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cityweekend

Catering to Many Tastes

Chef Justin Quek's modern bistro features gourmet cuisine at affordable prices. Arriving early for dinner, we found a sparsely populated yet comfortable atmosphere, however as dinner turned to supper hour, Fountain filled to capacity, and rocked. Drinks are as gourmet as the food. An exceptional lychee martini (YY70) was tangy and topped with a frothy lychee mouse. Char grilled mushroom steak tapas (YY25) were a mushroom lovers dream and mini cabbage and pork confit spring rolls (YY40) were amply filled and satisfying. Anticipating ordering from the Oyster Bar menu, we were disappointed when told by our hovering waitress that they had none. Instead, salad with roasted and grilled vegetables (YY65) covered with frilly lettuce, aged shaved parmesan and lightly sprinkled herb dressing was had. The rotisserie spring chickens (YY90 per half) spinning on spits behind the bar subliminally suggested a delectably seasoned, juicy, and happily devoured main course. Also sampled were grilled lamb cutlets (YY168) seasoned with rosemary and garlic. Though the lamb was fresh, beautifully presented and grilled to perfection, very little garlic was detected and rosemary seemed to have gone missing. Baked Valrhona (YY65) with homemade vanilla ice cream oozing with steamy hot bitter sweet chocolate ended a perfect meal. --Peggy Rosen

 

Most Recent Reviews

tradezone

First of all, it always stinks when forced to write a negative review. However, the truth may set you free...right!!? OK, so my fiancé and I currently live in Hangzhou and decided to sneak away for a 3 day excursion to Shangahai due to the long Tomb Sweeping national observance weekend. We wanted our first night diner to be memorable, and decided to head over to the Xin Tian Di district for diner. After narrowing it down to two places ( some world best tapa place and the Fountain ), we decided to try the Fountain. The allure was the apparent ambience and chef's special they had posted outside on a billboard that was attainable until 8pm.

We arrived at about 7:45pm, were greeted in the lobby and sent upstairs for our seating. When we got upstairs, I asked the waitress to confirm the chef's special of a 400g T-Bone , with French fries and a salad that came with 2 glasses of complimentary wine -- she confirmed and said "Yes, it certainly does..." So, we sat a few minutes and then decided on the chef's special. After being ignored for 10 minutes, I snapped her over again and politely confirmed the chef's special again with wine. She brought out the wine and then took off without asking if we'd like an app' or something like that. I tipped my chair, turned my head and snapped one of them over again ( we have not even been asked yet for some water, or served table bread or anything else). We then told her we'd like the cheese plate and some water and to bring us the chef's special medium cooked. The cheese comes, but like typical Chinese fashion, they forget about the woman and only bring me my water. Snapped her over again and asked for more water. Finally, the steak comes. Let me tell ya, if you know anything about steak and Shanghai -- then you'll no better than to expect some skimpy t-bone, lettuce with brown leaves and French fries so full of cooking oil a heart massaging is needed after diner.......Whatever!

Diner concludes, and keep in mind we aren't even upset yet and rather just enjoying conversation and each other....We get our bill, and they billed us for the free wine-- another typical Chinese antic. After fighting with the waitress for a few minutes, I tell her to call the mgr. The mgr comes , and after questioning me for a few minutes, offers me some wine -- which i decline -- and then says he'll remove 1 glass.

Look, price is not something we care about too much. It's principal. We travel a lot, enjoy the finer things in life -- and know quite well what to expect! This knucklehead mgr' then keeps pushing the wine on meet . Feeling bad for him, I accept his "peace offering". Turns out his peace offering was nothing more than a Trojan Horse. As I waited for an adjustment to the bill, I realized none was going to happen. They said that because I had one more glass of wine from the mgr, it made up for the 1 free I should have gotten.

To sum it up, when you almost 1000 rmb for a diner, it is supposed to be nice, tasty, memorable and full of great service. The Fountain did not meet any of those expectations and it is obvious they need to seek a good ol' management consulting firm!

 

1 year, 1 month ago

poperak

We only went because of the Enjoy voucher as it is expensive for what it is. The food was served cold and there wasn't much of it. We ordered a steak (225rmb) & Lamb Shank (225rmb). The lamb shank was small, under cooked and extremely fatty, so not very much to eat. the bread that it came with was dry and very stale. The Steak came cold and under cooked (rare, instead of med. rare), the veggies were minimal under cooked and not seasoned. The meal was so bad that we had to get a take out after. Another Xintiandi over-rated, over-priced restaurant banking on tourists to keep it a float. Joke!

 

1 year, 3 months ago

sir_loin

Freezing cold inside. Warm white wine. Fair to middling food. Smoking and non-smoking areas next to or one surrounding the other. Awful service, despite having more waiters per square foot than anywhere we've been. Poor value.

 

1 year, 4 months ago

emilyinshang

i thought fountain would be a tourist trap but actually this is a decent place, especially the top floor, better than expected. The hamburger was one of the better burgers in town so far. Very pricey of course given the location but not a bad spot for a slow Sunday...

1 year, 5 months ago

wang_john

Since the departure of Justin Quek, the star chef who opened the restaurant and created the following, this place has completely gone down hill. Service is cold... food is sub-par and terribly inconsistent. In fact, the only thing that has not gone down are the prices charged! I used to come here two or three times a week... I don't think I will go back.

 

1 year, 8 months ago

partaye

We're sitting outside under the sun on this glorious February afternoon which is half the exhilaration considering it's been freezing in Shanghai for so long! We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and refreshing menu..we both felt this could be Sydney - with an Aussie chef here guess that's not so surprising! The cottage pie with handcut Australian sirloin was hearty but not heavy, accompanied by an amazing tomato soup. I don't normally like tomato soup but there was something else in this (Parmesan?) that took away the tartness and sent your tastebuds craving for more. The mussels in white wine and chives was also impressive, mussels were huge and juicy whilst the sauce was give me more tasty. Very good to soak the crusty bread in. Finally i can't remember the last time i had such a refreshing and yummy cocktail - def recommend the BLACK FOREST MOHITO!

 

2 years, 3 months ago

msanger

It was all right. But the chicken sandwich tasted just like the New Orleans sandwich from KFC.

 

2 years, 5 months ago

fountain_xintiandi

Fountain Bistro & Bar is located at the Central Piazza of Xintiandi, open daily from lunch till late, including Public Holidays.

Hinting of French origins, the Bistro menu elegantly retains its casual European style while flaunting international influences.

Astute insiders head straight upstairs to The Executive Floor to enjoy one of the most discriminating selection wines within this vicinity. Choices include award-winning labels like Planeta from Sicily and Ferrari-Cerano from Napa Valley, as well as undiscovered gems like Sanguine Estate and John Duval from Australia. Aperitivo Time! on weekdays 5~7pm, offers a SECOND BOTTLE FREE along with a complimentary antipasti buffet.

Tapas is served daily in the evenings - from Italian olives and French cornichons to original creations like Porcini/Pumpkin Aranccini and Spicy Soong Prawns.

Signature cocktails are mixed with a perfectionist's emphasis on precise measurements of quality ingredients. Try the Black Forest Mojito, Fountain Iced Tea or Citrus Smash.

2 years, 8 months ago

zammo

Shaken or Stirred

After five years shaking it up in some of the best bars in the UK, Singaporean mixologist Zac Mirza has been brought in to spruce up the cocktail list at Xint iandi restaurant Fountain. Among the highlights of the new menu is his twist on the Long Island iced tea (￥75), featuring–brace yourself–real tea. “We switch out the Coke and use a wolfberry sugar syrup that we cook up here in the bar to give it sweetness,” Zac reveals.“Then I add egg white to give it a foamy head and pu’er tea to give it color and a depth.” It tastes remarkably light for the sum of its parts but Zac assures us it contains the regulation two and half ounces of alcohol–equal measures of Belvedere Vodka, Beefeater Gin, Havana Club Gold rum and Grand Marnier liqueur, plus a generous squirt of lemon juice. No tequila? “If you use tequila that’s a Texas iced tea, not a Long Island,” Zac points out, “though everyone gets that wrong.” On a boiling day, these doozies slip down a little too easily. But how refreshing to get such a Chinese ingredient into this staple Shanghai tipple. (From issue 17, 2009.)

2 years, 9 months ago

hibeverly

I insisted we check out Fountain when I heard good reviews of the place. That means I was wanting to find great things and eager to be able to write a good review, but they failed so miserably that it's sad to say we left sorely disappointed. A casual bistro in Xintiandi, Fountain looked open and inviting with large-paned glass walls and quiet but attentive staff. They weren't particularly warm (a smile won't hurt, people), but weren't flat-out rude either.

We pretty much balked when we saw their menu. I understand Xintiandi is ludicriously overpriced, but I'd expect QUALITY and QUANTITY to come with those prices. The Organic Tomato & Arugala Salad was OK. After all, there's nothing much in making a salad, right ;) It was, however, drenched in balsamic. I would've preferred them to go lighter on it, and/or put it on the side. Tomatoes were large, red and fresh, which was great.

My Atlantic white cod fillet in a light crispy batter, creamy tartare, tomato sauce, vinegar. Served with organic salad and french fries was a complete JOKE. "Where's the fish???" we said when it arrived. You see. it comes in a newspaper cone, and they VERY obviously put the 2 mini slices of fish at the opening of the cone, so you think it's flled with fish, but really, it's just 2 tiny fish nuggets and a huge tumble of fries. I'm sorry, but 140元 (US$20) (!!!!!) for 2 fish nuggets and fries? STOP TAKING THE PISS. The fish was good, albeit a little to firm for my liking. However, it was just so SMALL it was more like a (mini) appetizer. And the fries? Over-cooked and hard fries. Either they'd cooked it too long, or used (re-used) old oil. It made my throat feel sore and weird afterwards. I appreciated the 3 dipping sauces - tartare, tomato and vinegar - it was a lovely touch. The dish could have been so much better if they'd give AT LEAST 3x the amount of fish, and cooked the fries properly. Oh, you do get a side salad, and I loved how they chopped up the lettuce small so it was easy to eat. It was however so DRENCHED in dressing I couldn't stomach more than a few mouthfuls.

Very disappointing when I had such high hopes and was convinced I'd be writing a fantastic review. It's a shame a restaurant in a ritzy area has chosen to scrimp on food when it's blatently obvious they're charging the sky. What a shame.

PHOTOS HERE: http://beverly.livejournal.com/742199.html

 

2 years, 10 months ago

chouchatchat

We had a lovely Sunday lunch on a hot summer day. It was too hot to sit outside, but seating upstairs in the air con room was cosy and comfortable so we did not mind. Reviews and friends reports on the tuna fish sandwich were good so we had high expectations, and we were not disappointed. The presentation was good and the content (grilled tuna, boiled potatoes, etc. ) was appropriately cooked and arranged to give the best effect. The hamburger was delicious, with the meat nicely grilled and an appropriate amount of juice dripping down your hands when lifted. The kids had fish and chips and croque madame, which were excellent. Their only complaint was that the fish & chips wrapper was a fake used newspaper, but we are in China! We had not been back for 18 months because the previous experience was quite negative; it seems the menu and service have much improved so we will come again.

 

2 years, 11 months ago

joanney

Find of the Week | Fancy Tuna Sandwich

Trying to find a good tuna sandwich in Shanghai requires uncommon bravery. All too often, we order a tuna niçoise sandwich and what the waiter invariably delivers is either a roll with an ice cream scoop of minced tuna salad or an overcooked tuna fillet with a glob of mayo on top, à la McDonald’s filet-o-fish, for good measure.

We’ve always enjoyed Fountain’s homemade desserts, and last week we discovered another dish to love: an absolutely delicious tuna niçoise sandwich (¥120).

The open-faced sandwich comes with seared, medium rare slices of tuna sprinkled with a squeeze of lemon, flavorful capers, crisp string beans and a light, eggy French mayonnaise.

The combination of the fresh fish, the distinctive dressing and the chewy ciabatta roll makes this one of the best tuna sandwiches we’ve had in a long, long time. Joanne Yao

 

2 years, 12 months ago

chongcheryl

the new menu is yummy-bistro-yummy! was very lucky to have been invited to food tastings for the new menu (new chefs).. my personal faves include: -

steamed mussles like they do it in paris.. fish & chips served the old fashioned way (and possibly the best in town).. paella for sharing, fully loaded with fresh juicy seafood..

I dont eat much red meat BUT CAN ANYONE EAT SO MUCH MEAT?? the Jumbo T-Bone is defintely for big boys (and not dainty me)..

Of the sandwiches.. my fave is the seared tuna.. mmmm... hungry again?!

Shame about the drinks list.. with those prices, it's hard to stay to drink all night..

 

3 years, 1 month ago

sleeplessinbj

i definitely enjoy my lunch experience here. exceptionally good service. wow... i was just visiting shanghai. i dont know about what other restaurants' standard for service there but compared to beijing, hmm... these people who work there, they know what they're doing and they're doing it good. manager is very attentive as well.

food wise, my tagliatelle with pork and cheese was very delicious. my friend's prawn laksa was really really good. i'm a south east asian, i eat lot of laksa in indonesia, singapore and malaysia. this restaurant makes it tastes similar with back home's laksa.

very comfortable place. good spot to hang out and check out the good looking people who eat there or passing by.

5 stars!!!

 

3 years, 1 month ago