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2013: Best New Restaurants

Kick-ass sandwiches, creative Cantonese, Michelin cred and ever more Italian. These are the five that really impressed us in 2013
Last updated: 2015-11-09


We were slow to start, but by springtime restaurant, openings were in full bloom. We had some truly impressive additions to the scene this year, too. A sophomore effort from Jason Atherton, a true deli, Richard Ekkebus's foray into the Mainland and more. Without any further ado, the list...


5. Jade Garden

4/F, 1238 Yan'an Zhong Lu, near Changde Lu



This is the fourth one of these "Five Best" lists that I've compiled, and it suddenly occurs to me that I've never included a Chinese restaurant. And in all honesty, in the past years, I've probably dined at restaurants better than Jade Garden and didn't include them on the list. That's not to say, however, that this is a pity prize. If you don't believe me, drop by Jade Garden around noon on a Saturday, take a number and wait. And then wait some more. When it comes to restaurants in Shanghai, queues don't lie.

What I like about Jade is that its food is innovative without abandoning its roots. Sometimes it's a simple matter of presentation. For instance, when a soup of fish maw and cordyceps is served in a clay teapot, I suddenly forget that I'm eating the swim bladder of a fish and a fungus that invades the nervous system of a Tibetan caterpillar. All that occurs to me is the delicate double-boiled extraction and the interplay of flavor and texture. Sometimes it's an improvement on an already great thing, like braising brisket to fork tenderness and then batter-frying it in a crisp shell. And sometimes, bigger is better, like when you make a pineapple bun the size of a cantaloupe.


4. Tock's

221 Henan Zhong Lu, near Fuzhou Lu



Tock's. Man, all I can say about Tock's is, "It's about goddamned time!" I've been in Shanghai for over eight years. Over eight years without a proper deli! Do you realize how hard that is? Oh sure, other places here have called themselves "delis" in the past. That's all null and void now. Ever since Tock's opened this spring, I have demoted all so-called "delis" to mere "sandwich shop" status, never to return until they can do duck pastrami or smoked brisket as beautifully as owner Brian Tock does.


3. D.O.C. Gastronomia Italiana

5 Dongping Lu, near Yueyang Lu



Italian food is suffering a severe bout of inflation in Shanghai. And yet, an Italian restaurant has once again made my list. What can I say? Every time I try to get out, they pull me back in! D.O.C. Executive Chef Stefano Pace has really impressed me with his commitment to quality ingredients and slow, handmade foods. His pizzas are refreshingly unique, with unexpected flavor combinations, like zucchini blossoms, pear and lemon. His Catamarano Abruzzese—a canoe-shaped pizza overflowing with wood-fire roasted pork belly, preserved fruit, radicchio and locally-produced stracciatella—is thing of true beauty. Handmade pastas like duck pappardelle with veal ragout are object lessons in simple pleasure. What's more, the fine dining part of the operation has finally opened upstairs. I'm looking forward to being equally impressed by that in the near future.


2. The Commune Social

511 Jiangning Lu, near Kangding Lu



I'm convinced that all of this cooking with liquid nitrogen, sodium alginate and sous-vide machines is often a smokescreen for lesser chefs. Fortunately, Jason Atherton, Scott Melvin and Kim Lyle are not lesser chefs. These guys apply these methods judiciously and achieve masterful results. Atherton and Co. push the envelope with wonderfully eclectic mix of flavors. Asia stands out with dishes like sea urchin over sourdough toast with pepper butter and a chiffonade of kaffir lime leaves or a simple salt and pepper squid dusted with ground Sichuan peppercorn. They pay homage to Spain with creative uses of manchego, chorizo and Iberico pork. England even enjoys some much-needed time in the sun with Atherton's take on a traditional English breakfast—black pudding over an egg sunny side up. And it's all precise without being pretentious, fun without being frivolous.


1. Fifty 8º Grill

Mandarin Oriental Pudong, 1/F, 111 Pudong Nan Lu, near Yincheng Lu



When it comes to food, the constant impulse to reinvent isn't always a good thing. Too often, food is deconstructed, reinterpreted, crammed between wry quotation marks on a menu. It gets to where it sucks the joy out of eating. Do we always need an explanation of what's on our plate or instructions on how to eat it? This is why I like Fifty 8 Grill so much. Michelin-starred Chef Richard Ekkebus and Chef de Cuisine apply three basic principles to their cooking: use the best possible ingredients, simple is beautiful and fat is your friend. You see this ethos in everything on their menu—the hand-crafted terrines and rillettes, the precision-grilled Wagyu steaks, the braised black pepper short-rib, the apple tart with creme fraiche. And all of it belies the meticulous artistry and care that went into making it.

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