OPEN DOOR: THE HOUSE
Open Door: The House
December 2nd, 2009
The buzz: There aren’t many places in Shanghai where you can get fondue. Ever since winter arrived, we’ve been craving hot food, so The House Café caught our attention – what better than bubbling fondue to warm the cockles?
The décor: The House sits at the bottom of a lane in an unassuming area of north Jing’an, not far from Benson hair salon. The café itself is small – just four tables and an open, chrome kitchen. Huge mirrors give the impression of space, but the place is tiny. Cosy, you might say.
The food: The menu is made up of several sections – breakfast, appetizers, panini, bagels and sandwiches (¥38 – 50), pasta (¥60 – 65), steak (¥150 for a sirloin) and salads (¥40). Then there’s the fondue – a hot-pot style beef in hot oil (¥165), Swiss cheese and avocado (¥150) and Bailey’s chocolate (¥105).
For a starter, we tried both of the salads – Caesar, and spinach, goat cheese and cranberry. Both decent, but small for ¥40. We also had the hummous and crudités, which certainly wasn’t worth ¥50. The vegetables were bog-standard wet market fare, and the hummous was oddly-textured and too garlicky.
When our Swiss and avocado fondue arrived, things perked up. The dipping mix was really tasty, with chunks of avocado and cheese. There was carrot, tomato, bread, and roast chicken to dip. Once again, the price tag was steep for what it was, but there was no denying that it was good fondue.
Service was slow, despite our being the only customers. The sole chef had a lot on his hands, but they clearly don’t get enough customers yet to warrant a second chef.
The drinks: A selection of craft beers including Blue Star for ¥50. Smoothies, juices, coffees, and teas. The house wine (¥45 a glass) wasn’t great, so the manager gave us a glass of South African red for free.
Why you’ll be back: For the fondue. And a lunch Panini, or a lazy weekend breakfast.
Find it:Unit 102, 861 Jiangning Lu, near Haifang Lu江宁路861号102室近海防路.5172 1161. Open 10am – 11pm. Around ¥200 for fondue, appetizer and a drink.
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Wine Testing
They have wine testing monthly.
Date: Friday, Dec.11th, 2009
Time: 7:00-9:30pm
Place: The House
Price: RMB 100 ( For a tasting of 4 wines & canapes) include:
Sparkling Wine( Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut)
White Wine( Watershed Margaret River Unoaked Chardonnay)
Red Wine( Cerard Bertrand Classic Syrah)
Red Wine( Chateau Tour Bayard Montagne St Emilion, AOC)