5 Highlights: New Menus & New Dishes in Shanghai

What's new and interesting around town. Here's where I've been eating lately.

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Sui Tang Li
Niko Romito
Acqua, Grand Kempinski
Cantina Agave
Le Daily

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The Chefs Story at Sui Tang Li

Address: The Middle House, 2/F, 366 Shimen Yi Lu, near Nanjing Xi Lu 石门一路366号2层, 近南京西路
Tel: 32168068
Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm

Chefs Tony Ye from The Middle House, Li Dong from The Opposite House, and Tony Xu from The Temple House have joined together to create the ‘Chefs Story’. It's a five-course menu that takes you on a journey through their hometowns, favorite childhood memories and what inspired them to first fall in love with cooking.

The Chefs Story Menu is ¥588 per person, available for lunch and dinner until August 15, at Sui Tang Li, The Middle House. Here’s what to expect:

Cold Appetizer Platter - deep-fried pork ball, mashed broad beans with almond tofu and 5J jam, stewed lamb terrine, hawthorn roll with crab meat.

Truffle and gingko nuts soup.

Crispy black sesame with deep-fried duck on Beijing pancake.

Braised Iberian pork with sweet soy and Italian balsamic vinegar sauce.

Handmade spinach noodles with dandan sauce.

Baked apple pie with avocado ice cream, green pepper and salt.

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New Menu at Il Ristorante - Niko Romito

Address: 47/F, Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai, 33 Henan Nan Lu, near Tiantong Lu 上海宝格丽酒店47层, 河南南路33号, 近天潼路
Tel: 36067788
Hours: 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-9pm

Uber-classy Michelin one-star Italian restaurant Niko Romito at the Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai has just launched a new summer menu. It's luxury made to look simple—you can taste the work and effort behind these reimagined, classic dishes.

Expect to pay a pretty penny. There's also a six-course degustation menu with wine pairing for ¥3,500. Is it worth the splurge? The food is undoubtedly delicious…so it depends on how deep your pockets are.

Table Bread

Marinated sea bream (¥600) with oscietra caviar, sour cream and extra virgin olive oil.

Steamed Langoustines (¥490) with mayonnaise, lettuce and chili.

Cav. Giuseppe Cocco spaghetti and tomato (¥300)

Veal Ravioli (¥390) "Genovese" style.

Black Cod (¥650) with spiced tomato and creamed potatoes. (Mains come with two side dishes.)

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New Menu at Acqua

Address: 2/F, Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai, 1288 Lujiazui Huan Lu, near Dongyuan Lu 陆家嘴环路1288号2楼, 近东园路
Tel: 38679192
Hours: 11am-2pm, 5:30pm-9:30pm

Acqua at the Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai is not the first place I'd think of when I want to eat Italian food. But the dishes from the new seasonal menu rather impressed, especially the carpaccio, risotto and squid ink spaghetti. It's located in Lujiazui—if you live in the area, it's a perfectly good option for lunch or dinner.

Table bread

Homemade pickled olives (¥48)

Prawn Carpaccio (¥108) with pesto olive oil and lemon juice.

Crispy polenta with truffle and parmesan (¥48)

Scallops (¥128) with grilled asparagus, herb salad.

Half-Lobster Squid Ink Spaghettini (¥288) with cherry tomato sauce. This is excellent.

Langoustine Green Pea Risotto (¥168) with sea urchin and lemon.

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Ice Cream Churro Sando at Cantina Agave

Address: A Mansion, 291 Fumin Lu, near Changle Lu 富民路291号, 近长乐路
Tel: 61701310
Hours: 11am-midnight

Cantina Agave has a bomb of a dessert, an Ice Cream Churro Sandwich (¥50). It's a whole lotta calories, but it's so damn good. New tacos also on the menu, including Korean Bulgogi and Greek Taco, ¥35 each.

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Sandwiches & Evening Hours at Le Daily

Address: Rm. 106, 550 Wuding Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu 武定路550号106室, 近陕西北路
Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-midnight; Sun, 10am-6pm

Le Daily is now fully open, adding evening hours to midnight during the week! New on the menu is the Lobster Roll (¥158), half a steamed Canadian lobster with aioli, lobster oil, and roe, with a touch of maple syrup on a toasted, buttered brioche bun, layered with fennel, celery coleslaw, house pickles and butter lettuce.

The evening menu features the reuben sandwich, lobster roll and the new 'Lights Out Grilled Cheese', plus all of the small plates.