Lost Heaven

Lost Heaven on the Bund is a Yunnan restaurant with great, reasonably priced folk cuisine from the southwest Yunnan province. It is definitely foreigner friendly, with English speaking hostesses and menus, and plays to tourists with staff dressed in the colorful traditional costumes of Yunnan. The clientele was more foreigner than local, and fairly full for a Tuesday late dinner hour.

It is housed in its own full building -- you walk upstairs into a sprawling dining room that requires the hosts to communicate via walky talky. The restaurant is right off of the Bund on Yan'an East Rd before Zhongshan East Rd, and we didn't make it up to the lounge, but they just opened one on the 3rd and 4th floors.

We ordered a lot for two, but remarkably finished almost all of it and it was pretty light. The papaya salad was richer than I'm used to but good. Sauteed kale was super garlicky and yummy. Shrimp spring rolls looked more like cylindrical shrimp cakes with dipping sauce but were light for being fried. Tibetan beef was delicious, and I liked the pork with lettuce wrap. All of this plus pu'ur chrysanthemum tea for roughly 350rmb. Good deal.

http://www.lostheaven.com.cn/

17 Yan'an Dong Lu, between Sichuan Nan Lu and Zhongshan Dong Lu
延安东路17号, 近四川南路

Gyu Jin ShabuShabu & Sukiyaki

All-you-can-eat shabu-shabu with heavenly buffet of meats, vegetables, Asian goods like tofu and fish cakes, and sauces galore to mix yourself. We had half pot of kimchi and half pot of soy milk (I think), both quite good and makes great rice porridge at the end.

There are two locations, one by Nanjing Xi Lu and other on Nanjing Dong Lu

No. 242, Lane 169 Wujiang Lu, near Shi men yi Lu
吴江路169号四季坊242单元，近石门一路
+86 (0)21 6218 5171

http://www.diningcity.com/shanghai/restaurantgynjin/index_eng.jsp

Room 213 on the 2nd Floor of 353 Plaza, No. 353 East Nanjing Road, near Middle Shandong Road (this is a pedestrian street, so cabs can't drop off in front)
3331-3575

http://www.gudumami.cn/en/shop/cs08135/

たんや又兵衛 Tanya-Matabei

Amazing kushi-yaki, or skewered meat shop, specializing in high end wagyu 'tan' (or tongue). It is a small place with a counter and high seats that seats maybe 12 or 15 in the narrow restaurant.

Definitely get the 'gyu-tan' -- the rows of enormous black tongues hanging in the fridge might make some nervous, but believe me they are delicious. The sirloin just melted in your mouth as did the uzura-egg (quail I think). Many vegetable options that we loved. Ginnan (gingko I think) also quite good.

Very high end, reflected by the prices, but worth it. Probably close to $300 for three people to eat until stuffed with a few drinks

高級黒毛和牛たん専門店
東京都港区六本木3-13-8斉藤ビル2F

Roppongi 3-13-8 Saito Building 2nd Floor

山の上てんぷら

Fabulous view from Tokyo Midtown Tower with high end tempura. Nice to sit at the counter and watch them cook. Lunch sets are lovely. Definitely expensive.

www.tempura-yamanoue.jp

Tokyo Midtown Tower Garden Terrace 3F
東京都港区赤坂9-7-4