Alimentari Grande 

As the weather warms, all Alimentari outposts across the city (and the country) are simultaneously releasing a lineup of new dishes for the season, beginning with Alimentari Grande. 

Available at all four Alimentari Grande locations in China (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Beijing) the name of the season is fresh, fresh, fresh – showcased from ingredients to cooking techniques, from plating to accoutrement. 

The most important meal of the day – breakfast – should set you up with nourishing eats that feed the body, mind, and soul, and Alimentari's Avocado Toast (RMB60) is just that.

The utmost comfort food, smashed avocado is topped with a soft-poached egg, marinated heirloom cherry tomatoes, mixed nuts and seeds, and gooey globules of burrata for a bite that is delicious and nutritious. 

An Italian summer favorite, Melon & Prosciutto (RMB65) sees spheres of the sweetest seasonal cantaloupe juxtaposed against the cured meat’s salinity, a pairing that has stood the test of time for good reason.

To help you reach your daily seven, this plate can also be ordered over a bed of mixed greens. 

Burrata makes a showing not once, but twice – firstly in the Fig Burrata (RMB85), which involves a supple sphere of the king of all soft cheeses, sprinkled with crushed pistachio and perimetered by the juiciest fig wedges in the prime of their season.

Equally bright, the Tomato Tartare Burrata (RMB85) sees a moat of mashed tomato confit that proffers a pop of tartness, studded with herbaceous fried parsley.

Toast fingers provide the ideal scooping vessel, ensuring each mouthful is replete with the optimal ratio of all key ingredients. 

Silky basil pesto cream liberally coats each bucatini noodle of the Pesto & Chicken (RMB80), the hollow cylindrical strands soaking up the excess sauce, culminating in the ultimate slurp.

Caramelized Carrots (RMB35)

Classically Italian in their preparation, the minced beef and pork Meatballs (RMB58) are made with a touch of milk-soaked white bread – the Italian nonna’s secret meatball ingredient – for added bounce.

A swirl of tahini yogurt concurrently contrasts and boosts the marinara’s lively tomato acidity. 

Pan-seared Halibut (RMB140) is surrounded by fresh white and green asparagus spears, the former lending natural sweetness while the latter offers an earthy grassiness to temper the clam bechamel cream on which the seafood rests.

A lashing of smoked paprika oil and dill fronds has us thinking of Turkish cilbir, the crucial balance of lusciously creamy with a finishing nip of heat. 

Al dente kernels of rice are simmered with a velvety blend of both leek and sweet peas as the Green Leek Risotto (RMB90), adorned with fried artichoke crisps and shaved parmesan. 

The lovechild of a dessert favorite and an American brunch, the Speculoos French Toast (RMB58) is a thick slab of milk, egg, cinnamon, spice and everything nice soaked bread.

First pan-fried, the toast is then dribbled with warm caramel sauce, a dusting of crushed Biscoff cookies, and a heaping scoop of vanilla bean gelato, resulting in a morsel worth every calorific crumb. 

A true sugar rush on a plate, we score this sweet ending with a resounding 10/10 – absolutely no notes; it's perfect as is. 

Alimentari Grande, 20 Donghu Lu, by Huaihai Zhong Lu, 东湖路20号, 近淮海中路.

Cellar to Table 

Earlier this year, chef Francesco Bonvini (previously of New Wave by Da Vittorio) took over the reins at European wine bar Cellar to Table, located in the heritage villa on Donghu Lu that used to house elEFANTE.

Backed by restaurateurs Philippe Huser and Karen Ma, Cellar to Table is like dining in your friend’s living room... if your friend happened to have a beyond impressive wine cellar and a critically-acclaimed chef on hand.

From the warm lighting and homey fireplace, to the friendly yet efficient service and unpretentious menu, to the magnum pours of house wine served on arrival (starting at just RMB65, we might add), everything feels intimate, relaxed and comfortable at this classically Mediterranean European spot. 

Chef Francesco Bonvini

In true Chef Bonvini form, the menu sees conventional Italian dishes elevated with an inventive twist – an unexpected ingredient, a play on regional flavors, or a whimsical presentation. 

Case in point, the meal kicks off strongly with an Italian ode to the American-style Chinese cream cheese puff – but make it fancy...

... like 12 grams of glistening Sichuan caviar fancy, stuffed alongside piped sour cream in a savory Bombolone al Vaviale (RMB188) – made from potato flour dough that is at once shatteringly crisp and fluffy.

A nip of lemon zest and a hit of chives further augment this ambrosial appetizer. 

Chef Bonvini’s mom’s recipe for Homemade Pane Latte (RMB48) – or plush milk bread baked with tomatoes and olives – arrives glossy, still steaming.

Each pillowy tuft pulls away with ease, a daub of anchovy butter complementing the demure sweetness with a hit of oceanic salinity. 

Slow-cooked and thinly sliced Beef Tongue in Gelatina (RMB98) is fanned out, speckled with alternating dollops of parsley sauce, bell pepper cream, and whipped tuna mousse – leaning towards vitello tonnato, but with much more going on.

There’s a beef jus gelatin and a separate beef consommé jelly, enhanced by parsley and a hit of acid from deep fried capers.

Another Bonvini family recipe, My Grandma’s Recipe Meatballs (RMB78/small, RMB138/large), sees a trio blend of pork sausage, ribeye beef and veal meatballs doused in an addictingly bright classic marinara, and finished with a generous shaving of aged Parmigiano Reggiano.

But the kicker is the side serving of equal parts lush and lux buttery whipped potatoes – a spoonful of which is worth tossing your diet in the trash for. 

Inspired by Chef Bonvini’s recent travels to Taiwan, Taipei street eats of plump clams sautéed with ginger and basil intermingle with an Italian pasta backbone as the Ningbo Clams Tagliolini (RMB138). 

The homemade egg-based tagliolini are slick with a thin, subtly sticky gravy of Chinese wine, pickled ginger, Thai basil, sesame and clam juice – resulting in a fantastically fun form of fusion.

Gnocchi al Pesto (RMB198) – Homemade gnocchi farina latte, pesto sauce, raw Botan shrimps

The meal (and heart’s) showstopper is presented as M7 UYYU ribeye sheathed by 36-month aged parmesan crisps – the Tagliata di Manzai (RMB688/300 grams).

This 20-days dry-aged cut is seared, sliced, and served alongside a parmesan fondue and nose-tingling mustard sauce akin to wasabi root.

Drizzled tableside with a rosemary brush of olive oil, the smoky, charred flesh gives way to a rosy pink center. 

Fujian Yellowtail Amberjack (RMB198) – Marinated amberjack tataki, confit onion

A bite of freshness is necessary at this stage of the meal, and arrives in the form of Qidong Tomatoes (RMB68), a marinated blend of juicy cherry, yellow and strawberry tomatoes – literally bursting with flavor – tossed with pickled red onion, basil leaves, crunchy celery ribs and extra virgin olive oil.

Swaddled in a vinegar gel wrap, the Tonka Bean Panna Cotta (RMB78) is a play on the classic Modena pairing of balsamic vinegar and strawberries, in this case, topped with Dandong white strawberries – also known as pineberries. 

A mad scientist’s take on a tiramisu, the Don’t Call Me Tiramisu (RMB85) features a dome of mascarpone foam. 

Encasing a cappuccino gel, chocolate puffed rice crumble, and a pleasantly bitter coffee semifreddo, this sans ladyfinger tiramisu is truly a traditional Italian dessert made – well – untraditionally.

A stellar representation of Chef Bonvini’s signature style. 

Cellar to Table, 20 Donghu Lu, by Huaihai Lu, 东湖路20号, 近淮海路.

READ MORE

3 Meaty New Menus: Cages, 18 Hours BBQ & Alimentari

2 Fiery New Menus: High Yaki The Sea & La Brise 523

50 Shades of Green at Fu He Hui & 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

2 Sexy Spring Menus: Little Catch & Tomatito

2 Swanky Spring Menus: 18 by Fréderic Anton & COLLECTIF°

2 New Spring Menus: Sober Company & Scarpetta