Shanghai Daily news

Kip Oxman, gastronomic maestro at the opulent CJW.

The CJW’s classic dishes are given a modern twist — in the case of the monkfish (left) with fresh soya beans and the duck in a pumpkin-cashew puree. — Alice Reid

Douglas Williams discovers the height of excellence on a tour of the senses.

There are claims and there are claims as to where the best view of Shanghai is to be found, but the CJW on the 50th floor of the Bund Center on Yan'an Road E probably pips the rest with its combination of perfect position and great height.
From the restaurant the full sway of the Huangpu River as it lazily curves eastward is revealed. Pudong bristles and sparkles to the east while the neon billboards on the Puxi side clamor for attention to the north and all the while a myriad ships, big and small, make their way up and down the river.
As a setting for a romantic meal it's hard to find anything to criticize. We could try with the food but fortunately it's more than up to the task of matching the dramatic setting and the salubrious surroundings.
Kip Oxman, the executive chef, is a laid-back American originally from Colorado via Miami, Mexico, Hawaii and Thailand. He has been in Shanghai for one month.
"I saw a picture of Shanghai and all this," Oxman says waving his hand to the stunning panorama behind, "and I thought, that's it, I'm going there."
His new menu has hints of his Latin-Cuban background: It ticks the right boxes with regards classical stalwarts, there are some Thai tinges and it doffs its cap to the Shanghai setting. It's not, however, very long.
"When people go to a restaurant they want to eat, not read," says the self-confessed workaholic who has put in 16-hour days, six days a week for more years than he cares to recall. Reading CJW's menu may not take as long as some but choosing from the offerings, simply divided into "soups," "small plates" and "big plates," is still very difficult. His hard work has paid dividends as far as the diner is concerned.
"I like to let the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. I try to balance the flavors, setting them off against each other and partnering them," says Oxman.
And this he does to great effect. Take the "Spice Seared Ahi Tuna with a Chic Pea Muenta and Papaya Coriander Mojo." Seared into the deep red tuna are cumin and mustard seeds offering a delightful contradiction in texture and vividness of taste, the chickpeas give a welcome earthiness with the ever so slightly sweet papaya mojo massaging the stimulated palate.
The "Lobster Picadillo Spring Rolls with an Orange-cilantro Dip" must be the spring rolls to end all spring rolls: simple, but outrageously tasty. The classical duck is given a contemporary twist with the pumpkin-cashew jus. The Parma-ham-wrapped monkfish is paired with local fresh soya beans and these proved an unexpected treat.
"The staff were amused to see me including soya beans. They were telling me how their grandmothers used to cook them," says Oxman who left Thailand after the devastating tsunami. A township of 5,000 people was washed away a kilometer from where he lived in Khao Lak.
CJW - Cigar Jazz Wine bar - has circumvented gaudiness, its reds deep and sensual, the music classic jazz and not in the least bit overbearing. It is the very essence of peaceful tranquility and as such deeply relaxing. Golden chiffon, silks and velvets abound and later the lava lamps add to the sumptuousness and luxuriance.
Around 9 o'clock each night the CJW Jazz Ensemble strikes up. The band changes every three months and alternates with the Xintiandi CJW band each week. Just now the luscious Sandra Kaye provides the heart-felt vocals ably supported by Fritz Wise on drums, Carol Chang on keyboard, Michael Carr with a thumping base and Rusty Johnson on sax. Kaye has worked with such legends as Ray Charles and Wise played with the Temptations no less. These guys are the real deal and    no mistake.
Alas, such lofty opulence comes with a price. A three-course meal for two with wine wouldn't leave much change from 1,000 yuan (US$121). The cocktails are around 65 yuan.
At the time of writing, China's tallest building and arguably her most beautiful, the Jin Mao Tower, sadly disappears as darkness descends, robbing the Pudong skyline of its most aesthetic feature along with one of Shanghai's biggest draws. The only evidence of its night-time presence is the twinkling of its aviation warning lights way up on the 88th floor.