Hello Shanghai!
The Bund is Shanghai’s waterfront and is probably one of the most famous and recognizable skylines in the world. Mr. & Mrs. Bund Shanghai, the Asian-inspired French restaurant located right on the Bund, is one of the most celebrated and recognized restaurants on this famous strip.
The awards are endless: Mr. & Mrs. Bund has been named numerous times in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants lists. Various local outlets, such as Tatler China, Ideal Shanghai Daily, That’s Shanghai, and City Weekend have recognized Mr. & Mrs. Bund as one of the best restaurants in Shanghai.
The menu is huge, both literally large to hold and also full of pages and pages of items. There are many many options, and the restaurant encourages dining “family style”, meaning dishes are meant to be shared. There are also several set menus (meant to be shared between two people), that highlight various aspects of the menu.
Since it was our first time, we opted for the Paul Pairet Classics Signature, a nine-course tasting of some of the signature and classic dishes from the menu (688 RMB per guest).
But first . . . and old favorite. Outside of the tasting menu, we first ordered the Beef Tartare Tradition, a dish that came highly recommended from our dining companions who had been here before. The delicious tartare consisted of hand-cut beef fillet tossed in a traditional dijon mustard-based dressing, dressed with deep fried cubes of toast, and topped with fresh arugula. It was indeed classic but done very well.
Our first course of the actual tasting menu was the Arugula Mushroom Truffle (芝麻叶菌菇松露色拉), a lovely arugula salad made with a soy sauce dressing and tossed with a generous topping of black truffles, Paris mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese. The flavors were outstanding, and I loved how the peppery, crisp arugula balanced out the rich Parmesan and umami-laden soy sauce based dressing.
More truffles! The next course was truly unforgettable and definitely a truffle bomb. Meunière Truffle Bread (主厨独创松露原味面包) was essentially a thick piece of toast dredged in flour and dried (light meunière) and then topped with generous shavings of black truffle and truffle foam.
Jumbo Shrimp In a Citrus Jar (“柑橘罐蒸”大虾) was just that, a single jumbo shrimp steamed in a jar with citrus, lemongrass and vanilla.
The shrimp was then cut table-side and served with a flavorful dipping sauce.
Black Cod In the Bag (主厨独创 ‟袋蒸黑鳕鱼”) consisted of black cod cooked in a heat proof bag with traditional Cantonese flavors. The rich stock was fantastic and added so much flavor to the light fish. We loved having rice and cilantro to soak up the remaining sauce.
The Long Short Rib Teriyaki (主厨独创酱烧牛长小肋排) is a roasted whole rib cooked teriyaki style and served with an orange reduction. We enjoyed this together with Mash Tradition (传统土豆泥 – traditional mashed potatoes made with butter) and Spinach Garlic Asiate (蒜香亚洲风味菠菜), spinach stir fried with garlic butter, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
We sampled two different desserts. The first was called Lemon & Lemon Tart (主厨独创“香浓柠檬塔), and consisted of a cleverly made candied whole lemon that was actually filled with lemon sorbet, lemon curd, and a vanilla chantilly. This came with a sablé (long, thin cookie).
MANGO LIQUORICE SABLÉ
The other dessert was Mango Licorice Sablé (芒果甘草脆饼), a thin cookie-like crust topped with fresh mango, passion fruit sugar “glass”, licorice gelee, and small sprigs of dill.
General Thoughts
I really, really enjoyed everything at Mr. & Mrs. Bund. I would highly recommend starting with the same tasting menu, since it really gives you a nice overview of some of the signature dishes. I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of the space, but it’s stunning, with super high ceilings and windows facing the stunning skyline of the Bund.
I can see why this place is popular. The food is well thought-out, creative, yet not fussy at all. Despite the fact that the space was beautiful, the vibe felt relaxed and casual. I would have fun coming back and trying many of the other dishes on the menu.
Mr. & Mrs. Bund Shanghai
Bund 18, 6/F
18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (near Nanjing Dong Lu)
Shanghai 200002
外滩18号6楼
中山东一路18号 (靠近南京东路)
上海 200002
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