Modern Shanghai: New Dishes, Blooming Tea, and more
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| Modern Shanghai |
Modern Shanghai is Bistro Group's take on Shanghainese cuisine. As of writing, there were only two branches in the Philippines: SM MOA and New Glorietta 2. I was invited in the newer branch, New Glorietta, to try their latest dishes.
The interior embraces a touch of old Shanghai and a familiar feel to Chinese family. Simple yet provides a level of elegance with its hanging lanterns, lighting, and wooden panels.
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| Modern Shanghai ambiance |
The interior embraces a touch of old Shanghai and a familiar feel to Chinese family. Simple yet provides a level of elegance with its hanging lanterns, lighting, and wooden panels.
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| Modern Shanghai table setup |
Crispy Yellow Noodle with Seafood (358Php)
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| Modern Shanghai Crispy Yellow Noodle Seafood |
Crispy Yellow Noodle with Seafood is good to be shared by 4-5 people. The thick sauce was perfectly combined with the crispy noodles to balance out the texture and flavor. The seafood ingredients were evident such as shrimp, squid, and crab meat. A great choice!
Fried "Shanghai" Noodle with Seafood (338Php)
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| Modern Shanghai Fried "Shanghai" Noodle with Seafood |
Another new noodle dish is Fried "Shanghai" Noodle with Seafood. I know it's late to ask and that I just noticed it now... but I was eating beef, not seafood, in this dish. Now I wasn't sure if there was a mistake. Nevertheless, this dish, with its thick and glossy noodles, can be a common choice for its home-feel soy sauce taste.
Native Hong Kong Crispy Chicken (688Php)
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| Modern Shanghai Native Hong Kong Crispy Chicken |
For the Native Hong Kong Crispy Chicken, the skin was no longer that crispy when we started eating it, yet it was really tasty. The sprinkled toasted garlic, which may have added more flavor, was missing (compared to the picture in the menu). I also wish the serving size is bigger given its price.
Wok-fried Sliced Beef with Broccoli (338Php)
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| Modern Shanghai Wok-fried Sliced Beef with Broccoli |
Beef with Broccoli is common dish in Chinese restaurants. Modern Shanghai's version is a good option with its thinly sliced and tender beef. The sauce is a bit sweet but matches very well with beef and broccoli.
Eight Treasures in Hot Bean Sauce (358Php)
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| Modern Shanghai Eight Treasures in Hot Bean Sauce |
Eight Treasures in Hot Bean Sauce is a good example of mishmash of flavors and textures yet made a wonderful outcome. This is the kind of dish that is not boring to eat. The sauce was sweet but with a hint of spice. I cannot name all the 8 ingredients but there were different textures. Take for instance, the bounciness of tofu was complemented by the crunchiness of cashew nuts.
Deep-fried Squid with Spicy Salt & Pepper (388Php)
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| Modern Shanghai Deep-fried Squid with Spicy Salt & Pepper |
The name is self-descriptive -- Deep-fried Squid with Spicy Salt & Pepper. It is like calamari as the squid was covered with breading and was deep-fried. But it doesn't need sauce as it was showered with minced and chopped spices. The result was salty yet spicy (at some point) overall flavor on that chewy (not to the point of rubbery) squid. This can be a great appetizer or snack.
Steamed "Hakaw" Shrimp Dumplings (4pcs - 188Php)
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| Modern Shanghai Steamed "Hakaw" Shrimp Dumplings |
Not to forget are the dumplings! Modern Shanghai introduced Steamed "Hakaw" Shrimp Dumpling as part of their new dishes. It's bite-size and the covering has a smooth non-soggy texture. I referred to it as a "one-bite goodness" as after having one, the tendency is to ask for more.
For the complete list of Modern Shanghai's New Dishes, refer to the menu below:
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| Modern Shanghai New Dishes Menu | Modern Shanghai New Dishes Menu |
Green Tea Smoothie (148Php)
Coconut milk blended with green tea, served with tapioca pearls and sweetened red beansShanghai Lily (118Php)
Our signature! An oriental mix of lychee, grapefruit honey, mango juice, chrysanthemum tea and Sprite, garnished with fresh mint
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| Modern Shanghai Green Tea Smoothie | Modern Shanghai - Shanghai Lily |
A hearty meal isn't complete without a hearty drink. While Allen opted for a Green Tea Smoothie, I chose a signature drink -- Shanghai Lily. The drinks are not part of the new offerings but might as well share what we had.
Green Tea Smoothie was quite confusing as although the name carries the "green tea" idea, the taste was overpowered by coconut milk.
Shanghai Lily, on the other hand, has a strong flower-like flavor. It was like sipping flower extracts and pulps of fruits. It was refreshing. The taste of lychee also stands out, which I find good since I love lychee.
Blooming Tea (188Php)
Delicate aromatic tea -- a delight to the eye as well as the palate. It creates a visually stunning arrangement as the blooming tea brews
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| Modern Shanghai Blooming Tea - before | Modern Shanghai Blooming Tea - after |
Hot teas are naturally calming and usually have a relaxing scent. Blooming tea not only satisfies the sense of taste and smell, but also provides a level of amusement seeing how a bud transforms into its full bloom right before your eyes.
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The hotness of water is a big factor in making this tea bloom. For our case, it took several minutes (more than 20 minutes), and we had the water replaced 3 times for the sake of seeing its full bloom.
It was my first time at Modern Shanghai and I'm glad to be introduced to their new dishes, dimsum, noodles, and starters given all of them are worth to be added in their menu.
Modern Shanghai
Level 2 New Glorietta 2, Makati City
