[Shanghai] Pirata 比拉达厨房 (2)

Pirata 比拉达厨房 | Dianping
Address: 新乐路136号(近襄阳路) – 136 Xinle Lu near Xiangyang Lu (徐汇区 Xuhui District)
Date visited: 2014.09 for dinner
Total bill: ~RMB¥1,400 for four people excluding drinks
Will return: Definitely
What to get: Everything
– Ventresca tuna & piquillo pepper
– Puerros with salsa romesco
– Warm sardines, onion & soya
– Salted cod fish in olive oil
– Smoked oysters
– Foie gras toast
– Suckling pig
– Smoky lamb ribs
– Spicy clams with Thai basil
– Grilled homemade chorizo
– Praline ice cream crepes
– Hot chocolate shots

Back at Pirata after a great initial impression, we kept Chef Ling bustling behind the counter by eating our way through the most of menu tonight. From amazing “tin tins” of preserved fish to full out suckling pig and smoky lamb ribs, Pirata will be host to many visits to come.

I listed a lot of dishes to get but it is completely justifiable because they are tapas… right, right? In truth, a meal here costs less per pax (see previous post); we over ordered tonight because this particular dinner group just does everything in excess.

Ventresca tuna & piquillo pepper (RMB¥45 for two pieces)
Recommend: yes
Preserved tuna is a staple ingredient in Spanish cuisine and Chef Ling uses premium ventresca, the belly of the tuna, to pair with sweet piquillo peppers.

Puerros with salsa romesco (RMB¥48 for two pieces)
Recommend: yes
Chilled leeks topped with smokey and spicy romesco, a thick and nutty red pepper paste, had us all clamoring for more sauce to put on bread.

Smoked clams with BBQ leeks (RMB¥48)
Recommend: Yes
The barbecued leeks seasoned with spices reminded us of street skewers but without the questionable ingredients. Although I don’t care for the smoked clams, the leeks alone are worth getting this dish.

Warm sardines, onion & soya (RMB¥85)
Recommend: yes
Who knew sardines could be this delicious? The Spanish did. Make sure to get pieces of onion with each bite of sardine. The remaining soya oil is also great to dip bread in.

Salted cod fish in olive oil (RMB¥98)
Recommend: yes
Another hit in a tin filled with creamy warm cod swimming in extra virgin olive oil.

Smoked oysters (RMB¥135)
Recommend: yes
Oysters preserved until the creamy portion became gelatinous. Unbelievably tasty.

Foie gras toast (RMB¥75 for four pieces)
Recommend: yes
Creamy foie gras, don’t mind if I do.

Thursday special: suckling pig “babi guling” (RMB¥98)
Recommend: yes yes yes
A special dish rotates every day of the week such as seafood ceviche on Tuesdays, moles frites on Saturdays, paella on Sundays, and so on. We came specifically on a Thursday because of this suckling pig.

Babi guling is a roasted Bali suckling pig accompanied by minced pork and green beans stir fried with lemongrass and turmeric. Ultra fatty and soft meat loosely attached super crispy and crunchy skin. This is all of my fatty dreams come true.

Soft sausage and rice inside the thin casing.

It was so good we got a second order, which came with a trotter this time. And then they ran out of this dish after that. Sorry whoever tried to order after us.

Afterwards, Chef Ling gave us a special treat of sautéed stomach and liver from the suckling pig we ate.

Spicy clams with Thai basil (RMB¥68)
Recommend: yes
Flavorful broth rich with fragrant basil.

Roasted vegetables, sauce romesco (RMB¥70)
Recommend: maybe
Token vegetable dish.

Smoky lamb ribs (RMB¥128)
Recommend: yes
Lamb is a tricky meat, which usually gets vetoed from the table unless we are at a Xinjiang restaurant. Chef Ling serves up a slow oven roasted lamb with mint and cilantro that is incredibly tender and fatty like I have never experienced before. The lamb literally slid off its bones. This and the suckling pig are most definitely must-gets here.

So soft it bends.

Grilled homemade chorizo (RMB¥85)
Recommend: yes
Fat-tastic.

Sgroppino (RMB¥40)
Recommend: yes
Sgroppino is an Italian sorbet made with lemon and prosecco. A refreshing palate cleanser before we embarked on our second meal of desserts.

Praline ice cream crepes (RMB¥35)
Recommend: yes
Chef Ling’s Taiwanese influence comes through with delicious pieces of ice cream wrapped with cilantro and peanuts.

Hot chocolate shots (RMB¥45)
Recommend: yes
Hot chocolate swirling with chili, espresso, nutmeg, cinnamon. Five shots of these and I am good to go to Monkey bed.

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