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<title>SmartShanghai.com User Reviews</title>
<description>SmartShanghai.com Reviews</description>
<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/</link>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7822</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Cafe Sambal: Not thanks]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:37:06 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[The hidden location is a quite new/coll spoot in the french consation.
The design of the resturant is clean/open design.
The service was fine at the time we visit.

The food was nothing what we expected. Perhapps the food is okay, but as we expected Malaysian food we was VERY disapointed. :(
I strongly recommend them to be more clear that the base (perhapps) is Malaysian, but with there own touch of...

So this resturnt is not as bad as this might sound, but for us it was as to our expectations of real Malaysian food, that we miss from time to time...

We will not go back.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7821</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Chiang Mai: Okay place.]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:15:43 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[The decore is okay. Not to little, not to much and in good shape.
The food is also okay. Not exactly how I like my Thai food, but then I mostly eat/prefer the taste from south Thailand.
With that sade, food is okay, even for my taste.
Service is also okay. I do like that there was no screaming by the servent from one end of the resturant to the other. At least not when I visit. :)

If I am in the area again I will make a stop here, again! :)
But to my (personal) taste I will not make a trip here just to eat.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7820</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Bocado: Great Traditional Spanish Restaurant]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:31:38 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I never really wrote any reviews before but i thought it was really necessary to let other people know that this restaurant it’s worth a visit. 

From the moment we opened the door we were in love with the place. The staff was super nice, decoration really cool, makes you feel comfortable and chilled after a busy day at work.

Sangria as expected was good but after we saw food coming out of the kitchen looking good we decided to order a few tapas as well and what started as an after work drink with colleagues, ended up in a nice superb dinner.

The food is traditionally Spanish, decent portions, a great variety for all tastes.

I will come back again for sure !
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7819</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Bocado: Great place]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:45:18 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[All the food was really well seasoned and nicely presented
We started the meal with some tapas and then followed into the main part of the inner with the recommended black seafood paella, which was certainly a crowd pleaser.  
The manchego cheese, though simply presented is a really tasty hard cheese. 
The Spanish ham was delicious and for the price the best value in any of the Spanish restaurants that I've been to in Shanghai
The truffle croquettes were very beyond delicious, worth going just for these little gems.
Batatas Bravas made from baby potatoes with the garlic and brava sauce were well balanced by the two sauces.
The BBQ-ed Spanish blood sausages had a delicious rich and smokey flavor that were well balanced with the cooked bell peppers
After dinner the manager surprised us with a complimentary dessert of flan and chocolate mousse (on an olive oil bread - who would have guessed that it would taste so great together).  
We'll be going back for sure!]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7817</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Nene: Overpriced]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:45:48 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I am not sure if it is because they are new to Shanghai, or they are trying to see what the upper limits of overpriced food , but the pricing is a multiple of what should be acceptable.  

Sure, the food is good, but at 98RMB for a slice of lasagna that doesn't have a consistent core temperature is all I needed to know I have no need to ever return to Nene.

There is a reason why DaMarco (and others) succeeded. Value for price.  Every time.  ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7816</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Lapis Thai (Shanghai Centre): Tasty food, terrible service]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:06:26 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I recently went here for their business lunch and came out of it with very mixed feelings.

All 4 of us chose the set lunch, which is between 118 and 128. For that you SHOULD get soup, a mains, ice cream and tea/coffee. We however, received hardly any of that.
To be fair we also did order off menu for the drinks but were told that 3 times on 3 different drinks were not available - all the smoothies and several of the fresh juices. So in the end 2 of us went for the coconut juice, which is nicely served in a whole coconut.

We never received our soups, but we did receive our main courses, although all at different times. I had the lamp chops, which were delicious - however due to being polite to my business associates i had to wait for all of theirs to be served - thus by the time all our dishes had been served mine was cold...sigh.

After our mains, we were not offered our desserts or our coffee/tea as stated in the set business lunch. We had to flag down one of the scatter-brained wait staff to twice request this, but in the end only received our coffee and teas. 

The damage for 4 set lunches, 2 coconut juice, 1 soda water, 1 ginger tea and a side order of veg was 701RMB. In my eyes this is way over priced, especially for lunch. 

The décor inside the restaurant is nice, but due to the dark interior, probably best suited to dinner. I hear they have a nice roof terrace but since its ball shrinkingly cold weather right now, none of us were willing to brave the terrace. 

The service was shoddy at best, and while I understand it was busy for lunch, the staff were never attentive and had to be asked at least twice for everything. 
The extra factor of pretty much cheating us out of half the set lunch also brings down my opinion of them too.

If Lapis Thai is going to offer a set menu then at least actually OFFER it to their guest and not cheat them out of half the menu. 
If their service and ethics improve i would just about consider returning, but since there are many other restaurants in Shanghai Centre im not sure this going to happen anytime soon.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7815</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kechara Tea House: Cool place to hang out!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:37:46 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Found in the cool Red Town, this place has a cosy ambience with attentive staff. It offers an alternative lifestyle without preaching, which is great, since I've been a sworn meat-lover all my life! The food is great (honestly, I didn't miss the meat!) and the prices offer great value-for-money.

Due to its &quot;love nature&quot; philosophy, pets are very much welcome here and with the abundance of space in Red Town, it's a great hang-out for dog-lovers (and for the more sporty ones among us if you fancy a quick jog around the square...). The art galleries are worth visiting too.

I've met up with friends as well as held business meetings there, it's always been a hit. As for dates... I heard the Tea House helped to organise a marriage proposal recently. I think she accepted...

I guess it's a matter of personal taste when it comes to food venues, not everyone will agree on everything, but this place certainly works for me.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7810</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Urban Thai: For Thai lovers]]></title>
				<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:22:57 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I have been to this place few times now and I never get bored about what I try. Even if the menu is not so large you can find all the typical Thai dishes that you want. Such as Tom Yum/Tom Kha Gai(Chicken Coconut Soup)/Massaman Nuea (Massaman Curry with Beef). The last time I went it was for a business meeting and besides the fact that the service could be improved (the waitress was not really smiling and she didn't know the drink list so well)the dishes always come out of the kitchen quite quick. I have never tried it with my Girlfriend but it's definitely a place where I would see myself inviting her. So it's for sure a place that I will continue to go in the future especially if their Lady Thai Chef is still so funny....]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7809</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Mr Pancake House: We still love you!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:24:06 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[It really pisses me off when reviewers complain about things like the staff not smiling and not saying hello here. Mr Pancake House is an affordable Western diner in CHINA and for what you’re paying, you can’t expect 5-star service. This isn’t the States where wait staff work for tips, so get over it. I’m more pissed off at bad service at nicer Western restaurants where I’m paying a lot more, such as oh I’d don’t know, Mr Willis?? Yep, had a super rude and snobby waitress serve us there last Saturday together with a clueless waitress who barely understood our orders. Not to mention a squabble &amp; punches thrown between a wait staff and customer… all that incredible service for a RMB300 meal. Yay.

I admit we had a bad experience at the new Mr Pancake on Julu Lu before CNY – waited half an hour for a table, then over an hour for our food as the place was packed to the brim. But if we can get there early enough (i.e. before 10:30am), it’d still be our go-to breakfast place because it’s hard to find a place that has unpretentious Western breakfast that’s good value for money and serves bottomless brewed coffee. 

Mr Pancake House, we love you and if you want to survive you need to:

(1) Say goodbye to Sherpa’s delivery orders – Your kitchen can’t handle both delivery orders and a full restaurant. Is it really worth making the extra money in delivery orders but pissing off customers at the restaurant because they had to wait over an hour for their food??
	
(2) Hint at customers to leave when there’s a queue outside. In China, offering bottomless coffee can be a little risky because some customers will literally drink you dry and sit for hours despite the long queue outside. What you need to do is be more efficient at clearing dishes when customers are finished, and then slip them the receipt – a subtle way to say, ‘We’d like you to leave now, thank you.’ If they still don’t leave, then wait staff need to keep going back to the table asking them if they’d like to order anything else. 

Mr Pancake House has its misgivings but we have faith that they'll work things out!! ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7808</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Mistral: Saved by the goats]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:47:14 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I'd never even heard of the place before last weekend, but I do love Spanish food so was happy to go check it out.

Firstly we arrived an hour late (confusion with the reservation time + cabs in the rain) but I'm happy to report they kept our reservation for us and didn't let it show that it probably pissed them off royally. We were very sheepish at how late we were but the staff acted like it was nothing. Great!

The menu is quite short but there's plenty to choose from/argue over including a small selection of tapas. I feel it is a little over priced and the portion sizes lean more towards nouvelle cuisine but for a treat I think it's ok.

The Spanish owner was happy to chat with us and tell us his recommendations including stopping us when we ordered too much. The other staff were very pleasant but we were in a side room and kept getting forgotten about when it came to getting more wine. Maybe they weren't prepared for a group of foreigners to down it that quick but we kept having to walk out to the main area to flag someone down.

We also ordered a few bottles and only when we tracked down a waiter to chase it up were we told they'd run out, but then with the next bottle we ordered the waiter also came back to say they don't have and when asked to point out the ones he did have...he couldn't. This resulted in a lot of too-ing and fro-ing just to see if they had anything we ordered in stock.

The food was ok - the paella and risotto were a little bit of a disappointment, each dish a good size to share between two with a few tapas but it was just 'meh', nothing to write home about. 

Some of the tapas/appetizers were of a similar feeling - just ok. The tuna and a salady thing were just plain but they saved the day with their goats cheese. Mouth size balls of cheesey goodness with caramelised onions. We kept ordering more...and more....and more they were that good!

The goats cheese was that good it saved the night from being meh/forgettable to OMG I HAVE TO GO BACK AND EAT THEM.

As lovely as the ambience and most of the service was, I found the food 'nice', but I will go back because of one or two dishes. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7807</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Egghead Bagels: Still good!!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:33:35 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I've not been to the restaurant for a while, but I am an avid Sherpa customer (and I also cry inside when I go past it on the way to/from work and it's empty) so when our team decided to head out for a breakfast 'meeting' we thought of Egghead bagels.

We actually pre planned the meals the day before thanks to the menu being on Sherpas website so the first one in turned up with a pre prepared order to make things smoother. What we didn't expect was how amazing the service would be! The manageress (I think... I've not seen the ABC dude for a while) was amazing. She spotted our names written down next to every order then for the rest of the time proceeded to call us all by our first names and was actually anticipating our needs, refilling coffee without being asked, putting down more napkins when we ran out, even asking how well we wanted out bagels toasted! - I mean come on how often do you get that in Shanghai?

Their omelette sets are really good value - i had the NY omelette with cream cheese and salmon and came served with my choice of bagel with cream cheese, fruit and coffee, all for 60kuai. It was really filling but I was jealous of my colleagues choice of French toast. I do love Eggheads French toast. Thick slices of bread with the right amount of spice.

I love the decor, it's clean, funky and bright and the restaurant is the right size to get good service. I still say hats off to the manageress (I think her name was Helen), because of her good service we will be back again in the near future rather than just Sherpaing it up.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7806</link>
				<title><![CDATA[glo London: An alright carvery!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:24:33 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I had a pretty piss poor Christmas party dinner here (think turkey like sandpaper and served with ONION RINGS) so when a mate suggested to go for their Sunday carvery rather than some eggs/bacony brunchy thing I was a bit sceptical.

BUT! It turned out alright you know! One thing I can't fault Glo for is the service. I've been 3 or four times to the grill and the French dude is always there keeping things in order and actually going around chatting to people making sure their ok.

The carvery itself though was great - choice of three well cooked meats, and the chef from the UK was there getting involved and making sure all the food coming out the kitchen was decent. The portions were huge, the tatties crisp and the yorkies big.

They had plenty of side dishes - yes bloody onion rings again, what is it with Glo and onion rings? - and I piled a lot on my plate, dad at Christmas style.

What I like the most was that the food tasted normal. Like a roast dinner I would eat in the UK. No crazy flavours, no surprises, no Chinese versions or anything. It was a proper roast just like my mum makes.

And the best part was I could go up and refill as many times as I like. Food heaven. I'd not had Yorkshire puddings for years. I'll definitely be going back to the carvery!]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7803</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Simply Thai (Xintiandi): The good outnumber the bad...]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:28:17 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[You go here for the good food and the food is good, autentic Thai food!
I love it.

The service is low and I think that with an other 4 people to serve it could be okay or even good.
Well now there is not 4 more... But when service is given, then it is good.
The decor is fine and I am happy to go here once or twice every month, thanks to the food.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7802</link>
				<title><![CDATA[YUE 1525: Whats the hype about?]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:17:29 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I like the Decor and that it is quite silent here, even then it is not always silent do...
Food is always okay, so I have no problem to return, BUT, it isn't that good that I am ready to book the day before to get a table.

Before smart shanghai found the place (=before Yue bought advertice) then it was fine to go there and get a table, at the spot.
But seens the article you are forced to book in advance. :(

So I am happy to eat here, but it is not good enought to be worth making a call the day before to book a table.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7801</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Azul: Abysmal]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:43:10 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Feeling like some Spanish cuisine over the weekend, i went to Azul to check out their dinner with my girlfriend. What a terrible decision that turned out to be!

First we knew something was wrong when we sat down and the table next to us walked out of the restaurant due to a ridiculously long wait for their drinks (after reading the previous review of Azul, i believe it was them).
To be honest we should have have taken more note of our neighbouring table & guests and left too, however we decided to stick it out in the hope that we wouldn't get as bad service as them. Oh how wrong we were!

Our 2 sangrias took 20 minutes to arrive, and then were served with a bang and a thud on the table by the (who i think was) the Chinese assistant restaurant manager. The sangria is pathetic and possesses hardly any alcohol and almost half is ice - bleh. 

We ordered 4 tapas to start, but were told after 5 mins that they had all sold out and the only tapas left were 2 different chicken tapas a beef and a salmon. So not being fussy we just accepted these 4 as replacements. 
It was a further 30 mins until we got our tapas of which again was just dumped on our table with no word. I cant even remember what it tasted like it was so mediocre and bland.
After finishing our tapas it took 15 mins for somebody to clear them away & then a further 20 mins for our mains of a seafood rice and a beef to appear. 

During this time the foreign (i think Spanish) restaurant manager was running around all the tables & apologising for the slow service and was in fact doing his best to stop a mass walkout, since all the customers were complaining. He later explained to us that they were totally backed up with orders, and even their owner had gone into the kitchen to help cook.
To make up for this he offered us free flow sangria and free desserts. It was only due to this man that we continued to stay and wait for our food.

Eventually the mains came and the beef was just OK, but the fries were cold, and the seafood rice was nearly inedible since they massively undercooked the seafood so it tasted like rubber.
We quickly gave up on the mains and waited for them to be cleared and to be given the dessert menu. This took another 15 mins. 

Due to the nature of our now incredibly low appetites we only went for one dessert, the Peruvian flan. However, once our order had been taken by the again rude and nasty Chinese assistant restaurant manager, the nice Spanish restaurant manager came flying over to remind us we could order another dessert on the house - kudos to him for the effort! So we ordered a mango tart. 

When they came, both were horrible, they tasted like cheese cake but had the density of concrete - neither were finished. 

After that we settled the bill and ran and left, but notably walking past the rude Chinese assistant restaurant manager who refused to give us eye contact and a farewell. 

Honestly this place is terrible, especially the food and the Chinese assistant restaurant manager. The only redeeming feature is the foreign Spanish restaurant manager who did his utmost in trying to appease everybody and cover over the multitude of problems at this restaurant. "Well done to him but BOOOOOOOOOO to everybody else!!]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7798</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Azul: BAD experience at AZUL]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:25:22 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I have always liked AZUL. I always go with friends for brunch , It was great , but my last time there was a bad bad experience, Everything came after we told the waiters 4 times , we had to repeat again and again what we wanted. The food came late , tasting BAD , the bread was old , the salad tasted like nothing , the chicken was tasteless and The worst thing is the decor in this place! it looks like a bad warehouse! and Dont get me started about the BATHROOMS!! there are better bathrooms in the Shanghai railway station! 

People of azul , whats going on?]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7795</link>
				<title><![CDATA[glo London: Excellent - steaks are meat their thing]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:34:44 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Really good experience - the steaks excellent, decor hip and cool. Was very busy and we were in a corner, which may have accounted for the slower service, but compared to other places (see our review of Azul), these guys rocked the house. Quit loud, but I liked the vibe - not easy for others to listen in on you! The only thing on the menu we ordered that we didn;t like was the Chicken Tikka. Indian or close to it was not - pretty mediocre. But the steak was excellent, as our the onion rings.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7794</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Azul: High hopes; disappointed by terrible service]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:30:58 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[We heard lots of good things about Azul, so were very eager to try it out (our one time out per week, as we have two kids). The greeting was great, but the service was absolutely terrible. Took forever to get menus and then the waiter eventually took our order and promptly no one ever returned to see how we were doing. After 30 minutes I checked in to see how things were progressing (it appeared everyone was getting slow service, and we are from Europe, so this is not unusual), but the wait staff once again totally ignored every responding with status, let alone our drinks, let alone a small bowl of ANYTHING (olives, chips, etc). After another 20 minutes, kind of perturbed, I politely asked the status of our initial order: two drinks, something to wedge for under the table that was wobbly, and just an update on when our food might arrive. Turns out after a long discussion that our order was never entered - even the drinks (there was one feeble attempt to bring us drinks, but those drinks weren't even ours). I'm fluent in Mandarin, Spanish and English, so it wasn't as if something was lost in translation at any stage of the process. Obviously irritated, we just decided to get up and leave. 

What gets me is that at any stage they could have just said &quot;sorry, we are busy tonight&quot; quickly thrown down on our table two free glasses of table red wine and a small bowl of ANYTHING, and we probably would have stayed; the menu looked very good. Instead, they let us walk out the door angry. Kind of a big mistake in the hospitality business (you never know exactly who your clients are), but I guess they have too much business in these hey-days of Shanghai.

I will say the decor is very nice, but if you are going in winter try to get a table that is not in the ground floor first 1/3 of the restaurant. There is a massive draft. This they could easily solve by adding one of those heavy curtains around the main door to the street, but seeing as they don't seem particularly customer-focused, I am not surprised this has not been done.

Who knows, maybe we will go back. The service could be due to turnover or lack of staff so soon after Chinese New Year.

Oh, we walked out and went to Glo across the street - UK steaks. Highly recommended. We got our wine 5 minutes after we sat down. So the night was not lost. Fantastic!

 ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7793</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Le Soleil de Provence: Good food, strange ambiance ... ]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:51:31 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I read the review in That's Shanghai and decided to give it a try with my boyfriend on Friday night.  The restaurant is located &quot;off the beaten track&quot; on Wulumuqi Rd, in an old house.  It is still &quot;soft opening&quot;, the wait staff have strange uniforms and look like they used to work for a State-owned Restaurant group. We had excellent carrot soup, cod and duck confit, and a nice bottle of South African Red wine, followed by a selection of creme brulee of three flavors. The menu selection is not great. But bread is warm and nice and every dish was well-prepared.   The French Chef came out and said hi to customers.  Food was good, ambiance is strange ... maybe restaurant is owned by a Chinese owner/company??]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7792</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Tairyo (Dongping Lu): Boycott this venue]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:17:08 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I'm not usually prone to writing a review of such a degree of negativity-but in this case, I think the review that will follow is not in anyway unmerited and 100% valid.  To put this into perspective, this particular restaurant holds sentimental value and is firmly entrenched in my own personal Shanghai timeline-an iconic place in my experience where we've held many a birthday night or leaving night and we have some extremely fond memories of great food, service and many nights to remember (or not depending on the amount of saki consumed :P).  Nevertheless, I will never, ever return to this place again for the totally hopeless customer service, which for a restaurant highly dependent on expat customers in order to survive in a prime location no less, quite fankly beggars belief!  When there is a plethora of  all you can eat teppanyaki restaurant for no more than 200rmb across this city, this restaurant is going to have raise the bar significantly before people are just put off from returning again.

Now as organised and forward planning as I am, knowing full well the holiday season is drawing to a close, it is only common sense to consider booking ahead to secure a 7pm table on a Friday night.  in my case, though sadly not for the restaurant, common sense prevailed-on the Tuesday, where I booked a table for 10 of my friends to give a send off to a visiting friend from Scotland.  This was duly noted (supposedly) and my telephone number was taken, and everything as I had organised and planned was read out to me!  Great-no problem! A restaurant I have been to dozens of times over the last 3.5 years has secured my booking and I'll get my sumptuous Japanese feast and give my friend a fine, saki-filled send off!  Given previous experiences I've had in the past, I called again the Thursday to reconfirm and also amend the numbers for the booking. Perhaps on the borderline of neurosis asking them to reconfirm everything again, but it at least I was safe in the knowledge the booking was made!  I think if you have read this far, it isn't exactly going to take a PHd in Magnetohydrodynamics to figure out the punchline to this long short story:  yes, when we turned up, our booking had mysteriously vanished.  Now, as much as I may make a claim that Girls Like Mystery with my band, anyone with half a brain would naturally be perplexed as to what on earth had gone wrong.  I went over the conversations I had on the phone, even called the number stored on my phone to confirm in front of them this was indeed the correct restaurant (phone rang!) to avert being patronised by the duty manager who suggested I had perhaps made a mistake and booked a different place??  So, despite a bunch of empty tables and 10 hungry expats on the way, they refused to accommodate us, verify our bookings (despite also showing them evidence that the calls had been made) and were only prepared to offer us a tiny table in the corner from 9pm onwards.  This miserable little compromise was further exacerbated by their refusal to compensate us with a half price discount (not an unreasonable request given the situation), or even apologise for the inconvenience their ineptitude had created.  They 'helpfully' suggest we try somewhere else-I might just do that next time!

The duty manager displayed an attitude of both total indifference and arrogance and an outright refusal to take accountability for the situation his restaurant had created.  I will never, ever step foot in that place again and I would advise anyone seeking their all you can eat feast to take stock of the far superior restaurants that this city has to offer.

]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7790</link>
				<title><![CDATA[T8: Still brings me lovely surprises]]></title>
				<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:35:59 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[despite T8 is not a new kid on the block, it has been one of my favourite places in Shanghai, be it for a nice dinner or a relaxing drink..

had some lovely surprise when I finally got a chance returning there after some crazy busy travel schedule for a couple of months.. 

the new chef from Spain, Jordi, appples molecular gastronomy, in a good balance..  I am not a fan for 'high-tech cooking', but, he has a good touch blending those to create lovely surprises.. love the olive he made.. and can only imagine how much time it took him to prepare those little yummy re-made olives.. remember to try that if you go to t8 next time!]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7789</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Mr Pancake House: Ignore the Hype!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:10:41 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Maybe it was because I was just in America and I was reminded what service is really like or maybe because it was just after Chinese New Year and everyone is still rubbing the dew out of their eyes but my last visit to Mr. Pancake House on Julu lu was anything less than stellar. You know when you have that moment during a dining experience when you say to yourself or out loud, “I am so writing a bad review on SmartShanghai about this place!”  Well here I am, writing that review.
 
Despite being the only ones in the entire restaurant, it took the staff approximately 21 minutes to serve us out 1 cup of coffee and 1 cup of tea (urge to kill rising..) but I did like the large pained windows and comfy red couches (urge to kill fading, fading…). However, when my Mr. Banana Pancakes arrived 47 minutes after we got our coffee, one was burnt, one was raw and one was barely holding up the name sake. To not top it all off, they gave me a thimble’s worth of syrup (urge to kill RISING!).

Here’s the part of the bad review when you say to the reader, “Ignore the hype people! Mr. Pancake is just hiding behind it’s real persona; Mr. I-Don’t-Have-My-Shit-Together...House. Do yourself a favor and make your own damn pancakes at your own damn house.”   
]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7786</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Cali Burger: Too much for not enough]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:03:54 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I'm not a gourmet burger guy. I never got in to the whole high-concept,  burger craze that started over a decade ago. I like burgers because they taste good and are cheap. This is the problem with CaliBurger; their whole price scheme is out of wack. It's a solid fast food joint (think Carl's Jr.), but for some strange reason they want to charge you almost gourmet burger prices to eat there.

No thanks.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7785</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Whisk: Good Chocolate and so so service...]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:34:37 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I live in the neighborhood and we go regularly. Food is fine. The desserts and hot chocolates are great. 

While the selections are a bit on the pricey side I don't mind paying up for good food. That said, the good folks at Whisk have a bad habit of nickel and diming guests that I find very off-putting...

I arrived today with my girlfriend and happened to ask for a cup of hot water to warm me up only to have the waiter say they serve only bottled water. I asked again and got the same answer...Whether this is a health issue I don't know, but I do know that water filters are quite common (I have a Brita). All I wanted was to get a cup of hot water and not feel that I'm being forced to pay for an overpriced bottle. 

End result, my girlfriend ate her cake and hot chocolate. I watched her happily enjoy her food. However, next time we go out for chocolate we will go to Hof instead. The chocolate there is great also PLUS you can get a cup of hot water for free.  ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7784</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Cali Burger: A Faithful Approximation, but Adulterous Prices]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:55:50 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I am from the magical land of Southern California. When I heard that there would be an In N'Out recplica, I was OVERCOME with excitement. I am puzzled why people who are not familiar with In N'Out are even writing reviews to begin with, as they complain about things without knowing the root inspiration of this place.

The Food:
Compared to Piro which has attempted to have an &quot;In N'Out&quot; style burger on their menu, Cali Burger does a very faithful representation. There are very minor differences (i.e. the meat is a tad flakey... but not in a bad way, the sauce is not AS strong as the original, but close enough, etc.). By and large, this place does seem to use fresh ingredients. The bread is soft, and doesn't taste/feel like it was mass produced and loaded with preservatives. The vegetables inside were crisp, with the tomatoes still retaining their natural characteristic juiciness. The cheese was GREAT (I know it was real stuff, cuz I had funky dreams that night. And real cheese always does that to me!). 

I ordered everything wild style (akin to In N'Out's 'animal style'). Both me and friend thoroughly enjoyed the fare. It. Was. GREAT. I'd even prefer this place to Carl's Jr. if it weren't for other things I will discuss later.

One thing missing was fresh lemonade, to have lemon-ups!

One thing that DOES make this place a bit of a standout, are the bourbon shakes, and the wine on offer. Can't get those at In N'Out. The bourbon shakes were delicious! The perfect amount of bourbon added to the shake so that it was no overpowering. Highly recommended if you wanna let lose for an occasional fat day!

The Environs:
First, they opened in a seemingly cursed location. How many places have we seen come and go at the Yanping Lu, Xinzha lu? For this place to be really successful, you need foot traffic. Which they will not get aside from the local apartment complexes nearby. And unfortunately the overall package does not justify sauntering over in a taxi whenever you have a hankering for burgers in your face (which, if you are like me, happens more often than it should). The inside of the place reminded me very much of the In N'Out's back home, although less bright and, as someone else mentioned, slightly &quot;corporatey&quot;. Perhaps the grey ceilings? But one does not go to In N'Out for the decor. 

The Service:
Not much to talk about here. It's a fast food joint. But from what I could tell, they are aiming for In N'Out level training, staff were (trying to be) efficient, they were friendly, and accommodating. They seemed a tad nervous, but hey... they done well!

The Damage/Value:
Here is the kicker. If they want to survive, and if they want to become so successful that they can open up a venue in say... oh... people square, then they need to be realistic about their market and get with the program on prices. I echo EVERYONE's sentiments about the prices.

I admit, I am one of those people that NEED a good burger on occasion (hey, I cook pretty well too!). But I can go to Malone's or Blue Frog on a Monday night and not spend more than 50kuai on a meal. In N'Out style burgers do not warrant spending 48 + 38 + 28 + 12. HELL TO THE NO. Are you joking me? You guys at Cali Burger are NUTS. The people of shanghai WILL NOT stand for Highway robbery. You have a GREAT product, but you really had better adjust those prices FAST, or you will quickly succumb to a slow and painful yanping lu death. 

A more appropriate adjustment (if things are fresh, then THEY HAVE to be using local ingredients), would be if they were actually faithful to In N'Out pricing as well. Check it out (and be horrified):

Double Double (equivalent to Cali Double): 26.8 rmb
Animal Style Fries (Wild Style Fries): 12rmb
A Drink which has unlimited Refils: 7rmb
A Milk Shake: I don't know, I never order these cause they don't have bourbon and I gotta watch my figure! Let's say 18rmb. 

A delicious meal at In N'Out AT an actual In N'Out costs: 63.8rmb

Compared with Cali Burger:
Cali Double: 48
Wild Style Fries: 38
Coke Can (obviously not unlimited refils): 12rmb
Shake: 28rmb

A delicious meal at Cali Burger: 126rmb (and this doesn't include taxi fare oh my gawww!) 

Do you think I'm going to go to Cali Burger frequently? Nah. Do I want to... DEFINITELY !!!!! But I can not support highway robbery. So, I'll go there every once in awhile, but it can't become a &quot;regular&quot; hangout spot unfortunately. I hope they get with the program and fix things though if they want to compete with Carl's Jr and such. 

In N'Out is not one of those things you are supposed to want ONCE in awhile. It is one of those things you crave after a football game, or band competition, or choral performance (or in Shanghai's case, after a night of destroying our livers on fake alcohol). I could... AND WOULD, go there three times a week if things matched. But two things keeping me away 1) location (HAVE to taxi and not near a metro... but if I want a burger, come on, distance isn't going to stop me) and 2) prices. As I said before &quot;hell to the NO&quot;. 

Conclusions:
This place COULD take over all of China IF... they made better business decisions. Their location works against them... BUT they could make us come even so if they made it worth our while with the prices. The food is great really, worth at least one try, but I'm not so dumb as to make my bank account succumb to bloody murder every time I want a burger. I hope they fix the prices, and restore our faith. If you make your clients feel like you are taking advantage of them, it ain't gonna work guys. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7783</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Bocado: Wonderful Spanish Tapas]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:33:39 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[As die-hard Mesa fans we were prepared to be disappointed with Bocado but what a charming surprise! Bocado is without doubt a superior Tapas experience! The restaurant itself is traditional but somehow funky!  The food was delicious. We loved the octopus (never had such tender 8 legged experience) and we were positively greedy about the meatballs.  We also gave the seafood paella a special thumbs up. i've not tasted better outside of Spain. 

We had a wonderful night of great food, terrific Spanish wines. The pre-dinner cocktails are as good if not even better than Mesa.  The service is warm, friendly and attentive. We'll definitely be back for more!
]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7782</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Cali Burger: Not going going, back back, to Cali Cali]]></title>
				<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:25:31 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with In N' Out burger, but I just don't 'get' this place.  Your only menu choices are burger or cheeseburger, your only sides options are fries or &quot;wild style&quot; fries.  There's no combos, no chicken, no salads.. that's literally all the food options on the menu.  &quot;Dunno how they'll get a local crowd without any chicken&quot; says my Taiwanese GF

A Cali Double burger + Fries + ice tea was 78 rmb.  78 RMB!  Honestly the bun and meat could have been from McDonalds and maybe I wouldn't have known the difference though I'll say the veggies were fresh and cheese much nicer and the portion size was good.

I guess the kicker is the value for money here.  If the total package was 35 rmb, I would probably feel a bit differently.  But for this price you can definitely get a way better fast food burger in Shanghai.  They seem to be after the premium fast food burger market which would put them up against my reigning champ Carl's Jr, and frankly speaking CJ's Super Star with Cheese KO's the Cali Double in the first round, and you still got money left to feed your date a 2 pcs juicy fried chicken!

]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7781</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Tim's Kitchen: Ehh... something was missing]]></title>
				<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:37:33 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Out of a 10 Tim's would rate a 6.5. 

There was definitely something missing. Yes the service was better than what you get at any other Chinese restaurant, but for the price I'm paying and for the Michelin star it's received in Hong Kong and Macau...I expected better.

This place isn't cheap. Just so you know. 

We started off with the Roast Pork Belly which was yes, admittedly damn amazing. Even better if you ask for some honey rather than the standard sugar and mustard they give you. 

The foie gras was so bland...Tim, sorry you should leave duck liver to the Europeans, it was just so tasteless and the blueberry jam? I swear you got that from Cityshop down at the Portman man. 

That fist-sized prawn? Meh, cool to look at but it wasn't tickling my taste buds so much as the presentation looked like a minimalist approach...big round thing...little skinny rectangle thing.

The Shark fin soup was seriously? Bland. Nothing spectacular, mediocre...stuff I can get at a 10-course meal in a Chinese wedding. 

Sea cucumber. Now... I grew up with sea cucumbers and I love them. But sea cucumber here... looked appetizing.. too bad it didn't have any flavors. 

Fried rice. Ew. I thought Cantonese made the best fried rice. Damn was I disappointed. 

Dessert.
When we picked two desserts from the menu the server said no, we don't have that, no we don't have that one too. Well what do you have? Well we recently changed the dessert menu. He proceeded to take the menu away, rush away somewhere and came back with a dinky little paper you usually get at those dimsum restaurants and check off what dimsum you want? Yea. 

Wow. Michelin star? C'mon give me a break. I'm sure if you have the money to rent a space in 66 you can just buy your star.

]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7779</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Cali Burger: Wowee Burger]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:26:44 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Cali Burger is that happy medium between the cheap, over-processed Mickey Ds grease-burgers  and the pretentious 90 kuai Gourmet Burger caramelized onions and bleu cheese productions. The regular Caliburger was satisfying, but not so big that I hated myself after eating it.  The veggies were fresh and they were generous with the extra pickles. The free wifi is strong, though it is not the kind of place you want to linger after lunch (i.e. massive and corporate-y).  My only request: Please add a veggie burger for my depressed vegetarian friends who are now limited to a meal of fries and shakes (which, admittedly, sounds kinda good....)]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7778</link>
				<title><![CDATA[The Grumpy Pig: Magical Pork]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:27:56 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Magical. Pork.
 
That alone should sum it up, but if you need more, I digress…
 
Go here, order something with Pork in the ingredients and walk out happy and satiated. Don’t forget to imbibe some of their tasty beers on hand while you’re at it.  
 
Granted I’ve only been for lunch, but a starter and main will get you full. However, sadly, most times my table is the only one in the place. Usually for me this is a reason to turn and run, but not here. Stay, and be rewarded.
 
It’s obvious the chef has passion for what he’s doing because the main ingredient (Pork, just incase you needed reminding) is prepared in a way that oozes time, patience and delicate respect for this beloved animal.  
 
A place whose originality I hope will inspire others and help bring more unique concepts to Shanghai's multiple nooks and crannies.
 
Not much more to say I guess…just simple, delicious, magic. 
 
Oh, and don’t forget to appreciate the tunes…not sure what’s more soulful, the music or the pork. You be the judge. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7777</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Cali Burger: I guess burgers in California are just more expensive]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:47:35 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[When I see independent burger joints pop-up, I usually assume that they offer something unique or a quality of food a cut above the typical fast food joint. With Caliburger, it's not the case. The menu is scarce, the food average, and the price too high. The only real difference I could see was that the prices were higher. 

The burger, while not bad, was no better than any other fast food place. McDonalds/BK/Carls Jr. all offer burgers of a different taste, but that are definitely as good or better than these. The meat was probably -- and I'm guessing here simply by the looks of it -- to be a bit fresher and higher quality, though the taste didn't make that obvious. Add to the fact that major chains offer you a wide selection of burgers vs. pretty much just one at Caliburger and you'll find even less of a reason to go here. Aside from the fact that global chains operate on bulk and economies of scale, I don't really understand why a cheeseburger at Caliburger is 33 RMB. If you're going to try and sell just one style of burger, you better make it A) completely unique in taste, B) high quality, and/or C) extremely cheap. Caliburger does none of the above. The burger is essentially a Big Mac without pickles.

The wild style fries we're decent, but at 38 RMB they're terribly overpriced. Why do french fries with onions and 1000 island cost 5 RMB more than a burger with onions and thousand island? Are french fries really more expensive than the burger patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and bun? Someone needs to go back to the drawing board on that one.

It may seem dumb to raise issue with 70 RMB worth of food and even more so with 5 RMB over fries, but being someone who looks for some type of value in what they buy, be it 40 RMB fast food or 2000 RMB for 7 courses in a restaurant, the value for food here is non-existent. There wasn't even a meal menu. So my food with a drink (had I not already had a bottle of water on me,) would have been:

Cheeseburger - 33 RMB
Wild fries - 38 RMB
Pop - 12 RMB (if I remember correctly)

Total = 83 RMB/13 USD.

When was the last time you spent $13 at a fast food joint for one person?

Not really much else to say about the place. The staff is friendly, but it's overkill for a burger place to be waiting on your every need and doing stuff like opening the door for you. I actually prefer less attention when I'm eating fast food. The interior is greyscale for some reason -- maybe it's a California thing? The place is pretty damn big, but I think they'd have been better off paying less for rent in a smaller place and selling food for a reasonable price.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7774</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Mr & Mrs Bund: Shanghai Gets to Keep one of Her Stars]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:33:42 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Through a rather round about way, I was contacted by the management at MMB with the intention to specifically apologize for my experience last month. Having worked in F&amp;B myself once upon a time, I was perfectly open to hear them out and to give them another shot. Below is an a pretty important update on MMB. 

The Occasion:
An individual contacted me directly via SMSH thanking me for the review and requested recommendations for a venue for which he would celebrate a friend's 40th birthday. Among the ones I recommend, I took the liberty to contact the VOL group to inquire about one of Paul Pairet's other establishments for this occasion as well as to gather information for a luxury concierge service I assist. Needless to say, they recognize my name easily and proceeded to provide a very personal response to the situation I had posted about. 

The details are always in the apology:
People make excuses. And we all know that more often in not, this is done in China in order to save face as much as possible. But it takes a respectable individual (or institution in this case) to fess up and sincerely and humbly apologize for a mistake, and admit when one was wrong. In writing &quot;From the 24th of December 2011  up to the 31st of December 2011 , Mr &amp; Mr Bund was featuring from it's opening operation time 06.30 Pm up to 11.00 Pm  four specific &quot;Festive Menus&quot;  to be shared for 2 guests  : French Tradition / PP Classic / I love Truffles/ Splurge with a respective “per person price” of 750 RMB/888 RMB/888 RMB/1250 RMB. 
After 11.00 pm and on TUE/WED/THU/FRI ( of that week ) the &quot;late night Menu&quot; and &quot;a la carte menu &quot; was available, but unfortunately hasn't been rightfully offered to you by and your guest by the service staff on duty , creating a normal confusion .&quot;

The management conducted an investigation and was able to confirm the details of my event, and have since apologized for staff not being attentive or providing the appropriate details. People make mistakes, no big deal. So now this leaves me to give my thoughts on the place.

WHY I WROTE THE PREVIOUS REVIEW:
First off, yes the occasion WAS soured. But things happen on occasion. I wrote my previous article because I felt there was something the rest of the Shanghai community ought to know about, and that was; the loss of the late night set menus. Thankfully however it was just a mix-up for that one evening, and MMB is not doing away with that which made them SO special in the wee hours of the morning. The 2 and 3 course late night set menus are here to stay as well as the happy hours. 

A Brief RE-REVIEW:
They had invited me to the restaurant to apologize directly. I met with the director there who was relaxed, but professional and very sincere. Of course, I had let them know ahead of time when I was visiting, so I knew to take nearly everything with a grain of salt. They would be prepared for my coming. And as was to be expected, the staff greeted me by name, was attentive to the last detail etc etc. But I can not judge rightly on an apology experience now can I? I needed to take seriously what I had written before and provide an honest realistic update. So I took it upon myself to visit the establishment twice, unannounced since that time.

THE FOOD:
When the gentlemen who had first written to me asking for suggestions had inquired about a good seafood place, I had to (due to integrity) admit that despite my poor experience the last time, MMB does indeed excel in the seafood department (truffled scallops anyone?). I have so much on the menu, but on and off the set menu's. And I can say, that nearly everything is good. If I am specific, there is actually only ONE dish there that I did not like (the chargrilled eggplant). Everything else has excellent flavor and is presented nicely. 

THE SERVICE:
There was obviously going to be a 100% turn around with the service when I had gone to meet with the management at the restaurant, so instead I will write about the two other occasions I had gone. Needless to say, it does seem that whatever &quot;shock training&quot; the staff had received since the incident, things have generally improved bar far. The staff smile now and are now on par with actually treating you like a guest. The second occasion I was there, it was entirely different staff, so I feel safe to say that indeed overal improvements have been made. The water service (one of those very small details I pay attention to, because I drink after nearly every bite) is improved drastically, in that I did not need to waive anyone down this time, or even ask (I was going to once, but the waiter kindly asked if I wanted a refill because I could. GOOD!). You can now count on this establishment to appropriately serve you as you would expect. 

THE AMBIANCE:
I'll stand by my previous statements on the decor. It is an overal ambiance that must be judged, and the place is particularly inviting for groups. I still personally feel that the space is too brightly lit. That isn't to say it is bright inside. Just not dim enough for those romantic occasions (you know, when it's dim enough that all the impurities in one's complexion are no longer so noticeable). I'd still take a date there however, the food leads the way, and from what I have been gathering, I think that is the intent.

CONCLUSIONS: Shanghai gets to keep one of her stars. 
It is very difficult for a shanghai brand to develop a following. There are always new places opening, events to try, and some gimmick across town that *might* be good enough waltz over to. But MMB has created a niche (perhaps too large to even be called a niche). They made late nights fashionable. In one decision, they upgraded the whole of the shanghai nightlife, by giving those of us with a weakness for food something to reward ourselves with after a night of serious disco hopping. But more than that, they follow with good execution for lunch as well a early dinners. MMB has done well, and I thank them for taking the initiative and not simply putting on airs for one night, but has resulted in an overall improvement even with my two unannounced visits. Thanks for putting the better foot forward! ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7776</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Char: Great food, service & amazing views]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:51:06 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Char bar & grill thrilled all our senses.
Delicious food. Amazing views. Personalised and slick service.
Relaxed, unpretentious, atmosphere.

The food: 
chef julie suggested a tasting menu for us to share and that way we got to try a variety of dishes. perfect and easily sold.
We shared the prawn cocktail, with a modern twist ...delicious. A foie gras to die for (it needs to be noted, i tend to dislike this dish, but the flavours here were amazing and i could not get enough). An amazing seafood tower with a variety of fresh seafood.

For our main course there was a lot to chose from (mainly meat, but that was expected). Again chef suggested a sharing menu and presented us with an amazing tender wagyu steak and an oversized Tomahawk steak on the bone (for the carnivore in us), also a grilled black cod (possibly the best cod i have ever tasted) with an amazing aniseed sauce that you painted onto the fish as you desired and a juicy chicken dish that was the chefs special of the day. Of course we had delectable side dishes of vegetables and salads to accompany the meal.
For dessert i could not get enough of the char banana cheese cake, our table also got to try the chocolate marquis and delicious trifle.

It is worth noting that bedsides the amazing food, the slick service and views ... one of the most memorable parts of the evening was the simple, yet theatrical, part of service that came with almost every dish. the knives, the salts, the jams, the paint brush .... well done team.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7769</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Munchies (Wuding Lu): Terrible]]></title>
				<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:17:27 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Christ, where do I start...

Just had a delivery (my first experience in out out of this place) from their Jing'an branch. We ordered 2 Cincinnati chilli's and a order of soft tacos.

Do I lead with the pathetically small servings, which I would scoff at if it were a side dish, but a less than half full jello mould is certainly not going to feed me. 

Or Should I just get straight into the inedible slop that barely pass for mice and oil with some pepper thrown in... Shocking taste... the texture was even worse. 

For some cold mince thrown into a wrap i'm guessing that was our tacos.

Overall I'm just shocked, this place is supposed to be owned and run by a American guy, if this is what he lets lose on people under the banner of "american / mexican" then he should be taken out and executed in front of his family (to quote Jeremy Clarkson) 

Do yourself a favor and give this place a miss.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7764</link>
				<title><![CDATA[El Mexicano: Good Food, Horrible Delivery Service]]></title>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:34:24 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I love the food this place serves and I love being able to get it delivered, but would somebody PLEASE train the phone operators at the delivery center!  I swear I talked to them for 30 minutes just trying to explain where Jiangsu road is in relation to JingAn temple.  It's the next f*#$ing station!  When I told them to check it out on the map, they said they don't have one.  Of all things one would think a delivery center needs in their office, a map...um yeah... pretty obvious.  

Training.  That's all I'm asking. Use McDonald's as an example. They know everything about everyone who calls.  I wouldn't be surprised if they know what allergies I have.  

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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7763</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Qian Xiang Ge: disappointing. ]]></title>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:06:07 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[We went to this restaurant after reading an enticing review in one of the expat magazines.... the review was blatantly written by a friend of the owner or marketing team.  The atmosphere of the place is great, but as the title may suggest, the place is disappointing at best with regard to the food, tasteless, sloppy and  given with poor service.  Save your time and money for somewhere else. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7762</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Haya's (Dagu Lu): How ridiculous is a 65 rmb falafel?]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:59:54 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[As with the previous reviewer, I was such a fan of Haya's Mediterranean until they decided to charge exorbitant prices. Having moved here from New York City where I lived near Mamoun's (the mecca of falafels) in New York, I was impressed with the quality of Haya's ingredients and the perfection of their hummus, babganoush, etc. The last time I visited Haya's the falafel was 35rmb. How on Earth can it now cost 65rmb ($10) for fried ground chickpeas, hummus, some lettuce, tomato, and hot sauce all within a tasty pita? I have no clue who is willing to pay these prices but I too will not be back. It was good while it lasted.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7761</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Lost Heaven (Bund): Great place to bring out of town visitors]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:52:47 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[The decor of Lost Heave is by far the most memorable thing about going to this location. It is beautifully designed. The bathrooms are a little tood dark but other than that it is great. The food is really good too. And the complement of the design and the food makes it an overall great experience. If you like spicy food with rich complex flavors Yunnan food is definitely a must try. Bringing friends here that are visiting from overseas is perfect - the food is special and will stand out on their list of things they try, the decor is fun, and the location is close to the Bund. The price is not bad either works out to be about $200 RMB per person with one drink. During the day this makes a very nice business lunch location.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7759</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Char: Great food, great space, great view but NON-EXISTENT service]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:49:39 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I will start off saying that Char is a gorgeous space, the food is fantastic and the view is phenominal. The experience is well designed - I really like selecting a steak knife similarly to selecting a sake cup at a Japanese restaurant and the flight of different salts. I think these touches add to meal and could have come across at kitchy or contrived, but they don't. The service, however, was wonting. I would go as far as to say it was non-existant. We sat with empty wine glasses and dirtly plates. None of the staff was proactive; we needed to get their attention for everything. We ended up moving the wine bottle from the side table to our table and serving ourselves. When we did manage to get the waitstaff's attention, they were professional and polite. I have worked in the service industry for 15 years and my expectations of service directly correlate to the type of establishment I'm at - Hotel Indigo is a 4-5 star hotel and a meal at Char is expensive, they should be able to execute on an experience that reflects that. I've been in China for 10 years and adjusted my service standards accordingly (I know most of the time I need to ask for the glass of water 4 times before I get it and I do so patiently). I can only assume because of CNY Char had the "B" team working. This was not my first time there and I hope my experience doesn't mean they are on the decline. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7758</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Kush: So disappointing]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:16:03 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[The blunt truth is that aside from the drinks and smoothies, Kush is not offering anything that you can't already find in Shanghai with a better price and better quality. 

However, my husband and I keep ordering through Sherpa's because it's vegetarian AND delivers--we've ordered maybe a dozen times now. I've only eaten at the restaurant once.  The quality of the food is incredibly inconsistent. I seriously wonder if the cooks or management has ever tasted the food coming out of their own kitchen, because there is a big problem with quality control.

We've tried pretty much everything vegan on the menu except the pasta and the wraps (they refused to leave cheese out of them). The only thing that has not disappointed us is the soup. The curries are absolutely revolting: mushy, sloppy, overcooked, and either completely bland or tasting only of chili. My friends have all had similar experiences with the curry.  They should send the cooks on a cooking course at vegetarian May Kaidee's in Bangkok if they're going to insist on serving Thai food. The noodle dishes are overly sweet and oily, but I guess some people might like that.  The salads seem inventive, but never hit the mark--all over priced as well.

The burgers are bready and on a white bun (whole grain or gluten free would be a nice option), but they're pretty good, fill you up, and come with salad. So imagine my disappointment when we ordered last week and they arrived burnt on one side! I worked in restaurants for many years, and I can't understand why they would let not one, but two burnt burgers leave the kitchen. That's just unacceptable.

The soups are all right, but simple enough that you could make them at home for less money. One of my friends liked a falafel wrap, so maybe if you stick to wraps and salads, you'll be okay. 

Try harder, Kush. 

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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7757</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Cui Sushi: Mushi Sushi]]></title>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:59:07 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Cui Sushi - you have the right to remain silent. Put your hands where I can see them and no abrupt movements. Put that Sushi knife down NOW........I should have known better when I ordered via Sherpa last saturday. The warning signs were THERE. No credible review anywhere to be found and very very low prices. Ordered 2 different rolls (which sounded strangely familiar to the sushi trained eye/ear): The Alex Roll and the (infamous) Princess Li Roll. Packing and presentation are identical to my favourite Rolls provider on Taojiang Lu (starts with H...). The soy sauce was delivered in a mini Ziplock bag accompanied by ZERO pickled ginger. I should have known then, but I opened it,...found some lump of wasabi and proceeded to eat. Capital mistake. Capital disappointment. Maybe it was because of the rainstorm outside, maybe the Head Chef was on vacation already or had committed seppuku- the rolls were not even CLOSE to what I expected. Yes, the fish was probably fresh. The rice though was soggy and all in all a tragedy. Never again Cui. Never again. Now put your valuables on the counter and go back to your cell. Solitude for at least a month !]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7756</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Chalet Suisse: Scrumptious fondue]]></title>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:48:50 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[With the beastly Shanghai winter forcing me to look for a heart-warming &amp; romantic non hot-pot meal with my girlfriend; i turned my attention to the one of only 2 Swiss fondue restaurants in Shanghai, Chalet Suisse (the other Swiss restaurant of course is in Tianzifang, Glismatten, which i had tried before and was mind-numbingly bland).

Chalet Suisse is a nice traditional quaint Swiss restaurant with the classic Chalet feeling inside of bare wood and red &amp; white table cloths. The restuarant isnt that large but holds around 30 people with a secret VIP table behind a curtain at the back. 

What strikes you first when you walk in is the SCRUMPTIOUS smell of melted cheese, its enough to make you salivate and dribble then and there in the front entrance. Dont worry though, one of the 2 Chinese staff (who speak great English) will quickly seat you and give you menus. 

The menus offer a lot, at least 4 different types of cheese fondue, a beef fondue, and another 3 types of raclette. After this you have millions of other delicious Swiss options. We could only focus on getting some hot gooey cheese fondue asap, a raclette to share, a cold cuts board and 2 French onion soups.

All of the food was delicious including the different cheeses. The only downside is in the cheese fondue, where they dont give you enough cheese for the amount of bread you are given - a little cheeky, since it makes you order more. Luckily however, we had also ordered the cold cuts board (also great) so had some of the bread with this. 

The ambience in this place is great, there are several tables for groups, but also some for couples, so the mood of this restaurant is not spoilt like a teppanyaki all you can eat with 'USA chanting' group tables.

Altogether, our meal with 2 glasses of wine came to 411RMB, which in my eyes is pretty great, especially when you take into consideration the high quality imported cheese.

This place is far better than Glismatten, and for me takes the trophy of being the best fondue restaurant in Shanghai.
For a wintery group / romantic meal this place wins hands down, and is superior in every way to the alternative of a tossy Chinese hot-pot restaurant.
]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7755</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Mr Willis: Super busy, interesting food]]></title>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:01:12 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[The restaurant was super busy even on a Thursday night. When we are leaving at 9.30 pm, a new group was just arriving. Tables are close to each other and they were all occupied, understably noisy. So sweet words whispering into her ears are not necessarily well received. You practically have to half-scream to get through.
Pizza was thin but surprisingly not crispy. Maybe my bar was raised high after trip in Italy, had some real good ones. 
Good to spot some good looking people though. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7754</link>
				<title><![CDATA[The Fennel Lounge: A great bar]]></title>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:19:54 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[This is a great bar to hang out with friends for some drinks! 

Services and Reservation: The waitresses and manager were very attentive and also they have some recommendation of food and drinks. We arrived there around 10:30 - I booked the table at 10:15 and requested the table near the stage. When we got there, the table were reserved exactly what I asked for; just in front of stage!

Quality of drinks: Most of drinks were good. I definately say above the average. We ordered Maitai, Zombie, Chinese Green Tea Sour, Chocolate Martiini, one hot cocktail, beer and Jin Tonic. Zombie was nice but not enough rum in it, Maitai was very fruity, Chocolate Martini was also nice but a bit too sweet. The Chinese Green Tea sour (sorry I forgot the exactly name of this cocktail but it's the 2nd one from the cocktail menu) was very nice! This cocktail served as Chinese tea pot and small tea cup; I highly recommend this cocktail. Don't forget to try hot cocktail which it was served with coffee cup, it was interesting! 

Ambiance: It is a cozy place with small tables and sofa. It has live musical performance on the stage; The music style is a bit fusion with Chinese Musical instrument and acoustic guitar. People enjoy live music and some cocktails. 

Food: We only tried the thin crust pizza which it was not even written on the menu. When we asked for some snacks or cheese platter, the manager recommended the pizza after he checked what ingredient was available at the kitchen. I heard the chicken pate was good but please not that it is not available any more, and also french fries. But you can always ask the manager, and he will make some pizza for you!

I definately go and have more drinks. I have tried 5 ~ 6 cocktails so far, and most of them were good. There are still many cocktails; so tempting to try more...  ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7753</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Bikini: Groin grabbingly good!!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:41:41 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I recently sampled the Mr.Jeremy hot dog at Bikini and let me tell you this girthy stud lives up to his name. While the meaty filling is conventional enough, the truffle oil and fancy french mustard that accompany it make it nothing short of exceptional. When thrust into a freshly baked bun it comes out on top putting IKEA's hot dogs to shame (they lack girth and stamina). 

Recommended to anyone looking for a one night stand with a gourmet hot dog. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7752</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Teotihuacan: Support the greats! Teotihuacan is one of them!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:40:50 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Great food, warm service and down-to-earth prices, Teotihuancan has that and more. The owner Victor treats you like family, the food is cooked fresh to order and the atmosphere is clean, traditional and relaxing. Even the chips-salsa are handmade. Everything is good, even if some of the portions fall on the small side. Get a pitcher, order an assortment and let your evening cruise into the night. ]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7751</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Nene: Excellent]]></title>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:25:11 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Despite having to reserve the bar since all tables had been booked well in advance, my first experience eating at Nene was excellent. Food was impressively fresh, service was friendly, personable, and attentive, and the decor was simple but inviting. Prior to arriving, the hostess sent me a text to alert they were cash only and could not produce an invoice, which was considerate as opposed to coming to dinner and ordering tons of food, only to be told at the end that cards aren't accepted, which happens all too often here. 

The only downside to the restaurant is the lack of seating mentioned in the previous review. Diners were turned down throughout the night because of the limited seating. That being said, sitting at the bar afforded us the opportunity to witness the food and drink preparation, all of which was done with considerable care. The attention paid to the preparation and plating of the food was evident both from the taste of the dishes and the obvious looks of concentration on the chefs' faces. As a result, each dish was prepared slowly and with excruciating care, to make sure every detail was correct before being sent out to the tables. A group of 5, we decided to get a bunch of dishes to share, which I definitely recommend. We started off with three antipasti all of which were excellent. The buffalo mozzarella in the Caprese was the freshest I have eaten in Shanghai. Furthermore, the quality of the of the meat in both the prosciutto and melon antipasti as well as the charcuterie platter was obvious from the taste. For our entrees we shared 3 pizzas which had a good crust crust and good combinations of ingredients. Again, the freshness of the ingredients really shone through the overall taste.

We finished with a chocolate molten cake, compliments of the chef, and a round of limoncello. Given the quality of ingredients, the service, and the overall value for money, Nene has the potential to be one of my favorite restaurant in Shanghai.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7750</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Sunflour: True italian cappuccino, made-in-china!]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:20:16 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[I found this nice bakery while showing the nice french concession area to my italian parents who came in Shanghai for a visit. Due to the long walk they were looking for an homestyle break with a tasty, good looking cappuccino and a croissant nearby. &quot;Difficult,  we're on the other side of the world and i still haven't found a good cappuccino round here&quot; i replied, but we decided to give it a try with SunFlour. NOW i know where to find a true italian cappuccino made-in-china! Strong enough, yet with a finely shook and delicate milk top. Very good! The big selection of homemade sweeties starts from 8 yuan and made we all droll... The environment is friendly, warm and smells of bread. A nice place for a smiling breakfast!]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7749</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Sushi Raku: O-Toro Icy-Pop]]></title>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:25:58 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Shanghai has always been one of my favourite cities to find good Japanese, there are so many choices out there, which makes it a bit hard to choose a place sometimes. Sushi Raku looked like a good place to try out, in hindsight its not a place I will be quickly return to, it fell a little low in the scale of things when it came to value for money. It wasn't too bad, for example the service was pretty good, The quality and choices of Sashimi was quite good, you can taste the difference between their tuna and those at all-you-can-eat joints. However, one BIG thing that brought the scale down dramatically was that the O-Toro was still frozen when it was served.]]></description>
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				<link>http://www.smartshanghai.com/dining/reviews/?rev=7747</link>
				<title><![CDATA[Azul: Not returning]]></title>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:07:27 +0700</pubDate>
				<description><![CDATA[Spent ages poring over which restaurant to visit one night, this one seemed ok.

The sitting on the floor thing upstairs sounded cool.  Phoned to reserve and see what that was about; 'er sorry, only downstairs available.'  Fair enough, but why advertise it.

Arriving there, the decor is nice, if you forget about the toilets in some freezing (January) alleyway with no locks on the doors.

Ordering food, I have no idea why we went to a tapas bar - I disagree with the concept of tapas (sharing but with plates too small to actually share) and this was no exception, the garlic chicken at 60RMB was a total, chewy, fatty, ripoff.  You could feed 4 in my local Muslim cafe with better, tastier food, and not be totally hungry.  The Burger was dry and very very chewy.  The feta and spinach salad was dressed well but very stingy with a total of 4 pieces of feta.  Feta is expensive I know, but it's a restaurant - the one place where you should not expect stinginess with ingredients when you know they get a better deal on bulk purchases!

Managed gladly to escape with the bill (which the waitress forgot about, needing a reminder 20 minutes later) not exceeding 100RMB a head.

Not well spent, definitely not returning.]]></description>
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