[Shanghai Girl Eats] Highline

Highline | Dianping
Address: 6/F, The Ascott, 282 Huaihai Zhong Lu near Songshan Lu / 淮海中路282号雅诗阁公寓6楼近嵩山路
Date visited: 2016.12
Price: RMB400-600 per person
Will return: Yes
What to get:
– Clam chowder
– Pig ear crisps
– Silver dollar clams
– Fried chicken & waffles
– The Highline burger
– Smoked brisket sandwich (lunch only)
– Prime rib
– Lemon chiffon cake
– Girl Scout thin mint ice cream bar
– Apple pie pockets

When the owners of Le Baron, Muse Group, Scarpetta & Coquille got together, Highline was born just in time to end 2016 with a bang. Moreover, under the direction of Executive Chefs Anna Bautista & Sean Jorgensen, Highline truly packs a powerhouse of people who know what they are doing.

Highline serves up a contemporary American fare: the main event is a 6-hour slow roasted M5 Wagyu prime rib that is crispy and fatty in all the right places along with more American classics such as fried chicken and waffles with maple bacon butter, oysters Rockefeller, and the quintessential bacon cheese burger.

Disclaimer: too many good things here. You cannot eat everything in one meal. I ate the following dishes over the course of 3 visits. If I had to recommend one meal’s worth of dishes, it would be: silver dollar clams, chicken & waffles, burger (choose the side salad for some greens) OR prime rib, lemon chiffon cake, Girl Scout thin mint ice cream bar.

The venue is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to a beautiful terrace with a view of city center. It almost feels like we are in LA except for the extreme cold. The terrace will be a great spot come summer.

Burrata & heirloom carrots (RMB98) kale-mint pesto, pomegranate, sesame pumpkin crumble
Recommend: yes
A real salad and not just fluff. I especially love the roasted carrots, which are marinated in orange juice.

House smoked bacon salad (RMB78) Jerusalem artichoke, potato, grain mustard dill hollandaise
Recommend: yes
Not really a salad and basically bacon and potatoes. Totally fine by me.

Clam chowder (RMB68) wild clam stock, fine herbs, fried sourdough
Recommend: yes
There is not much clam chowder in Shanghai so when one appears, I must do my civic duty as an east-coaster. This one is legit and full of clams. Please put it in a sourdough bread bowl so I can make my waistline disappear even faster.

Sweet potato fries (RMB58) nori-parmesan, Korean chili aioli
Recommend: Yes
Sweet potato fries over regular fries. Personally I am not a fan of nori (seaweed) unless it is on my sushi so while I like–but don’t love–this, it is a real crowdpleaser with everyone else. The Korean chili aioli goes very well with this.

Pig ear crisps (RMB58) buffalo spice, ranch dip
Recommend: yes
Super crispy!

Silver dollar clams (RMB158) two options: classic with garlic shallot, lemon, chili / Asian with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, chili, kaffir lime)
Recommend: yes
Live-caught, fresh, Chinese clams that are super flavorful and full of umami. Both classic and Asian styles are great but the classic is the winner for me. Comes with toasted bread to soak up all the juices. This is definitely a must-get.

Hairy crab & butter shrimp toast (RMB118) rice puff, Chinese yellow chives, garlic toast
Recommend: maybe
Pretty good despite that I am not usually a fan of shrimp (unless it is in raw, sweet sushi form).

Cauliflower cream rigatoni (RMB98) Yunnan black truffle, parmesan, pork rind lemon crumb
Recommend: no
Rarely do I say no to truffle pasta but this tasted weird. The sauce was too runny and the truffle flavor didn’t come through or seemed relevant to the dish.

Fried chicken & waffles (RMB128) cajun spiced waffle, maple bacon butter
Recommend: yes
While I am still mourning the closure of The Public, which had one of the best fried chicken in town, Highline’s chicken & waffles is a viable replacement. Slather the maple bacon butter all over the waffles and inhale with a piece of fried chicken.

The Highline burger (RMB98) house ground patty, house smoked thick cut bacon, gruyere, house made potato bun with choice of fries or side salad
Recommend: yes
A damn good burger — dare I say better than Morton’s and half the price? Loose patty, bacon, gruyere, and pickles on a soft potato bun served with mayo. The pickled vegetables–carrots in particular–are fantastic.

8 hour smoked brisket sandwich (RMB98 – lunch menu only) Angus M7 brisket, grain mustard aioli, toasted baguette
Recommend: yes
Fatty brisket and mustard sandwiched between a warm baguette. Please note this sandwich is only on the lunch menu; if this were offered on the dinner menu, I would have an even harder time narrowing down my order because this is bomb.

6 hour slow roasted Wagyu M5 prime rib (RMB888 for 500g serves 3-4 / RMB 458 for 250g serves 1-2) creamed spinach, mashed potato, horseradish cream, au jus
Recommend: yes
Prime rib has arrived in Shanghai via Highline. It is fatty in the center and crispy and seasoned on the outside. The difference between the 500g and 250g is the thickness; having had both cuts, the thicker cut is the way to go if you have the people to put it in their mouths. I like each bite with just a tad of salt. As for the sides, I am not big on creamed spinach anywhere but the mashed potato is a great pairing for the beef.

I love the side cuts.

Now, onto the epic dessert menu.

Grandma’s lemon chiffon cake (RMB68) coconut frosting, lemon curd
Recommend: yes
This is my favorite dessert here — tastes like a chiffon cake and lemon tart combined with coconut frosting and flakes. So moist (and huge).

Girl Scout thin mint ice cream bar (RMB68) mint chocolate chip ice cream, fudge brownie
Recommend: yes
Exactly what it sounds like and amazing — mint chocolate ice cream covered in chocolate. There is also a thin layer of chocolate brownie underneath one side of the chocolate bar, which is a nice subtle touch.

Apple pie pockets (RMB58) whipped creme fraiche, caramelized pecans
Recommend: yes
Apple pie in bite sizes wrapped in a fried crust!

Red velvet cheesecake sundae (RMB68) cheesecake ice cream, milk crumb, meringue, strawberry couils
Recommend: yes
With so many good desserts to choose from, this is not a frontrunner but still good. Not a huge fan of the meringue pieces though.

Butterscotch pudding (RMB58) whiskey infused custard, sea salt chocolate chip cookies
Recommend: yes
Again, good but doesn’t beat the lemon chiffon cake and girl scout ice cream bar.

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