What is it? Alan Wong’s Shanghai is the latest venue from famed Hawaiian chef Alan Wong (who was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Hall of Fame in 2013 and is considered a ‘Master of Hawaii Regional Cuisine’). Set in the Portman-Ritz Carlton, this intimate dining room specialises in modern-Hawaiian cuisine - think variations on pokes (pronounced poh-keh), plenty of fresh seafood, US meats and fresh fruits.
But, with fresh and high-end ingredients come high-end price tags. Yes, Alan Wong’s Shanghai is expensive (especially when you add the 15 percent service charge); but the food here is interesting, tasty and unique; and it's relatively easy to navigate your way around the menu to suit your budget.
What’s on the menu? The menu opens with offerings from the raw bar, where you’ll be greeted by various forms of poke and other fresh seafood offerings. Prices start at 88RMB for a Japanese Hamachi Poke with wasabi daikon oroshi(grated radish) and mustard cabbage tsukemono (pickles), and climb up to 798RMB for a shellfish platter. From the starters list, there’s a chilled tomato soup, topped with a grilled cheese sandwich with Kalua pig and foie gras (otherwise known as ‘soup and sandwich’ at 88RMB), as well as a luscious butter-poached live Maine lobster (298RMB) served with a rich and addictive green onion oil and katsuo soy sauce and topped with itogaki (bluefin tuna) shavings.
Mains hover around the 300-500RMB mark, but many dishes are shareable if you’re happy to mix and match. A great option for a group of diners is ‘Da Bag’ (428RMB). The silver foil bag arrives table-side where it’s sliced open to reveal lobster, razor clams, abalone, Kalua pig, spinach and andouille sausage that have been cooked en papillote (in the bag).
Early favourites from the dessert menu include the ridiculously good-looking ‘Coconut’, where coconut sorbet is presented in a chocolate shell (98RMB); and the pineapple ‘Shave Ice’ (88RMB) dishing up shaved frozen pineapple with coconut sorbet and panna cotta for a flavoursome and a refreshing finish.
If you’re unsure where to start on the menu, or if you’re after value, there’s a five course tasting menu available at 700RMB per person, which may sound expensive, but actually provides a (relatively) affordable preview of the entire menu. You can expect a ‘soup and sandwich’ starter, followed by butter poached Maine lobster, ginger crusted red snapper, twice cooked soy braised short ribs, and finishing with the ‘coconut’ dessert.
We say Unlike some other branches that set up shop in Shanghai with little interaction from their founding Chef, Alan Wong trained his team in Hawaii, and has been back and forth to Shanghai during the opening period, keeping a keen eye on operations. All this translates well onto the plate, into the sauces and garnishes, and certainly on the floor through the wait staff. This is easily the biggest opening this year so far, and we’d certainly recommend giving the Taste of Hawaii set menu a try if you’re keen to learn more.
Alan Wong’s Shanghai is at Second Floor, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Xikang Lu.