[Shanghai] Birthday at Mr and Mrs Bund

Mr and Mrs Bund | www.mmbund.com | Dianping
Address: 中山东一路18号外滩十八号6楼(近南京东路路) – 6F/Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan East No. 1 Rd near Nanjing East Rd (黄浦区 Huangpu District)
Date visited: 2013.09 Birthday
Total bill: RMB¥1,860 for four people
Will return: Yes
What to get:
– Seared Foie Gras Pomelo
– Black Cod Truffle New Meunière
– Duck Confit Foie Gras & Ceps

I shared this early birthday dinner with friends who would not be in Shanghai during my actual birthday, which falls on the weekend of Mid-Autumn Festival this year. My friends accompanied me for this 4-hour meal even though it was raining like a mofo (Metro Line 2 flooded and shut down) and they had early flights out of Shanghai the next morning. Thank you for the wonderful dinner and surprise. I am so grateful to have you in Shanghai.

Mr and Mrs Bund is nothing short of an iconic restaurant in Shanghai for its name and location. It is trendy and it is flashy. Of course, my birthday dinner would be here. While there are mixed reviews on the food on both ends of the spectrum, I was rather pleased during this visit. Our table ordered a number of dishes and shared everything, both appetizers and entrees.

Toast with Tuna Mousse (Complimentary)
My friends arrived before me and munched on these while I was busy being trapped in the metro. Delicate and crispy thin toast with an airy mousse.

Bread & Butter (Complimentary)
Someone should really pre-cut these bread because they are awkwardly big.

The butter was soft–a minor but rarely perfected detail in most restaurants. My friends and I agreed that attention to small details such as being able to take the butter out of the fridge and let it soften ahead of time likely indicate an organized kitchen and staff.

Wine (RMB¥420 for bottle)
When it comes to red wine, I like a Malbec.

Lobster Risotto (RMB¥140) with basil, lemon-liquorice & youtiao
Recommend: maybe
Al dente risotto in sauce resembling that of a lobster bisque. We especially liked the crispy youtiao (fried dough) for added crunch and Asian-ness. I liked this to try once but not enough to order it again next time.

Boeuf Bourguignon (RMB¥170) with beef cheeks & tendon in red wine, garlic, onions, carrots, leeks and mashed potato
Recommend: yes
We liked the softness of the beef and the fragrant aroma of the wine sauce. This would go nicely with some white rice (thinking of rice even in a French restaurant. Aiya, too Asian, too Asian).

There is a stick of butter in here, I am sure of it and I like it.

Seared Foie Gras Pomelo (RMB¥180) with lime glaze, pomelo
Recommend: yes
Foie Gras Light Crumble (RMB¥120) is a popular option at Mr and Mrs Bund, but it was out of the question for me as it contains raisins, which should not exist. We opted for the seared foie gras instead and it was one of epic proportions in size and fat content. Interesting and tasty combination of foie gras with a crispy fruit flavor. #winning (!)

I also recommend the foie gras brûlée at Nougatine by Jean Georges and foie gras terrine at Le Saleya.

Asparagus Garlic Asiate (RMB¥70) with garlic butter, sesame oil & soy
Recommend: maybe
Another hopeless attempt to be healthy during these dinners. We quite liked the garlic flavor. Simple and straightforward although not a necessary dish.

Black Cod Truffle New Meunière (RMB¥280) with truffle, mashed potato
Recommend: yes
My favorite dish of the night! Buttery and flakey cod seared perfectly at the top. The cod and mashed potato were fused with a light truffle aroma. Absolutely delicious.

Extra sauce on the side which we did not see until we demolished most of the dish. Noobs sigh.

Lamb Cutlets Garlic (RMB¥280) with asiate, garlic mayonnaise, herb salad
Recommend: maybe
We had a picky lamb eater in the house tonight whose verdict on this was not bad but not outstanding. Lamb is always heavy and this was no exception. It was fine but not too memorable. Eat this before it gets cold because lamb becomes more gamey as it cools down.

Duck Confit Foie Gras & Ceps (RM¥B200) crispy duck leg confit, roasted ceps, garlic & seared foie gras
Recommend: yes
While many restaurants inevitably dry up the duck meat in an attempt to make the skin crispy, the duck meat here remained succulent and fatty. Very nice.

A few small pieces of foie gras and mushroom on the side for some additional flavoring.

I should say that within five minutes of being seated, the lights in the restaurants suddenly turned off. I thought the power had gone out from the rain. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” began to blare on the sound system (what the heck) and a server with a cake sped by to a nearby table. This happened several times throughout the night.

And finally when the lights dimmed for the sixth time tonight, a cake came whizzing to our table and was placed in front of me.

Please note: Mr and Mrs Bund charges a fee of RMB¥30 per person to BYOC (bring your own cake), complete with a sparkler and cheesy song.

My friend bought this freshly made tiramisu cake from a bakery in the IFC and brought it over to the restaurant in this dreadful weather. Thank you so so so much for the delicious and perfect end to the night.

Thanks for an amazing night, friends!

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