Taipei's new place, 'Lune', is now open.

Taipei is the owner of LOgO, and this new place then... is "brought to you by the people behind LOgO".

Early reviews have it as "nicer than LOgO", which can be good or bad depending on your world view.

Weekly parties and so on and so forth are starting to roll in, and your tireless purveyors of house / disco, Acid Pony Club, are there every Friday.

So go check it out if you want. Address info right here. It's around the corner from Cantina Agave.

Brasa Chicken's four locations in Shanghai have closed en masse. We talked to an unidentified manager at one of those places, who offered that they'd be closed for two months. Take that how you will. The Vargas
empire, however, taking defeat in stride, is opening up another bar / restaurant in Pudong. Two floors: bar / lounge on the first floor (rum, cacasha, Spanish music) and a 40-seat eatery on the second. Opening in November.

Keep your eye on Jiashan Market, a new boutique development in an old factory from Architecture company Bau. Eco-concious cafe Melange Oasis, from the team behind Vienna Café, silently opened their doors last month (daytime only) and Japanese restaurant Meshi has moved shop from Taikang Lu into the space. With more to come, look for the grand opening of Jiashan Market on September 19.

Another anticipated lifestyle hub thing, Sinan Mansions, has a new tenant: New York Style Steak & Burger has taken up a three-story space and is preparing to open "Shanghai Slims", a "Steak, Lobster and Seafood" restaurant within the next few weeks. They’ll be there along with a new Boxing Cat Brewery, Kelley Lee's The Alchemist (both of those opening after the October holidays) and David Laris’ Funky Chicken (also opening in October).

Popular sushi restaurant Haiku has now opened their Pudong outlet at the IFC mall. Grand opening party (details here) is scheduled for Sep 15, and they are still running a 20% off promotion.

Small bits: Mistral, the Spanish restaurant from the management of Tara 57 now stays open for late night dinners: reservations after 9pm get a free homemade Chocolate Soufflé. Reservations at 134 8255 4304. The Purple
Onion, David Laris' new restaurant at the former AFP is now open for lunch: three courses are 98 kuai.

The new issue of Shanghai Talk is floating around out there somewhere, packed to the brim with relevant articles and diversions.

What's in the big girl this month, you ask?

Their cover features Jane Goodall, looking affable enough in some jungle. Emblazoned on that is "The Good Doctor's 50 Year Fight", so I would imagine that the cover article is about Jane Goodall's life-long struggle to eradicate chimpanzees from the planet, which is what, I think, what she's famous for.

What else? A feature piece on Ladislav Hudec, one of Shanghai's pre-eminent architects, and something on "Shanghai Staycations", which is stuff to do in Shanghai on your vacation. So pick up that mag when you see it.

Shanghai Talk: it's large and unwieldy, but I'll be damned if it's not a terrific read.

Here's something a little different from the usual...

Downstream Garage, down there in the south of Shanghai on Longcao Lu, is hosting a collaborative dance performance featuring pieces from Shanghai-based choreographer Nunu Kong and a choreographer in from LA, Susan Rose -- one from each, and then a third with Kong performing in something from Rose.

It's called "Powerplays" and features a program of three 20-minute (approx.) dance / performance pieces that "explore the dynamics of power shifting" -- sharing space, power relationships, cooperation, control, and resistance. It looks quite interesting.

Powerplays is on Friday and Saturday this weekend. Start time is 7:30pm both nights. Here is the event listing.