现在还有油迹，呜呜。。。

如果要便宜又不错， 佳家汤包可以是首选。

Wa Si Hokkien Lang

Wa si Hokkien lang yo! Wa chiak Hokkien Mee yo!

This Hokkien Mee aka prawn noodles can be found in a restaurant called Fusion in Shanghai. Fusion is quite well known among Malaysians / Singaporeans who are in Shanghai as it serves South East Asia Cuisane. You may find laksa, satay, bak kut teh, char keoy teow, nasi lemak, roti canai etc etc in Fusion. Although the taste is not exactly perfect but when you are away from home and when you see these familiar dishes, you will still treasure it and jump into joy to order everything in the menu. It's called "bo hu he pun hor" = there is something better than nothing. Overall, this Hokkien Mee is still acceptable.

厚味香辣馆 - How Way Restaurant

Today, I had a great lunch with a friend. I met her at Nanjing Street ( 南京路 ） near her office and she brought me to this How Way Restaurant, Sizhuan style - 厚味香辣馆. They have a lunch set meal which cost RMB69 (for 4-5 persons). It comes with 4 dishes, a soup of the day, free flow of tea and rice. Isn't it sound exciting? Moreover, you have 4 sets of choices. We ordered one set, even though just two of us. The dishes are SUPERB. Except for the oily part (as usual in Shanghai), the taste and the spicy feeling, 麻辣 is just great if you want the desire to burn and numb your tongue. I love the brinjals taste. Of cause, we couldn't finish the meal and I "taopao" them back to continue the burning sensation for my stomach.

From top left (clockwise) : 馋嘴牛蛙 - Tam chiak bullfrog，油焖茄子 - Oil Braised Brinjals ?!?，干香鱼头 Dried fried Fish Head，丝土豆 - Slice potato

A Western Sunday Brunch

Last Sunday, we had a lovely western brunch at Commune in 田子坊. It's quite a popular cafe there and often packed with people. They are famous for their BIG cup of coffee where you can order as double. You may see a lot of foreigners hanging around this place and you will hear all purely English speakers. Even their menus are in English as well.

We ordered a "Big Breakfast" (RMB68) which only serves on Sunday, it comes with two slices of toasts, three eggs, mushrooms and potato and a lasagna (RMB40). The lasagna comes in a pot which pretty big in portion. Overall, it's a great brunch until I couldn't eat until the rest of the day.

东方晚餐在西方情人节

西方情人节，我们过了一晚亚洲夜晚餐。几天前，我突然很想吃越南餐。 在点评 （www.dianping.com, 中国一个出名的美食指南网站）做了搜查后，选了一家在淮海中路，中环广场的金牛苑，评语有4 星，应该不错吧。于是我们在当天打了电话预约，可是人太多，他们不收预约，叫我们大约 7.30 左右可以来。 还好吧，其实这里的人通常都很早吃晚餐，6点就开始，那7点多就刚刚好我们的时间，行！
到了金牛苑，发觉有点好像茶餐厅，桌椅非常拥挤。不过为了吃，我们还是坐下来，点了一个越南拼盘和牛肉面，所谓的 pho。食物来到，越南春卷是炸的，给了普通的鱼丸，点酱也没味道。牛肉面也不过是非常一般 ，用的粉也是普通河粉。如果当它是普通食物，其实还不错。不过如果是越南餐， 那就非常的不行！！！！ 啊，多么想念 KL 的 Sao Nam，Vietnamese's Kitchen, 这间有点不知所谓。。。。。。

于是我们决定去别间吃甜品，到了附近的鹿港冰镇(Belagio)，之前吃过一次，甜品非常的棒！鹿港是台湾餐馆， 食物都非常不错。还有一特点，那里的女服务员全都是 boy cut。我们叫了一个“芒果神冰” 和 “芋头芒果雪花冰“。 它们的雪花冰真的是棒， 薄薄的冰四雪花，放在口即溶，大大推荐 :　芝麻花生雪花冰　！！！　那晚应该是８－１０度，不管啦，都是那越南餐　@#*&#

Little Hot Pot - 新色煮艺

和朋友约了好几次吃火锅，都不成，今天终于如愿以尝。 午餐，我们去了一家名叫 "新色煮艺" 的中国时尚火锅， 靠近蒲东八百伴。 一进去餐馆， 哦， 好暗。。。 餐馆的布置一片漆黑， 屋顶及地上都黑灰色， 桌布也用黑色。 每一桌都有一盏吊灯，每桌的隔离窗帘是一条条的红色线. 真的好时尚! 中国吃火锅通常都会一人一锅, 这样比较卫生, 也可以吃自己喜欢的锅底口味. 我们各自叫了,新色鲜辣锅(精选优质新鲜辣椒与秘制香油精心熬制而成), 真的不是开玩笑的辣, 新色醉美锅 (绍兴陈年花雕与海鲜融合熬制), 气蒸大骨汤锅。它们也有极品鳄鱼锅（没胆量试）,马来肉骨茶锅（没信心试）。
配菜呢，叫了牛肉，羊肉，梅花鹿肉， 精品鱼虾丸，各类菇，娃娃菜及茼茴菜。看一看照片就明白。其中的虾丸是巧克力夹心。。。 巧克力还是当 dessert 好！

吃了这一餐， 晚餐也省下了。这家火锅都不太便宜，应该是火锅的 fine dine，每人消费，RMB100， 不过也吃的精致。食物排的美美，看了开心，吃了也开心。哦忘了，我们有一杯免费酸酸甜甜的洛阳神花茶来开胃。

一个人的午餐也可以精彩 - 春水堂

认识春水堂是在去年台北旅行. 朋友介绍了珍珠奶茶的鼻祖, 发源地 - 春水堂. 那时喝了春水堂的奶茶, 回味无穷.
上海的春水堂有一间在正大广场, 今天兴起去了春水堂吃午餐, 叫了功夫面 (RMB22/RM11) 和绿茶珍珠奶茶 (RMB20/RM10). 奶茶香味还是那么的香, 那么的滑, 珍珠小小颗, 非常好嚼. 功夫面, 还不错, 好吃, 卤肉汁加卤蛋, 不像其他上海食物那么油腻. 不知道为什么春水堂的顾客都不多, 不过我以后还会回来喝奶茶.

Take a break

Yesterday I was out for whole day. For lunch, I met up with an ex-colleague. She brought me to a Singapore cuisine at Kerry Centre Shanghai and we ordered the chicken rice - 海南鸡饭. The chicken "rice" tastes like the home cook style back at home. Yummy.... It comes with a bowl of soup and 3 types of sauces - chili, ginger & black soya sauce, my favorite. However, there is a lot of MSG because I felt quite thirsty later on. I saw a lot of people ordered the Bak Kut Teh but my friend told me the BKT is not really nice because they uses black pepper based soup. Hmm hmm.. Singapore food....

After meal, we went for shopping, there are sales everywhere, Esprit 50% off, Zara 50% off. I was so tempted to buy the clothes, bags, shoes etc and finally I couldn't resist ended up with a Zara Bag, ngek ngek. Shhh.... mustn't tell Chew Chin.

Later on, I went to meet Hwai Chuin for dinner. We ate at the food court, Food Republic in Raffles City. We shared a hot pot of beef and mushroom. Somehow I always think cooking oil must be very cheap in Shanghai. Can you see the reflection of the oil in the hotpot?

Saturday Outing

I cooked a Saturday brunch, just dried mee (干捞面） with pork ribs and broccoli. This is Chew Chin's portion of cause, don't get it wrong :P.

During dinner, as Chew Chin went for a dinner appointment, I also got my plan with Hwai Chuin. I was too lazy to go over Puxi so Hwai Chuin made the scarify to come over Pudong and we met at Super Brand Mall, ha, it's the mall name - "Super Brand" under Thai's Company. Due to the cold weather, we decided to have steamboat, but the steamboat restaurant's Q was too long, thus we decided to get a Korean steamboat instead. We went to this restaurant called "明洞“ - Bright Hole, hehe. The food is not bad but I still prefer the cold dishes in KL, they don't have the ikan bilis I like. I missed Daorae, sobs sobs. Look at hiao hiao Hwai Chuin.

永和豆浆

I decided to take a walk today and went to this shop which is one street away from my condo. The shop is famous for their 豆浆 and normally for Shanghai people, they are eating with 油条. So, my lunch today was 豆浆油条 (RMB4 + RMB4). I ordered the sweet based, quite ok not too sweet. The 油条 with a salted soya dip, hmmm weird. The 油条 texture is more chuncy than we have in Malaysia and also longer ;P. It's my first time to try since I am here. There are also other food in the restaurant like porridge, noodles. It's one of the cheap ways to fill your stomach in Shanghai cum try on the local delicacy.