Check out Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen's new menu with a twist

With autumn quickly moving in and its first six months under its belt on Shanghai’s prestigious Bund, Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen is rolling out a sophisticated new menu with twists on classic comfort dishes.

The menu takes a healthier approach to cooking with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients that pair expertly with Napa’s extensive award-winning wine lists.

Diners can start the meal with Small Bites such as the Beef Tartare “Gangnam Style” (RMB 88) or a Fine de Claire Oyster with spoonful of tangy apple mignotte, fresh cucumber and wasabi (RMB 65).

A 2011 Chapoutier, Belleruche Cotes du Rhone White wine from France can be matched with a variety of dishes such as the thick Clam Chowder improved by its silky potato base (RMB 78); or the 8-hour simmered Abalone accompanied by tender halibut cheek and the Iberian ham, mild white daikon and a light shitake mushroom consommé (RMB 98).

With a medium to full bodied three-grape blend it’s especially suitable for cooler weather.

“The Autumn menu is inspired by slow-cooked and seasonal home-style foods. We make as much as we can in-house so we can produce simple, yet deliciously creative food that can be easily paired with a good bottle of wine.”

Chef Patrick Dang’s down-to-earth and imaginative approach is apparent in the Starch & Grain dishes (available as individual or sharing sizes) such as an edible recreation of “the Autumn Field” with a pumpkin pudding base, mushroom ‘trees’ and crispy rice, toasted oats and other heart-healthy grains making up the ‘ground’ (RMB 78/138); the Risotto with Fall Flavors of porcinis, Brussels sprouts and caramelized onions (RMB 88/158); and the House-made Saffron Spaghetti mixed with cuttlefish “Bolognese”, chili, caper and olives (RMB 78/138). 

A perfect accompaniment for the pasta dishes is the youthful 2010 Planeta, Cerasoulo di Vittoria made from Sicilian sun-ripened Nero d’Avola grapes.

Guests sip wine while watching through the semi-open kitchen window as Chef Patrick prepares signature mains such as the Trio of Kurobuta Pork served glazed, seared and roasted (RMB258); the Southern Lamb with a sunflower seed cooked risotto (RMB 258) and the tender 9+ marbling full blood wagyu beef by David Blackmore (RMB488).