I couldn’t remember the last time I had burger this good.
Imagine this – a packed corner shop with hard, tall stools and sharp edged tables. A roaring kitchen doing a brisk trade and a bustling crew of waiters serving trays of burgers and fries. I was eating standing up – partly because I figured I would use less space that way, and because I expect my waistline to dangerously expand after some serious burger-guzzling.
Which I did. And it did.
It wasn’t exactly love at first sight.
As we stepped into the restaurant, the somewhat gloomy interior and dark furnishing reminded me strongly (for some strange reasons) of a karaoke lounge. Granted, Shanghai Lo is probably very new, and the deco – contemporary Chinese with hard straight lines exuded a vibe of privacy and seclusion. The cubicle tables comfortably seats four though most were used by couples, and I saw some very promising private rooms perfect for a small group gatherings. It was buzzy without being too noisy.
But I wasn’t there to comment on its interior. The tasting menu ($368 per pax) looked very pretty good, so we went for those.
It’s amazing how crazy hungry, food-obsessed Singaporeans can get while living abroad.
Having lived in Singapore for ten years (and then some), I am well familiar with the unique qualities and awesomeness of Singaporean food. And now that I am living in Hong Kong for five years (and counting), I understand the craving for badass Singaporean food. Which is so under-supplied and overrated in Hong Kong (Singaporean food, that is), you won’t believe it. I often had to make do with subpar laksa and diluted bak kut teh to nurse that soft spot which just won’t go away, but it never really compares to the real thing.
So when I read this gorgeous, funny and beautiful cookbook titled after the supper club its author once operated in London, I totally understood. Why one would go extreme to find really good but extremely rare ingredients (in London, that is) to whip up some fried carrot cake. Or why people would band together in the love of food and (sometimes) of the country (if dinner happens on August 8).