The speed at which Shanghai changes is breathtaking, even to the most passive observers. And as the city charges forward, so does its dining scene.
Restaurants evoking the past and present are crowding into a city fast building a name for itself as a sophisticated dining destination.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Chinese food sector.
The name of the game is now private dining, a practice that the Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong has tapped into with the opening of what has been billed 'Asia's first exclusive VIP restaurant dining concept'.
The hotel recently converted its entire 41st floor into 10 private dining rooms, capable of handling eight to 20 people each. All have spectacular views of Shanghai's dramatic skyline.
Executive chef Fan Ming-qi, who prepared the famous One Table banquet for 20 world leaders attending the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum 2001 in Shanghai - cooks up dishes for anywhere between 150 and 550 yuan (HK$141 to $517) a head, including delicacies such as Jadeite chicken mousse soup, Jinjiang roast duck and Fried fillet of cod with matsutake mushroom.
