(1) A summer Carte Blanche at Da Vittorio Shanghai
At the two-Michelin-starred Da Vittorio Shanghai, the Executive Chef Leonardo Zambrino makes a 14-course Carte Blanche menu debut. Born in Bergamo under the vision of Chicco and Bobo Cerea, Carte Blanche has become a tradition: a blank page where chefs compose freely with the season’s finest ingredients, and diners surrender to surprise.
Chef Zambrino’s summer edition pushes the idea further, turning the menu into a canvas of playful flavor graffiti, depicting not only the essence of the season but also creativity and cross-cultural flair.
It kicks off with true and false peanuts, a witty nod to the shared snacking customs of Italy and China. Next comes beef tongue, gently stewed in Cantonese clear soup and paired with botan ebi sashimi, Mexican red pepper, and a touch of black truffle. Blue lobster follows, its richness lifted by the warmth of Thai yellow curry.
Then, linguine with bottarga and colatura di alici delivers a briny rush of Mediterranean flavor. The journey closes on a sweet-refreshing breeze, with seasonal fruits sourced from across China.
In Zambrino’s hands, the tradition born in Italy finds fresh rhythm in Shanghai, showing the restaurant’s relentless pursuit of excellence while inviting guests to experience Italian originality.
Da Vittorio Shanghai
Address: 3/F, N3 Building, The Bund Finance Centre, 600 Zhongshan Dong Er Road, Huangpu, Shanghai
Tel: +86 21 6330 2198
(2) Roots bring nature to life
Promoted to Executive Chef in 2024, Chef Nicoló Rotella has injected the two-Michelin-starred 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA Shanghai with fresh, bold ingenuity and an adventurous spirit. Under his leadership, the Italian establishment has entered an exciting new chapter – where every dish is thoughtfully inspired and immersive.
This February, Chef Rotella unveiled Roots, a visionary menu concept that celebrates nature’s hidden treasures – from forest, soil to ocean – interpreted with an Italian soul. Roots honors the quiet, unassuming roots that sustain life, transforming the humble and seasonal ingredients from across China into a culinary delight.
Guests are enveloped in the smoky whisper of wood, the earthy scent of rain-kissed soil, and the fresh green of moss – textures, colors, and flavors that evoke the wild. Highlights include smoked spaghetti served with maitake mushrooms, bay leaf oil, and black truffle, Australian wagyu beef tenderloin infused with porcini and parsley, as well as shellfish chawanmushi paired with baby clams, sea asparagus, lemongrass, and Oscietra caviar.
It sparkles with a limoncello Sgroppino, whipped with grappa into a silky, citrus-kissed cloud. Pastry Chef Vitória Caixeta ends on a note with girasole of Oscietra caviar, pollen, passion fruit, and miso, alongside delicate petit fours – vanilla maritozzi-gianduja maritozzi, pistachio mousse and daisy babà .
Through Chef Rotella’s creative lens, it invites guests to reconnect with the essence of the natural world.
8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA Shanghai
Address: 6/F, Associate Mission Building, 169 Yuanmingyuan Road, Huangpu, Shanghai
Tel: +86 21 6087 2890
(3) NARISAWA Shanghai × Dom Pérignon
On 23 and 24 August, one-Michelin-starred NARISAWA Shanghai hosted two dinners in collaboration with Dom Pérignon, as Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa presented his Satoyama cuisine – a philosophy rooted in sustainability, harmony with nature and innovation.
Since it opened two years ago, the Shanghai outpost has steadily refined its identity. Its evolution has been gradual and refined, guided by a growing melody between Japanese tradition and Chinese culture.
Each creation shows an understanding of local palates, dining habits, and aesthetics, while retaining the meticulous precision that defines Narisawa’s craft. As a result, the cuisine is elegant, expressive, and connected to its setting.
For this special occasion, the menu captured the philosophy beautifully. The signature Gion Festival, inspired by Kyoto’s iconic summer celebration, layered eggplant prepared ways with shiitake and jelly. Wild matsutake mushrooms from Shangri-La were fried for just ten seconds and served with lime slices, bringing out a sense of forest and fire.
Paired with Dom Pérignon, the experience was elevated into indulgence, resonating with the season and the land.
Narisawa Shanghai
Address: 5/F, Shanghai Chengtou Holding, 130 Wusong Road, Hongkou, Shanghai
Tel: +86 186 1605 6980
(4) Sir Elly’s × Le Du: four hands, two rivers
The Peninsula Shanghai’s Sir Elly’s continues its A Culinary Duo of Surprises series, following past collaborations with Bangkok’s Potong, Southern Italy’s Abruzzino and Japan’s Villa Aida.
This season, the spotlight shifted to Bangkok again as Sir Elly’s teamed up with Le Du – ranked No. 15 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list – bridging the taste of Huangpu and the Chao Phraya rivers.
Chef Eugenio Cannoni’s Asti-inspired creations mixed with Asti chill, Bangkok warmth, and Shanghai cosmopolitan flair. Normandy oysters glimmered with minerality, while Chongming pigeon dazzled with silken breast, crisp leg, and cherry-hued liver.
From Bangkok, Chef ThiTid Tassanakajohn (Ton) offered Bangkok’s monsoon bounty. The mushroom-zucchini soup was as fresh as moss, and the mangosteen sticky rice honored his Hakka roots.
Together, the chefs developed a joint effort inspired by Le Du’s signature river prawn. At Taihu Lake, Sir Elly’s sourced marsh shrimp with slender blue claws, echoing Thailand’s native variety. Chef Cannoni reimagined it with spinach-seaweed risotto in place of Thai purple rice.
Sir Elly’s
Address: 13/F, The Peninsula Hotel, Bund 32, 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, Huangpu, Shanghai
Tel: +86 21 2327 6756
(5) Wild mushroom season at Hong 0871
The Michelin-selected Hong 0871 brings Yunnan flavors to the city, and every summer, its Wild Mushroom Feast is the crown jewel. Once a year, the restaurant turns fungi into culinary magic.
In Yunnan, the rainy spell is known as Mushroom Season, when more than 250 varieties spring to life. This year, the chef-patron Xin Liu and his team forage deep in the pine forests of Kunming and Chuxiong, sourcing wild bounty such as matsutake, and boletus, flown fresh each day to the city.
The menu is a luxury. Shangri-La matsutake sashimi paired with Yunnan Huize Sturgeon Valley Caviar has a smell of mountains and sea. Charcoal-grilling highlights the natural bond between mushrooms and fat, while prized ganba fungi – valued like golds – are stir-fried with snow crabs or folded into wheat cakes, each bite a taste of Yunnan’s forests.
The feast leans into boldness. The matsutakes grilled along with wagyu, brushed with goose fat and crowned with wasabi, as well as the yellow croaker steamed with chanterelles, peanuts, and mastic-leaf prickly ash. Even dessert carries Yunnan’s accent – papaya, ginger, and wolfberries – showcasing a delicate balance of sweetness and spice.
From forest to table, Hong 0871 tells that true freshness lives in the wild. Miss it now, and it won’t return until next summer.
Hong 0871
Address: 5/F, Shanghai Chengtou Holding, 130 Wusong Road, Hongkou, Shanghai
Tel: +86 21 5677 6898