Once upon a time, M on the Bund was my favorite brunch spot. Anytime a visitor came to town, this was my go-to spot.... until now.

Sunday I had brunch at M on the Bund and was completely dissatisfied. This began when the poached eggs on my Eggs Benedict came out hard in the center (note: they also appeared raw/wet on the outside - how that's possible, I'm still figuring out)... Now, this was annoying but not the end of the world; however, it was how the staff responded that really did them in for me. First, the waitress told me there was nothing wrong with the eggs. After I repeated that I wanted new eggs, she said fine. Quickly, new eggs arrived. Same as the first. At this point, I explained that a poached egg is to have a runny yolk, and she rudely told me they have a "machine" that poaches the eggs and this is how they are done. [GROSS]. I asked for new eggs again. Once more new eggs arrived quickly but AGAIN same as the previous (or perhaps worse!) Stubborn at this point, I refused to give up. After ANOTHER 10 minutes, finally the waitress returned with properly poached eggs, which she informed me they did in water, the proper way to poach an egg. I ate the eggs with my now completely cold Eggs Benedict (of course they didn't offer to heat up the rest of my dish for me).

Now, I don't know when they decided a machine should replace a pot of boiling water to poach an egg, but ina restaurant where brunch is 300 RMB in a country where labor is cheap, it seems like a stupid idea to me. Perhaps they should consider an adjustment to their "settings"...

The Story goes that M On the Bund started essentially... what the Bund is today. Taking a risk, and moving into the Waitan space when no one else was occupying Bund side real estate in 1999, it paid off.

This place is tagged as "Uniquely Shanghai", and I agree. This place is just that. Richly dark wood floors, classic, but modern furnishings. During the day, you have the natural light from bund side windows (which provide a reasonable view), and of course there's the terrace for outside dining when the weather is agreeable. I've been to this place 7 times in the last 3 months. And normally, I write a review after the third visit, but M on the Bund I felt needed RE-VISITS, just to make sure the experience I was having there was consistent or just multiple flukes.

THE FOOD:

We go to restaurants primarily to eat, right? This is the major let down of M. I kept expecting to be "WoWed". I kept wanting to experience whatever "magic" or "special powers" existed in the food which may have kept this place alive for more than a decade (no small feat mind you).

But I have to say. The food is quite simply, unimaginative, and in many cases lacking seasoning (i.e. BLAND). The "meh" factor is so much so, that I can't even remember most of the dishes I tried. From this experience, I will be taking notes from here on out. There was ONE dish however that I appreciated (which I believe was a seasonal dish which may not be available anymore). It was a simple consommé with vegetables and beans. It's not easy to make a consommé, I know this. And the only reason why I am giving kudos to a SOUP, is because it highlighted all natural flavors. The flavor was subtle (many would say bland, but unlike the other dishes at this place, I would say that this actually achieved a good measure of subtly).

THE SERVICE:

Standard bund side etiquette. Hospitable smiles, but lacking warmth. Attentive. Good water service. Accommodating. Nothing legendary. Adequate.

THE ENVIRONS:

The expression "big things in small packages"? Nearly every bund establishment I have been to has high ceilings (MMB, JG, Shook, Roosevelt, Otto, even El Willy is taller), except M on the Bund (someone correct me if they know another place). These low ceilings give you the feeling that you are actually in the place that started it all and took a risk. The key to the decor here is: sophisticated yet understated. Clean white table spreds, dark wood floors, 20's style dimmed lighting. It's got this "settled" feel to it.

Strangely enough however, M has an ambiance the lends itself more towards "business" as opposed to romance. There is a slight, inherent stuffiness to it (but not at all overbearing). All times I've been in fact, have been "business type" folks and tourists. But not a couple or friendly bunch in sight. The place looks and feels professional. One might argue that Jean Georges has a similar feel, but strangely enough, the sheer grandeur of JG makes that place more conducive to a quiet evening with a lover (or a proposal) than M. This, and table placement. The distance between other patrons, and the smaller height space contribute to a consolidation of "noise", and so if you want to talk about something sensitive, you'll need to whisper so that the sound doesn't travel to other tables.

I guess the low ceilings give this place a hint of "Exclusivity" - (but again, really... this shouldn't be the main selling point of a restaurant).

THE DAMAGE:

Depends on when you dine. (including drinks/wine)

Dinner:
600 - 1k/pp.

Lunch:
around 400ish give or take depending on how thirsty you are.

If you are on a diet (physically and financially):
You can escape with their "light" set menu 3 courses for: 118rmb (but you WILL be hungry two hours later, unless you go obscene with the bread service)


THE CONCLUSION:

This place is part of Shanghai's history. Go there. Don't splurge on the food cause it won't impress you, but still... this is part of what made our city what it is today. If you're Mom is visiting, tell her to put on Sunday's best, take her here for lunch to have the light menu, then later get some afternoon tea, or take her around the city till it's time for teppanyaki in the evening. And yes, the "light menu" serves its purpose. You'll feel light and breezy and it won't harm your bank too much, but other than this, M has become what seems to be a "fixture" and not much else.

Just went there with my hubby on "Qi Xi" - the Chinese Valentine's Day. The room was packed, thank god we had a table reservation. Here it came the food - we ordered 2 V.day dinner set, 3 courses, 688 rmb for 2 persons. Started with rather fresh bread and two glasses of passion fruit Vodka drink. Appetizer was some homemade dip and a basket of roti-looking crispy flat bread. We had to use our hands to eat... rather not what I expected to eat this way on a V.day at the Bund.. then main course really strike my eyes - Moroccan style sausages and beef brisket with cous cous served in clay-pot. Can you imagine the presentation? A dark piece of dry sausage (unchopped!) lying with some dark meat, there was barely any garnishing. The food was very salty! Even for someone like me who prefers savory food, I found that dish over-did the saltiness. And the most ridiculous part is the dessert - a HUGE slice of fruit cream cake with A LOT of cream in the middle. If you ever pass by a Chinese cake shop, then you'll know what I mean. The taste was ok, but the presentation was definitely a no-no.

I wonder which chef decided that menu. It was pure disappointment. Food didn't look good, didn't taste very delicious, didn't feel delicate. Rather, the whole table looked cheap for its ambience. Thats why I always told my hubby to watch out the fancy western/fusion restaurant in SH. The ambience is for expat.

The only LIKE was our waiter, he was attentive, speak very good English, explained the dish very well with excitement.

Wahou! What an amazing view if you can get a table on the terrace. Yes because inside the decor is a little bit old school. Not even classic but old school and should be a little bit refresh.
The menu is vari diverse and interesting and the food is very good
However, I think even if the view is amazing , the food quality edoesn't worth the price. Being french and a big fan of goods restaurants, it doesn;t worth most of all compare to some wonderful restaurant in France. Well we all know that it is a Shanghai tendancy to be overpriced!
Finally, the service is not as good as it should be. We didnd;t get any "Good evening " from any waitress as crossing the whole restaurant when we arrive (and we faced at least 5 of them) and it was exactly the same thing at leaving. Not even the "receptionnist" bothered to say Good night
Well a good restaurant but that can obviously do better, most of all if the price keep the same or even more if they rise

I have been in China for over 10 years and I have brought many clients, colleagues and friends to MOTB - April 10th, 2012 was my last visit, ever.
When a restaurant/hotel makes mistakes I always write to them directly and if they give feedback, I'm open to give them another chance. I respect when they reply me back. I did that with MOTB but I have not heard anything from them. So now some serious feedback from me - in public.

It's pretty simple, their food, drinks and service does no longer live up to their standard.

Drinks: we did not drink alcohol so we ordered 2 Cokes. They both came in a small glass, warm and completely flat, no gas at all. They charge a fortune and they don't even care. How difficult can it be to open 2 fresh cans and serve them chilled. Food was as usual just so-so. That has always been an issue with MOTB, the view and ambiance is great, but food has always been so-so.

Service: we had a waiter who spoke very bad English and we had to repeat ourself 3 times before he could understand us. For each dish he came to our table and asked "you finish" - while we were only half-way through our dish. Fork/knife clearly showed that we were not finished. He did that several times, until we both thought it became very annoying.

Coffee: we asked for decaf black coffee and we had to call his manager so our waiter could understand. Same thing happened during coffee "you finish". Extremely annoying guy.

All in all, been there, done that. I have supported them well, but now it's time to support other restaurants that can serve and treat better than that.

Two of us were cramming in loads of Lit Fest events this past Sunday and finally hunger got the best of my companion so we headed to M on the Bund for lunch/brunch. I think that value for money it is the best option on the Bund. Started off with my virgin Bloody Mary (extra spicy..yum) then on to first course of goat cheese salad, lovely. My companion had the pancakes which I assume were good as by the time I looked up from my salad had been devoured. Next course was trout for me (don't think it was imported so had a bit too much "river" taste) and the fry up for companion. The fry up is a great goto on the menu. Lots of meat, meat, and more meat. We had to pass on dessert as the Lit Fest had us on a tight schedule...but in the past the pavlova has never disappointed. It really is just a lovely dining experience. Love M on the Bund!!

Let's see:
Pros:Spectacular view. Nice outdoor terrace when the weather's good. Service was alright, the first time around.

Experience:
The first time I tried M...I was disgusted. The food was terrible, felt like it was prepared two hours ago and left sitting under the heat lamp. Pork was dry, steak was rubbery. I couldn't believe I was putting "fine dining" quality food in my mouth it seriously tasted like _____.

I understand it's hard to train Chinese staff, especially in the kitchen, they just cut corners and "forget" what the chef teaches them. Yes, I know about this work attitude and sometimes it can't be helped. ESP since the chef wasn't in town, ok. Legit. I get it.

Thankfully the dinner wasn't completely ruined. It was saved by the manager with pavlov. Amazing stuff, you brilliant Australians. Thank you manager for offering that comped.

Second time around.

Someone mentioned that M offered afternoon tea. I've been trying to find afternoon tea that could match Smith and Hsu in Taiwan or the Scarlet Tea Room in LA, I still haven't found a nice cozy spot with decent scones and teas.

The high tea set was mediocre at best, the only thing I liked was lemon meringue tart, the scones were cold and rubbery, and the tea. My god. The tea.

Chat chat chat. Time to go to dinner. Check please.

Me and Server
Why am I paying for 3 pots of tea when you gave me two pots? Ok free refills. That's nice. Still why did you give me 2 pots of tea and you're telling me I have to pay for three. It's your policy? Your policy doesn't make sense at all. You agree with me but there's nothing you can do. I want to speak to your manager.

Me and Manager
So because my companions ordered the same tea, Chamomile, someone decided we only needed one pot. I ordered three pots of tea, so I should have three pots right? That's besides the point? EVERYONE of your PAST CUSTOMER knows your policy? So you're saying that because it's free refills...it's not about the pots? So if i wanted to get a refill on that pot you would've given me a new tea bag too? Yea...see you're not making sense. So it's the server who took our order's fault? She didn't explain things? All of your customers know your policy. Ok...what about new customers like me? It's on the menu? Clearly it was on the menu, because I didn't see it in Chinese OR English. Blah blah blah...thank you for comping one tea.

It always confused me when after I express myself to the server, the manager comes to argue with me. I'm very effing sorry, I was in the service industry before and yes, "customers are always right" even if they're wrong. When I have to speak to the manager, it should be " I'm sorry you were not satisfied with the service, I'll take care of this." I'm not trying to weasel my way out of paying USD 5 dollars for a pot of tea, for essentially a crappy tea bag. But if you don't give me 3 pots when I ordered 3 pots, then I'm only paying for the two pots I got.

It's not hard to just say oh, I'm sorry, let me take care of that for you.

Yes, I shouldn't expect much, but you are suppose to be fine dining. I expect a little more. JUST A LITTLE MORE.

Another perfect night at M’s. To cool for the terrace unfortunately as this really is the best view of the Bund, while still feeling the Bund atmosphere.

Staff were warm, smiling, reservation confirmed and table waiting. A suggested aperitif on the terrace was a great idea to start the evening. Dinner menu had some new dishes, the Fish Soup was creamier than expected but hot and tasty, Fois Gras terrene very good. Three of us had the Duck, sliced breast and a leg which might have been confit – great. Took the dessert medley, had a bit of everything and oh so good, this is meant for two people but was enough for four of us. We all agreed that M’s food is good quality that leaves you feeling satisfied.

Wine prices not bad for Shanghai, chose a good white burgundy for RMB 358 and Chilean Red for about RMB 450. Iced water poured without question, I like restaurants where you’re not gouged by bottled water at silly prices.

Service throughout was attentive, gracious and welcoming.