Shanghai: Cha's Restaurant

When i 1st read the review and the description of this place, i was like ok. I must try and explore this. The prices is right, the food is right, the place is right and everything else seems secondary. The name is Cha's.

I got to know this cafe from SmartShanghai's radar. Cha is located right behing H&M store in Huaihai Lu. The full address is 30 Sinan Lu by Huaihai Lu. It is opened from 11am to 2am. Perfect time for tea during the weekend or supper after clubbing time in Fuxing Park.

Head there during the daylight mast shopping in Huaihai Lu for a butter toast, head there knowingly that there is a decent joint to "lepak" at. Some might prefer ice Lemon Coke though! I prefer Ice Coffee x2 with a Dunhill Lights between my fingers for a chill cool puff under the aircon! Freaking fantastic.




Not Char Siew Pao. But rather Cha Chan Teng's that is famous in Hong Kong. Everyone that speaks cantonese would like to hangout here i think. Its decor is classic with a twist. Its waiter/waitress are dressed like one that serves you drinks in Hong Kong as well. The tiles on the floors resembles one from there too. Even the menu board is a LCD TV disguises as a black board with wood frame. How cool!



Well. The food is reasonably cheap in the current Shanghai standard. Where can you find a set meal with a ice cool coffee/tea, with a slice of butter toast, scrambled eggs with ham/bacon and either a nissin/macaroni with ham for a measley RMB30 kuai. Its like a long lost heaven appear out of nowhere to save our soul from Bi Feng Tang and Xin Wang.



I personally think its cool and classic. Its a superb place for hippies-ala-cantonese speaking crowd in Shanghai to hang out here. Its called yum cha, btw. In Guangzhou, they yum cham with dim sum with chinese tea. In Kuala Lumpur, they drink at mamak stall that serve teh tarik and roti prata or known as India Fly Pie here.



How do they served something in between? Cha Chan Teng in a Hong Kong style mode! We have such restaurants in Kuala Lumpur during the booming days. You can see Kim Gary and a few others that have same Hong Kong style cafes mushrooming all around town. Only then, came the Old Town coffee hyperbole later.

Back to the this restaurant, go on and try it. A very reasonable affair with nice touch from the owners of this Cha's. Everything is new here. Aircon is cold. Smoke is in the air. Nissin is served on the bowl. You know you have a satisfied customer when they clear up the table in 10. Not even left over a single strand of noodle!

Check out this link for Cha's further info. They even have a good decent review done less than 1 month open. Personally, I rate this place A MUST Return! Gawd! Should i head there again soon? I know i need and i will.

For Cha's, keep up the good work and improve further!

Shanghai: Bonito Tapas and Wine

Bonito Tapas and Wine Restaurant is definitely a place to be. End of discussion. *said with an definite tone*

We went there during the Xmas in 2008, which was a long time ago. Hahaha! The place is nice, ambience wise, its cool and classy. Food wise, its original, nice, tasty and definitely good. The service is good, english speaking staff. Wine list is long of more than 20 types of wines at least? Ranging from Chilean, French, Spanish, Australian and Californian wine from a very decent price starting from RMB19x ++, as i remembered. Sangria is tasty and good. Price wise, its decent given this range of price restaurant in Shanghai.


Bonito Tapas and Wine restaurant, the 1 we went is located in Luwan district. It is located in The Loft at 508 Jiashan Lu near Jianguo Xi Lu. Details at here here here and here.

Back to the story. We went there with a crowd of 7 individuals. 1 group of friends and 1 crazy gang. We ordered several dishes.

Lamb tapas is definitely nice and cook tenderly with original mint sauce. Meatball with potatoes is superbly nicely cook. Lamb skewer is nice. Ordered some duck dish as well, forgotten the name though. Tomatoes with mozzarella cheese. Beef fillet sort of steak. Breaded chicken with cheese, button mushrooms. The bread is home-cooked and is very nice. The seafood paella is nicely superbly delicious.

Sangria as an appetizer during food selection. A bottle of red merlot wine to satisfy our taste bud for red wine. French merlot. Damn nice. Less than RMB200! *eyes rolled up*

Our course, how can we not to enjoy? The crowd is fun, crazy and enjoyable. Look at the pictures. There is one saying, 1's an individual, 2 is company, 3 is fun and 7 would be, craziness!




I rate Bonito as 4.5/5 rating. The only fall back, food menu is still small, IMHO. But but but, the quality of the food is at the best! Go on and try for i will be going back there again, soon!


Bon Appetit!

Shanghai: Macau Portuguese Restaurant

This is way long long long overdue. This was during the last day on 2008 and here i am have a tiny little bit of time to edit the pictures and post it online. Gosh! But but but, i wanted to write a post about this and make some review about this place in Shanghai called Macau Portuguese Restaurant.

It is a typical Macau Portuguese inspired food cuisine located at 488 Xikang Lu near to Kangding Lu in Jingan district. Very nice location and good place indeed. Check our for more information at here. There has been also a review done for this restaurant from Smartshanghai at here.

Anyway, back to the story, around 10 of us reach there by 8 having a late dinner, very hungry, like a packed of wolf. I have made a reservation earlier to ensure that we have a decent table for the size of us. They have a pretty good english communicating staff and a Filipino manager, name Mia. We were given a room with a LCD TV and a karaoke set! Hahaha. For those singing birds during the dinner session perhaps.

We order a scrumptous meal. We whacked all the food and enjoy our dinner with delight. We ordered garlic bread, scores of appetizers and finger food before our main meal. We ordered mushroom soup, which is sort of nice and heavy with mushroom taste. We ordered baked rice with salmon diced, mixed grill, chicken chop, pork chop, pasta, grilled fish ala spicy style, curry chicken with rice and etc etc etc.





The food is pretty decent and like what they say, colonial style food originated from Macau Portuguese style cuisine. Price-wise, its decent and average at around or less at RMB100/person. Menu-wise, is extensive and huge choices to be choose from. Saliva dripping pictures!

Did i mentioned that they serve Philippines dishes too such as Adobo? In Shanghai? Well, its there. Oh yeah! They sell wines as well. Good for those who wanted to drink some wines before heading to party at some place later, though, not as good as wines in Bonito, which will be at another posts (later!)

Of course, not without the fun and mood of New Year coming down upon us. It was fantastic, fun, enjoyable and most importantly, filling and full!

I rate this restaurant at 3.5 star out of 5 star and i do not mind to go back there again to try some other dishes there.

Hungry Hungry!


ps: email me for Mia, the manager phone number, if you need.

10 things you HATE in Shanghai

Updated: Added 2 more items that you hate in Shanghai on no.11 and no.12! Gawd! Unbelievable!

Ok ok. Enough with all the bloggers and everyone writes about what to do in Shanghai, although not that i complained though as i learned a lot from their experiences, thus wisdom for me. I am going to write DE TOP TEN THINGS i hate in Shanghai, inclusive of cities around, such as Wuxi, Suzhou, Zhangjiagang and Nanjing.

The reason is simple. You cannot and will never will understand why they do that. It is pure unbelievably stupid and no-brain symptom? Sometimes you get so fed-up, that you wish to go and take a piece of wood and knock the shit out of their head. No explaination needed. Just pure stupidity!

We start at here:

1. Stopping at the end of an escalator

This syndrome is called planning for the day. Imagine this. You are simply walking around in the mega shopping malls in Shanghai. Its packed like sardines with everyone is rushing to dunno do what shit thing. Perhaps rushing to get that toilet roll or rushing to finish before you. Then you are packed and pushed into a walkway down the escalator going up or going down. Its packed and its a lot of people. Then, out of no where, the FAMILY in front of you simply stop when the escalator reaches the end. THEY STOP and have a discussion in front of the escalator! WTF?!?!?!?!?!? YES! They stop and discuss which way to go while scratching their butt and their head.

Simply unbelievable!

2. They spits!

They act is called clearing the throat kung fu. It takes your chi and your breath, all in 1 act. Ptuiiiiiiii ................................. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then the fucker turns his head and make the furthest spit, and if you are walking around these "spitting kungfu master", you need both of your ears and all your senses to avoid that lump of spit! YuckS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes! Sometimes you need to jump away if necessary!

3. Bad Breath!

I do not understand why. They dislike drinking a lot of water. It makes them fat! Sometimes, when they talk to you, you can feel it. Smelling that foul smell from the mouth 1 foot away from you that you have to hold on to your breath and look away to catch a breather!

They do not believe in the thing call mouth spray nor sweets. Its sweet and its fattening. Never mind the breath! *faint*

4. Food and service staff attitude

You feel like choking them alive. Just imagine 4 counters during lunch time. Pack of people going to buy McDonalds right? They open only 1 counter. >_<

Have you ever tried to ask for 1 more slice of lemon for your ice lemon tea or requests for 1 more slice of cheest for your burger? I tell you. You will VOMIT blood! They will tell you its not for sell nor they will give it to you. Its not company policy! FUCK!

5. NOT lining UP!

This is ONE OF THE FUCKING thing that i hate the most! No body lines UP in China. I think everyone who visits to China, will somehow be amuse at the crowd when they buy tickets in bus station, McDonalds ordering food, hospital lining up for payment and etc. You feel like popping their head in that instant. I mean, its a common understanding that everyone waits for their turn.

Well, its China!

6. Cars making u-turn in the highway trunk road

Imagine this. 6 lane trunk road. Its huge, but without dividers. That fucking car simply making that u-turn without looking at the side mirrors or give a damn glancing to the back. Those cars behind simply have to be more aware and step on the emergency brake and horn no fucking stop while screwing that car in front.

Buses, taxis and bicycles are the most dangerous automobiles in China. You cannot imagine how dangerous it is until you have been to China.

7. Food wastage

In China, a dinner is considered as a treat. It is all about face value you are talking about at the end. Thus, everyone orders or serve with food they will never ever able to finish. Imagine a typical Chinese wedding dinner, where an average of 20 dishes will be served to a table of 10. Simultaneously and served together. Therefore, your table WILL be STACKED of food! Drinks, cigarette and etc will be served as well. Its customary.

Its unbelievable. Once you are here in China, you will understand why the word of food wastage does not applies in China. It is simply inpolite to finish your dishes when your hosts pay for your food!

8. Food prices

OMFG! Food prices in Shanghai are like one of the highest. Its like simply outrageous. Of course, it also depends on which area or restaurant that you go to. If you are to go to that small little stall by the road side, then of course, a few renminbi will suffice. But, just imagine a little higher such as famous BiFengTang, the cantonese food franchise. An average meal costs you RMB40 for one? And its like RMB40, one plate of fried noodle and a glass of ice nai cha?

Freaking expensive. Dun even bother to ask me the price of a glass of German wheat beer in Paulaner. You will stop and wonder. How the hell are the common Shanghainese going to survive with few thousand salary a month?

9. Pollution

The pollution are seriously serious! No joke. And Malaysians are complaining that haze cause by our neighbours in Indonesia. Come to China and experience what we called as common. Its like so freaking hazy that the air you breath in is smokey in smell. Not mentioning that during the summer, the heat is like 38 centigrads + the humid + the haze smell!

OMG! You feel like staying in the home and shut all your windows. Even my fart smells nicer!

10. Got conned

Everyone thinks that you are easily con-able. Its like you are not speaking Shanghainese dialect and from your appearance shows that you are a "lao wai", therefore, you should be easy to scammed. I admittedly tell you, i did. I was conned before when i was like new in China. After that, and QiPu shopping + buying silk in Suzhou GuanQian Jie. I was like OK. Now i know.

Everyone bargains in China. Or you simply walks away. Simple. No need to hassle of that item for 10 minutes. Just name your price and wait for acceptance. Never answer and tell them your price. Just keep your mouth shut and let the seller do the work. Normally it works wonder.

For example, you wish to buy that t-shirt at that bazaar. You approach the seller and ask "dou shao qian?" (how much?). Normally they will see your appearance 1st. If you are indeed a laowai, they will tell you RMB100 instead of RMB25 if you are Shanghainese.

Therefore, you have to keep in your mind that the item should be selling at RMB30 at the most. You say, "tai gui le" (too expensive), continued by "20 kuai" (20 bucks). You leave 10 bucks for negotiation purpose. The seller will automatically tells you, no way! then what you need to do is wait! The seller will normally says 50 kuai! (50 bucks) and you say, "ni yi pan wo yi pan" (you half i half), and continued by saying 30 kuai! (30 bucks).

From there, either you walk away if the seller refuse or smiling walking happily after purchase that t-shirt for RMB30!

11. Smoking everywhere

Its true and i don't want to even lie to you about this. Everyone smokes in everywhere even i have seen it in gym changing room, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, hospital, everywhere and anywhere imaginable.

Smoking in Shanghai or anywhere else in China is sort of a mentality and ego kinda cultural thingy for them. Just imagine you are being judge on your status by the type of cigarette that you puff into your lungs.

There are varieties of brands here, from every province, ranging from prices and quality and brand. The most common famous expensive brand in China would be Zhonghua, that costs around RMB40 to RMB80 per pack. Again, depending on the quality of the tobacco. The more expensive it is, the better your ego will be. Seriously.

12. Beggars, little beggars and kids beggars

This is also another rampant issue and problem that China is facing right now. Coastal cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Suzhou and anywhere else on the east side of China next to the sea and river will have a bigger chance out of proverty. Its true.

Foreigners, expats and everything just pour everything to these places. This started a chain reaction and affects everything. These cities produces more millionaires due to opportunities, employments and growing economies.

There comes another problem. Those Chinese citizens from the west, such as Xinjiang province, that is a desert and no economic growth becomes isolated. They are poor and they are not educated. In short, they are at least 50 years behind in mentality.

There is a saying in China. If you see a child beggar begging for your money in Shanghai, most probably you will say that they are from Xinjiang. It might be true you know. These beggars will flock on the street more especially during pre-chinese new year. They will beg for money under cold winter conditions. They are child merely 5 years of age. They are poor and extremely poor.

What i hate more, is when the parents, grandparents and the elders would even scold the kids for not able to get money from us! The kids beggar will cry and cry. Such a humiliation. These child beggars are sometimes also pickpockets. Beware!


What do you think? The top 10 things you hate in Shanghai? Fits the picture?

Hahahahaha.

ps: I still like to go and hit the clubs in Shanghai! Not forgotten, the Xinwang Roasted Pork Rice! :)

God! I am hungry now!

Ciao~

Shanghai: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

As continued from the previous posting.

What do we do after eating in Xinwang Char Chan Teng in Shanghai (btw, we normally have Xinwang for brunch or lunch on Sunday)? We go for COFFEE!!! Not much of special brew or special beans, but more of convenience sake.

Hence, either overpriced Starbucks or Coffeebean! This time around i am blogging about Coffeebean in Infinite Mall by Huai Hai Zhong Lu. I like this branch compared to Xintiandi due to its less crowded here and there is always spaces for you, smokers, comparing to XTD branch.

On that particular day, one particular Sunday, after our dear lunch, we just hang out at Coffeebean for a couple of hours, smoking and chilling out while reading some magazines, before proceeding to North Bus station to go back to ZJG.

We ordered Ice Latte and Ice Blended Chocolate. Apparently, Romeo loves the ice blended chocolate to bits! He even do not wanted to let go! Wahahahaha. Even finishes almost all the ice-blended by himself.

We normally tried to cut down on the pastries. Just there to enjoy that coffee. Smooooooooth! In addition, of course, we read magazines to catch up with the latest news, events, promotions, happenings and most important, discounts around Shanghai. For us to enjoy the 50% discount or some secret hidden gem restaurants in Shanghai.

We enjoy the moments so much! Wahahahahaha. Plus, a little camwhoring effort moment from me. I think i can make it into kinda of professional camwhore photographer. Wakuakuakua!

Why can't we have a Coffeebean in Zhangjiagang??!?!?!?!?!?!?

ps: I love coffee so so so much! And the nearest nicest coffee is made at my house kitchen!

Shanghai: Xinwang Char Chan Teng in Xmas 08

I have quite some time at Zhangjiagang for this weekend. Apart from coming back a couple of days ago for Xmas in Shanghai, i have been "lepak-ing" at home and in this lifeless place. To save up the money and to go workout at gym? Yeah. Need to relax and much needed rest once a while.

Typically, when we are in Shanghai. What do we do? I mean, apart and except from going shopping and clubbing at night. We eat of course, at the nice place and good Cantonese cuisine restaurant that serve nice delicious food! Not too expensive for Shanghai and Hongkong standard.

Xinwang Char Chan Teng that we normally go to is located in Infinite mall by Huaihai Zhong Lu and Pu An Lu. It is definitely one of the cantonese restaurant you must go for. Delicious! Located opposite Shanghai Times Square (shi tai guang chang) in Huai Hai Zhong Lu. Infinite mall is where, Babyface and California Fitness is located.

Back to the story. Look at the food! Delicious!

I love Xinwang restaurant due to several reasons actually and these reasons are actually shared and agreed with almost everyone.

1. Their roast pork, roast duck and BBQ pork rice is fantastic. Just as nice a those we ate in Malaysia if not better. Seriously!

2. Their rice set comes with 2 types of sauce depending of the type of meat you ordered. Roast duck with their famous plum sauce and nice black soy sauce, roast pork comes with mustard and sweet sauce.

3. Their curry beef set rice is like very very delicious, given the standard in Shanghai food at decent price. The beef is just tender and nicely cooked. The curry is not too oily nor too powdery taste.

4. Their nissin noodle set is like 100x times better than any char chan teng i've ever visited. Seriously. Even Romeo ate the noodle till he finishes, which is huge portion.

5. Their food portion is bigger than any normal char chan teng food franchise in Malaysia. Well, not everything. But big by my standard, or perhaps smaller than Chilli's food?

6. Their Fujian fried rice is particularly delicious served with mussels, squid and seafood, which is again different from other fujian fried rice, i've tasted.

7. Their breakfast and evening tea time set meals are like superly cheap by Shanghai standard. RMB 22 for a nissin noodle set that comes with an omelette toast set and a glass of Hongkong ice tea. Gawd! Where to find?!?!?!?!?!?

8. Their restaurant is not smelly! This is particularly important for us, due to the fact the there are a lot of smokers in the restaurants and those cooking oil smell you will experience in winter. Particularly in some smokey restaurants and by the time you finish your food, you smells like a roasted pork yourself. Or smelly tofu.

9. Xinwang opens from 10am to 5am in the morning. Basically, you can drop in the restaurants fro brunch, lunch, tea time, dinner, supper, after-club food session and anytime in between. Seriously.

10. It is always full and there is always a waiting lists for this restaurant. Perhaps everyone share the same taste as us, picky and delicious. And so far, we have yet to be disappointed by Xinwang yet. Given its price and food quality.

And of course, the usual camwhoring pictures and moments! I just like winter so much! Feels so cool! Wakakakaka. Plus, one of the biggest Xmas tree decorations in front of Times Square!

Wait for my next post on what we normally do after Xinwang brunch.

Coffee la! What else?