This article is part of "SmartShop". In "SmartShop", SmSh sends a writer out to the stores to
search through all the stuff, report back on what's out there and tell us where to go.
More of SmartShop here »
[SmartShop]: Delis
Delis, specialty foods, idiosyncratic imports, and more - By Holly, Apr 01, 08
Although Shanghai is relatively well-serviced when it comes to import supermarkets, sometimes the craving for food-from-home goes further than just Heinz Baked Beans and Lucky Charms. Even with the existence of Carrefour and City Shop, specialist western foods and fresh imported foods aren't always easy to get hold of. So, on a mission to satisfy your desire for marinated artichokes and jam¨®n serrano, Smartshop trawled Shanghai for delicatessens and discovered the following:
Delish (Jing'An)
Delish is located in Loft 98 in Jingan Temple, flanked by two restaurants (SHOKA and Cantine) under the same ownership. The location is up-and-coming -- just next to a new boutique fitness club -- and definitely heading towards chi-chi. It's a cool little shop, with subtle d¨¦cor throughout. The high-end imports are of similar selection as other western supermarkets but Delish brings more to the table including an impressive variety of cheese, cooked meats, and breads. It also functions as a take-away caf¨¦, selling salads, sandwiches, soups and even whole meals (Vegetable Lasagna, Beef Stew) to-go.
Planet Caviar (Xintiandi)
Planet Caviar is both the name of the shop and a description of the land where its clientele come from. Planet stocks Iranian caviar and Caspian caviar from Azerbaijan, as well as farmed Norwegian and Scottish salmon and wild salmon at prices varying between 84rmb and 180rmb per 100g. A selection of alcoholic beverages is chosen with the food in mind; beluga vodka and magnums and jeroboams of Perrier Jouet and Taittinger litter the shop floor. These two pillars of old-school culinary sophistication -- smoked salmon and caviar -- are not just products, they represent a whole unique world view. Truffle oils, balsamic onions, and flavored cocoa can also be found here.
Gourmet di Casa (French Concession)
Gourmet di Casa is a rare ¨C if not unique ¨C commodity in Shanghai. It is the Shanghai outlet of the di Casa by Casa Rinaldi brand, a company who have been producing balsamic vinegar for several generations and have consequently expanded into the production of other gourmet Italian items. The shop itself is tiny (only about 15 square meters) but packed with Italian specialties that are not found anywhere else in Shanghai. 80% of the products on sale are Casa Rinaldi's own brand and they sell 10 different types of olive oil including those infused with white and black truffle, as well as hand-made pastas and nine different varieties of their original balsamic vinegar product. They also sell some liquids which you're not advised to add to vinaigrette; seven varieties of Grappa ¨C- more than anywhere else in Shanghai. As you would expect from this type of specialty shop, prices aren't cheap -- olive oils range between 72rmb and 320rmb and the industrial-size jars of pickles of olives start at around the 200rmb mark -- but you are paying for the quality of the product and the very fact that it's available in China. Such prices probably mean it is never going to evolve into anyone's local deli, but it is an excellent place to pick up a gourmet gift or a particular specialty item.
Fei Dan (French Concession)
The two outlets of this food shop (Anfu Lu and Dagu Lu) are easily the least pretentious of the specialty food shops we visited, and they're more similar to corner stores in European or American cities. Fei Dan is marketing to all nationalities of expats, selling everything from chorizo to packets of cake-mix and "Smash" mashed potato. The older version of the shop has gone down the route of a "gourmet" food shop (roughly translatable as imported) rather than delicatessen, but its younger sister (Dagu Lu) is more deli-like. Both stock an excellent variety of pasta sauces, milks (soy, rice, coconut), and pickles, and have a small fresh section with cheeses, fruit juices, and imported butter at prices similar to the import supermarkets. Otherwise the product selection is limited.
Delish (Jing'An)
Delish is located in Loft 98 in Jingan Temple, flanked by two restaurants (SHOKA and Cantine) under the same ownership. The location is up-and-coming -- just next to a new boutique fitness club -- and definitely heading towards chi-chi. It's a cool little shop, with subtle d¨¦cor throughout. The high-end imports are of similar selection as other western supermarkets but Delish brings more to the table including an impressive variety of cheese, cooked meats, and breads. It also functions as a take-away caf¨¦, selling salads, sandwiches, soups and even whole meals (Vegetable Lasagna, Beef Stew) to-go.
Planet Caviar (Xintiandi)
Planet Caviar is both the name of the shop and a description of the land where its clientele come from. Planet stocks Iranian caviar and Caspian caviar from Azerbaijan, as well as farmed Norwegian and Scottish salmon and wild salmon at prices varying between 84rmb and 180rmb per 100g. A selection of alcoholic beverages is chosen with the food in mind; beluga vodka and magnums and jeroboams of Perrier Jouet and Taittinger litter the shop floor. These two pillars of old-school culinary sophistication -- smoked salmon and caviar -- are not just products, they represent a whole unique world view. Truffle oils, balsamic onions, and flavored cocoa can also be found here.
Gourmet di Casa (French Concession)
Gourmet di Casa is a rare ¨C if not unique ¨C commodity in Shanghai. It is the Shanghai outlet of the di Casa by Casa Rinaldi brand, a company who have been producing balsamic vinegar for several generations and have consequently expanded into the production of other gourmet Italian items. The shop itself is tiny (only about 15 square meters) but packed with Italian specialties that are not found anywhere else in Shanghai. 80% of the products on sale are Casa Rinaldi's own brand and they sell 10 different types of olive oil including those infused with white and black truffle, as well as hand-made pastas and nine different varieties of their original balsamic vinegar product. They also sell some liquids which you're not advised to add to vinaigrette; seven varieties of Grappa ¨C- more than anywhere else in Shanghai. As you would expect from this type of specialty shop, prices aren't cheap -- olive oils range between 72rmb and 320rmb and the industrial-size jars of pickles of olives start at around the 200rmb mark -- but you are paying for the quality of the product and the very fact that it's available in China. Such prices probably mean it is never going to evolve into anyone's local deli, but it is an excellent place to pick up a gourmet gift or a particular specialty item.
Fei Dan (French Concession)
The two outlets of this food shop (Anfu Lu and Dagu Lu) are easily the least pretentious of the specialty food shops we visited, and they're more similar to corner stores in European or American cities. Fei Dan is marketing to all nationalities of expats, selling everything from chorizo to packets of cake-mix and "Smash" mashed potato. The older version of the shop has gone down the route of a "gourmet" food shop (roughly translatable as imported) rather than delicatessen, but its younger sister (Dagu Lu) is more deli-like. Both stock an excellent variety of pasta sauces, milks (soy, rice, coconut), and pickles, and have a small fresh section with cheeses, fruit juices, and imported butter at prices similar to the import supermarkets. Otherwise the product selection is limited.
tricky
Dec 21, 08
There is a new italian style deli shop in the world finance center ( BOTTEGA ) with very attractive prices and good service
[Offbeat]: The Questing Finger
New p-ass-ageways towards improving your prostate¡¯s vigor - By Trafton K. Doe
- Gone Dark: The Ins and Outs of China's Total Eclipse
- Reading China's Past with Earnshaw Books
- A Laos Motorbike Adventure
- Our Guide to a Healthier, Happier You
www.talkmagazines.cn
- Jul 2 » Swing Low
- Jun 25 » Moving On
- Jun 17 » Seeking Big 'Uns
- Jun 11 » Getting wet and scared in Shanghai
- Jun 4 » Strip Teased
SmartShanghai presents:
Hassle free ticket purchasing and delivery for Shanghai's cultural and concert events.
More of SmartTicket here »
Hot selling:
July 18
Alex Gaudino
The first Top 100 ranked DJ to play Sin, Alex Gaudino (no. 32) is the producer of the dance hits ¡°Destination Calabria¡± and ¡°Watch Out¡±.
Details & prices »Daily 7.30pm
ERA
Multi-million dollar show, "ERA: The Intersection of Time," is Shanghai's most popular acrobatic performance featuring aerial walking, bowl balancing and flying trapeze.
Details & prices »
Kiwib
Dec 10, 08