[Shanghai] Mr & Mrs Bund

Mr & Mrs Bund

Add: Bund 18, 6/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Shanghai 中山东一路18号，外滩十八号6楼
Tel: +86 (21) 6323 9898
Website: mmbund.com
Hours: [brunch] Sat-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm; [dinner] Sun-Wed 5:30pm-10:30pm, Thur-Sat 5:30pm-2am
Price: [brunch] RMB250-300
Visited: August 2015

I visited Mr & Mrs Bund for brunch with a friend (the same friend who recommended sugarednspiced to me and was thus an indirect inspiration for this blog). Both of us had high expectations, having heard great things about the brunch menu at this Paul Pairet establishment. Mr & Mrs Bund lived up to all our expectations and then some.

The brunch menu featured brunch classics like egg Benedict and French toast, as well as some of their signature dishes, such as short rib teriyaki, jumbo shrimp “in citrus jar”, and “black cod in a bag”. They also have an extensive wine list. Both of us had a glass of white wine to start, recommended by the sommelier.

We were first served a bread basket and an amuse bouche of radishes and seasoned butter. The sourdough was a touch burnt, as you can see in the photo, but the fact that we still finished it was a testament to its flavor. The radishes were a light and refreshing start to the meal.

Both my friend and I were huge fans of Egg Benedicte (75RMB), so of course we couldn’t resist ordering that. And I’m glad we did! Perfectly poached egg, on top of a perfectly toasted muffin, smothered in Hollandaise, layered with delicate pieces of Paris white ham and crispy prosciutto. Just the aroma as it was being served had our mouths watering.

Our other appetizer was Duck Foie Gras Terrine Natural (130RMB), served with an arugula salad and toasted hazelnuts. The foie gras was rich and smooth, and the hazelnuts gave a nice crunch.

For our main course, we had Duck Leg Confit (180RMB-ish). Again, the fragrance was amazing. The skin was incredibly crispy, and the meat was tender, succulent, and flavorsome. I don’t quite remember what the purée was though. This dish was also served with an arugula salad, with slices of truffle on top. Lovely!

Finally, the pièce-de-résistance, Mr & Mrs Bund’s signature dessert, “Lemon & Lemon Tart” (110RMB). This masterpiece of a dessert takes 3 days to create, starting with hollowing out a lemon, which is then poached whole in sugar syrup. Then, just before it’s served, it is filled with lemon sorbet, lemon curd, orange and grapefruit, and vanilla Chantilly, and finally presented with a single stick of sablé balanced on top. The entire dessert was a remarkable balance of flavor, the lemon rind sweet yet bitter, the lemon sorbet and lemon curd tangy, the orange and grapefruit slices fragrant, and the sablé rich and buttery. The perfect finish to a wonderful meal.