The Singapore chef-owner of Yi by Jereme Leung at Raffles Singapore has been based in Shanghai for more than 20 years, and has witnessed how its dining scene has grown. Here are his five favourite restaurants in the city
Shanghai has evolved in many ways, especially when it is viewed in the eyes of someone that has been residing there for more than 20 years. Most of the dining places which were popular at one point of time twenty years ago are no longer in operation today. Hence, this is a complex and easy question depending on who you ask.
These are five of my favourite restaurants in Shanghai currently for very different reasons. Some of them are because of nostalgia with their authentic flavours and longstanding history, some of them for their innovative flavours that they adapt with novel culinary techniques and adaptation to suit their locale. Altogether, they are a reflection of how I am inspired by new and old, and my passion of blending cultures and flavours, connecting tradition and contemporary elements. Most of all, I chose them because they serve delicious dishes from the heart that I am sure others will enjoy as well.
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1. Wan Huo Restaurant 万火酒场
This is a charcoal grill izakaya restaurant that has been around for more than a decade. It has a decent wine and sake list which complements its delicious food. The culinary team’s soya butter grill rice parcel is one of the best in the country, and their shrimps cooked in herbs, garlic and olive oil are excellent too. More unusual dishes that I enjoy here are the grilled innards such as chicken liver, hearts, and pig’s intestines, which are not common in Singapore, but very well done in this restaurant and with similar standards as Japan.
I first got to know their Japanese chef when the restaurant was located in the middle of nowhere; a back lane restaurant of the same name in Beijing more than 15 years ago. Since then, I have continued to visit the restaurant when they moved to Shanghai about a decade ago. Their Japanese chef is very committed and dedicated to his craft. Ensuring the best quality, he only serves dishes that he has grilled himself. He and the restaurant come together as a package and when he retires, so will the place.
Wan Huo Restaurant 万火酒场
Address: 3911 Hongmei Road,1/F, Soho, No. 4 Xiuxian Street (虹梅路soho3911休闲街4号楼1楼)
