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Reel, Not Your Typical Food Court.

“What? This is a food court? This is in Shanghai? It can’t be true.” When you step in Reel Kitchen, you can’t possibly connect this place with “food court.”

First of all, you don’t smell the typical grease and smoke that exist in a food court in Shanghai. Secondly, you feel as if you are in a premium shopping center when your steps land on high quality marble tiles, and hearing energetic greetings from good looking staff everywhere. And I really mean good looking staff. Somehow even the customers look…better, if I’m not politically correct about what I say. 

The first shop caught our attention, this artisan ice cream bar place called “Blink,” with a cutesy pink star that winks joyfully at you. The owner is a sporty looking young ABC, who partnered with an Italian ice cream artist to come up with a brand new ice cream concept that is inspired by pop singer celebraties, and highly personalized design. Everyday, the owner tweaks the design by a tiny bit, so the customers always see something new, something refreshing. In the end, every single ice cream bar has its own individual design that is unique on its own. The designs are highly creative, using beautiful icings and fresh or dry fruits to give it more dimension. Every single bar in the picture below has a celebrity-inspired name such as Elton John or Modonna something. It’s a bit sweet for my preference, but nevertheless a good choice if you have a sweet tooth. 

The owner jots down personal greetings on this interesting looking, white ceramic tree, as one of the staples to his shop. 

Of course the surprises didn’t end here, it was only the first shop after all!

Our sights were attracted by numerous interesting shops followed by Blink, one that really took us by surprise is Xian Yu Xian! The famous local desert franchise from Taiwan, who was made famous with its thoroughly stewed taros and jujubes over shaved ice. Im not sure how everyone already heard of it before it entered China, but surely made a huge buzz at Reel Kitchen! Apparently the line is 20-30 people every single time you drop by this place, and the goodies are sold at pretty much before 3pm. So if you want to get a full taste of what they are famous for, make sure you are there early, and prepared for a good 30 minute wait…but hey, it’s all worth it!

We finally hit to the shop I really wanted to try! Dong Yi Fried Prok Cutlet from Taiwan, famous since 20 some years ago, with its succulent and tender pork chops marinated in traditional Taiwanese spices to perfection. Every single bite was just as I remembered as a kid!

 One thing really worth mentioning is, as I tried to spot if there’s any cleaning lady pushing the dirty waste bins around tables, as guests try to enjoy their food, nope, not a chance!

After we pigged out on Taiwanese street eats, we ventured our way for more goodies, we were encountered with the cutest new desert place in Shanghai! Apparently its an upgraded version of Bear Papa Cream Puffs. I am never a fan of cream puffs, but these waffle sandwich with frosty fruit mousse just look beautifully delicious!!! What’s really worth mentioning is that even these displays are made fresh everyday. Instead of using a plastic model, which just simply does not have the same texture and form, the owner insists on using real products. I just hope they wont throw them out to the waste at the end of the day. I’d be happy to take them over, don’t mind a little staleness!

Of course there’s a lot more shops to surprise you, and a great deal of them are Taiwanese foods. So if you want a good taste of Taiwan, but not the 2 hour trip flying back from Shanghai. This may be your best bet. And I’m sure as I visit more often in the future, I will update you all with more surprises. 

(This is Reel Kitchen, B2 of Jing’An Temple Station, Shanghai) 

a link to more information in Chinese

http://blog.sina.com.cn/virgojoyce831

A Whispering Modern Tranquility - my never-before experience at Puli Shanghai

“Look at me now, we’re on the town

Kicking up dust, it’s all for us

City lights, pretty lights

Just take me out to play

Dressing me up is red for luck

So much to do to hide the blue

City lights, pretty lights

Just wear me out they say

Buttons and ribbons are finding their place

Smearing the makeup I put on my face

Whispering, da da da

Finding my couch, a gentle touch

Finding my dance, retreat advance

City lights, pretty lights

Just ring me out to dry…”

-        

City Lights, by Pricillia Ahn

I am on a constant quest for the most perfect hotel space in Shanghai. I do this to plan for my birthday party every year. Yet having gone through almost every new hotel in the past 7 years, perfection is nowhere to be found. It’s sad isn’t it? In a city like Shanghai, aren’t we supposed to have it all? At least that’s what they claim.

And then a casual conversation with a long time friend changed my perception and life. It went like this:

Friend: what are you looking for?

Me: Well, I’m looking for simplicity. I’m looking for just somewhere that I can step in to leave everything behind...

Friend: hey that’s kind of vague. Sounds like a park to me. Maybe you should just get out of Shanghai. I remember someone mentioning such place in…

I cut her off to insist on the place to be in Shanghai downtown, and it has to be near my place because I hate traffic..

And then the friend sounded like she wanted to drop the topic, probably thinking I am out of my mind. Oh well, if she did think so, she’s not the first one, and definitely won’t be the last one! Before I could imagine further about me being the crazy hotel-seeking lady asking people on the street of Shanghai for “simplicity”…I hear my friend speak again:

Friend:  J, you still there? Did you hear what I said?

Me: Sorry sorry clearly my mind was traveling to the simplicity again…(I made fun of myself)

Friend: Drink. I said come out to have a drink with me tonight at Puli. Maybe you are just hallucinating from work stress. Simplicity does not exist in Shanghai…

It turns out that simplicity DOES exist in Shanghai…

@6:30pm, Puli Hotel, Shanghai

I am more than familiar with Puli Hotel. I am here for meetings and brunches so often that it has surely become my 2^nd office. It makes work more fun and enjoyable. It turns work into vacation. But I think it’s Puli’s quite ambiance and the cool, soft air in its lobby.

I was kind of surprised to see so many people gathered at Puli lobby. I saw some people I knew but I wasn’t really in the mood to socialize. I just wanted to relax, sit down on a nice couch, sip on a chilled glass of good chardonnay, and space out into my own world. So I quickly moved to the back, following my friend’s instruction: go straight in to the back garden. Of course I didn’t want to question her: garden at Puli?

The next 2 hours were just unreal. In fact even until I went home that night I still couldn't find myself believing it. MY place exists? MY PLACE exists.

All the elements: garden, water, flower, couch, open space defined abstractly. And best yet everything surrounded by city scrapers. (It’s a superior feeling to know I’m able to enjoy my moment in a hectic life, and that I am able to escape.) It was a total change of ambiance, open by private, quite but not silent. I could breath. It was nothing less than a proper space, but far from a closed-space room.

Even though I was surrounded by people, I felt that they each have their own world and space. People were having their own murmuring and chuckling, not in particularly low volume but the noise kind of evaporated into the evening air. People were in cottons. Just comfortable crème de la crème white cottons as if they came straight from Barcelona. Ladies did not care about the wind messing up the hair, and the gentlemen did not mind drinking beer while smoking a fine Cuban cigar.

No pretentiousness. 

Picked up a skillfully stirred Blood & Bitters (Bitters!) on my way, was again taken aback with the use of blood orange and fine bitters. Not a lot of (actually none) bars in China know enough to use blood orange liquor to mix. This reminds me of my all time favorite in San Francisco – Charbay exotic fruits vodka in Blood Orange flavor. I made a mental note to myself to remember to ask.

To pair the fine blood & bitter (thank you, Bar Tender!), and to hunt the white truffle smell I had sniffed when I first entered, I found them to be serving foie gras, cold, with fig confit on the side. I in fact did not get a chance to eat any. I wanted to make a full observation of the place first. I thought, if I were to host the next birthday party here, I am sure I can ask Jing’An restaurant chefs to re-create the dish. (Note: the white drink in the photo was Eastern Caipirinha – the national drink of Brazil. The taste somewhat resembles a margarita, with the additional hint of mint and cachaca. So you could say it’s between a mojito and margarita, with richer sweetness and intensity. This drink actually goes very well with sea food, so it’d be nice if crab cakes were served.)

And of course I found my friend as well.

@8:30pm, quest ended.

So I guess I’ve found the most perfect place for my next birthday in end of August, out of pure surprise and coincidence.

It wasn’t exactly late when I arrived home. I turned on my computer and sat my cat (a Iazy virgo cat with superb taste) on the laps, took out my red Moleskine and turned to the page where I kept a detailed check list of my birthday plan. I checked off “venue,” exhaled, and began to write all of these down.

 @9:00pm, with Stacey Kent’s “C’est le Printemps” playing.

My guests arrive in the most comfortable attires, no gifts, nothing fancy.

That will not be necessary for this place.

There’s the fresh, after-rain, and moist air kissing gently on their faces, reflecting a rosy blush under the dawn.  That’d be my thank-you to them.

People are laughing, drinking, smoking on the stone floor or the flat couches. Formality is left behind. You can see them having a good time, but what they talk about isn’t anyone’s matter. Someone’s smokes a vanilla scented cigarette, and there’s the warmth of musk and cedar somewhere. All the fragrant memories will be tucked in this little hidden garden of city…

It turns out that I am not crazy after all. If I were, Puli is just as crazy as I am. J