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 Healthy eating is anathema to Shanghaiist; why deprive oneself of all the deliciousness in the world just so one can live a few more extra years? However, we understand that folks here sometimes need to feel a tad better about themselves after one too many 3 a.m. lamb skewers outside [insert overpopulated club of the moment here] any given morning. Thank goodness for RU? Cafe and its aim of providing balanced and nutricious offerings in a small but sleek setting. Since opening the middle of last year, we've found ourselves recovering from many a late night over a big mug of coffee, freshly baked bread, and the cafe's homemade yogurt. The mushroom risotto is pretty delightful as well, striking a good balance between richness and flavor.
We floated some questions for Eric (the chef) and Susan (co-owner) about what it's like to try to do something new in Shanghai...the rumor on the street is that the Shanghai restaurant scene is kinda sorta competitive. Their answers:
In your experience, how much of a challenge is it in Shanghai to get your hands on the fresh produce, meats, and other ingredients that you need for a venue like RU?? Do you find yourself competing with larger chains or hotels for a limited pool of stuff out there?
Eric: The challenge is actually self-imposed. Fresh quality ingredients are a base line at RU?, and much can nowadays be sourced in Shanghai without finger-biting difficulty, e.g. a crisp fresh garden salad is pretty standard in many western oriented restaurants, cafes and supermarkets.
The rather difficult challenge is to find some specific nutritional elements that we want to incorporate in our dishes to build upon the idea of nutrition and diversity. For example, the flaxseed oil we add to our granola & homemade yoghurt is bought overseas. Other more specific raw materials like bread yeast and organic flour originate from Europe.
So for the raw materials that we source in China, the competition is not for quantity but for quality at the most reasonable price. As for those sourced from overseas, well, it’s a matter of logistics.
Shanghai has shown itself to be ridiculously competitive for upstart cafes and restaurants (and bars and boutiques and English-language magazines to boot). What inspired you to jump into the ring and duke it out?
Susan: Passion for food, passion for business. And simply because we can do it.
For all of us, RU? came about as the desire to materialize what we felt was missing in Shanghai and our passion for living a good life: a place to comfort the urban nomads from Shanghai’s excessive pace, through renewed connectivity with others, nutritious food and simplicity.
We built this concept aside from our full time jobs. While this means a challenge on the amount of time to dedicate, it also means we can try out new ideas, a luxury that most other restaurants may not have. If there’s any place in the world right now that favours the gutsy, it’s Shanghai, so we figured “it’s now or never”.
Is there anything unique about preparing food for customers in Shanghai than other places where you've worked?
Eric: Shanghai is like many other urban centers I have worked in, such as Singapore; Shanghai urbanites always seem squeezed in a time crunch. Not only do their dishes need to arrive fast, quality needs to remain high. Shanghai customers’ palates are demanding!
 RU? promotes itself as a purveyor of healthy and wholesome dining. As a chef, what rules (if any) do you follow when devising new items for the menu? I am assuming we won't be seeing bacon cheeseburgers show up anytime soon.
Eric: Probably no bacon cheeseburgers! Though the perception of nutrition and health differs from culture to culture, we try to combine the mainstream perception such as “fries make you fat”, “red meat has the highest content of iron” or “green vegetables contains good level of anti-oxidants”, with other lesser known topics such as alive yogurt bacteria in yogurt fights LDL cholesterol and builds up the immune system.
Fundamentally, our guiding tenets are Balance (of carbohydrates, protein, fat, sugar and fiber), Nutrition (addition of specific active ingredients), Moderation, Variety and Great Taste.
What were some of the more unexpected and surprising challenges that you faced while starting up a restaurant in Shanghai from scratch?
Susan: While most of the surprises were actually expected, the amount that came our way was still a surprise! The art of communication tops the list! For example, we firmly believed that SMS ordering would take off like a wooden house on fire. During implementation stage, it was impressed upon us just how much energy is required to be different from existing “market practice”.
Food ordering via the phone in Shanghai is mostly a painful and hit-and-miss experience. We therefore wanted to offer an idiot proof alternative via a very commonly used channel – the SMS, which we believe to be Shanghai urbanites’ most common mode of communication: simple & hassle-free. We hope SMS ordering helps drive simplicity in “fooding!”
We're always curious about where chefs and restauranteurs like to eat during their off-hours. Leaving competition aside, what are you favorite spots to get a bite in our fair town?
Eric: After cooking a variety of cuisines during the day, I enjoy coming back to basic and traditional. Asian traditional, that is. Best way to enjoy my supper is at a small Taiwanese restaurant on Huaihai Rd called Charmant; they simply serve the most authentic Ba Kut Teh (Singaporean pork rib soup).
Susan: We’re pretty sure most foreigners in Shanghai have been inducted into the all-you-can-eat-sushi phenomenon … typically followed by 2 days of stomachache, brain damage and 3 months (and for some, it’s a lifetime) of raw fish and sake abstinence.
Now, pleasure means more to us. Comfort comes easily with simple, homey Moroccan Chicken at Ginger (Fuxing rd) or curries at Thai Gallery. If you are passing through Beijing, don't miss Pure Lotus. When in the mood for a scaled up experience, Jade on 36 remains our Mecca of creative food in Shanghai; not every dish is to our taste, but for sure they always are surprising. And for simpler indulgence, Whisk’s warm chocolate pudding brings it home.
If you haven't heard, Macau billionaire Stanley Ho recently paid $330,000 USD for a white truffle weighing 1.5kg. If he were to give that truffle to you to create something for your restaurant, what would you have in mind for our crazy expensive fungus?
Eric: Would this chance be given to me, then likely I would tone the nutritious message and head for Goose liver & truffle terrine with balsamic Banana salsa on a bed of truffle scented cream cheese.
RU? Café – 1521 Xinzha Lu, near Xikang Lu (新闸路1521号, 近西康路), Tel: 6247-0715, Hours: 7:30am-10pm (closed on Mondays)
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.
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As Shanghai’s punishing winter falls upon us, few things counter the chill as effectively as a steaming, bubbling hotpot. While Shanghaiist has had a long-lasting love affair with spicy Sichuan hotpot, with its communal cauldron of numbing stock and gobs of pig innards, we realize that many of our loyal readers actually shy away from rubbery entrails and multiple chopstick dipping. It is to these dear readers, and to anyone else looking for a surprisingly addictive meal, that we introduce Yu Xiang Hai (御香梅), a fantastic shabu-shabu restaurant perfect for the cold and hungry evenings.
 At Yu Xiang Hai, each diner is presented with his or her own personal pot, so germ swapping between diners is not mandatory. We typically choose the spiciest stock that they have, which in all honesty is not very spicy at all, and proceed to dig into the all-you-can-eat menu (yes that’s right, this is another post about an all-you-can-eat place, and it won’t be the last). While pork and mutton are also on the menu, we prefer the plates of thinly sliced rib-eye, particularly the beer-marinated beef. The plate of beef sashimi is also tender and delicious. For those tired of swishing meat in their pots, add some gyoza dumplings and prawns for some flavor variety. Vegetarians, don’t despair; heaping plates of fresh cabbage, tofu, and mushrooms are available as well. All of this is dipped in the tangy and savory ponzu (sesame) sauce that we like to augment with green onions and spicy daikon (fantastic!).
Because the meat is so quick to cook, the wait staff does a great job of moving at a furious place to replenish a multitude of orders at this always packed restaurant. And why wouldn’t it be packed? At 88 RMB for all-you-can-eat, this place is a bargain, with a boisterous atmosphere and great service enhancing the experience. While drinks are not included in the price, the 5 RMB beers and 30 RMB bottles of sake don’t do much to put a dent into everyone’s good mood. Dinner reservations are highly recommended, and even then be prepared to wait even if you arrive on time. For larger parties, call ahead and reserve one of the four back rooms. Regardless of where you sit, you’ll be bound to warm up immediately once the first of many bites goes right into your mouth.
Yu Xiang Hai – 1720 Huaihai Zhong Lu, close to Wu Xing Lu (御香梅 - 淮海中路1720号, 近吴兴路), Tel: 6471-7657, Hours: 10am-midnight
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.
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Where to go, where to go: Shanghaiist is still trying to figure out where to carb up for our big dodgeball game tonight (that's right, patches, dodgeball). Pure, the fancy new Japanese restaurant that is part of The Collection at Xintiandi, has been offering their new sushi menu for 50% off since last Thursday. The special ends tomorrow night, however, so if we enjoy ourselves tonight we may find ourselves there tomorrow as well.
On the other hand, Bund Brewery is having their weekly Cheap Ass Tuesdays promotion. In this case, it’s also 50% off the entire food bill, given that you’ve made dinner reservations in advance. The thought of a cold beer and warm cheesy comfort food may be enough to tear us away from sushi. Then again, since the two deals are 50% off, isn’t that enough justification to go to both tonight? See you all there.
We follow our leads: Got a tip from BizChinaUpdate editor-in-chief Gary Bowerman that the set lunches at Colabo were well worth the money. As always, Shanghaiist follows our leads (except in the cases where we don’t), and headed out there last Friday for lunch. We enjoyed a plate of fresh antipasti, a whitefish and pesto pizza, and a decent cake and coffee dessert for a total of 78 RMB. And that was the most expensive set lunch option, to boot. Switch the pizza for a pasta, skimp on the dessert, and you’re looking at a filling lunch at this lovely villa restaurant for 38 to 48 RMB. We love these lunch and brunch deals (and in Shanghai, there are plenty), and will keep digging them up and posting about them in the future. Thanks, Gary!
The Bund’s grand dame: Shanghaiist had the immense pleasure of joining M on the Bund owner Michelle Garnaut last week for her annual Christmas luncheon to welcome in the holiday menu. After two servings of suckling pig, the most tender stuffed turkey we’ve ever had in China, and plenty of hearty conversation with Ms. Garnaut and other foodies from the local press, we were titillated to hear that M is offering their dessert plate for the paltry sum of 9 RMB for the entire month of January in celebration of their 9th anniversary. This is the dessert plate that includes the scrumptious pavlova that was devoured in a heartbeat at the event. It’s good to see M on the Bund still going strong after all these years…and all that crazy Bund construction.
Overwhelmed: By now, many of you have probably come across SH Magazine’s feature on the “50 things in Shanghai you absolutely have to eat,” written by their food editor Christopher St. Cavish. It’s an intimidating list, and we are big fans of St. Cavish and only wish we had as much food intellect as even just the left part of his tongue, so all this means is that we’re going to have to make the time to go try out the 20 or so odd things that we haven’t even heard of. Any loyal readers out there giving out free gym memberships for after the holidays?
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.
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Shanghaiist are unabashed meat-lovers. We are also big fans of all-you-can-eat places, since blogging is, how shall we say, not a paying gig the most lucrative of professions. So we were delighted to come across a Brazilian churrascaria that doesn't a) rip a new one for drinks and b) actually has a nice, relaxing ambiance to it.
 Samba Brazilian Steakhouse was one of the places in the New Factories that we peeked into on our way to Moon River but never really summoned up the drive to go visit. Unlike the more well-known Brasil Steak House churrascaria chain, Samba is dressed up in comfortable, modern decor. We tend to get stressed out at the other places, which are usually louder and have cramped seating. This place was spacious (heard there was a 2nd floor only after we left) and inviting, big enough for a restaurant full of engorged bellies.
We don't typically expect the highest and most delectable offerings of meat at churrascaria, so we measure our Brazilian BBQ experience on the frequency of the visits by our servers, the ability of the dishes in the side buffet to offset the meat onslaught, and the overall friendliness of the staff and their ability to facilitate gluttony. Samba had high marks across the board, with the beef rump, skirt steak, and pork ribs particularly juicy and tasty (not so much the strips of fatty lamb and the especially salty sausages). The sides were also quiet decent, with some creamy pasta and salads that took a bit of the edge off the meat fest. And we can't have a full review without mentioning the flan, which was perfectly composed and delicious (though one of our favorite movie quotes of all time is from William H. Macy in Wag the Dog: "There are two things I know to be true. There's no difference between good flan and bad flan, and there is no war." Sorry, had to get that in there, we just watched it.)
If Samba misses anywhere it's on the drinks, which they know you need after all that salt and for which they do charge a premium: 25 RMB for a can of soda, which is less criminal than restaurant "A" above but still noticeable (beers are in the 40-50 RMB range). Still, with their new pricing (78 RMB, down from 118 RMB when it first opened), Samba is now our destination of choice for our next meaty free-for-all.
Samba Brazilian Steakhouse - 60 Yuyao Lu (in the New Factories), close to Xi Kang Lu (余姚路60 - 同乐坊), Tel: 5213-5335, Lunch: 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner: 5:30 -10:30pm.
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.
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For all displaced Americans and tryptophan lovers, consider these lovely Thanksgiving dinner options for tomorrow night in our cozy little Chinese metropolis:
- Casa 13 is tossing in some international flare to go along with the turkey centerpiece. 380 RMB will get you free flow beer and wine (until 10:30pm) and lots of wholesome, organic goodness. Menu includes New England style codfish, sticky rice and bread stuffing, and sweet potato gnocchi. (tel: 5238-2782)
 - Kabb and Blue Frog are offering a more traditional four-course set menu (sweet potato soup, soft roll and butter, roast turkey, pumpkin cheesecake + 1 soft drink/coffee/tea) for 200 RMB per person at Kabb and 190 RMB at Blue Frog (without the roll),
- Blues Room and City Diner are taking a page from down south and providing two buffet lines for 198 RMB per person. Get stuffed on beef short ribs, mac 'n cheese, creole roast pork, and candied yams. (tel: 6289-3699)
- This year Moon River Diner will have different things going on at each restaurant, but the only two locations that aren't completely booked up are at Brilliance Mall West (buffet) and Pudong (family style dinner - one seating only) (tel:5169-9156)
- Jean-Georges offers you a six-course tasting menu, including ginger-pumpkin, salmon with black truffle, roasted organic turkey with chestnut-sourdough stuffing and delicious pastries at the end of the meal. 888RMB per person. (tel: 6321-7733)
- Bubba's has a 250 rmb sit down dinner featuring all of Kenneth's (the owner) favorite sides and
unlimited red wine and draught beer. The place is almost all booked up so call quick. (tel: 6242-2612)
Photo of turkeys being loaded up at Moon River Diner by shanghaisage via the Shanghaiist Contribute page.
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com
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 Though never a fan of Starbucks, more because of their bland-ardization of the world's greatest drug rather than due to any kind of deeply held anti-corporate leanings, Shanghaiist nevertheless enjoys supping the occasional hot chocolate from a Medusa-emblazoned mug. With this Monday being particularly harrowing, we were looking forward to a dose of sickly sweet cream-topped womb regression, only to have our fragile psyche strained to within an inch of another long, expensive course of therapy by the news that Starbucks is out of chocolate. Not just the three branches we visited on Nanjing Lu, but EVERY SINGLE ONE IN SHANGHAI. How? Why? Our putonghua skills barely stretch to these basic interrogatives, so we could only decipher that the supply has been cut, and it may be as long as two weeks before it is restored. Unfortunately, they still seemed to be pumping out their vile ice mocha cream things.
Oh, and one final tip: if you're driven mad enough by the Starbucks chocolate shortage to shell out 35 RMB for a hot chocolate at the Citic Square branch of Wagas, good luck to you. After a 25 minute wait and repeated reminders to the staff, we were eventually presented with a small bowl of tepid brown goo, minus the promised marshmallows. We've been to the same branch four times in the last month and, without fail, they manage to screw the order up somehow, despite the efforts of the well-meaning manager.
Wagas
1168 Nanjing Xi Lu. LG 11A (Near Shanxi Bei Lu)
南京西路1168号中信泰富广场地下一层12A
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 If you love pizza, pasta, risotto and the rest, then no doubt you've come across some shocking examples of pseudo-Italian cuisine in Shanghai. However, the experience of one Shanghaiist reader at Babela's Kitchen, the newest establishment in the Food Park on the corner of Beijing Lu and Jiangning Lu, was truly scary.
"I found a shard of glass as big as my little finger in my risotto, after I'd already put it in my mouth. As it was my last bite, I could have potentially eaten more pieces. I informed the staff, who only seemed slightly concerned, so I refused to pay, and returned to the office to ponder my possibly imminent demise. The staff also had the nerve to charge my friend 5 RMB after I left for a drink I'd had."
Fortunately the reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, has not yet shown any symptoms of massive internal hemorrhaging (though apparently it can take two weeks for glass to work its magic from within the human body).
Perhaps the Munchesque figure clutching at its lips in agony in the store's logo should have been a clue as to what to expect if you dine there. In any event, Shanghaiist politely suggests that anyone else wishing to keep their internal organs intact STAYS THE HELL AWAY FROM BAOELA'S KITCHEN.
In non-fatal fast-food news, one place that Shanghaiist does happily recommend is Hello Pizza, though our world was rocked when we heard they'd raised the price of their legendary 10 RMB pepperoni pizza to 25 RMB. That a pizza with meat was priced lower than one with just cheese always made us a little suspicious, though our inherent cheapness always won out in the end. Fortunately, the abomination of cuisine that is their fruit pizza is now also 25 RMB rather than 10 RMB, so even in the lean week before pay day we won't be tempted by such a wrongness.
Babela's Kitchen
1060-1068 Beijing Xilu 2F B-1-2 (by Jiangning Lu)
北京西路1060-1068号食博汇2楼B-1-2(近江宁路)
Hello Pizza
205 Nan Jing Xi Rd. (南京西路205号)
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 New Burger on the Block: Thanks to the always up-to-date Christine Lu from the China Business Network, we learned that Los Angeles based burger joint Fatburger is planning on expanding big into China, starting with their first restaurant at the Venetian in Macao. From their press release:
Additional Fatburger restaurants are scheduled to open in Hong Kong in the coming months: the first on Queens Road East and the second at Jia Hotel in Causeway Bay in early 2008. Fatburger also plans to open a Beijing location at Solana – the city’s first lifestyle center – in April 2008. Fatburger estimates call for approximately 25 locations in China by the end of 2010, all company-owned. Additional sites on the horizon include further locations in Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzen, Beijing and Shanghai.
Christine has an interview with Fatburger CEO and chairman Andy Weiderhorn which you can listen to or download here. Shanghaiist grew up in the greater L.A. area, and while our burger loyalties lie strictly with rival chain In 'N Out, we know our fair share of Fatburger devotees who will be eagerly awaiting the Shanghai opening.
News from the chef world: Shanghai fusion restaurant Tian Di, located on the 3rd floor at Bund 6, has brought in Texas-based restauranteur Scott Chen to revamp the menu and operations, so expect to see changes to the food and feel of the place.
Erik Berger, chef and GM of the Naked Cow, is moving on to a new venture. We'll keep you updated here on where he moves next.
We hear Eduardo and Kelley of the iiiit! group have parted ways with the City Diner group. Eduardo has just opened Casa 13 on Huashan Lu, and maybe had enough on his plate without having to deal with complications regarding City Diner's Hongmei Lu restaurant. We wonder if the food quality at City Diner will suffer in any way.
The search goes on: The International Herald Tribune has now gotten into the game of finding the best xiao long bao in Shanghai. Others have been down this road before, but does the prestige of the IHT unveil anything new? Nope, Din Tai Fung it is. When does this stop being a question that still needs to be answered? Yes, the restaurant got its start in Taiwan, and yes, it doesn't meet that food traveler qualification of being off the beaten path and cheap as hell. Let's live with the fact that the best xiao long bao in town does indeed reside inside a fashion mall at the tail end of touristy Xintiandi.
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com
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 Someone told us recently that there was a new Mexican burrito place called Cal Kitchen that opened up not that long ago on Dagu Lu, and being long-time residents of California, we decided to see if it lived up to its billing as place for authentic Californian/Mexican food.
Long story short, it doesn't. We ordered a big chicken burrito that in better days, might have been a contender—but as it was, it was a soggy and somewhat pathetic version of a proper CA burrito. If you're from a family of overachievers that often make you feel mediocre, insignificant, and inferior, then you will understand, perfectly, where this burrito was coming from. It was just like you.
Let's forget the "minor" oversight of not having any sour cream and skip to something important—the guacamole, which for some Californians, is a raging addiction. The guacamole at Cal Kitchen was a bit odd. Imagine a vaguely avocado-flavored toothpaste-like substance with strange bits of green stuff thrown in, and you get a sense of both the flavor and consistency of this so-called guacamole.
Since we've been ***-ish through this whole "review", we might as well keep going: the service sucked, but mostly because everyone was new and inexperienced, learning the menu, learning the ropes, etc. That's all forgivable ... but what is not forgivable is taking the name of California and Mexico in vain. The prices were okay—we actually didn't write them all down, but everything was in the upper 20s for a regular size to upper 30s for a super-sized burrito. They also had the stuff you'd expect: nachos, quesadillas, etc.
If you want to check out a website that doesn't even exist, check out their official website.
Cal Kitchen
376 Dagu Lu, near Chengdu Bei Lu
6340-1923
Open 11am-11pm
Also on Shanghaiist: Head to New York City for Shanghai's best (and biggest) burrito
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The art of vegetable carving has been used widely in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai cuisines, but this chef takes it one step further. Watch how he skilfully and masterfully carves a peony — China's national flower — out of a tofu. It is not mentioned in the programme where he is from or which restaurant he works at, but yes, it would be interesting to know how the peony tofu is actually served — and, of course, how much it costs.
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Building off of the success of last year’s 1st ever Chili Cook-off, Bubba’s is once again hosting the event this weekend (October 20, 12pm-5pm), which they alliteratively proclaim will be “bigger, better, and with more room to roam.”
For starters, we have moved the cook-off to the street that runs alongside Bubba's Bar-B-Que (between us and Marriott Hong Qiao). It is a nice, tree-lined street and we're gonna close that sucker down to traffic and allow pedestrians and cooks only. Oh sure, we'll have music, games for kids, and games for adults as well.
Second, this year's event is sanctioned by CASI, which is the Chili Appreciation Society International. This is huge as we are the first organization in Asia to gain such a credential. What it means for the future is that the winner of our cook-off will gain an automatic entry to compete in the grandfather of all cook-offs.....Terlingua, which takes place in Texas each year.
It will be a bittersweet Saturday for Shanghaiist, as we were originally slated to be one of the judges for the cook-off but had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict (why oh why must new Chinese parents throw lavish parties to celebrate their babies’ first 100 days?). We’ll try to scramble over later in the afternoon to partake in the festivities, which will cost 50 RMB to get in and taste and vote on the entries. Bubba’s expects over 20 entrants to strip defending champion City Diner of its chili crown and over 600 chili-lovers to make it the trip out to Hongqiao. Please save some chili for us.
Bubba’s Texas-Style Bar-B-Que & Saloon, 2262 Hongqiao Lu, next to the Hongqiao Marriott (虹桥路2262号，在上海万豪虹桥大酒店旁). Tel: 62422612.
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com
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 Just when the thought we heard the last of the Olympic pigs, we found this headline from Beijing Daily just screaming at us while we were scanning the Chinese news yesterday:
北京提升猪肉产品质量 生猪入圈静养听音乐
To improve pork quality, Beijing pigs will listen to soothing music
So apart from getting fed an organic diet and being put through a daily exercise regime, it appears the pigs will get to hear soothing music while being bathed each day!
Said a spokesperson of one of the 10 Olympic pig farms (whose locations are a top secret):
“生猪入圈后进行24小时静养，听着舒缓的音乐淋浴、饮水，目的是减少应激反应，避免猪肉中出现不良物质。”
The pigs are kept under 24-hour care. They wlll listen to soothing music while being bathed or drinking their water. This is to reduce their stress reactions and to avoid bad substances from appearing in the pork.
It's been a looooong time since we last pampered ourselves with a spa package, but hey these pigs are lucky! Alas, the spokesperson didn't elucidate what music the pigs will get to hear. We heard Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” or Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” will make babies smarter, but we haven't heard of any research being done for pigs yet. Maybe Chinese scientists will take the lead here?
Previously on Shanghaiist
Of pigs and men
Chinese scientists create glow in the dark pigs
Do you know what your pigs are eating?
Related links
Beijing Daily: 北京提升猪肉产品质量 生猪入圈静养听音乐
Wall Street Journal: Chinese bloggers stew about Olympic pigs
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Kitchen fetishists, we know you're out there: For those of you who enjoy cooking at home, now you can add sexy cookware to your kitchen arsenal. Pantry Magic, which calls itself Asia's favorite place for specialty kitchen supply, is opening their first store in Shanghai in the middle of this month. From their press release:
Pantry Magic carries a complete product line of more than 2,000 items from pots and pans to brightly colored mixing bowls, silicone spatulas and bakeware, tea towels and aprons, knives and steels and pepper mills. With multiple lines of high-end cookware, including stainless and copper-finished tri-ply, enamel and non-stick coated cast iron and anodized aluminum and ceramic to choose from, there is something to satisfy every kitchen preference. Jazz music plays while shoppers browse, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.
Shanghaiist gets by with two Ikea bowls, some chopsticks, and a delivery menu for Gil Wonton, so we probably won't be indulging in Pantry Magic anytime soon. For those of you who do want to spruce up your kitchen drawers, the new store will be located on the corner of Taojiang Lu and Dongping Lu.
 PETA don't come: Beginning Thursday and running through Sunday (10/14), Abbey Road will be throwing a Schlacht Fest, or Slaughter Party. No, it's not an early Halloween party; there's really only one place to go for that. According to Abbey Road, the slaughter party is an old Swiss and German tradition, where butchers would slaughter pigs during the fall season and use the opportunity as a get together to finish off parts of the pig that couldn't be stored over the winter (i.e. bowels, blood, and liver...sounds Sichuanese).
The menu includes bloodwurst, liver sausage, bacon, and a lot of other pork dishes. The restaurant asks those looking for a little less meat to not worry; the regular menu will still be served through the event.
And in other opening news: Paul, the French bakery that brings great joy to some Shanghaiist contributors, has just opened their third store on the first floor of Shanghai Centre (1376 W. Najing Lu near Xikang Lu). Try the napoleons.
We've already lost count of how many Blue Frogs are out there, and the world welcomes another one, this time in Xujiahui. The grand opening is this Friday (10/12) from 6-10pm, and all standard drinks will be 25RMB after 10pm. The new spot is at Unit 12, 131 Tian Yao Qiao Lu.
Photo of happy pigs off to the slaughter by theshanghaieye via the Contribute page.
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.
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We finally made it out to Tian Jia, the superlative Japanese restaurant famous for serving only one kind of fish: toro, meat from the fatty belly of the bluefin tuna. Our first trip was right before we left for vacation three weeks ago, and our second was the first night we got back. Yes, we craved it the whole time we were gone. For those of you who were like us and never made a trip but heard all the accolades, now you can add Shanghaiist to the mix: this place is damn tasty.
 Tian Jia serves two types of toro: o-toro, which is the fattiest part of the fatty tuna belly, and chu-toro, which is a more balanced cut of lean and fatty meat. Also on the sashimi menu is toro-shio, which is toro marinated in lemon and sea salt and, according to Tian Jia’s manager, should not be eaten with any wasabi or soy sauce at all. The portion size for all three fantastic varieties of toro is five measly slices, priced at 78 RMB across the board. Yes, we know that’s not very expensive for this caliber of fish; we say measly because all we wanted after we dusted off our order was to dust off some more.
The o-toro is tender and buttery; the chu-toro is leaner but equally flavorful. All three cuts are also available in nigiri form, each portion served with two pieces at 68 RMB. For those looking beyond a taste tease, Tina Jia offers a set menu at 250 RMB, which includes 6 slices of sashimi, a large snow crab leg (delicious), a light hotpot with cabbage and cod that turns into a base for udon or porridge, a bowl of chirashi (sliced or chopped tuna atop a bowl of delicious sushi rice), and a bowl of ice cream. The 380 RMB set menu includes all of the above plus a 5 pieces of nigiri.
We could tell that Tian Jia takes its business seriously. The restaurant manager at their flagship restaurant off Huashan Lu was hired in Japan and brought over to ensure their large Japanese customer base would get homegrown service. We were told the owner had to apply for a special permit to import the fish from Japan, which is probably why you don’t see any other species on the menu. The fact that they recently opened restaurants in Suzhou and Beijing, to go along with the four in Shanghai (Xintiandi, Zhongshan Park, and Pudong), is a testament to their well deserved popularity. When it comes to Japanese food, Shanghaiist will always have a near and dear place in our heart for the all-you-can-eat gorge-fests, but Tian Jia will be the place we go to delight our palates.
Tian Jia - 2/F, 1520 Huashan Lu, near Taian Lu (山路1520号2楼, 靠近泰安路) - Tel: 6281 4918. 6pm-11:00pm
Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com
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 One of the great things about living in China is the relatively low cost of courier services which means you can get just about anything delivered at next to nothing at all. China Herald informs us that now, you can even get fresh Yunnan coffee delivered to your house, for FREE (if you live within the French Concession and the Jing'an area, that is, or if you order over 100RMB). Otherwise, you pay just RMB10 if you live in Puxi and RMB15 if you're in Pudong. Very reasonable!
We've long heard about Yunnan coffee (and may have already drank copious amounts of it unknowingly), and the flyer informs us that coffee production in Yunnan Province has received major investment from such companies as Nescafe and Starbucks. Well if high quality beef and western wine can all be made in China, why not coffee?
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Email: order@fresh724.com; Hotline: 13817170205
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