Fusion
Mesa
748 Julu Lu (near Fumin Lu)
巨鹿路748号 (近富民路)
T: 6289-9108

Food: 4 1/2 out of 5
Decor: 5 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5

Price for two with drinks: Y400-600

Mesa is not just a stylish new place to grab a meal, it is the role model of fine dining that Julu Lu desperately needs. Fathered by two giants in the Shanghai restaurant business, Charles Cabell of Face and Chef Steve Baker of T8's Hangzhou resort, Mesa effortlessly assumes the role of best new restaurant in town.

Free of the creative shackles of being in this or that Hong Kong development, Cabell and Baker are able to do what they do best: be themselves. The result, according to Cabell, is a space that fits the concept of the food they want to serve, with a focus on lightness.

The simple, converted factory space is deliciously echoed by unassuming dishes like asian pear, endive, feta, and beetroot salad with candied walnuts and champagne vinaigrette (Y58). Refreshingly subtle, the salad is a perfect prelude to bolder dishes like the chef-recommended confit of duck leg with grilled onions, cabbage, hazelnuts, and burnt orange glaze (Y118). Succulent meat is highlighted superbly by the slight tang of the glaze and grounded by the earthy red cabbage.

The extensive menu of warming, generously portioned dishes keeps Mesa from feeling spartan. In addition the dining room allows voices, music, and sounds from the open kitchen to carry from the first floor up the wrought iron staircase to the second floor and out onto the expansive sundeck. You never forget that you're in a restaurant.

Capitalizing on their restaurants floor-to-ceiling windows, Cabell and Baker soon plan to serve Sunday brunches bathed in sunlight. Diners staying in town for the holidays can also expect special Christmas and New Year's menus.

The only grounds for improvement at Mesa are the normal opening jitters in the service. More specifically, ordering drinks from the attached lounge Manifesto, took more time than expected. A minor issue for this highly recommended new restaurant.

Fusion
Mesa
748 Julu Lu (near Fumin Lu)
巨鹿路748号 (近富民路)
T: 6289-9108

Food: *1/2
Decor:
Service: **
Price for two with drinks: Y400-600

Mesa is not just a stylish new place to grab a meal, it is the role model of fine dining that Julu Lu desperately needs. Fathered by two giants in the Shanghai restaurant business, Charles Cabell of Face and Chef Steve Baker of T8's Hangzhou resort, Mesa effortlessly assumes the role of best new restaurant in town.

Free of the creative shackles of being in this or that Hong Kong development, Cabell and Baker are able to do what they do best: be themselves. The result, according to Cabell, is a space that fits the concept of the food they want to serve, with a focus on lightness.

The simple, converted factory space is deliciously echoed by unassuming dishes like asian pear, endive, feta, and beetroot salad with candied walnuts and champagne vinaigrette (Y58). Refreshingly subtle, the salad is a perfect prelude to bolder dishes like the chef-recommended confit of duck leg with grilled onions, cabbage, hazelnuts, and burnt orange glaze (Y118). Succulent meat is highlighted superbly by the slight tang of the glaze and grounded by the earthy red cabbage.

The extensive menu of warming, generously portioned dishes keeps Mesa from feeling spartan. In addition the dining room allows voices, music, and sounds from the open kitchen to carry from the first floor up the wrought iron staircase to the second floor and out onto the expansive sundeck. You never forget that you're in a restaurant.

Capitalizing on their restaurants floor-to-ceiling windows, Cabell and Baker soon plan to serve Sunday brunches bathed in sunlight. Diners staying in town for the holidays can also expect special Christmas and New Year's menus.

The only grounds for improvement at Mesa are the normal opening jitters in the service. More specifically, ordering drinks from the attached lounge Manifesto, took more time than expected. A minor issue for this highly recommended new restaurant.