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bleucheese
Veejay
Joined: Aug 01, 2003
Posts: 1994
Location: this side of the tracks
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Jan 28, 2005 - 11:51 AM |
 
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| Post subject: the cantankerous critic |
Some of the company big dicks are in town and the cheese has to wine dine. Last night was T8. Tonight its Jean-Georges. Monday its Sens & Bund.
First time to T8. Probably not the last.
We were 20 minutes late but I called. Immediately led to our table (they havent learned the game called 'have a seat at the bar while we prepare your table so you can drive up that check') They will.
Seated, napkins unfolded by server. Warm welcome. Server (male) had a few wierd earrings going on. Guess theyre going for the whole hip thing.
Amuse: Tomato Sorbet.
Surprisingly refreshing and full flavored. Seasoned perfectly.
They shouldve waited for a drink order though. I sit down at dinner, my hands are shaking from lack of alcohol.
Waiter with menus and drink offers.
She: Kir. Waiter had no idea what it was. They figured it out.
He: Vodka Martini.
Me. Vodka Tonic.
Nice. Tonic served on the side. You dont get the ubiquitous chinese glass of ice and water with a splash of booze.
Only complaint was there was he didnt ask what type of vodka. Again, it wouldve been to his benefit- noone asks for cheap vodka in front of dinner guests. If I ran this joint Id double the profits.
Bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, 2001. He chose. Dont remember the label. Open and left on the table.
Complaint: The wine list has specfic bottles that are served in Reidel. This bottle was about $70. In my opinion, worth the reidel.
Fresh signature bread: Individual muffins with herbs and sundried tomatoes. Served in these over the top ceramic muffin dealies.
Emulsified olive oil. butter.
The olive oil was a good idea. But they coudve used a type with more flavor.
Salt and freshly ground coarse pepper on the table in these little dishes with a spoon. A pain in the ass. You end up making a mess.
Apps:
She: Salted Salmon with longan and green mango
Incredible stuff. Whirlwind of Asian Flavors. Large portion (for an app). The obvious winner in terms of flavor and presentation.
He: Tataki of Tuna with Beluga
Average. Overwhelmed by the sesame crust, the radish, the sauce (i believe it was a beurre blanc), the caviar (doubt it was even osetra). Too complicated. But beautifully presented.
Me: Seared Foie Gras over a bed of ?wilted fennel? with a fried quail egg and pancetta.
Standard. The bacon and eggs bit added some unneeded grease and heaviness. Unfortunatly the foie gras was, in my opinion, overcooked. Im into blood. I like it when you can spread the foie on a warm piece of toast. And feel the cholesterol slither down your throat.
Entrees:
She: Wagyu beef ribeye special.
Tasty, fork-tender cooked perfectly. I think it was with a bordelaise. Served over a bed of wilted greens. Ample size portion. Worth the 470 yuan? Debatable.
He: Sea bass (or was it snapper) and braised oxtail in a red wine glaze.
Didnt try it. HE said it was good. Couldve been bs-ing.
Me: Salmon and Lobster in ?vanilla/citrus? foam.
Average. No discernable lobster in the dish. Foam lacked depth. Foam is so overdone nowadays. I wolfed it down. Couldve been perfectly cooked salmon from anywhere.
Sides:
Bowl of Salad. Mixed baby greens. Standard french vinaigrette
Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Below average. Needed more whipping, more butter, more cream. Shouldve been passed through a ricer.
Desserts:
He and She: Chocolate Addition Plate. Scoop of choc sorbet, dark choc tart, brownie, mousse.
They loved it. Especially the dark chocolate tart.
Me: The trio of lime desserts plate or however they phrased it.
EXCELLENT. the winner: the kaffir lime ice cream. Wonderfully perfumed.
3 glasses of 10 year Fonseca.
Service was more than adequate. They were actually trained properly (silverware was ALWAYS replaced and proper for fish/meat/broth/ etc, pour on the right, clean on the left, leave plates until everyones done, dont go to the table and auction off the food ala 'whos got the steak?', checked on the mains after the required 2 minutes...
Decor was nothing special. Kind of dark and muted. Read: 'Nouveau Asian'. Tables were thatched bamboo and wood. Chairs were comfortable. Noise level was low. Air wasnt particularly smoky (they dont have a nonsmoking section but as the clientele was 98% foreign...heard alot of american accents...i didnt see one smoker.)
Huge open kitchen- the showcase of the room. That I love. You can see the game and how its played. And see how clean and sanitary they prepare the food.
Total: 2780 yuan and a big stamp across the check reading "service charge is NOT included."
Thought that was rude. Since when are we spoiling the help?
Left 3050 (10%) to avoid looking like a jackass.
tip #1: Ask for a booth in the back. I told the reservationist I had a VIP and his wife with me and I needed a good table. I saw it was written in the res book and the hostess led us to this incredible uncomfortable looking huge round UFO type deal in the center of the dining room. Apparantly, 'VIP' doesnt register 'private corner' table. Yet. I changed the table and it worked out perfectly.
Tip #2: No need for the sides, the entrees are complete with veg and starch.
tip #3: Go for a solo dinner and eat at the kitchen bar. Bring a book or a mag. Enjoy the show while you dine. Hit on that knockout who serves the dining bar area.
tip #4. Expense it. Or youll be even more critical if the $125/head is coming out of your own pocket.
All in all, a decent meal. Actually, one of the best Ive had in Shanghai. Price was high for China but average when compared to a fine dining meal in nyc.
I give it a half-erection.
Tonite ill try and bring a notepad. my memorys gone- went up in smoke in the 80s and ever since the 90s, Ive had one big blackout.
If anyones at JG tonite, look up the cheese. Ill be at an 8-top (2 are unconfirmed so it could go down to 6) at 7:30.
Just look for a short, stout, balding middle-aged white guy and whisper in his ear 'excuse me sir, did you cut the cheese?'
Find me and ill buy you a round. |
Last edited by bleucheese on Jan 28, 2005 - 12:37 PM; edited 1 time in total |
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frenchlover1999
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Sep 18, 2004
Posts: 8730
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Jan 28, 2005 - 12:28 PM |
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Wow. Big cheeses are in town and you have time to write such a long carefully-crafted post during office hours? You must be a big boss too. Let me calculate, at least 30 min of your time. Assuming a a basic package of 150k Euro, 50 hours working week, how many weeks in one year, is that 52, minus 6 weeks off? That would be 32 Euros or 320 RMB your half hour. More or less what you left as a tip, which you cannot expense anyway without fapiao. You are good. Wow again. |
_________________
That was no shark. That was my personal submarine. But enough of this polite conversation. What is the purpose of your visit? |
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bleucheese
Veejay
Joined: Aug 01, 2003
Posts: 1994
Location: this side of the tracks
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Jan 28, 2005 - 01:23 PM |
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I multi-task.
Your calculations are way off.
But anyways...on the tipping thing: Im not anti-tipping in China. I tip my haircut guy 50%(causing frowns from everyone who happens to see me slip him a 20), I tip a cab driver who either waits for me for an extended perios of time or helps me carry shiit. Anyojne who goes out of their way for me deserves a little extra. I tip any bartender who i develop a personal rapport with. Who recogonizes me and knows my poison. And knows how to pour a proper drink.
Ive worked in the restaurant industry on and off for ten years. As a waiter in the US, you dont earn a salary. The restaurant pays you nothing (if youre lucky, they cover your tax) So you live off your tips. If I didnt see 20%, I would ask the customer (sometimes angrily) what I did wrong.
Now here in China whats the norm? Ive never heard of tipping in a restaurant. Do they already earn a salary? Do you slip them some yuan? 10%? 15? 20?
Besides that fact, are these guys actually getting the gratuity I threw on there? Or is it going o the owner whose already turning a profit. I know the coat check/hostess girl got to keep her 40.
Lastly, I can and do expense my tips. If theyre within reason, the company will cover them. |
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frenchlover1999
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Sep 18, 2004
Posts: 8730
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Jan 28, 2005 - 01:38 PM |
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In most of Asia we do not tip at all. Waiting staff are paid a salary. Tipping for special extra services in of course ok. Dont know much about T8 but the "service charge is NOT included" does seem both unusual and rude, which makes me suspect the tips go to the owner... |
_________________
That was no shark. That was my personal submarine. But enough of this polite conversation. What is the purpose of your visit? |
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Magnolia
Board Biatch
Joined: June 01, 2004
Posts: 31098
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Jan 28, 2005 - 03:17 PM |
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bluecheese ... erection rankings??? hahahahahaha!!!
Tip ... next time at T-8, try to book a table in the private club area upstairs ... we have loads of corporate dinners there ranging in size and it really is quite nice. Different feel from the downstairs area.
I'm with you on the tipping. If someone does something kind or is working hard, or is someone with whom I know because I frequent the place, then I usually like to tip. The very worst that has happened is that I have received better service next time.
Some people scream that it is people who do that who ruin it for the others because then staff members expect to be tipped and don't provide better service to everyone. But I don't really care. For a job well done, I like to the person to know that they are appreciated. |
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BOYCOTT BENSON SALON |
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bleucheese
Veejay
Joined: Aug 01, 2003
Posts: 1994
Location: this side of the tracks
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Jan 28, 2005 - 04:25 PM |
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| Post subject: Those fat bastards |
Pulled the rug out from under me. 3 hours before my res is up (and 3 hours after I reconfirmed) word came down THEY decided that WE would eat at some joint called Tan Wai Lou.
Sounds Chinese.
Hurrah. Havent had THAT in awhile. |
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serend
FooJay
Joined: Aug 31, 2004
Posts: 1712
Status: Offline
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Jan 31, 2005 - 06:18 PM |
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So you didn't get to go to Jean-Georges?!
Can you slip a little something in the cups of "THEY"? |
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Rabelais
Seeker
Joined: Jan 25, 2005
Posts: 59
Status: Offline
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Jan 31, 2005 - 08:23 PM |
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tan wai lou should be that quite upscale cantonese place below sens&bund... bluecheese, share your experience with us...! |
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farang
Reacher
Joined: Nov 02, 2004
Posts: 256
Status: Offline
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Jan 31, 2005 - 08:38 PM |
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Was in T8 just the other day with some customers. My Tuna was good but not memorable. Person who ordered the sea bass said it was very nice, everyone else flatly commented 'mmm, good' meaning 'yeah it's ok but I'd rather be eating a burger'. Dessert, the chocolate addiction platter, got more comments than the main course. Bill for the 8 of us was 6500. Have heard good things about Va Bene so may try that next time. |
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cks69
Ranter
Joined: Aug 06, 2004
Posts: 562
Status: Offline
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Jan 31, 2005 - 10:01 PM |
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va bene is overpriced and food is very average. the story of italian food in shanghai... |
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melisande
Seeker
Joined: Jan 31, 2005
Posts: 61
Location: home
Status: Offline
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Feb 01, 2005 - 03:30 PM |
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good description of tai wan...restaurant. It even makes me want to go and check every detail by myself!
This Bleucheese should write a restaurant guide!!! |
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