New Heights
7/F, Three on the Bund
3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (?????3??7?)
Shanghai, China
PRICE: ????
RATING:

Had quite an epic day over the weekend… 10 hours out eating, being a photoshoot, drinking and socialising. But I’ll post it all in chronological order so I don’t forget, and in separate posts (which is why you’ll spot me in the same dress in the next few posts – I swear it was all on the same day and I wasn’t being a grub and wearing the same clothes day after day!)

Chris and I decided to check out the 148? 2-course brunch at New Heights on The Bund. Located strategically in the 3 On The Bund building and offering expansive views of Shanghai, it’s obvious that a big chunk of the cost of the meal is due to location, location, location! Sleek and modern with not so comfortable metal chairs, New Heights is more of a sexy avant garde brunch restaurant than a warm family restaurant. That’s just fine, because it fits into its surroundings, but they take the “cool” vibe a little too far with their cold, impersonal service. The regular staff there don’t speak English, and couldn’t even understand when we asked for a “bread roll”. The guy manager (from Malaysia/Singapore?) seemed to be wholly unhappy with his job – sullen with nary a smile, not a polite word uttered from his lips (and certainly no “please” or “thank you” at any point), and gave us the distinct impression that he was resentful at being there. We were surprised because for such a lovely restaurant, you would expect top-notch, friendly and professional service.

The sunlit interior of New Heights

I must also point out they are one of the VERY FEW restaurants in Shanghai that do not allow complimentary iced water. We were told by the same guy, with a scornful look, “No. Not available. Only bottled mineral water.” How funny, I suppose their staff drink bottles of Evian through the day! For their high prices, you would think they can offer complimentary filtered water, especially when restaurants 1/5th the price do so happily.

We ordered the Mango Vanilla Smoothie for a whopping 60? (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I was really disappointed that it was full of ice, and largely quite tasteless. Quite a joke considering Azul Viva did an outstanding smoothie and that was included in the brunch. We did enjoy the complimentary bread, though the staff were not attentive enough to ask if we wanted another piece once we had finished ours.

Mango Vanilla Smoothie (60?)

Focaccia bread with plain butter

We started with the Malaysian spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce, which was a small serving but nonetheless delicious and fresh. Beautifully presented, the fresh paper rolls encased a smattering of veggies and herbs and some shrimp. Dipped in the (spicy!) accompanying sauce, they were light yet flavorful and a lovely appetizer.

Malaysian spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce

The Rib eye steak with onion marmalade, large fries and bearnaise sauce looked rather plain on the plate, especially since it came with a woeful few chips (they are cheap, so not sure why the stinginess). The steak was well cooked and had a lovely flavour, though was quite thin (more like a minute-steak) and not a chunky juicy steak was expected.

Rib eye steak with onion marmalade, large fries and bearnaise sauce

I really enjoyed the Singaporean laksa with seafood and spicy coconut gravy, priced at a staggering 110? since all the meat it contained was 2 small shrimp. Despite the tiny amount of noodles, there was a very generous amount of fish cake, fish balls and tofu, and I enjoyed the little quails eggs as well. The broth was deliciously creamy and coconut-ty, with just the right kick of spice and flavour. Absolutely delicious, though it desperately needed to be twice as big.

Singaporean laksa with seafood and spicy coconut gravy (110?)

Dessert was Crepe 3-ways: banana & chocolate, lemon & sugar and blueberry, at a very reasonable 30?. I would’ve preferred the crepes a little more cooked/browned, but these were still fine. The banana & chocolate combination was my favourite – an explosion of warm melted chocolate and sweet bananas. Drizzled with maple syrup and a scoop of cream, they made a delicious dessert.

Crepe 3-ways: banana & chocolate, lemon & sugar and blueberry (30?)

We scooted to the outside balcony to enjoy the view and take a few photos. After all, since the price of the food was largely due to the restaurant’s location, we figured we’d better soak it up 😉 It was a glorious sunny (albeit hot) day, so we could take in the spectacular views of both sides of The Bund. The balcony would be a fantastic area for drinks on a Spring evening!

The Bund, teeming with people

Huangpu River

The iconic Pearl Tower behind me

Us!