August 14, 2010
M On The Bund
Met up with wife's dad in Shanghai and wanted to take him some place nice to eat. Also wanted to walk around The Bund and Nanjing Rd. areas. Easy enough to combine both activitys, since there's more than enough fancy restaurants on The Bund these days, many opened by internationally-famous celebrity-chefs. But the M On The Bund was one of the first pioneers. The father-in-law is not a big fan of Western food, but we figured brunch would be a safe option. A prompt cocktail upon seating certainly helps to make a good first impression. A mimosa for the wife, and champagne + orange-liqueur concoction for dad and I. The room was mostly filled with foreign tourists, or locals treating Westerner friends. Big picture windows overlooking the Huangpu River brings in plenty of natural light, and affords a great view of the skyscrapers across the rivers. The view would be even better from the large patio, but the suffocating mid-day heat made it impossible to sit outside.
The brunch menu is less adventurous than the standard fare, but the dishes featured good ingredients well-prepared. Wife's dad had the fish-and-chips, which seemed nice enough but didn't get a taste because in the Confucian tradition one doesn't swipe food from one's elders. My Salad Frisée Aux Lardons was dressed with drippings from the thick strips of smoky bacon and the runny egg yolk from the poached egg on top was more than enough richness to offset the slightly bitter greens. Followed by the Eggs Benedict, one original and one Florentine style. Both were dressed with perfectly lemony and buttery Hollandaise sauce, with spinach or bacon on top of real English muffins. Wife had the signature M's Weekend Fryup which came on a huge platter with minute-steak, lamb chop, grilled sausage, crispy bacon, grilled tomato, sautéed onions, mashed potatoes and a fried egg, "of course."
That was enough food for the wife to give up her second brunch course to a shared dessert for the table. They referred to the pavlova "M’s Very Famous," so it behooved us to give it a try. The fame appears to be well-deserved. Lots of fresh fruit and whip cream on top of crunchy baked meringue. More importantly for Chinese palates, not too sweet. The single serving was more than enough dessert for the three of us to share.
As one of the first re-developers on the scene, M On the Bund chose No. 5 for a reason. The entire curve of the Zhongshan Road waterfront stretched out before us, when seen from the outdoor patio. Glamorous old-world buildings of The Bund contrasting with the modern cityscape across the river in Pudong. Heck it's actually more historically authentic to be enjoying a Western meal in the former Concessions area, isn't it?
M On The Bund (米氏西餐厅)
7/F, No. 5 The Bund (corner of Guangdong Rd.)
中国上海市外滩广东路20号7楼
+86-21-6350-9988