Whilst cities like London, Melbourne and New York might be worshipping at the alter of "old school," Shanghai eschews anything that's not fresher and newer than a new born, blind, meowing kitten. In no other sphere is this truer than in the wonderfully mercurial and capricious world of restaurants.
There is, however, something reassuringly "old school" about Kathleen's 5 right slap bang in the middle of Shanghai on the edge of People's Square on the roof of the historic Shanghai Art Museum. The building's traditional old world dimensions and aesthetics are in stark contrast to the brow-furrowingly, neck-aching, not of this world JW Marriott that looms large next door and several others that jag the surrounding skyline.
February 2006 will mark Kathleen's 5's second birthday and, ridiculous as it may seem in any other city, in Shanghai that makes this well-loved restaurant something of an institution.
This status has undoubtedly been assisted in no small part by owner Kathleen Lau's phenomenal sphere of influence.
As one of the founders of a local English language magazine back in 1998 and with her guide books, Lau's positive impact on the expat scene in Shanghai has been large indeed.
With the dip in the mercury, Kathleen's 5 recently introduced a new fall menu.
Sitting out on the lovely terrace overlooking the park may not be an option these days, but having taken the lift to the fourth and walked up to the fifth floor, the cleverly laid out quadrant, stars twinkling above the glass roof, is a terrific dining space.
Subtle lighting maximizes the roof and thereby the night sky above along with the skyline around. The layout allows for intimacy but it also means diners are aware of other diners and no part of the space feels empty. Glass figures a lot, the music is barely audible.
The new menu has a classically French character with asparagus, fois gras and truffles much in evidence.
The potato puree with truffle olive oil was a gorgeously luxuriant consistency and for a winter starter impossible to fault: delicately comforting yet substantial.
Homemade shrimp ravioli with a tomato, caper and lemon sauce came somewhat buried beneath some roughly chopped salad. The ravioli itself was good, crunchy shrimp with strong and thin pasta, the sauce perfectly complimentary, but less leaves would only have improved the dish.
Black cod is a magnificent fish and the fillet chunk close to many people's idea of the perfect center piece to the perfect main course, hence its increasingly common appearance on menus of quality.
Good news for black cod lovers, not such good news for the black cod. Served with a vegetable cannelloni and mashed potato, as it is at Kathleen's 5, this main has got the lot.
The beef tenderloin was a quality cut, baked potato slices and baked shallots worthy accompaniments.
The service from welcoming through drinks order to the bill was efficient and friendly. Warm bread with butter arrived before the starter and each dish arrived in good time, although in these currently inclement conditions, more work might be needed to ensure food gets to the tables properly piping hot.
The crockery is no-frills but the wine glasses are handsome. The Pinot Gregio by the glass at 80 yuan (US$9.88) is expensive but excellent in an almondy way, the more reasonably priced red cabernet sauvignon by the glass perfectly adequate.
The deserts, panna cotta and polenta cake were of the minimalist nature although charmingly presented. The panna cotta with pear compote was disappointingly bland, although the polenta cake was a resounding success.
Many people will have Kathleen's 5 as their favorite Shanghai restaurant and it's easy to understand why.
The dramatic location and the general quality of the food and service, even the comparative history of the place, make for a quality dining experience. Good value it isn't.
Two people having either two courses and a cheap bottle of wine or three courses and a glass of wine each would easily rack up a bill of between 800 and 1,000 yuan.
Address: 325 Nanjing Road W.
Call 6327 2221 for reservations.