Gemma Restaurant….Italian Style Food in Shanghai

Hello and welcome back! This blog post will be another food review (seems I’ve been writing a lot of those lately); specifically, my adventures in Italian food. There is currently a food and beverage explosion going on in Shanghai with a slew of new restaurants (that are not Chinese cuisine) opening up just about every week. 

Background:

I was interested in this restaurant after reading several favorable reviews on expat websites and magazines. I was also craving a good pizza and Italian style dessert and according to the reviews, I would be in good hands. Ironically, one of my foodie friends was also interested in this restaurant, so we invited some more people along for a nice group outing. 

Another reason I wanted to try this restaurant was the location. Gemma’s is located in the trendy Former French Concession (or FFC for short) right on Donghu Lu. Donghu Lu is also home to a slew of popular restaurants and nighttime entertainment venues all of which are a stone throws away from my home. So, I had no real reason to skip out and miss this opportunity.

First Impressions:

When I arrived at the restaurant, it was the late evening and it was very, very quiet. There were only two or three other tables of people; but, things picked up as the night went on.  From the moment I arrived, the service staff was very attentive and they helped me with my belongings and seat(I may be off crutches but I walk with a noticeable gimp after all). Overall, the restaurant looked clean and very inviting. The tables were set nicely with wine and water glasses and silverware. Instead of a closed off kitchen, the kitchen was nice and open so you could look at the cooks preparing the food. There was even a nice, big wood fired oven for cooking the pizzas. I was very pleased with the set up and I couldn’t wait to see the food choices that Gemma had to offer.

Watching the pizza magic happen

Food and Drinks Menu:

I was shocked when the waiter placed a menu in front of me as soon as I sat down which is not so common in Shanghai. Typically, a restaurant will give you one menu per table and one must request additional menus or, you and your guests share the one menu and you patiently wait your turn to look at it. 

Gemma’s specialty is its pizza (hence the nice oven) so it was no shock that they offered 10 different pies. Customers can choose from a list of pizzas labeled Red (tomato), White (alfredo), or Green (pesto) list.  You can also build your own pizza and pay for the toppings individually.

Besides pizza, there were several antipastis and a selection of desserts.  There was also an extensive wine and beverage list (for those non-wine drinkers).

Pizza List

Salad Antipasti list

After a bit of deliberating,  we ordered two different salads from the antipasti list: The “Rughetta “ salad which was a mix of arugula, shredded parmesan, radishes and chives and the “Delle Alpi” which was a mix of lettuce, cherry tomato, shredded carrot, fennel, radish, cucumber  pine nuts and pomegranate seeds (wooo that was a lot!).  In terms of drinks, I settled for water instead of wine and the rest of my group ordered a variety of different drinks.

For the main course, we would try two different pizzas: one from the red list and one from the green list. We got the “Serafina” which was tomato sauce, mushrooms, stracciatella cheese, and prosciutto.  For the second pizza, we ordered one that was simply called “Pesto” which was pesto sauce, stracciatella cheese, arugula and prosciutto.

First Bite:

Before our antipasti arrived, we were given a side order of bread that consisted of long crunchy breadsticks and regular baguette. The breadsticks were nice and crunchy and they paired well with a little olive oil. The baguette was also equally good; nice and soft on the inside with a crisp exterior.

After having a couple of portions from the bread basket, the salads arrived at our table. 

Bread basket!

 The “Rughetta” looked simple, but it was truly love at first bite! The arugula and cheese tasted fresh and a little olive oil gave it an even better flavor. Apparently, the “Delle Alpi” was just as good (I never tried it). We polished the salads off in a matter of minutes just before the pizza main courses arrived. 

The "Delle Alpi" salad

The "Rughetta" simple yet tasty

 The “Pesto” pizza arrived at our table first.  Hot and presliced, the pizza was accompanied with salt and pepper,  olive oil and chili oil, one of my favorite oils for pizza. Each member of the group took a slice and after those first few bites we agreed it was delicious! The base was cooked well and the crust was chewy, but not too soft.  The pesto sauce was tasty and the cheese had a nice and creamy flavor. You could just taste the authenticity of the ingredients which were far superior than the waxy stuff that appears in some other pizza restaurants in Shanghai. 

The "Pesto" Pizza...such a beauty!

After several moments, the “Serafina” pizza arrived and we dove into that one. Upon the first bite, we noticed that the base seemed a bit too doughy, almost like it was not cooked through. This gave the pizza an overall “O.K.” and we equally agreed the “Pesto” pizza the clear winner. 

The "Serafina"...not bad, just need a bit more time!

After our meals, we decided to go all out and order desserts. Each of the people in the party ordered something different: Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, Chocolate Mousse and for myself, I ordered the Nutella Calzone with vanilla gelato.

The Panna Cotta

The Tiramisu

Chocolate Mousse

After a 15-20 minute wait (which was more than reasonable) the desserts arrived and everyone was pleased with their choices. In fact, some of the choices (the tiramisu and the panna cotta) were maybe a bit too rich. My Nutella calzone was delicious. It arrived nice and warm filled with almonds and Nutella on the inside. It was a big portion so I would recommend splitting it next time.

The Nutella Calzone...I could have this again!

Overall Thoughts and Score:

I would give Gemma a solid 4/5. The only reason why it lost was a point was due to the undercooked “Serafina” pizza; otherwise, I really enjoyed the food and service here and I wouldn’t hesitate to come back again.

I admit that this restaurant is a bit on the pricy side (I ended up pay 190RMB with no drink) so make sure to have enough cash.

 Next time, I’ll make sure to order another kind of “Green” pizza and I will make sure to split that Nutella Calzone with a friend!

Thanks again for reading and tune in next time!

Gemma 

20 Donghu Lu,
near Huaihai Zhong Lu
东湖路20号,
近淮海中路

Metro: South Shanxi Road (Lines 1,10)

Shanghai Food Review: T for Thai

Hello everyone! I’m back again and this time, it’s to share my thoughts on another restaurant here in Shanghai. Continue reading about my experience at T for Thai…

The infamous T for Thai bar!

How I selected this restaurant:

 I was never into Thai food before I moved to Asia, but after going to a few Thai restaurants and learning how to cook a couple of Thai dishes at home, I can say with certainty that Thai food is one of my top five favorite cuisines.

I choose T for Thai not only for my love of Thai food, but also its Shanghai Restaurant Week menu and price (FYI for visitors: Shanghai Restaurant Week is held twice a year in the Fall, and then again in the Spring). I wanted to try this restaurant for a while and I guess the stars had perfectly aligned. So, I rounded up some fellow foodie girlfriends (also big Thai food lovers) and we trekked over to the Former French Concession (FFC) to get our grub on!

First Impressions:

The restaurant is located on the second floor above the French restaurant Cuivre. It’s a bit difficult to find, but once the waitress of Cuivre restaurant directed us where to go, we ascended up the many flights of steps (it wasn’t exhausting by any mean, but it’s not exactly ten steps either) and arrived at T for Thai.

Time for a Thai Tuk Tuk ride!

The view from our table

Immediately, you have the feeling of being in Thailand (well, the brief feeling) with images of elephants, trees and tricycles in front of you before you enter the restaurant. Once you enter the restaurant, it's very nice and vibrant with loads of neon colors and neutral colored tables and chairs. We were greeted by the friendly hostess who led us to the back of the barely busy restaurant near the bar (these points are crucial to the story). Once everyone arrived, it was time to order….

Drinks and Food

The menu at T for Thai was on an iPad; thus, my guests and I were able to touch, tap and swipe through our choices. Since I already knew what I wanted food wise (I was going with the Restaurant Week Menu), I went ahead and looked over the drink menu. As I spoke to my friends about the drinks, they warned me (since they had arrived at the restaurant before me) not to order any drinks since the waiter had told them there was only one man at the bar and drinks would take a long time….

SMDH….Only in China!

Forget the paper menu...it's all about going digital!

I settled on some water and once we were able to flag down a waiter, I selected the following four courses:

First Course: Meat Satay Skewers
Second Course: Pork and veggies with a creamy dipping sauce (sorry the name escapes me)

Third Course: Prawn Pad Thai
Dessert Course: Mango Coconut Sticky Rice (seriously one of my favorite desserts).

First Course: Meat Satay Skewers

 After 15-20 minutes, the waiter returned with our satay skewers (the whole table got them), which were a mix of beef, chicken and pork (not all on one stick, but different sticks). They looked nice and grilled and they arrived with a side of lime juice and satay sauce. We were getting ready to dig in until there was a very loud and audible sound coming from behind a door close to the bar. It was that oh so familiar sound, one you would instantly recognize if you’ve ever lived or visited China, you know what sound of talking about…

The hacking and spitting of phlegm!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, remember how I told you my party and I were seated by the bar in the back of the restaurant. Well, behind the bar was a storage area and the bartender went back there to clear a day’s worth of phlegm.  The whole table looked at each other in disgust and nobody touched their food for a good five minutes. We were all upset and we lost the happy feeling we had when we entered the restaurant. Finally, we got past the disgust and dug into our first course. The skewers were very good, but I’m sure they would have tasted better without all that hacking. After 10 minutes our second courses arrived…

Apparently, the waiter forgot there were five of us and he only brought three dishes. He somehow came back with the third course and once we told him we hadn’t received the second course, he said he would look into the two missing dishes. After another 15 minutes, he returned with the two missing dishes.

Second Course: The veggies and meat with the sauce!

I thought this dish was ok, it was wasn’t warm enough and the sauce could of used a bit more spices. I liked the crispiness of the vegetables and the taste of the meat, so I continued to eat until the third course arrived.

Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes and when it arrived, I got very excited! Unfortunately, my excitement turned to disappointment when I counted a mere two prawns in the dish.

Third Course: Prawn Pad Thai

Yes, there were two, medium sized prawns in the whole dish of pad thai. In addition to the lack of prawns, there was a lack of flavor and I found the dish to be lacking that zing of a good pad thai. As I was eating, I heard the bartender once again clear his mucus filled lungs (I’m sure the rest of my friends heard too), but I just had to block it out again and have my meal. I will say that the noodles tasted pretty good and there was a nice amount of peanuts.  Finally it was time for dessert….

We waited and waited and waited some more, but no dessert. As I mentioned earlier, the restaurant really wasn’t busy and by the time it came to the dessert course, there were only 3 other tables of people left. After 20 minutes, we flagged down the waiter to inquire about the dessert and he looked a bit puzzled and finally said “Oh, OK, please wait.” We waited for another 20 minutes and finally he returned with a small strip of mango and what must have been a spoonful of sticky rice (no joke). My table had a hearty laugh and in the end, we decided to just let it go and enjoy what we had in front of us. The dessert was good, but, I’ve had better at another Thai restaurant in the city.

Dessert Course: Mango Coconut Sticky Rice

Overall thoughts and Score:

I would give T for Thai a 2.5 out of 5 (they lost a half point on the phlegmy bartender). While the food was good, it was nothing really to write home about. There are better Thai choices in the city. Perhaps we came at a bad time, Sunday night on the last day of Restaurant Week, but I didn’t find the service to be amazing either (but better for what you get in Shanghai). I will say that the bathrooms were incredibly clean with toilet paper and handsoap (Yes, this speaks luxury in this city). As I always say, I would have to give it a second chance to really get a feel for the place. I’ll just make sure to request a table very, very far away from the bar.

Thanks again for reading and come back next time!

Jammin’ At Jiashan Market!

Hello All! I’m back again with another post about life in Shanghai. This time, I will discuss a little spot known as the Jiashan Market….

Jiashan Market!

Background:

The Jiashan market started a couple years ago, as a chill and friendly market to buy foreigner (read western) friendly items. It also gave people a chance to market and sell their (mostly) homemade goods.  Lastly, it's a place where people can congregate and make new friends in a relaxed and peaceful setting. 

I had been to the Jiashan market once before in its early days a few months after I arrived in Shanghai. When I arrived a few weeks ago for a “Women in Shanghai” meet up event, I was surprised just how much it expanded.

Jiashan Market (South Shaanxi Road entrance)

Area:

The area was a bit tricky to find so I wandered around aimlessly for about 40 minutes (Note to Self: Take the metro line 9 to the Jiashan stop). After contacting the head of the meet up group for some directions, I retraced my steps and I arrived at a little unmarked alley off of South Shaanxi Road. I finally saw the sign for the market and I met the other women in a cute café in the market area called: Melange Oasis. Unfortunately, I had already had breakfast so I didn’t eat or drink anything at the café. I will say that it was nice, clean and comfortable and the menu looked really good with lots of foreigner friendly dishes. After chatting with the other women about all sorts of topics, it was time to see what the market had to offer.

Melange Oasis Cafe

 The Market:

The market itself was much bigger than before. There were vendors selling all kinds of things, but mostly food (take away and packaged), drinks and other home goods. I spotted a vendor selling shoes in bigger sizes (yay!), but the prices were a bit high for my taste. I chatted with a vendor who specialized in getting western food to expats in Shanghai at cheaper prices than the options already available. I took her contact information since I’m always in need of quinoa or Greek yogurt (especially if it’s under $10 USD which is the going rate at many other foreigner grocery outlets). I sampled some imported cheeses which were really tasty and; I stopped at a vendor selling homemade, all-natural soap. As much as I love all-natural soap, I refused to buy from this vendor on principal since she wasn’t friendly to me at all (Tip for Aspiring Entrepreneurs #1: Treat your customers well and they will support you!). After that, I stumbled upon the best thing at the market… The British Kitchen!

Shoes, Shoes and Shoes!

The Market in Full Action!

Handmade soaps

 Just as the name states, The British Kitchen is ran by a bloke who hails from the U.K. who serves up homemade British desserts that are authentic tasting and delicious! He sells brownies, shortbread, pies and different cakes. He also shares his recipes through his website (http://thebritishkitchen.co) and each month in the “That’s Shanghai” expat magazine. When I arrived at his table, I learned that many of his desserts had been sold (Tip: go early since his table is very popular), but he still had some brownies and shortbread to spare. 

The British Kitchen Table!

James, the owner of the British Kitchen was very friendly and approachable. He talked gleefully about his products and he gave me a free sample of his shortbread with dark chocolate chips. I’m not the biggest fan of dark chocolate, but mixed with shortbread and “Folks, we have a winner!” The shortbread was not fully soft or hard, but it had a nice bite and the hints of dark chocolate mixed with the shortbread gave it a sweet, distinctive flavor. It is also worth noting that his desserts are reasonably priced. I paid 15RMB ($2.40 USD) for a large piece of shortbread. I heard his other desserts are just as delicious and reasonably priced so; I will make sure to head down early next time!

Amelia's Jams and Spreads: Very Nice!

After James boxed up my goodies, I perused some of the take away food tables. There was a table selling Turkish style hamburgers, another selling sausages, sandwiches, and finally, there was a stall selling meat rolls and a Tex-Mex taco table. I learned that the meat roll table was managed by a family from Madagascar and the meat rolls were food native to their country. I had two beef rolls and they were really, really good. They reminded me of an Indian samosa, just not as oily. The family was also very friendly and spent a lot of time talking to me about their products. I also managed to have a  taco from the taco table which was managed by a local Chinese guy. I was left with pork taco since all of his other products were sold out for the day. Over all, the taco was OK tasting, and the pork tasted very bland. I think the thing that disturbed me the most was the vendor didn’t know or had tasted some of his products (Tip for Aspiring Entrepreneurs #2: Know what you’re selling!). I and another woman I had met earlier decided it was time to leave and we walked together to the metro. Not only had I tried some new foods and rediscovered a great place, I had also made a new friend!

Thanks again for reading and tune in next time!

Jiashan Market Information

Day and Time:

The Jiashan market is open the first and third Saturday of each month from 10:00am-5:00pm

Address:

Jiashan Market

No. 37, Lane 550 Shaanxi Nan Lu, near Shaoxing Lu, Xuhui district

徐汇区陕西南路550弄37号, 近绍兴路

Metro: Jiashan (Line 9), then a ten minute walk to the market.