|
|
PLACES BEGINNING WITH 'A'
If you haven’t heard of A Future Perfect, the restaurant from the people behind Arch, you probably don’t get out a lot. This charming little restaurant is tucked inside the almost-chic boutique hotel Old House. And while it may not be the answer-to-all-our-dining- prayers-uber-eatery some suggest, it is a good spot for a stylish lunch or no-frills dinner. The food at A Future Perfect is simple and filling, the menu is playful, and the space slightly cramped but well designed. Yes, there are cardboard chairs, indeed there is wireless internet, and sure, you can wear your beret and not get your ass kicked. But the real reason to come to A Future Perfect is the food: their homebaked bread is crusty and hot, their salads are piled high with baby octopus or rich, smoked salmon, and their thinly sliced roast beef with salt and pepper is a quirky adaptation of a satisfying classic.
Opened: May 3
What: It’s been Cotton’s, Shane, and Freelance, off the top of our heads. Now it’s a themed Beatles joint, Abbey Road.
Look: Two monstrous pictures of the Fab Four cover the walls; voila, theme! Expect a softer, more polished environment than its happily carefree predecessor, but don’t expect any monumental change in layout. It’s a bar. Except now it’s on view - the garden didn’t lose just the foosball table and big screen: the bamboo fence that deflected stares from the street has been removed also.
If decadence is in, Ai Mei doesn’t disappoint. Upon entering this eighth-floor Chinese restaurant at Le Royal Meridien, the city’s newest luxury hotel, you’re immediately greeted by thousands of multicolored fish on display in a walkthrough aquarium, ushering you into the large dining room overlooking Nanjing Lu pedestrian mall. The main space accomodates 360 guests, and a view of not just the city but also the massive chandelier that sits along the edge of the room. Meanwhile, 19 private rooms allow for a more intimate dining experience, the most spacious one able to seat up to 40 of your friends. Chef Law Yip Lam from Hong Kong applies his 40-plus years of experience to the extensive menu of traditional Cantonese fare, peppered with popular Sichuanese and Shanghainese dishes. Dim sum specialties like their steamed beef balls with goose liver and steamed vegetable dumplings are our favorites, and as part of their ¥68 set dim sum lunch menu, definitely a steal. Scallops dressed with an egg yolk puree were also a highlight, as was the hard-to-put-down creamy avocado pudding that capped off our meal. And, unlike other fivestar Chinese restauants, there’s no service charge at Ai Mei.
Ainuland is named for the indigenous Ainu peoples of Hokkaido in Japan, so you might expect a sampling of rustic Japanese dishes. Think again. Ainuland is aimed squarely at the local market, with a tasting menu that often looks to China and Europe for inspiration. In fact, the sashimi appetizer (the fish was above par) was about our only stop in Japan. There was a lamb chop, a puff pastry filled with tender pork belly and whole grain mustard, and a Vietnamese-style rice roll with tuna, shiso leaf and shrimp. Braised sea cucumber was wrapped around springy fish cake, its cartilaginous texture alluding to its expensive taste. The degustation menu, which features eight courses, is an extremely filling parade of protein from land and sea. But don’t come for the sushi – at least not until they release their new menu in early September.
|
|
RSS Feed