Time to be nice . . .



Cleaning products in the loos



Clean carpets

Cute handwipes

So, after the troubles with La Laconda (please read the comments from the chef and the happy customer) it's time to give my new review of Shanghai.  It closed for nearly two weeks for re-painting and carpet cleaning after my 'Clean it up!' Tripadvisor review.  It's now spotless and the carpets no longer look like animals had been bedding down on them for the winter (as one Tripadvisor reviewer commented).  We visited for Joe's 7th birthday and took the Be-Ro milk chocoate cake which Joe had made with big sister Zoe.  I had tried to convince him that a character cake from Tesco was a good idea but he was having none of it.  The Be-Ro cake is the only one he will eat.  I will post the recipe at a later date.

As usual we were running late which meant that the cake was still slightly warm when I sandwiched it together with whipped cream.  All was well until we arrived at the restaurant and suddenly the cream turned to milk, poured out of the cake and threatened to ruin  the newly cleaned carpets.  There were international screams of distress and much running for wet cloths. A tray was found and the carpets and day were saved.

Not so happy cake

The usual



S&S pork



Paper beef, fried noodles with beansprouts

We ate all the usual suspects - spring rolls, prawn toast, satay chicken, honey ribs, seaweed, wontons, chicken lettuce wrap, crispy duck.  Then paper beef, sweet and sour pork, noodles with beansprouts and lots of Neil Joubert chenin blanc.  Everything was great.

But then, on my way to pay the bill, I found the staff eating lobster, baked white fish (looked like a big bream) steamed dim sum and my favourite Chinese spinach.  "I want lobster!  I want spinach!"  I cried.

"Come, take chopsticks, eat with us" said the lovely lady.  I didn't.  I was as good as gold and left those chopsticks where they lay.  But once upon a time (about 4 years ago) there was an a la carte menu at Shanghai offered in addition to the £12.50 order-all-you-like menu.  This menu featured such delights as the lobster with ginger and garlic.  We even spent Christmas day there once dining on the eleven course banquet until Grandpa Louis fell asleep at the table and we had to take him home.

"Come. Take chopsticks.  Eat with us."

My favourite Chinese spinach with chilli and garlic

Lobster left-overs

So, a great night BUT we were the only people there.   PLEASE all you Brierfield locals, give Shanghai another chance.  It's clean, it's friendly, the food is great and the wine crisp and cold.  What more could you want?

We left a bit of a mess by the way . . .

PS  There may be another long break from blogging as I try to set up my new website.  At the moment I'm having a bit of trouble downloading pictures but when it's sorted we will be moving across to www.gillwatson.co.uk.