Shanghai-based writer, editor and curator Clare Jacobson recently published New Museums in China, which presents 51 of the most architecturally stunning museums that have been built around China in the last decade. She’s giving a talk this Saturday about the nation’s recent museum-building boom, and the debates surrounding the fast-paced growth. We've seen her speak before and she's excellent.

More than a thousand museums have opened in China over the last 10 years. Some say these buildings are “museums in name only,” arguing that they’re either empty or filled with forgeries and ... Read on

A double-headliner at the Kung Fu Komedy Club this Saturday as Drew Fralick and Butch Bradley put on a show for charity.

Bradley’s a pretty popular stand-up comic from the U.S. and has featured on HBO and Showtime, and was a regular on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He was the Kung Fu Komedy Club’s first international headliner in July 2012 and now referred to as their “resident pro”, having moved to China in September of this year. Fralick is also a regular at the KFK and mixes a lot of American humor and sarcasm into his deadpan sets.

The show has an early start at 6pm. Tickets are 100rmb presale, or 150rmb on the door and half of all the proceeds will be donated to a charity which helps exploited women in Asia. For presale tickets call Drew at 186 1678 3732. More info here.

You may have noticed that Matto has shut its doors. We've just received word from the folks behind the Neapolitan pizzeria that it's not permanent. The plan is to relocate on the other side of the river. They were coy about the exact location but we're speculating that it will be somewhere near the Wulumuqi - Wuyuan Lu area.

As with any project that starts this late in the year, the plan is to open sometime "after Chinese New Year."

What of the space in Superbrand Mall? Enzo Carbone and Co. are still going to keep it. They're just going to put a different concept in there: Mammamia. If you've spent anytime in Suzhou or Wuxi, you might be familiar with the brand. Expect family style casual Italian. That's supposed to open sometime next week. That's quite a quick turnover.

Further stretching your boozing and dining dollar, OYakitori and its upstairs lounge OCocktail open grandly this weekend, and to celebrate, they'll be offering some deep discounts.

On Friday and Saturday they'll be slinging yakitori skewers for 50% off. The same goes for OCocktail's specialty drink list by Yao Lu, who's best known for his work at The Alchemist and The Public. Get the skinny right here.

Mr Pitt is a new speakeasy-style bar on Shanxi Bei Lu. It used to be called Patachon — it was the first Patachon (now there are two more, here and here). The Patachon concept wasn't working in that space: the owner said they couldn't get the kitchen license they needed to do the right food there. Blah blah, whatever, the place is now a bar. It's quite individual in its own way and not half bad.

There are heavy curtains up in the windows so you can't see what's going on in there. Inside, more heavy curtains separate the space, giving it a ... Read on

Bit of buzz flying around Weibo concerning (possible) China dates for 2014 for timeless, immortal, unkillable rock and roll band The Rolling Stones. The quartet is embarking on another world tour -- the "14 on Fire" tour -- and have confirmed via their website and official Facebook a concert in Macau for March 9. And then, according to above links, there's some time off before the group is slated for Perth on March 19.

So that's a pretty large window. Time enough for the group to hop over to the Mainland for a show or two, and according to this tour listing image that's currently making the rounds on Weibo they're doing just that: Shanghai, March 12 at ... Read on

Mid-week ladies’ night suggestion: Yani Lounge upgrades its weekly Heels in the City night by putting on a free belly dancing lesson for girls.

This means belly dancing in a space that looks like a Miami lounge from the 1980s. Red neon. Bead curtains. Red plush everything. It's like a Tony Montana moved to Shanghai and opened a bar with Harvey Keitel. The free class in “torso articulation” (yes, you read that correctly) is followed by Yani’s usual Wednesday night offer: four free standard drinks for girls. DJ Michelle Grant plays lounge music. Pizzas on the menu for those who are hungry. Oh and there’s even a deal for guys: happy hour all night long — buy one get one free on cocktails and beer. Yes, Yani.

The lesson is from 8-9pm. Free drinks for ladies last from 9pm until midnight. More info here.