With spring just around the corner, both the weather and Shanghai’s F&B scene are heating up. Shanghai’s greatest mover and shaker chefs are putting pen to paper, meaning a fresh round of spring menus, featuring the most seasonal of ingredients. Screw the approaching swimsuit season; we’ve got new dishes to try! Check out Part I here, Part III here and Part IV here. 

La Scala

This season, La Scala at the Sukothai has revamped nearly their entire menu, changing up over 15 dishes. After joining the kitchen team last year, head chef Antonio Corsaro is really hitting his stride with banger after banger when it comes to the innovate plates. 

Fresh New Zealand Salmon Gravlax (RMB268) is topped with crunchy watermelon rind pickles – best consumed with a dollop of salmon roe-speckled sour cream, layered on a pillowy potato blini. While on the other side of the spectrum, Seared Wagyu Beef Tartar (RMB688) is as decadent as it is rich. 

Dauphinoise potatoes resting on smoked aromatics like sage and rosemary form a sturdy base for a hefty serving of seared Wagyu, reminiscent of a summer night’s campfire. Divided into three portions, each is capped with a decorative topping more self-indulgent than the last: black truffle, black pearl fine caviar, and gold dusted bone marrow. 

Burrata Salad (RMB168) – Heirloom cherry tomatoes, strawberry, almond, Trapanese and Genovese pesto;

Roast Spring Vegetables (RMB68) ;

Fluffy, parsley ribbon-striped pockets stuffed with velvety artichoke purée are smothered in a textbook classic carbonara sauce as the Artichoke Ravioli (RMB198) – interspersed between thick slices of smoked pancetta and crispy, fried artichoke chips. 

Pure Italian comfort food heaven is a warm bowl of Handmade Oxtail Pappardelle Alla Vaccinara (RMB288). Tender, slow-braised oxtail is mixed with bone marrow, tomato paste and a sprinkle of raw cacao to cut through the fattiness. Perfectly al dente pappardelle noodles encircle the meat, happily resting on a pecorino cream sauce. 

Steamed Turbot (RMB358) 

Spring in all its glory takes form as the Herb Crusted Cod (RMB308). A bright green purée of parsley, chervil, tarragon and basil coat the oh-so-flaky black cod, served alongside a salad duo. Seared romaine lettuce is peppered with shallot ribbons and a generous drizzle of butter tarragon sauce, while fresh lettuce hugs an array of peas, heirloom tomatoes and herbs.

Seared Black Angus Tenderloin (RMB388) – Albufera foie gras sauce, confit shallot, roasted cauliflower

Red Berry Salad (RMB80) – Yogurt ice cream

Bird 

Bird is kicking off the season with a menu centering on spring produce and ingredients. Expect to see fixings like sweet spring peas and succulent scallops interspersed with airy crème fraiche and fava beans. 

The Crab + Lotus Fritter (RMB68) is a lightly fried cake, sitting in a world halfway between a crab cake and fried lotus root street snacks. Topped with ikura (salmon roe), the fritters are best enjoyed with a dollop of whipped crème fraiche, followed by a dunk in the runniest yolk of an onsen egg.

Spring on a plate is what you will receive with the Seared Scallop (RMB88). Tender scallops rest on the sweetest, most seasonably fresh peas, drizzled in a Shaoxing wine sauce. Brittle American diner-style bacon and puffed guoba rice add texture and salt for balance.

Pan-fried Turbot en Papillote (RMB128) is capped with a herbed butter schmear, before being wrapped in baking parchment and roasted on a bed of wild mushrooms. The resulting fish is flaky and buttery, soaking in the fresh aromatics of Shanghai’s best spring herbs.  

The newly added vegetables section of the menu highlights seasonal produce, like flaky leaf layers of fried Brussel Sprouts (RMB48) ready to be dunked in a piquant chili splash aioli or slow-roasted, sweet anise flavored Fennel (RMB68) bulbs resting atop a bed of smoked cream, a scattering of toasted walnuts adding extra crunch. 

Popot 

If it comes in a jar is it any less tasty? No, in fact, we found the opposite to be true with Popot’s spring menu, an array of dishes served in eco-friendly jars that are just as flavorful as they are colorful. 

This season is takes ‘traveling around the world’ as inspiration for the new menu items. With influences spanning Singapore to Japan to Italy, a visit to Popot is more than just French dining. 

Fresh tomatoes, coriander, garlic, shallots, parsley and a drizzle of lime juice come together in the Tomato Salsa (RMB48) – a deconstructed bruschetta. Served with a fresh-baked baguette, you can scoop your ideal portion onto a slice or directly into your mouth. 

A smattering of sunny days are no match for those still chilly evenings and rainy afternoons, and nothing is more warming than a bowl of healthy soup. The Zucchini Soup (RMB48) combines dark green zucchini, chicken stock, an equal mix of milk and cream and homemade ricotta cheese for the ultimate balance of light and comforting, without being too heavy. 

On the noodle front, choose from Tuna Tataki Cold Soba Salad (RMB78) – a Japanese-inspired cold salad with julienned carrots and cucumbers tossed in a peanut sauce and topped with black sesame crusted seared tuna – or Laksa Soup (RMB78) – a bowl full of rice noodles, bamboo shoots, hard-boiled egg, springy tofu and tiger prawns in a chili oil-based laksa broth that will have you convinced you’re taking your lunch break at a Singaporean hawker center. 

Jump across the globe to Madagascar with the Shrimps in Coconut Milk (RMB78). A thick pink stew of fresh tomatoes and coconut milk infused with lemongrass and kaffir leaves form the base for succulent prawns, crunchy green beans and garlic, all atop a filling serving of white rice. 

O’Mills Bakery & Bistro

Refreshing and light is the common thread that ties together O’Mills spring menu – the exact adjectives you want to hear as you head into swimsuit season. With the coming of spring, both locations are launching a new Mini Table – savory set menu options that arrive tableside on a wooden serving board. 

The Spring Mini Table (RMB138) comes with creamy Wild Vegetable Soup – made from shepherd’s purse, broccoli and spinach, Mediterranean Seasonal Salad – with fresh buffalo mozzarella, green olives, tomatoes and crispy chickpeas, Wild Vegetable Pine Nuts Smørrebrød and a savory Wild Vegetable Muffin made with two kinds of cheese. 

It wouldn’t be an O’Mills meal without one of their signature sourdough crust pizzas, and spring sees the addition of the Steak Wild Vegetable Pizza (RMB178). Hearty spinach meets lightly seared sirloin steak with an added crunch from the earthy pine nuts sprinkled atop a thick layer of melted cheese. 

If you plan to pop by for just a snack, the standard brownie just received a facelift as the gooey fudge-like 70% French Valrhona Chocolate Brownie (RMB39) – a true chocoholics dream. 

Balance the richness with a glass of Cherry Blossom Koffecha (RMB48), a playful trio of cold brew coffee, kombucha and cherry blossom petals that bring out the coffee beans’ natural floral notes. 

Or, double down on the sugar and opt for a hefty slice of the Victoria Orange Cake (RMB42), an airily light double-layered torte topped with mascarpone cheese frosting and homemade orange marmalade.