3 New Openings: Toasty by O'Mills, Gui Bistro, Laduree Shanghai Flagship

Three new openings in Jing'an. O'Mills expands with a fifth location on Yanping Lu, Guangxi restaurant Gui Bistro in Jing'an Kerry Center, and Ladurée Shanghai flagship in Shanghai Centre.

Toasty by O'Mills

Address: No. 105, 135 Yanping Lu, near Wuding Lu 延平路135号德必105室, 近武定路
Tel: 62308068
Hours: Daily, 8am-10pm

O’Mills is going full steam ahead with locations all over Shanghai. The latest is Toasty by O’Mills on Yanping Lu, making it a total of five outlets.

If you’ve been hurting for an excellent, reliable bakery in the neighborhood, look no further. O’Mills’ sourdough breads are fantastic, made with a 72-hour fermentation using wild yeast from London. In addition to fresh-baked loaves, cinnamon rolls, and cakes by the slice, Toasty has some new O’Mills baked goods, namely, donuts.

Donuts are made with the same fermented dough used for the breads. The result is a sturdy yet airy donut. Plus, it isn’t very sugary, which is much appreciated. Available with vanilla (¥22/piece), strawberry (¥23), and chocolate (¥25) fillings.

As for meals, most of the fan-favorites dishes found at other locations of O’Mills are also served here, except for the pizzas. All-day brunch dishes of cheesy pastas, eggs and avocado on toast, grain bowls, breakfast plates, steak, and salads.

Poached Eggs with Avocado Toast (¥68)

Baked Conchiglie Rigate with Salmon and Spinach (¥98) – Pasta in a creamy, cheesy sauce with spinach, mozzarella, and a generous amount of salmon. Very satisfying.

Super Beef Panini (¥98) – A sandwich of slow-cooked and roasted beef, provolone cheese, kale, roasted peppers, and pickles. A hearty yet healthy tasting stack.

Proscuitto Danish (¥32)

Matcha Cinnamon Rolls (¥20)

On weekends it’s like any other O’Mills location—packed to the gills. Weekdays are busy, but more manageable. Good for an easy-going all-week brunch spot, grab-and-go baked goods, and to sate your donut cravings.

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Gui Bistro

Address: S1-05, South Block, 1515 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Changde Lu 南京西路1515号静安嘉里中心南区1楼S1-05, 近常德路
Tel: 52986298
Hours: Daily, 10:30am-10pm

Gui Bistro is a Guangxi restaurant located across O’Mills on the ground floor of Jing’an Kerry Center. It's opened by the Hong Kong Poets Hospitality Group, which also holds brands Poets Thai Restaurant & Bar, and Brownstone.

Efforts to make the mall location feel homey do not go unnoticed. It’s a colorful space with nods to the ethnic minorities of Guangxi with artwork and rattan work. The food is good and service is excellent.

Guangxi, of which the abbreviation is Gui, is home to popular travel destinations Yangshuo, Guilin, and Longji, counties surrounding the River Li with abundant rice terraces.

Guangxi borders Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunnan, and Guangdong provinces, and Vietnam, and its cuisine borrows a bit of everything from its neighbors. The food is generally sour-spicy, but less intense than Guizhou food and often leans towards the freshness found in Vietnamese and Yunnan cuisines, using herbs and aromatics like perilla, mountain pepper, lime, and fresh fruit in dishes.

Guilin Rice Noodles (¥58) – Though thin, these rice noodles have quite some tensile. Served with an assortment of diced house pickles, including radish, bamboo, and chilies, and meats of cured sausage and crispy pork belly.

Mix well to coat with the savory sauce at the bottom of the bowl.

Stir-Fried Beef with Pickled Cabbage (¥98) – Beef stir-fried with chunky pieces of pickled cabbage, mountain pepper, and spring onion. A little heat, tangy, and vinegary. Absolutely delicious.

Charcoal Roasted Pork Neck (¥65) with passion fruit sauce, pickled chilies, and pickled cabbage. The pork neck is delicious enough on its own. The passion fruit sauce is a bit light, and doesn’t really add much.

Smoked Chicken with Black Truffle (¥138/half, ¥258/whole) – Free-range chickens seasoned with a house blend of spices, smoked with lychee wood and finished with black truffle. Tender, juicy, and rich in flavor.

Comes with chili spice powder, peanuts, pickles, and fresh and pickled guava.

Taro Sweet Soup (¥45) – A dessert of taro, purple yam, and sweet potato balls, tapioca pearls, sweet red bean, and taro ice cream in coconut cream. Icy, not overly sweet with chewy, crunchy textures. Delightful. It’s reminiscent of Taiwanese dessert soups.

Guava & Lemon Tea (¥38) – One of half a dozen jasmine tea based drinks. A little sweet and perfumey, but refreshing nonetheless.

Their signature dish is a stew of river snails, duck feet, and taro, which sounded a bit too strong for my taste. But if it's your jam, go for it.

Having popped in for lunch, I did not get to try much. But based on my experience, I would definitely return.

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Ladurée Shanghai Flagship (Shanghai Centre) (Closed)

Address: No. 112, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Xikang Lu 南京西路1376号上海商城112室, 近西康路
Tel: 52955190
Hours: Daily, 9am-9pm

Famed French patisserie Ladurée opens its flagship location in Shanghai Centre. In addition to its signature treats of macarons and pastries, this location serves a full menu of French classics for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner.

The flagship and brand’s third Shanghai location takes residence in the former Element Fresh space in Shanghai Centre. It’s two floors decked out in the emblematic colors of pastel green, pink, and gold. There’s a salon for dining, a display counter for the pastries, additional seating on the upper floor, and terraces for al fresco all around.

Ladurée celebrated its 160th anniversary last year. They’re arguably the most famous macaron makers in the world, and its name is synonymous with the elegant cookie. It is a luxury brand, and some items do carry sticker shock. For example, a single macaron goes for ¥28.

The macarons are excellent—brittle at first bite with a chewy center. Available in nine flavors with the option for gift boxes. Rose and chocolate are my favs, pistachio is the best seller.

The flagship has a sizable menu, too, featuring dishes available at other worldwide locations from seared scallops to French onion soup, vol-au-vent, duck confit, burgers, and omelets.

Ispahan French Toast (¥98) – Raspberry coulis, lychees, rose ice cream, and rose macaron pieces on toasted brioche. One of five French toasts on the menu.

Crispy Rice Tuna Tartare (¥68) – Fried rice crispies topped with spiced tuna tartare.

Seared Scallops with Heirloom Tomatoes (¥118)

Classic French Onion Soup (¥58) - Reinvigorating. It’s lighter on the broth and not as cheesy as the one at Polux, but still very enjoyable.

Chicken Vol-Au-Vent (¥158) – Homemade vol-au-vent pastry topped with chicken thigh in a cream sauce with onions, morels, and button mushrooms.

Duck Confit (¥178) served with parsnip purée and parsley sauce.

Buttery Poached Halibut (¥138) – A filet of halibut poached in butter and served with mussels, pea-mint relish, and a lush beurre blanc sauce.

Lamb Shank Parmesan (¥158) – Slow-cooked lamb shank baked with a parmesan cheese crust.

Baked Spinach & Egg (¥38) with cream cheese sauce. Don’t miss out on this side dish. It’s very rich with plenty of cheese. Ooey-gooey goodness.

Hot Chocolate & Chantilly (¥78)

Obviously, they also serve afternoon tea.

Sets are available from 2-5pm daily, ¥388 for two teas or coffees, four macarons, two viennoiseries, four mini desserts, six mini tapas, and two biscuits or meringues. An all-day dining destination. Brunch to launch soon.