We’ve been hitting up Xintiandi
more than usual of late, because
new restaurants keep on appearing.
Following the ranks of Paris Bleu,
Chikalicious and Sweat & Tears
– although further north than this
group of new openings – is Calix,
a restaurant, lounge and live
music venue from the Muse and
Barbarossa Groups.
The vibe inside is pretty relaxed,
with a large central bar and a stage
on one side of the room. Upstairs
are a couple of private dining
rooms, as well as the kitchen and
a (currently unfurnished) terrace.
Overall, though the space is well
done enough, it seems a little
lacking in identity. Where it does
come into its own, however, is in the
food department.
With Chef Javier Carrizosa (group
head chef for the Barbarossa Group)
at the helm, and consultation from
Anna Bautista and Sean Jorgensen
(who recently worked their magic at
Chez Maurice), things have gotten
off to a good start. The menu offers
modern American dishes: chowder,
buffalo wings, lobster mac and cheese,
and plenty
of beef – with a
couple of fun Asian twists. Think
banh mi and kimchi baos.
The ‘beginnings’, ranging in price
from 52RMB for onion rings to
158RMB for lobster banh mi rolls,
provide great value. The latter offers
three mini brioche buns brimming
with chunks of lobster in a coconut
and lemongrass cream sauce. It’s a
decadent riff on the humble banh mi
– a Vietnamese street food classic –
and one we are happy to fork out for.
Similarly good value are the
‘Aloha!’ crab and shrimp cakes
(88RMB). Although we were
expecting some kind of Hawaiian
lei to accompany this plate,
instead we’re content to find two
classy, plump patties atop a pool
of aioli made with mango and grain
mustard. The sweetness of the fruit is
offset by
a slight
tang
from the
mustard,
and both
team well
with the crab
cakes.
For mains,
there’s a focus on
beef (from 258RMB for
a 250g tenderloin), and surf-and-turf options (from 458RMB for
a half lobster and rib-eye steak),
however we’re more drawn
to the following page.
A heaving pile of
eight-hour slow-roasted
pork ribs
is available for
158RMB, and
arrives served
with a devilled
egg potato salad.
The ribs are sticky
and sweet, coated
in a chipotle, honey
and barbecue glaze,
offset by a simple
potato salad that doesn’t
quite offer the same flavour
rollercoaster.
The ‘Million Dollar Lobster Mac!!!’
(and yes there are three exclamation marks on the menu), is printed with
the tagline ‘The dish that you can’t
resist’, making it hard not to order.
Although on the expensive side
(188RMB), we’re presented with a
plentiful dish of lobster chunks and
cheese-coated macaroni. If you like
mac and cheese, this is a damn fine
rendition and certainly worthy of one
exclamation mark, if not three.
Given its proximity to the centre
of Xintiandi, Calix will do well with
tourists, while those working in
the area should certainly work
it into their lunch routines. The
large downstairs terrace makes
it a pleasant spot for
lunch or dinner when
the weather is
cooperating,
although we’re
not convinced
the menu
alone will drag
us back to
Xintiandi very
often.
By Victoria Brownlee
