In December 2018, I visited The Shanghai Tavern at the Edition Hotel, Shanghai for brunch. The Shanghai Tavern was helmed by one of my all-time favorite chefs – Scott Melvin, and this restaurant was top on my list upon coming back to Shanghai.
Unfortunately, seems like the restaurant was buried under a pile of corporate bureaucracy, and many things about it were just, not right.
I felt that the food at The Shanghai Tavern
Weekend brunch starts at any 2 courses for ¥258 per and 3 courses at ¥298 per person.
Server cutting a slice of the pork pie Traditional looking interior Server lighting up the Baked Alaska

A complimentary amuse bouche, very signature of Scott Melvin’s style. That is, good strong flavors from the crab that are balanced with saltiness and

The poached eggs were perfectly cooked, paired with delicately smoked salmon and fresh hollandaise sauce. This was a simple classical dish that was well executed.
Crab and Creamed Corn Omelette
Another simple but

After speaking with Scott, I confirmed that this was more of a personal taste thing. I didn’t like it because I

Risotto is one of my favorite things to order, but it was certainly a little unusual to see it on a brunch menu. The crab risotto was nicely executed, though the pairing of charred grapefruit didn’t work as well as one would think. The two flavors were quite disconnected from each other.

The smoked eel risotto fared slightly better, in that there was a good smokiness throughout the dish, and the bites were accentuated with a luxurious burst of umami from the bone marrow. It did get cloying and I grew tired of eating it quickly.

This was a hearty portion, albeit, with the ¥98 supplement, it had better be. As you would expect, this was a very rich and savory dish, from the braised fatty cut of beef to the cheese sauced penne pasta. Another item that I personally felt was too rich for brunch, though I’m sure there are many who would wolf this up in a heartbeat without a complaint.
Desserts came in the form of cakes and stuff from a trolley. They were decent, though for my lack of a sweet tooth, nothing I would shout about.
Conclusion
To be fair, this was experienced back in December 2018, 9 months ago from this time of writing (I took notes).