Shanghai 2015 - Dinner at Lost Heaven on The Bund

If you have had enough of Chinese and Western food in Shanghai and are looking for something a little bit different - then you should give Lost Heaven a try. They now have 2 branches in Shanghai - the older one in the French Concession and the newer one on The Bund. Lost Heaven touts itself as a restaurant specializing in Yunnan folk cuisine. Due to Yunnan's proximity to Laos, Myanmar, and northern Vietnam - it is not surprising that the cuisine bears a lot of similarity to the food of these regions.

At the top level of the restaurant is a beautiful bar. This is a great place to chill and have a few drinks before dinner.

The decor of the restaurant is quite fancy and exotic. It is a large place which surprisingly fills up very quickly. It is best to book ahead to avoid disappointment. 

If you are not sure what to order and especially if you are in a big group - it is best to go for the set dinner menu. We had the RMB 250 dinner set which came with 12 dishes. First up were Yunnan vegetable spring rolls and Burmese lamb samosa. The taste is very delicate and the balance of herbs and spices spot on.

Next was the Burmese tea leaves salad and Yunnan eggplant and tofu salad. The tofu salad just burst in the mouth with flavours.

Burmese shrimp paste with string beans and Lijiang style stir-fried beef. The sting beans dish would be very familiar to Malaysians - it is like a less spicy version of our sambal belachan. 

Miao tribe hot and sour prawns and Spicy Cod steamed in banana leaves. The cad was cooked perfectly - very tender and subtly infused with the aroma of the herbs and spices. The prawns were a little bit like sweet and sour prawns back home.

The stand out dish of the night was this Mt Ka-la grilled pork. The spice rub imparted a really beautiful flavour to the meat which was very tender and succulent.

The meal ended with a fruit platter that was beautifully presented. 

Though Lost Heaven is quite a pricey restaurant - the quality of the food and the unique experience makes it worthwhile. Check it out if you are planning to visit Shanghai soon.