Sometimes it feels good to be a Monkey

What's better than a tasty Hoyo de Monterey robusto and a mojito to celebrate the beginning of a new exciting week?

The Monkey is good at hiding in the urban jungle so if you're new in town and can't find your way to this secret den just ask me. If you make it in, ask Angelo, he's a true jewel in Shanghai F&B industry's crown and a great friend who will always look after you.

Monkey Lounge (Shanghai, PRC)
No 22, Lane 56 Donghu Lu, near Xinle Lu
东湖路56弄22号， 近新乐路

Another Japanese Delight, EN yakiniku

After the YAKITORI style (grilled poultry), a great YAKINIKU place (grilled meat) on Shanxi Lu (by Fuxing Lu). We're lucky to have it right next to our place and it became one of our favorite brunch places.

Beautiful bamboo facade, inside wooden floor, tables and beams. Ideal for long dinners with group of friends. They serve one of the best meat in town (beef, pork, chicken, no lamb though) so don't expect All-You-Can-Eat deal for 10Euros there but it tastes so much better. Count 15 to 22Euros per person (including the indispensable Asahi nama biru (tap beer)). The kind of meal that makes me wish I had an unlimited capacity stomach.

EN Yakiniku (Shanghai, PRC)
no.400 Shanxi Lu by Fuxing Lu
400号陕西路（复兴路）

Two Glory Hours at Morton's Steakhouse

My friend J is always great at sniffing good deals around town and I believe he was the one to recommend us Morton's happy hours for he had himself been initiated to the joy of not so tiny tinies at Morton's Singapore.

The guys and I should thank the discoverer and owe him respect. We did indeed spent one of the most delightful guys evening out at the second floor of Shanghai Pudong's IFC mall infamous steakhouse.

So let me tell you what glory hours we had there. The offer only convinced us to cross the Huangpu river, and it had to be good: 38RMB martinis from 5 to 7pm (4,20Euros) with an all-you-can-eat beef sirloin sandwiches, and the rest should be as below...

Morton's The Steakhouse (Shanghai, PRC):
4/F, IFC Pudong,
8 Shiji Da Dao,
near Lujiazui Huan Lu
世纪大道8号，
国金中心IFC商场4楼
近陆家嘴环路
Phone: +8621 6075 8888
http://www.mortons.com/

From Chicago to Shanghai, be sure they kept it high

Choosing our weapons

Round 1, Chocolate Martini

Round 2, Morton's Mojito Martini

Mouth watering beef sandwich, in numbers

Third, Dry Martini meets Hoyos de Monterrey

The Epicureans

Round 4, Espresso Tini

Final round! Blue Cheese Olives Martini

Pepperidge Farm, Good Taste, Health and Spirit

Another great discovery, from the other side of the planet this time. Straight from Connecticut, a family business born from the heart and passion of Margaret Rudkin, also one of the best business leaders of her time.

I'm sure you'll like her story, and her cookies even more...

Margaret was a 40-year-old-mother of three young sons, living in Fairfield, Connecticut on a beautiful property called Pepperidge Farm—named for an ancient Pepperidge tree that grew there. The Rudkins had moved into Pepperidge Farm in 1929—the same year as the great Stock Market Crash. The Rudkins faced many challenges during the Great Depression—but as parents, one of the most difficult challenges was dealing with the severe allergies and asthma of their youngest son, whose condition made him unable to eat most commercially processed foods.

Based on the advice of a specialist, Margaret put him on a diet of fruits and vegetables and minimally processed foods. Then one day Margaret decided to try baking him some all-natural stone ground whole wheat bread with vitamins and nutrients intact. At a time when puffy, aerated white bread dominated the market, many skeptics—including her son’s doctor—didn’t think it was possible to bake nutritious bread that was also delicious. Margaret proved them wrong.

Pepperidge Farm Cookies and many other stuff that any great parent should store in a old school, perched on a highest shelf
http://tinyurl.com/4ng89k4

Tea, Champagne with Kindle on the top at The Langham

Well... I guess we usually don't seek for a hotel lobby to spend an afternoon when one can find so many charming cafes. The good thing about the Longham in Shanghai is that it is right in the middle of the city, in Xin Tian Di where there are only few options for good read, tea and Champagne. After all these years I really got bored with Starbucks and Coffee Beans or Costa.

Longham lobby was splendidly designed and I immediately felt well there. It is spacious, not too bright, not too dark, a good acoustic that won't distract you from your reading or cause headache. Ordering the Champagne & Snacks set you might have to ask the staff to pour a bit more as they don't tend too be too generous on the quantity. Tea sets come with a great selection of sugars (see picture below): Maple, Muscavado, Brown, Crystal, White, Palm, Equal, and Free. Beautifully presented.

The Langham Xin Tian Di (Shanghai, PRC)
99 Madang Lu, near Taicang Lu
马当路99号1楼, 近太仓路
www.xintiandi.langhamhotels.com
+8621 2330 2288

Taming the Noodles, a Dough Story

When you were a kiddo how many times did you wander where were pastas from? Usually they go together in the same group of highly appreciated kid dishes together with potatoes and rice. So potatoes grow in the ground, rice under water, and pastas? Well... I didn't have a very clear idea about it till I visited some of the world most amazing pasta houses in Italy 10 years ago. Pastas don't grow on trees. Surprise! They're "just" dough... D'Oh!

Dough? You mean like bread, pizza, and... dumplings? Oh, I see... So Pastas never come on Earth as a food gift from God, you don't seed them? Good I haven't tried to hard growing penne in my backyard.

So Pastas come from dough, and it is funny to think about how many people eat Pastas (billions) and how few knows the secret of their making.

The same way I visited factories and traditional handmade manufactures in Italy last Century, and with the same curiosity, I was granted access to one of the best Chinese restaurant in Shanghai, "SOAHC", in Xin Tian Di, for a private lesson of noodle making. And yes, it all started with dough.

I should thank my dear friend and owner of several restaurants in Shanghai, Ping Ping CHAO-NUGERON thanks to whom I discovered the behind-the-scene and met some of her amazing Chefs. I had really no idea what it takes to sculpt these noodles, a perfect dough, the perfect hands, the perfect move, the throwing in the air, result of years of practice. Well, after all, there is something divine about Pastas.

Soahc
South Block Xintiandi
House 3, Ln. 123 Xingye Lu (Madang Lu)
Shanghai, China 200021
6385-7777