The very first restaurant from China to enter the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, is Mr & Mrs Bund 外滩夫妇 from Shanghai. I know.
(Click PLAY for highlights of Mr & Mrs Bund 外滩夫妇, Shanghai)
Not a Chinese restaurant, but a “modern French eatery” by Chef Paul Pairet, supported by Shanghai-based F&B Group VOL. (It has since fallen out of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants though.)
French Chef Paul Pairet is also known for his avant-garde restaurant, Ultraviolet.
My reservation was done through the concierge a couple of weeks in advance, though there were some issues when I visited. While I specially requested for a window-seat, and it was indicated in the confirmation email, the serving staff replied on the day of visitation that ”All the window seats are taken”.
I wanted to question about the booking process, more than where the seat was going to be.
Long-story-short, after a long conversation, I finally heard the magical word (that which starts with ‘S’), and they took initiative to waive off the drinks – Iced Green Basil Tea.
So why the window seats?
Mr & Mrs Bund is located on the 6th floor of Bund 18 – a refurbished 1923 neoclassical building, which provides a fantastic bird’s eye view of Shanghai’s skyscrapers and busy Huangpu River.
Walking through the residential-like doors, the interior looked like the mansion of a wealthy family. The ambience is casual (without the stiffness of a fine-dining restaurant), with many large tables so that guests can share food family-style.
There was a large share table in the centre of the restaurant, complete with custom-made oversized red velvet chairs, called the Alice in Wonderland table.
With over 200 items on the menu, you can look out for the avant garde dishes that Chef Paul Pairet is known for, or safer choices of comfort food. Look out for the initials of “PP”, indicated next to the dishes on the menu.
Some of the recommended “PP” dishes include Meunière Truffle Bread (120RMB, SGD$24.40), Chicken Picnic Aioli (125RMB, SGD$25.50), Jumbo Shrimp in Citrus Jar (180RMB,SGD$36.70), Black Cod In The Bag (280RMB,SGD$57.00), Long Short Rib Teriyaki (420RMB,SGD$85.50), and Lemon-and-Lemon Tart (110RMB,SGD$22.40).
For a single shrimp, it didn’t come cheap at 180RMB, though it was jumbo-sized. The lone-ranger arrived steamed in a glass jar with citrus, lemongrass and vanilla, taken out and cut into two.
You are supposed to experience all the citrusy flavours infused within, though my friend mentioned it tasted plain and dipped that shrimp into the accompanying ‘Bangkok’ sauce which tasted like fish sauce. A lot better after actually. Hmm.
The Black Cod In The Bag (360RMB, SGD$57.00) was presented with black cod simmered in a heat proof bag.
The really-delicious part was actually the Cantonese sauce used, though on the saltier side, brought out the umami-ness of the fish. And the sauce wasn’t fishy, and complemented well with the fragrant long-grain rice.
One shouldn’t leave Mr & Mrs Bund without trying the Lemon-and-Lemon Tart (110RMB, SGD$22.40) – the presentation was already like a piece of art.
While looking like an actual fruit, the dessert was a candied whole lemon confit-ed for 72 hours, which would reveal lemon sorbet and curd when you cut the thin skin apart.
The burst of sourness in the creamy-sweetness was refreshing, and the sable which acted as a ‘base’ was also enjoyable.
The meal at Mr & Mrs Bund is not cheap, but the winning formula is not just the food but the entire vibes and view.
Here’s an additional tip: there is an exit at the back for diners to relax with drinks, and take photos of this incredible Shanghai view.
Mr & Mrs Bund 外滩夫妇
Address: Bund 18, 6/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (near Nanjing Dong Lu)
外滩18号6楼,中山东一路18号 (靠近南京东路)
Tel: +86 21 6323 9898
Opening Hours:
Brunch: 11:30am – 2:30pm (Sat – Sun)
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10:30pm (Sun – Wed), 5:30pm – 11:00pm (Thur-Sat)
Late Dinner: 11:00pm – 2:00am (Thurs – Sat)
reservations@mmbund.com
http://www.mmbund.com/
Google Maps – Mr & Mrs Bund
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