A birthday dinner party entitled 'Indulgence'

Certainly any birthday dining experience is indulgent, but when the theme of the entire dinner is ‘Indulgence,’ you know you’re in for something else …

One of my favorite Shanghai gal pals, aka - my BCG twin on the other coast (we’re convinced we’ve lived parallel lives), graciously threw me a beautiful and yes, utterly indulgent, birthday dinner party. From the shiny, fur-trimmed hats and bright pink feather boa to the assortment of fine wines and meticulously prepared hors d’oeuvres, my lovely hostess prepared a gastronomic feast that incorporated the fun and flair of childhood birthday celebrations.

We started with an appetizer of Thai lettuce chicken wraps, with the skewers of breast meat marinated in a curry paste I had brought back from my recent visit to Thailand and plated alongside a host of accompaniments – cold glass noodles, a cucumber and red onion salad, julienned vinegared carrots, and crushed peanuts. What followed as our main course was a wonder to all the guests – a perfectly grilled flank steak, done medium rare and served with what may have seemed like an unassuming side of macaroni and cheese …

However, it was this macaroni and cheese that had me murmuring sighs of contentment and the other guests cleaning the bowl. We called it ‘Shanghai style mac & cheese,’ given that the city is of want of ovens and our hostess thus had to improvise a cooking method to put it together and select the appropriate cheeses to match. Her choice of cooking – a simple stainless steel pot and the cheeses – gouda and gruyere, a creamy and mild flavored combination that melded perfectly in the lightly spiced mushroom butter sauce she had created. It was, by far, my favorite part of the entire meal – which says a lot given how much I love dessert …

But our dessert itself hit the spot as well – and certainly reinforced the theme of indulgence. We began with a green tea gelato cake because what’s a birthday without cake? And in the spirit of excess, complemented the iced dessert with more ice cream – and the richest kind at that – Coldstone Creamery. Our hostess had planned for my menu ‘make your own sundaes’ with all the toppings from whipped cream to colored sprinkles; there was even crushed Butterfinger, a candy bar I haven’t had since I went trick or treating in elementary school.

I ate … and ate until my mind, stomach, and spirit were bursting in all senses of the word – from the bliss of fine food, the glow of fine wine, and happiness of the finest company, my friends. It was a truly indulgent affair.

‘Shanghai Mac & Cheese’

½ stick butter
¼ cup cream
600 grams creamy cheeses (Used Gouda and Gruyere)
500 grams shell pasta
1 cup mushrooms (Used shitake)
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmigiano reggiano (to top)

Sauté the mushrooms in butter and olive oil; season with salt and butter to taste. (Optional: Add garlic, onion, or fresh herbs such as thyme, per your own taste).

In a large pot, heat the butter, cream, and cheeses; stir consistently until all ingredients have thoroughly melted (sauce will be more stringy compared to that in more traditional creamy mac & cheese dishes)

Slowly mix sautéed mushrooms, followed by cooked shell pasta until thoroughly combined
Finish with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano on top. Mange bene!

Birthday celebration at Hamilton House

One thing I love about Shanghai is that new venues open up every day and when that venue relates to some sort of dining experience, I’m doubly excited.

For my birthday, A brought me to the recently opened ‘Hamilton House,’ a French brasserie featuring Chef Philippe Leban and located right off the bund in a 1930s-era Art Deco tower. I don’t have the most favorable opinion of Bund dining, finding it slightly snobbish with sub-par service and food that rarely lives up to its name or price tag; however, perhaps because it’s new or perhaps it was the celebratory ambiance of the evening, but I found Hamilton House supremely delightful.

The brasserie’s menu itself is quite short; however, A and I still found ourselves taken with more items than we could order. I settled on an appetizer of poached eggs with spinach, shallots, and pork belly on a slice of homemade brioche. A’s selection was far healthier – boudin blanc, a freshly made chicken breast sausage. Both were done extremely well. My dish melted in my mouth (the joys of butter) – the brioche had a crispy crust but was still moist and was made more rich by the red wine butter sauce dressing it. The texture of A’s boudin blanc was amazing – less of a sausage and more of a mousse, with a mild flavor enhanced by the tomato and pesto sauces decorating the plate.

For our main course, I had the pot au feu of pigeon, a roast pigeon breast in a light broth on top of a fois gras ravioli. A settled on the sea bass over a fennel puree with a creamy sherry reduction. Both were done quite well, though with my fois gras ravioli, the texture of the skin and consistency of the filling made me think more of hearty Chinese dumpling than the creamy Italian ravioli I had expected.

At end the meal, A and I decided to share dessert given how full the rest of our meal had left us. It’s a good thing we did because the apple tarte tatin we ordered was both large and thick – the size of a small personal pizza. I usually order chocolate desserts to fully satisfy sweet cravings, but this tatin gives chocolate fondant a run for its money in terms of how rich it was. The thick halves of caramelized apple were set on a soft, flaky crust whose layers were melded together by the warm syrup of the apple and cold vanilla bean ice cream that topped it. The taste and experience can only be described as a sweet goodness that comes from indulging in a hearty classic dessert on one’s birthday. I enjoyed every bite.

Maybe it was the birthday … maybe it was the company … or maybe it was the anticipation of classic French food after watching Ratatouille … but my dinner at Hamilton House was definitely a highlight in my Shanghai dining experiences and a wonderful way to celebrate my start to a new year.

Hamilton House
137 Fuzhou Lu (near Jiangxi Lu)
福州路137号，近江西路
Shanghai, China
+86 21 6321 0586
http://www.hamiltonhouse.com.cn/

The Shanghai hairy crab 'experience'

I've eaten crab before, but Shanghai hairy crab (大闸蟹) is a different experience altogether. I had heard about these furry creatures (and their claws are quite furry - hence the name 'hairy' crab) since I arrived back in March. The famed 'hairy crab' season is a special two-month period from mid October to mid December where all of Shanghai (and Asia for that matter) erupts in a frenzy for the delicacy. They're everywhere - from the raw seafood shelves of my neighborhood Tesco hypermarket to the eight-course tasting menu at the Ritz Carlton's Hanagatami restaurant.

Eating the crab is an experience all in itself, and my first true taste of it was in the most classic of settings - a homemade Shanghainese meal. A's parents graciously invited me over to their home for a hairy crab feast, as A's dad had just brought back eight crabs from the most prized region of China - Yangcheng Lake. I was excited, not only by the prospect of sampling China's finest but also watching A's mom prepare the meal. (I love observing domestic goddesses at work, and with my best friend all the way in Thailand and my mom back in California, I've felt at loss of a role model - until recently. :))

The classic way to serve these crabs is steamed with a simple but fragrant ginger vinegar sauce that enhances the delicate flavor of the sweet meat. It's a true example of how simplicity and an appreciation of fresh, original flavors can produce something truly exquisite. The Shanghainese also pair the crab with rice wine (shaoxing jiu) to add a 'warming' balance to the otherwise 'cooling' crab.

But the reason I call Shanghai hairy crab an 'experience' is because of the arduous but oh-so-fun process involved in eating it. It's something like performing surgery (not that I've ever done it) where you meticulously dissect your subject in front of you, removing inedible parts such as the stomach and lungs while preserving the juicy and cholesterol-heavy orange roe. Eating one crab (and it's a small creature about the size of my fist) took me over half an hour. But the effort was more than worthwhile and the entire process fantastically messy - which is the only way to do it (or so I tell myself).

Looking back, there are a few of lessons I took away from the whole affair - one, do not wear white while you're eating crab, two - practice does not make perfect (I was far more impatient on my second crab), and three, homemade meals really are the best. The food is prepared with such love and the meal experience is so comforting. It's only at home that you can let loose and sit around the table cracking crab legs in your teeth, laughing over the carnage in front of you, and taking crazy pictures of all the embarrassing slipups ... it was truly an unforgettable and warming (not because of the alcohol) experience ...

Good friends, dinner parties, and my first homemade panna cotta

I love food, and I love spending time with friends and meeting new people. Dinner parties are a perfect venue for that. So when one of my favorite BCG gals and fellow foodie announced that she was holding her first dinner party here in Shanghai, I was thrilled.

Preparing and executing a successful dinner party is not an easy event, so a huge thanks and warm hug to the gracious hostess for a truly wonderful evening. Not only is there the planning, tasting, and precise timing needed in cooking a delicious multi-coursed meal (particularly difficult in Shanghai as many Western ingredients are not easy to find) but equally important is the ambiance including the dining setup with the appropriate china/silverware, the mid-table fresh-flower display (or other decorative item), the music in the background, the wine/drink selection for your alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) guests, the hors d'oeuvres to whet the palate, and many many more details that we often overlook because our hostess (or host!) makes it look so easy.

The evening started with a fantastic Prosecco from our hostess. (For a full list of wines served, see below.) A also brought a great bottle of Pinot Noir from our favorite wine bar – Just Grapes. It's too bad I don't drink because I don't have enough (experience or quantity!) to fully appreciate. But there was, of course, a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages, so as the light drinker, I made a mango 'schorle,' a mixture of sparkling water and mango juice (a tribute to my apfleschorle that I had enjoyed so much in Germany).

The menu consisted of lovely Italian fare accompanied by carefully selected wines and served in the classic five-course fashion - antipasti (appetizer), primi (first course - usually soup, pasta, or risotto), secondi (second course - usually meat), contori (side dish - usually vegetables), and dolci (dessert). We devoured the appetizer almost immediately as we stepped in the door, eating, drinking, and chatting all at the same time. Our hostess had laid out beautiful plates of tomato and mozzarella bruschetta - the flavor and color enhanced by the fresh basil topping it.

After an hour or so, we were all seated to begin our meal, beginning with the first course, an orrichiette pasta (after 'orecchio' or its 'ear'-shape in Italian) in a creamy pesto sauce topped with fresh parmesan and accompanied by a wonderful, hearty bread from Paul, courtesy of one of our guests. Our second course was beef filet accompanied by a side dish of colorful sautéed vegetables including red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, and onions. The filet – done medium-rare – was fantastic, lightly spiced and incredibly tender. All us guests were surprised that such a great piece of meat could be found in China and at Carrefour of all places, but the credit of course goes not only to the quality of the meat but the skill of the chef who prepared it!

I was responsible for bringing dessert. Normally, I would bake some chocolate item because as a chocolate lover, I am somehow convinced that it is a universally appreciated food (please don't burst my bubble by telling me that is not the case). Unfortunately neither I nor our hostess has an oven (Chinese folks don't seem to bake), so I opted for a creamy panna cotta, a classic Italian dessert to round out our Italian meal. The preparation is simple and the recipe versatile, as it can be served in anything from cocktail glasses to empty eggshells and adjusted for sweetness, creaminess, and accompanied with different flavors. My most difficult part was securing the ingredients. Unflavored gelatin powder is a mystery to the Chinese consumer but thanks to our import supermarket, I found everything I needed.

Panna cotta is a rich, milk and cream based dessert. The recipe called for a topping of fresh berries, which I have never seen in Shanghai. So I opted to make a grape/berry gelee mixed with bits of dried cranberries and topped with whole dried blueberries, all the fruit courtesy of my parents in California. A loved it and scraped every bit out of the glass – but then again, as my biggest fan, I think he would love anything I made, even if it was just a cup of boiling water. Personally, I was pleased with the result, although next time I think I would make smaller portions (as it is quite rich for one person at a sitting), lower the honey/sugar factor, and experiment with different flavors (e.g. espresso topped with white/dark chocolate shavings).

All together, the evening was fantastic from the company to the Jay Chou mix playing in the background (prep for the upcoming concert in two weeks!) Good friends + good food (especially homemade) = good times. :)

Evening's wine list (in the order it was served)
* Carpene Malvolti Prosecco di Conegliano Extra Dry DOC
* Feudi Di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo DOCG
* Donnafugata Sedara Sicilia IGT
* Penfolds Club Tawny (Port)

Living JJ Lam's '豆浆油条' (a breakfast date of soymilk and fried donut)

If any of you have heard JJ Lam's song 豆浆油条 ('dou jiang you tiao'), this entry will be of particular amusement to you. (If you haven't, it is a must listen - it's the cutest song! Listen here.) The name refers to a popular Chinese breakfast of hot savory soymilk accompanied by a savory donut. It's certainly not the healthiest thing for you, as the donut is essentially a deep-fried stick of dough, but it certainly is yummy.

A and I love the song, as it uses the two breakfast items to refer to a couple that compliments each other. A is the 油条, and I am the 豆浆. We have listened to the song so much and have always said that the meaning would be enhanced if we had the breakfast together. So to celebrate a sunny Saturday and a fantastic song, A and I ventured on a classic Chinese breakfast 'date' at one of Shanghai's most popular joints – 永和大王 (originally called '永和豆浆') near the Ritz Carlton Portman.

The venue, despite being a local joint, is quite clean and warm. It's almost the equivalent of a Chinese McDonalds establishment where local residents come to get soymilk or sit down for a quick meal in the morning. A and I decided to live the experience in full and seated ourselves in the busy dining area. We ordered two bowls of savory soy milk (xian dou jiang), an egg pancake wrapped around a savory donut (dan bing you tiao), and a beef pancake (niu rou bing). A full breakfast, which all together came to 21 rmb!

I was quite pleased with the entire event. The savory soy milk contained pieces of seaweed and green onion, which was new to me but really enhanced the flavor. And of course, it contained crispy bits of the fried donut, which despite swimming in a bowl of soy milk was so fresh that it still had a nice crispy bite to it. The egg pancake, which I love so much and used to eat all the time from food stands in Taiwan, was done slightly differently because it contained the fried donut itself along with a spicy sauce that gave it a nice kick. The beef pancake was equally good, essentially fried up with shredded beef and of course, lots of oil. The breakfast was by no means 'what the doctor ordered' in terms of healthy ways to start your day but completely hit the spot on a Saturday morning in Shanghai.

I left with my stomach happy from an indulgent yet oh-so-homey breakfast and my spirits warmed from living the lyrics of the song. It's a meal I would definitely have again and a local establishment I would happily return to. A and I loved the experience and both agreed it was a fantastic way to start our weekend. (The only point of contention was one we happily have over many of our favorite Chinese foods – whether it is more Taiwanese or Shanghainese. :) But that is a discussion for another day!)

永和大王 (yong he da wang)
南京西路2-68号新世界商城地下一层
+86 21 62900555
http://www.yonghe.com.cn/

Is there such thing as Chinese fine dining?

I meant to write about this last week but got so caught up with work and my parents’ arrival that I didn’t get a chance. But my first post! And how fitting that it be ‘Shanghainese.’ So last Wednesday, A and I did a fun BCG couples dinner at Whampoa Club at 3 on the Bund. I was intrigued by the restaurant because it held the promise of Chinese ‘fine dining’ and received a very complimentary review in Chubby Hubby.

The menu was pretty expansive and took me a while to get through. I have a very bad case of ‘fomo’ (my friend recently taught me – ‘fear of missed opportunity’), so I poured over the menu for quite a while before ordering for the table. We opted not to do the tasting menu because the choices didn’t look particularly exciting and there were so many other things to try! Eventually, we settled on an array of both traditional and more fusion-like dishes. Cold appetizers included the classic Shanghainese glutten (kao fu), a beautiful tea egg array paired with quail eggs and roe, and a fois gras and date combination over fresh spring vegetables. Hot dishes included the classic sweet and sour fried mandarin fish (gui yu), crisp fried taro balls, lion’s head meatballs in a clear broth (shi zi tou), Cantonese broccoli in soup (shang tang), and almond and cocoa braised spare ribs.

My takeaway though was mixed. The ambiance was fitting, the view of the Bund of course beautiful, and the food good but not particularly special. Arguably it’s difficult to make classic Chinese dishes served family style especially ‘special’; however, I thought the other restaurants like the Four Seasons’ Chinese restaurant did a fantastic job at that (excellent food, presentation, and service).

The exceptions were the more interesting fusion dishes. I found them delightful of the interesting and new combinations of flavors and ingredients. My two favorites (A's top picks as well) were (1) the almond/ cocoa spare ribs – braised perfectly in a sauce that had a hint of chocolate and appropriately fatty without being excessively oily, as ribs tend to be; (2) the fois gras and dates – the dates were stuffed with white mochi (glutinous rice), which made for a nice, slightly chewy texture. And I liked the combination of the classic Chinese dates with the fois gras – it was an interesting tangy and sweet addition to the richness.

All in all, I wouldn’t go again but still think Whampoa Club is still great for the out of town visitor. I would recommend ordering exclusively the fusion dishes though – there are better places for classic Shanghainese. Definitely a great night though – as always, it’s the company that makes the evening special. :)

Whampoa Club
3 on the Bund
3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Shanghai, 31 200002 China
+86 21 6321 3737
http://www.threeonthebund.com/

Beginnings ... about me and my first blog

Inspired by my best friend's (and now one of my) favorite websites – chubby hubby – I felt inspired to write up a few notes about my Shanghai eating experiences. I don’t claim to be at all knowledgeable but just an excited reader who enjoys reading food blogs. Plus, it’s an easier way to indulge in my obsession with food, capture the loads of pictures I take, and share an integral part of my year-abroad experience with my friends back home and anyone else interested in dining in Asia (or wherever the winds take me. :))

And for any of those wondering, the name 'Delica Recchiuti' refers to two of my favorite shops (both introduced to me by my best friend!) in one of the most beautiful places in the world - the Ferry Building, San Francisco. Delica is an organic Japanese deli with a fantastic wasabi sweet pea/edamame potato salad; Recchiuti refers to the gourmet chocolate confectioners home of my favorite peanut butter puck truffle. The combination of the two truly epitomizes me - the ultimate health nut and chocolate addict. :)