Charlotte: That was the worst lunch.
Bob: So bad. What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?
quotes from lost in translation, excellent korean barbecue by a restaurant called soba, dongxin road. the whole thing for 4 1/2 people, 124rmb (12 euros). :)
i take all the pictures of food in the blog on the restaurants we go to for dinner, so today i thought i’d show something different: a typical lunch in the company. here it is:
it’s basically a set of random chinese dishes with meat, fish, vegetables, tofu, etc that everybody shares. the ayi orders it from a small restaurant, and an hour later, the delivery boy brings it around and she screams “chi fan le!” :)
sometimes the dishes are good, sometimes they’re not, but since there’s some variety you can always choose the ones you like best. stuff in heavy sauce doesn’t make it to my dish, but in contrast, the beef strips and the curry chicken are a favorite.
we’re usually 8 people eating, and the bill is a grand total of 80rmb, or 10rmb per person (8 euros total, 1 euro/person). amazing, hein?
me and paulo made a list of all the places we want to go before we leave shanghai – i guess we’re now in official count down mode (though i still feel a bit in denial…)
one of the places in that list was thai house, which was one of the first restaurants we visited in shanghai. it was introduced to me by my first colleague in the company i work (in the beginning, it was just the 2 of us, now we’re more than 16 in the office…) who has meanwhile got married and had a baby… yup, china is fast.
anyway, thai house. it’s a little restaurant tucked away inside an apartment building (really!) on wuding road/xikang road. it has the feeling of a hidden treasure that you can brag about to your friends, as if you were a city connoisseur :)
the pictures:
they have a new menu and it is much less confusing than their previous menu with hundreds of choices! :D
the shrimp crisps, they’re so addictive! i almost ate them all before i remembered to take a picture!
i always have pad thai in this place, i can’t help it, it’s delicious!
paulo had the beef and mango dish, and luis had chicken and mango. they were both happy with their choices.
and this coconut jelly dessert is so good! i really like bite-sized desserts, and they get bonus points if they have coconut :)
that’s it! i definitely recommend it, it’s not an expensive thai restaurant (which seems to be the rule in shanghai) and the waiters are all nice and smiley, very thai-like!
i don’t know if the rest of the world has already seen this, but i’ve just stumbled on the most brilliant website, and it’s making me rethink the way i look at food (especially sodas).
it’s called sugar stacks, and what it does is basically show you how much sugar the food portrayed has, using stacks of white sugar cubes (4g). like so:
of course, not all sugar is created equal, but still it gives you a very different perspective on the things you’re eating. i mean, i’d never put that much sugar in my tea/coffee, so i’ll definitely think twice next time i reach for a cola in the office… many more at sugarstacks.com
i always have trouble spelling cappuccino. 2 sequences of 2 p’s and 2 c’s? that’s just asking for trouble. plus, i don’t know of many decent cappuccinos in shanghai (it’s not you, mr. barista, it’s the coffee you use).
now, meet this cappuccino:
a real work of beauty, isn’t it? look, look:
*happy sigh*
also, there are milkshakes, some pastas, paninis and other simple things. and a cat. oh, and pizzas. with carrots in it.
all mingled in a strange bohemian/cozy decoration, that you don’t see too often around here. the ceiling is wallpapered with newspapers that have gone yellow, the cat has scratched all the sofas…
and yet, it feels right. i believe i could spend my days here, marveling at the photography books and magazines they have, working quietly, enjoying the soft brazilian music, patting the cat and sipping cappuccinos.
tired of the sterile cafés in shanghai too? the marienbad is on 55 wukang road (but really, it’s on the beginning of anfu road). enjoy!