Shanghai ChefsAbout the Culinary World of Shanghai

I have been living in Shanghai for quite some time now. I’ve seen many restaurants open, and even more close.  I have read countless reviews on Shanghai Expat, Smartshanghai and of course in City Weekend. While I can see the benefits of a ‘Reader-Powered Magazine’, I often wonder over the editor choices. It seems to me like they follow the ‘tattler magazine system’ ( i.e. you buy ads for your establishment and you are granted a best restaurant award in the mag). But this year’s  City Weekend Awards was just,…well, was just very strange – to be polite.

Granted, with the many different expats in the city chances are that there will always be a difference in opinion about places with best value, best wi-fi or whatever. And rightfully so.  I mean after all, it is a reader powered magazine.  And while most of us Chef’s not always agree with the reviews we get on the web or magazine by users – it is their right to voice their opinions.

What really got me going though was some of the editor choices. There where 4 people named as writers on this article so I guess it came down to a vote. But honestly, the picks for Best Indian? Best French? And most notably Newcomer of the Year????.

I am usually not one for writing bad about fellow chefs or restaurants. Our industry is already difficult enough without us gunning for each other. But honestly, those editor choices really make me wonder if these Editors have any clue about what they write or if they even bothered to visit the places they chose more than one time; or was is just the one lunch they got invited to by the owners in order to review the place?  As I mentioned, I won’t go on bashing fellow industry co-workers or dare to offer my choice of what should have won.

It is not really about whether I disagree with it or not. I just find that after having followed City Weekend over the past few years that the food columns have turned more and more into advertising columns than anything else.  I mean even good old Aubrey Buckingham at the Shanghai Daily finally seemed to have woken up and grown some balls.  For the longest times his reviews where just pathetically boring without any bite. And now even he seemed to have waken up.  So I guess what I am trying to say is that :

• Either leave the voting to the readers and skip the Editors Choice
• If you keep the Editors choice please let us know the criteria involved
• Stop trying to please all the restaurants you go to

Shanghai has plenty of good restaurants and plenty of bad ones. So I’d say, stop constantly reviewing the obvious choices that seem to go from magazine to magazine.  Venture out there and look at different things – Shanghai has so much to offer and most readers never even get a glimpse of it since there are always the same restaurants and bars featured.   And please, start to get a bit more critical. Just because a Chef has a restaurant does not mean he is always right. It would be really refreshing to read a restaurant review which is a bit more critical and does not always feel like the Editor has fallen absolutely in love with the chef.

Alfred B. (a wisely chosen pseudonym) is an executive sous chef that has been residing in Shanghai for the past several years. He is our up-to-date person on current events taking place in the food scene. For legal purposes, we cannot reveal his true identity but you can be sure there will be no candy-coated articles from him

Last week the fine people in my Purchasing Department got a somewhat angry phone call from me. I was wondering why it is that we are always the last ones to get the new toys, aka new products available in town. I always knew that Restaurants in Shanghai have a big advantage over Hotels when it comes to getting new products or – although I am sure that none of you would do so – using “banned products”. Turns out that the product I was looking for is not officially available in the Shanghai Market and rather expensive when getting hand-carried in from Hong Kong.

That is when I got curious, as I remembered the selling prices in a few of the restaurants I had been to recently with this particular ‘product’ on the menu. Granted, I am unaware of their calculations but one does wonder.

So out I went. Took the opportunity to visit a few locations with a fellow colleague of mine who happened to look for the same product. We ordered, we tried – and we found out why it was so cheap. It wasn’t the real deal! It wasn’t the much hyped ham we were looking for.

As the places we went to were some rather reputable restaurants we were a bit upset. In most places the server admitted right away that the restaurant did not have the mentioned ham on the menu. Well, then why is it offered on the menu in the first place? The most common answer was that the restaurant had been told by suppliers that the product would be available soon legally and it would only have to be hand-carried in for a month or so, at the most.

Well, we are still waiting for the official approval on the mentioned ham and some of the places that have it on the menu must have done some cost calculations. But then why not just take it off the menu rather than lie to their guests? Not too sure why they would do that.

Does it have to do with the guests’ expectations? Will they not go back to their favorite restaurant if they can’t get their hormone and antibiotic injected USDA approved beef anymore? I think most of our co-expats don’t fully understand the challenges of getting some products in. I am not saying that it is up to us to educate them. (Though I did get good results after explaining to my guest why they can’t get the USDA beef or some other missing popular items in my hotel.)

I am not saying a restaurant should do the same. If you can get the product you want at a price you can afford – go for it. I just don’t agree with putting it on the menu and then end up serving something else instead. This is just wrong.

So in the meantime, if you see a new import item on the menu of your favorite restaurant with a price that just seems too good to be true…chances are, it isn’t what you think it is.

Alfred B. (a wisely chosen pseudonym) is an executive sous chef that has been residing in Shanghai for the past several years. He is our up-to-date person on current events taking place in the food scene. For legal purposes, we cannot reveal his true identity but you can be sure there will be no candy-coated articles from him

One cannot but wonder if there is real reason to get excited about Shanghai’s growing restaurant scene? If you read all the Expat Magazines and Blogs, you keep seeing a lot of hype about many new restaurants and new locations all around town. I decided to look a bit closer at some of Shanghai’s most hyped locations and resto’s.

Let’s talk location first – while undoubtedly location is key in Shanghai it is surprising to see how many of these so called “new locations” aren’t exactly new. Most of them were previously hosts to failed restaurants or bars (e.g. Moon River Diner).

Most locations contain an exact copy of the old concept and menu but with new owners. Not exactly something to get excited about. In all fairness though, these former places did not fail because of concept issues but rather due to some challenges within the joint venture partnerships. But this is just one example of many.

I mean, go around; visit some of those new spots that some print media are raving about and I bet you have been in many of them before. And yet, still new owners try once again with a very similar concept to the one that failed before. Maybe I should write them and ask them to give their money directly to me rather than wasting it on another rat hole.

No doubt, there are a many great restaurant that opened recently that will be very successful – they are ranging from Fine Dining to casual. This proves that there is definitely room in Shanghai for new openings. Having checked out a few of them over the past few months I took note of a trend in all of them. Most of them seem to have very ambitious menus, with numerous ingredients on the menu that yours truly has been trying to source for months – but more about that in another blog – and can’t seem to find.

The menus contain descriptions of food that truly makes your mouth water. But when the food arrives you wonder if the server understood you. There could be several possible reasons. Maybe the kitchen had a bad day; maybe the guy who wrote the menu is more creative with a pen than a pan; or, more than likely, the Chef who wrote the menu is taking a day off. Especially if you are going on to visit them before Wednesday.

I have seen so many of places where a menu has been put together based mainly on the skills of only the Head Chef. So much so that when he has his day off (which he is totally entitled to), the kitchen falls apart. Not necessarily because his team lack’s the skills – although, I dare to say this might be a small part of the result too – but more so because of the lack of ownership they have.

Most of us chefs see them as a set of tools we use to get the plates out. What happens is that they then don’t have a sense of pride about what goes out the kitchen door. Thus, if the chef is not there, often the food does look / taste different. Now, I am not saying that all we should serve now is Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, although sadly, some restaurants would be much better off doing just that. But I do think that some of us should look closely at the menus we write and think twice about how it will look when we are not around.

So, what is it am I trying to say? Well, it is actually pretty straight forward. Before some of you go out there and think about opening yet another Pizzeria, do some research and look at why places like that have failed before. Look at what is missing in the area or LOCATION. Think twice before you spend all your dollars on a project that has crashed already. And if you do go ahead and open, have a look at your team and check if you have the right people on hand for the menu you design.

Shanghai does not need another overpriced restaurant that only serves good food half of the time it is open then goes down the drain the moment the chef leaves.

Alfred B. (a wisely chosen pseudonym) is an executive sous chef that has been residing in Shanghai for the past several years. He is our up-to-date person on current events taking place in the food scene. For legal purposes, we cannot reveal his true identity but you can be sure there will be no candy-coated articles from him

When browsing trough various expat forums reading the odd review in City Weekend and Smart Shanghai, I couldn’t help but notice the enormous amount of reviews complaining about bad service in Shanghai restaurants. Heck, people were even complaining about the bad service they receive in grocery shops…

So is this because we expats expect too much ? Is it because China still needs to define “service industry”?

One example that really got me thinking was the most recent thread on an expat website about the poor service received in a well known Thai restaurant. When reading the post, it all seemed so obvious: Customer makes a reservation and requests a specific table. Restaurant staff takes the booking without any issues. When the customer arrives however, the requested table has already been given to someone else.

Now, why the restaurant would guarantee specific tables is beyond me – this is just asking for trouble. Anyway, the story goes on about how the restaurant manager apparently got it all wrong, and did not offer enough free drinks to compensate for the table.The expat then posts the whole thing on the forum including emails between him and the restaurant owner.

I was not there and it certainly does not matter on whether I think he is right or wrong by posting all this on a public forum. It just got me thinking.

I think all too often we tend to accept bad service as just “Ah well, it is Shanghai… “ and don’t bother talking to the owners or managers. There are a handful who, once locating the expat service manager, will get on to him about how he should run the place and requests a free meal. Obviously the manager will then completely shut down his brain, give you a polite smile, a business card and probably a free drink. And next time you come back you can expect to still have the same issues, plus a few more.

From a guests’ perspective, I think it is important that you do complain when you are not happy. If you do so, be specific.  Say why you are unhappy – don’t just be all upset and bossy and ask for free stuff. And don’t complain after you have eaten the whole plate. If you are not happy talk to your sever right away. If you see he is unsure about the situation, ask for the manager. Once again, be specific and factual. Maybe even add a “Look, I do understand sometimes things go wrong – but I chose to come to this place tonight because of your reputation and I expected something better.” You will have their full attention and will get results. Maybe give the guys a second shot (unless it was so bad that there ain’t any hope) and see. Chances are, they will recognize you when you return and treat you better after being given another chance.

As from the chef’s perspective, I can only speak for me. I personally embrace complaints and customer feedback as an opportunity to get better and gain customers. In an ideal world, I would not get any complaints but if you are running a restaurant, chances are you will have to deal with them every day. Some of them are realistic and helpful. Others are, well…useless. I do think that most complaints can be handled in a few short minutes. Listen empathetically, ask questions and then act immediately while staying polite.

In my experiences it showed that even if you can’t resolve the complaint 100%, people will come back to you just because you listened and acted based on that. As a chef I cannot spend that much time on the floor but my staff, both front and back of house, know that there is no complaint too small to come and get me if an uncomfortable situation should arise.

And trust me, if the guest feels taken seriously – he will be more forgiving and come back.

Some of you might be wondering when conditions for our line of business will improve? Are we in a recession? Will we face a recession? How long will it last; most importantly, how will it affect me?

I don’t have answers to any of those questions, and I think neither does anyone else. What I do know though is that it it’s not going to be easy. There are way too many bars, restaurants and pubs out there operating without a clear understanding of the market. As mentioned in previous blogs, the Shanghai expat market is not that great. The same is to be said of the local ‘middle class market’. It is highly inevitable that there will be some closure in the coming months.

But let’s not indulge ourselves in doom and gloom.

I personally believe that in every crisis lies an opportunity. It may seem like the whole world has stopped turning and all that is left to do is complain about how bad things are (and how they are only going to get worse). But let’s remember, that even in the worst financial crisis, the Great Depression, the world continued to function and in due time recovered.

In good times, opportunity comes in the form of just doing more of what already works. But in bad times things get a bit more complicated. Logic would tell us to abandon old concepts and create new ones according to today’s necessities. This means that we will have to have a good look at our operations. We will need to understand what our customers or ‘market’ wants from us – which will most certainly lead us to opportunities or warrant changes within your operation.

If a concept is not working for you, change it. Don’t wait for somebody else to fix the problem for you. Don’t use the current circumstances as an excuse to not do anything. Don’t think for a moment that customers will keep coming back because they understand what is happening.

People still want to go out for a drink and enjoy a nice dinner. They still travel and have needs that our industry can fulfill. We need to take care of those people because if we don’t, they will go elsewhere. With a lot of personal expense accounts tightened, people are now less forgiving than they used to be. You can bet that you’ll be seeing them for the last time if your place or product is not fulfilling. Make sure that what you offer is what you can sell.

Having that said, I would like to share an interesting point with you. I was recently talking to a loyal customer of ours. As most of our other patrons, he conducts business in China and as such travels frequently. He mentioned that he was quite impressed by the fact that none of our employees enquire about the state of his business or moan about the economy crisis, unlike his travels in the US or Europe. Our employees have managed to stay cheerful and focus on the needs of our customers, making them feel welcome rather that pointing out the cutbacks.

If you are out there traveling all over the world, you sometimes need a place where you can go recharge your batteries without being reminded of all the doom and gloom outside. Most of these business travelers are well aware that necessary adjustments have been made in all industries.

So let’s keep this in mind. If we do need to take another look at the core of our operations and concepts, consider it as an opportunity to renovate our business; doing so with the needs of our customers as the main priority and not using the economic crisis as an excuse.

Alfred B. (a wisely chosen pseudonym) is an executive sous chef that has been residing in Shanghai for the past several years. He is our up-to-date person on current events taking place in the food scene. For legal purposes, we cannot reveal his true identity but you can be sure there will be no candy-coated articles from him

I had a few days off over the Christmas and New Year holiday and took the opportunity to catch up on my reading. Going over the Shanghai Daily, a few Expat magazines and also their blogs, I could not help but notice that most of the food writers are still raving about the same old places they were writing about 2 years go. It is always Laris, M on the Bund or the other common suspects.

Are they really trying to tell us/me that in 2 years there has been no other restaurant in Shanghai worthy of receiving some consistent media coverage? Or is the job of a food writer really that boring here in Shanghai?

As a chef I have certainly had my moments in life where I was less than thrilled about reading some mediocre review about my restaurant in an article. Since being here though, I have not read one serious review. To me, those reviews seem more like paid advertisements for a restaurant.

Prime example?

I received a newsletter from the Chamber of Commerce endorsing a restaurant that recently became a member. Strangely enough that restaurant’s review was printed in a Expat magazine and was written by the same person that worked for the chamber. Just a coincidence I am sure.

I really wonder sometimes whether the people who write these reviews or pull stunts like these actually think that others will believe all this crap. And then I usually come to the unfortunate conclusion that yes, people do believe it. Often, people accept the reviews in these magazines as face value.

They go the restaurant and think they have eaten the best food in Shanghai. Service was so so but then what expectations are there in Shanghai, right ? After all, the review said this is the best place in Shanghai. So they have to know what they are talking about. Lukewarm meal? That was just the one time, right??

WRONG!

I really think it is time for a wake up call for some of those hyped restaurants & food writers. Take the pink glasses off and start writing about what you really think… write about what really happens out there. And most importantly if you do write about the place you go – make sure you actually go to it. I just happen to read a review published recently that talked about how great the food and menu was in my place. Unfortunately, we changed the menu about a year ago and the dishes in the article has not been served since then.

Having said that, I’d like to encourage you to go out on your own. If you are planning to go to one of those much hyped places in Shanghai – keep walking for a bit. Or go to SmartShanghai , city weekend or any other of those sites. Look for a place that does not have a ton of reviews. Try something new for once. Yes, you might end up getting a bit of a bad meal every once in a while – but come on, in a city like Shanghai there has to be more than a just few good restaurants.

Alfred B. (a wisely chosen pseudonym) is an executive sous chef that has been residing in Shanghai for the past several years. He is our up-to-date person on current events taking place in the food scene. For legal purposes, we cannot reveal his true identity but you can be sure there will be no candy-coated articles from him

… of turkeys, Christmas banquettes and the annual Food Show. I have to say that the food show this year was much more informative and pleasant than previous ones. It was a nice surprise to see that most of the vendors actually exhibited produce that is available in Shanghai. This was not the case in past years.

Security at the entrance was also stricter this time around, which meant fewer freeloaders who only attend for the samples. Some of the exhibitors were actually knowledgeable about their product and able to relay useful information. A pleasant surprise, indeed.

However, the same cannot be said about the food competition area. As somebody who has participated in various competitions around the world, this event was quite disappointing and uninspiring.

And now, Christmas…I don’t know how many of you follow the ‘Takeaway Turkey Scene’ in Shanghai – but I find it very curious that this seems to get more expensive every year. Flipping through various expat magazines, I could not help but notice the prices charged for a festive takeaway.

Now I know that you pay for convenience, and that the meal usually covers a party of 5 or more, inclusive of all or at least some trimmings. But does a Christmas dinner consisting of turkey, mashed potatoes and yams really worth between ¥1,000 (at its cheapest) to ¥2,100?

Christmas is not really a big business driver in Shanghai. A lot of Christmas banquettes are unfortunately quite traditional; i.e. boring. I mean there has to be more to Christmas than Chocolate Santas and Minced Pies squeezed in-between the regular offering.

There are some hotels (namely the Hilton and Hyatt) that manage to portray a festive atmosphere while keeping the price in line. So, kudos to these places. It is nice to see that despite all the financial pressure, some hotels still decide to use the opportunity to spread some much needed Christmas Spirit – because looking at some of the prices charged for Christmas & New Years Menus, you really need a lot of ‘festive spirit’ to prevent from blowing up.

I think the days where customers are prepared to pay big $$$ just because it says Champagne and Goose Liver (and let’s be honest, is it Goose or Duck Liver?) are over. But that is a topic for another blog.

More importantly though, let’s not forget that we are in the service industry. A lot of people that come into our Hotels & Restaurants over Christmas are looking for a good time with their loved ones. So let’s make sure that we put on a smile when we go out there in our operations. Let’s make sure that we still offer them the service & product they came for. After all, we are all in the same boat. You take care of them, they take care of you.

On this light note, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!

Alfred B. (a wisely chosen pseudonym) is an executive sous chef that has been residing in Shanghai for the past several years. He is our up-to-date person on current events taking place in the food scene. For legal purposes, we cannot reveal his true identity but you can be sure there will be no candy-coated articles from him

Before I moved to Shanghai several years ago, I was not really too sure what to expect of the restaurant or hospitality scene in Shanghai. What was Shanghainese food? Would the dining scene be similar to Hong Kong, or Singapore, or Tokyo?

Having now been here for a few years I do know a bit more about Shanghainese cuisine and culture. I think it is safe to say that Shanghai is no Hong Kong – nor should it be.

But does Shanghai really have a western restaurant scene? Is there something that makes Shanghai unique other than the countless soft openings that never really turn into an opening and/or running restaurant? Can we truly call it a restaurant scene if it consists of a handful of well-known entrepreneurs and a few renowned chefs who etch their names into a restaurant building then leave?

Shanghai, without a doubt, has a bustling Chinese restaurant community/scene and many great ethnic restaurants. I am sure all of us expats know of at least one hole in the wall we go to if we are in need of some good and tasty local Chinese food. There are many Shanghainese/Chinese restaurants emerging that continue to slowly push the envelope and compete with each other for some market share. Granted, not all those restaurants are successful nor are all their ideas that great – but at least the healthy competition creates a constant need for transformation. That is, after all, one of the fundamentals in our industry.

After having tried many of the favorite local restaurants, I thought it would be time to have a look at what Western restaurants outside hotels have to offer – or lack there of.

Of course there are the obvious suspects who these days are in almost every “trendy city” – your Robuchon, Ramsay, and Jean-George – big-name restaurants that somehow manage to convince the paying crowds that the man himself actually stands behind the stove in the different kitchens. These restaurants sustain themselves on the backbone of a prominent chef’s name. Sometimes they succeed, and at other times, they fail.

A big name, whether it is a hotel or a restaurant, needs to do more than just momentarily satisfy the local or expat market.

Enter the category of Italian Food. For some reason there seems to be a belief that everybody and anybody who owns an Italian place is going to be successful. I certainly don’t wish anyone to fail, but I do think that a lot of people underestimate the Shanghai market. You can’t just come here, invest in a great location, hire some local talent and wait for money. Those times are long gone. As people are getting more and more educated about food, they are also getting increasingly critical of what is being served on the plate. You can be sure that they will certainly think twice before going back to eat yet another lukewarm dinner.

One might argue that Shanghai is big enough to sustain a restaurant that depends on ‘walk-ins’ and not regular customers – but is this really the kind of business any restaurant owner wants? Great concepts with great food will always find a succession of loyal patrons, regardless which city it is in. Shanghai still has a lot of room for these kinds of restaurants. The city does have many successful Western and Chinese restaurants and I am sure there are many more to come.

However, I just wish that people would realize opening a restaurant (and sustaining it) is not something one does as a hobby or entertainment.

Alfred B. (a wisely chosen pseudonym) is an executive sous chef that has been residing in Shanghai for the past several years. He is our up-to-date person on current events taking place in the restaurant scene. For legal purposes, we cannot reveal his true identity but you can be sure there will be no candy-coated articles from him.