THE PLUMP OYSTER

weibo

chef — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:49:38 +0000

The “before photos”

chef — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:36:55 +0000

So I’ve been working hard with my designer to get our layout all sorted, and create the right space for Shanghai to enjoy great drinks and oysters. Things are moving along well, and I’m pleased with the way the space has turned out. Its a balance of trying to work with space, whats feasible, whats necessary for work-flow, whats necessary for the customer, and throw in as much of the “ideal things” without breaking the budget.

So you all can have an idea of where this starts off, here are a couple quick pictures of the empty space. Stay tuned to see how this space evolves!

THE PLUMP OYSTER

chef — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:46:42 +0000

THE PLUMP OYSTER – SHANGHAI – COMING EARLY SUMMER 2012

An intelligently casual Oyster Bar featuring fresh oysters from around the globe, personally selected wines, great cocktails, artisan beers, and eclectic bar food.
Our passion is to provide the customer with a unique and individualized drink, dinning, & oyster experience. Fresh, uncomplicated food and high quality drinks will compliment our focus on fantastic fresh oysters.
We will ensure a memorable stay with attentive and friendly service with staff that has a genuine passion for hospitality, culinary arts, and the oyster experience. We will set the standard for “oyster culture” in China.
With an oyster bar & lounge, an outdoor patio, and a rooftop terrace, you will surely find a place to enjoy and relax.

Taikang Terrace

chef — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:35:13 +0000

So I’ve finally found the home for THE PLUMP OYSTER!

After months of waiting, the oyster lovers of Shanghai will now have China’s first true oyster bar. From American chef & passionate oyster lover David Brode, and the people behind Osteria Restaurant; the place where the oyster love affair started in Shanghai comes – The Plump Oyster.

It will be located at the up-and-coming Taikang Terrace in the Luwan district, tucked away from the corner of Jian Guo Zhong Lu & Rui Jin Er Lu.

The Plump Oyster will have a large, seasonal selection of directly imported oysters from all over the globe, one of the largest selections of artisan gin’s around, a unique wine and beer list, as well as chef David’s eclectic and well paired foods.

At The Plump Oyster’s location there will be a lounge and a true oyster bar, as well as a patio and rooftop terrace. The Plump Oyster is a place where the oyster culture standard will be set. An oyster bar that will be open late-night for your “midnight oyster cravings”.

Arouse your love affair with oysters @ The Plump Oyster, starting in June.

To keep informed about what’s going on, and more details closer to opening, join our Weibo@ theplumpoyster, or email theplumpoyster@hotmail.com to join our mailing list

171 Jian guo zhong Lu, Taikang Terrace, #301 – Luwan – Shanghai

David Brode大卫•布罗德
手机：1391 807 1254
邮箱：theplumpoyster@hotmail.com
网站：www.theplumpoyster.com
微博: theplumpoyster
facebook: theplumpoyster

普朗姆生蚝吧 – 上海 – 2012年6月试营业
大中华区食用进口生蚝的最佳去处将在Taikang Terrace拉开帷幕

经过几个月的紧张筹备，幸运的生蚝控们终于等到了中国第一家真正的生蚝酒吧。来自美国的厨师长，生蚝达人大卫•布罗德在上海最受欢迎的生蚝餐厅Osteria全体员工的鼎力支持下，为您精心打造“普朗姆生蚝吧”。

普朗姆生蚝吧座落于上海市黄金地段的Taikang Terrace，远离尘嚣静静地隐蔽在建国中路和瑞金二路的一处宁静中。

普朗姆生蚝吧将为您献上从世界各地进心挑选的品种繁多，时令进口的新鲜生蚝。并与之搭配最合适的酒水饮料。我们预备了品种众多口味独特的葡萄酒、金酒、啤酒及精心调配的鸡尾酒来搭配生蚝，当然还少不了厨师长David为您精心制作的美食。

普朗姆生蚝吧将真正营造出轻松舒适的酒吧氛围，顶层露台和大阳台的绝妙景色也会令您难忘。在这里你能体会到整个生蚝文化从萌芽，成长，成熟到壮大。酒吧将营业至凌晨，满足您对生蚝的任何欲望。

普朗姆生蚝吧将于六月启动点燃您对生蚝的热情和欲望之火。

如需随时了解详情，欢迎关注我们的微薄：@ theplumpoyster，或者发邮件到theplumpoyster@hotmail.com

普朗姆生蚝吧- 上海市卢湾区建国中路171号，Taikang Terrace, 301室

GEARING UP

chef — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:55:31 +0000

Things are moving along here in Shanghai, China. And as the holidays fly by, I will be making a lot of changes to this site, as well as my other site “plumpoyster.com”. I will convert this personal food site over to “plumpoyster.com”, so that this site can become the home of my new oyster bar! We are gearing up here in Shanghai, and have an optimistic plan to be open in March, and rockin’ N rollin’ in May. Timing here has been working out for everything so far, and although we had originally planned on being open last month, we are happy with the progress.
November was filled with trade shows, special dinners, and oyster events. Patrick McMurray, the champion oyster shucker from Toronto, Canada was here for 10 days of Shucking Madness. As well as Micheal Blackie of Onterio, Canada, one of the best chefs in Canada. The three of us cooked up a storm, shucked up a storm, and had our own version of “Debbie Does Dallas”, only it was more like “The Three Pickle Heads Do China” (and actually it was more like “Five Pickle Heads Do China”…Have to include Peter and Rudy!). That may not be the best way to describe it, but lets just say we traveled all over Eastern China, had smash-hit events, and ate, partied, and had loads of fun. Keeping the sleep to a minimum of 2-4 hours per night, and work days of 12 hours or more, there was no room for nonsense (well, maybe more room for nonsense)… Either way, we had huge successes with oyster promotions, created a special bond to the Westin in Beijing as well as Starwood Asia, and will be having many more of our Culinary Rock ‘N Roll Asian Tours! Next time we may switch it up a bit but this time we went from Qingdao to Hong Kong, to Shanghai, to Beijing, back to Shanghai then Fuzhou, then Beijing again and then right into bathrobes to eat watermelon in Shenzhen, and Hong Kong again for our “Honeymoon”. Nuts.
The next one should be in April, and we hope to have it coincide with the Opening Party of The Plump Oyster in Shanghai! Keep tuned, as there has been LOTS of things going on here… And I will keep a more regular blog roll of all the happenings since the other “pickle heads” are back in North America, and I have a little more regular rest…!!!;)
And thanks again to our hosts in Fuzhou & Beijing. It was a blast!

Qingdao Seafood Expo

chef — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:09:45 +0000

At the Qingdao Seafood Expo, which is a massive seafood trade show. Trying to source good product, and understand the seafood market a bit more. Its quite impressive, and absolutely a massive show. this makes McCormick Place in Chicago look a little less significant!
I’ve also gotten a kick out of how pushy the Chinese booths are when a white guy like me walks by. I can’t make it passed them with out them making sure I take their informational flyers and such. I guess I look like a walking yuan. Funny.

A little Mud Fish Soup. Mei Wei;)

chef — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:51:20 +0000

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Places I’ve been Eating at Lately…

chef — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:39:06 +0000

Fuchun – Shanghainese/Chinese. Excelent XLB

Yakitori Fukuchan – Tiny little Yakitori place on Changle Lu. I thought it was good. Definately get the GINKO NUTS. AWESOME!!!

Goga – Smart Asian Californian Fushion. Great on the terrace up top if the weather is good!

Mr & Mrs Bund – Contemporary. Its got the great location on the bund, and the food is great if you do the 200RMB lunch or after 11pm dinner…

Jiao Bai

chef — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:30:56 +0000

My new FAVORITE vegetable has become “jiao bai”, a seasonal type of bamboo shoot that grows around Shanghai. I’m not exactly sure what it is, but there is a perfect balance of texture (crunchy, chewy, creamy) and flavor (bitter, sweet, savory) that I really cannot get enough of. Its kind of like bamboo shoots that you would find in a stir-fry, but its a little whiter in color, a little more interesting texture (more delicate) and it has this wonderfully tangy sweet flavor.
I was at a little Shanghainese restaurant and had this in a dish for the first time. It was in a slightly salty-sweet soy reduction this time. Delicious! I was a little greedy with my portion to say the least.
Luckily, and to my surprise, staff meal at the restaurant the next day was a stir-fry with lots of fresh Jiao Bai, and pork! I was beaming with happiness that I not only had this the day before, but had it AGAIN the next day, without even having to go looking for it!
Two days went by, and I had it at another Shanghainese restaurant tonight. Ahhh. Got to get as much of this stuff before winter comes and I wont be able to find it for a few months!!

Out in the Boonies!

chef — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:24:09 +0000

Didn’t take long, and before I knew it I was out looking for cheap kitchen equipment. No place to put it, but my partner is all about looking for a good deal. Little did I know that the place was far from the center of Shanghai.
For over an hour we were slowly moving along side the amazingly congested flow of trucks, trucks, and more trucks, all with dirt and dust and chinese lettering all over them. Goods going to port to be shipped over seas, scrap metal going to be sold for something, garbage, boxes, cars, construction material, chickens, you name it, its on the road and moving! Plus it was hot and we were in a nicely full car. Cozy, sweaty and sun filled, rolling down a chinese highway.
No signs of things being slow around here (well, except for the traffic at times).
After we went past hundreds and hundreds of apartment buildings, factories, hotels, stores, etc, etc, etc, we were out in the middle of nowhere looking at piles of used and partially used kitchen equipment. From ovens to fabricated benches, stove tops, griddles, warehouses of coolers, lowboys, stacks of glassware, and rusty decrepit parts of kitchens past, even stacks and stacks of banquet chairs. This was surely the place to pick up a few things!
There were warehouses of chinese guys and scrap metal and welders all over. Re-fabricating pieces, making new ones, and even retrofitting these “custom” things (like a stock pot, that was rather rickety, but cheap enough I was considering it).
Needless to say I was excited, not only because we were starting to piece together the kitchen (maybe not exactly of my dreams, but at least the cheap Chinese version), and making some progress on negotiating some decent prices. Perhaps the boonies will be where the true infancy of “The Plump Oyster” has begun.

Real estate

chef — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:15:37 +0000

It all comes down to location it seems. Shanghai was obviously a little cheaper and a little more “available” a few years back. Opportunities change as things become more saturated. Although there are still a lot more opportunities here than elsewhere in the world, I still need a good spot for this restaurant. Narrowing down on what will be the right size, right location, and correct price is a tricky endeavor. My biggest question has become, is what is the non-gringo price? I’m mean really, do I have to look like a sucker because I’m foreign? There are little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that charge about $2 US for a great meal, and I’m certain their rent is pretty darn reasonable!
Going to have to get a Chinese tutor so I can negotiate more like local….
I am happy to say that regardless, I am still enjoying those little tasty bites for cheap. My breakfast of Boa ze, the steamed bun dumplings filled with pork was delicious, and at around $.20 US for two, I want to pay their rent!

Long night in Shanghai…

chef — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:42:02 +0000

So I’ve come to the conclusion that staying out until 6am drinking copious amounts of gin & tonics is NOT the way to get a restaurant open. Especially, when the following day was spent asleep. I woke up at 6 PM, with a good 12 hrs of sleep under my belt, thinking that perhaps it was 6am. I was not so lucky, and the alarm that I had set for 9am, obviously went completely unnoticed in my gin snooze.
After trying to do some work that evening, I was watching some UFC (Ultimate fighting), and thinking that my head felt just like the guy who just got the living shit beat out of him. And better for him, as even though he was getting punched repeatedly in the head, and was rather bloody, he was at work. I tried to work. Didn’t go super well. And I found my self sweating profusely, as my body tried to rid itself of about 15 cups of gin.
Shanghai is an interesting city. You have an odd mix of foreigners, travelers, business people, and people from just about every walk of life. The city is rather limited on the activity list though, and when you are not working, you’re probably out eating or out partying. Or both.
There is quite a crazy night scene here, and if you want to go from cozy lounge, to pool bar, to thumpingly loud cramped club, to one of the many super late night foreigner hang-outs with lots of working ladies, you can. And it will probably do you not a whole lot of good the following day. But thats Shanghai for you. Work. Party. Thats about it.
I’m happy to say that last night I did not have to endure such shennanagans, as I had the night prior. I had a nice bowl of coconutty Laksa and a nice fresh apple juice. My body was thanking me quite a bit this morning, when I was actually able to wake up at 5am, go for a long jog, and look for places to put this restaurant. Seems as if I’ll be off the train, or on the train, or what ever the hell that expression means. The one that will make my liver happy, and actually let me focus on getting a place opened so I can get other people drunk until the wee hours of the morning. At least then, I’ll feel better, and have some money… I hope!

Yum

chef — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:16:45 +0000

Well, there really is nothing better than hole-in-the-wall street food in the morning. Doesn’t matter whether you are in Mexico picking up some freshly made tortillas, France with a baguette and some butter, Spain with some Pan con Tomate (not really street food, but its awesome), a bag of cut-up tropical fruit in Malaysia, or some fresh coconuts in Belize. This morning I was wandering around nice and early, about 7am, and got a little stuffed eating different kinds of Islamic breads that are made all over the neighborhood just south of my place. My favorite is one that has heavily seasoned stir-fried cabbage and carrots in between a thin flatbread. yum.
Nothing like fried bread in the morning! Breakfast of Champions.
Now I’m in a Starbucks (for the fast internet damn it!), listening to celtic fiddle music. Where am I? Somethings are just too weird in life.

One more night in Shanghai.

chef — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:04:22 +0000

It really does not feel like it has been very long since I was in Shanghai. And the fact that I’ve kept coming back, over and over, seems to make sense. The craziness of the streets, filled with people, bicycles, scooters, taxis, busses, and cars zooming all about. The lights, chinese symbols all over the place, little whole-in-the places packed with people chowing down on tasty chinese food, and even the buzz around places like Starbucks and McDonald’s, which even as much I don’t like those two places it is rather funny to see them here, seemingly out of context yet fitting in so well.
The striking thing to me here, is how fast things can be done. Starting a business in the states seems like a particularly painfully slow process. Even when you are familiar with things and speak the language. I get here, and all the sudden, within days, I have a residence license, purveyors lined up, bank accounts, appointments with multiple realtors, and more opportunities and possibilities than I could have imagined. And I don’t even know the language!
I can imagine a little more accurately now the feeling of people coming from Europe to the US back in the day. Lots of commotion, “progress”, change, possibilities, opportunities, and monumental change from what they knew before.
Some times good things don’t happen until you throw yourself out there, and take a leap of faith so to speak (even if its a blind one)!

It Begins…

chef — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:41:56 +0000

Due to popular demand, I must keep up an actual blog on this site. I’m assuming that because of my recent move, there will be plenty of exiting things to write about…

So far I’ve already had the delight of smuggling some cheeses into China, and worrying about my chef’s knives.
As for moving food around the globe, I will always be the one to try and test fate with some cured meats, exotic fruit, stinky cheeses, bags of powders and spices, basically all the things that can cause a delay at customs. Surprisingly enough, I’ve never had a problem.
Even one time at O’Hare when I had about 4 kilos (approximately 9 pounds) of various pork products including 2 kilos of Jamon de Iberico (the spendy Pata Negra) which was only wrapped in paper becasue the shop I purchased the glorious stuff didnt have plasic. I tried to conseal it by making a makeshift bag out of a dry-cleaning plastic jacket cover. Needless to say it was half-assed, and I could smell it when I picked up the bag at the carousel. When I went through customs he asked me, “what do you do for a living”, my answer; “chef”, then he asked me “are you bringing back any food or food products”, my answer; “nope”. The guy looked at me a little funny. Perhaps he was wondering if a chef can possibly go to Spain and not bring back food.
Luckily when I dropped off the immigration form at the next check point, the guy didnt seem to think that my bag should have gone through the x-ray. Lucky me, and lucky stomach. That stuff was delicious!
So when I headed over here, I have to do the same gauntlet. Why, aah, who knows. But this time I have a bunch of cheese and a roll of chefs knives and other kitchen paraphernalia.
Didn’t seem to be too much of a problem, as I picked up my bag after immigration, got my bags and walked towards the customs check point.
Now as in other airports, there are a few security guards, a roped off line, and an x-ray machine. It is very apparent that they are counting the people coming through, and picking specific people to go through the x-ray and check point. I was a little nervous that they may not understand the chef’s knives, so I was watching how they were counting people. I tried my best to time when I joined the line, so that I would be somewhere in the middle and not be selected.
At the same moment I’m thinking of my wonderful experience at O’Hare in ’05 when I went to Sweden with some kitchen utensils. The look on the policeman’s face when he pulled a 12 inch chef’s knife out of my bag was almost as priceless as the people behind me in line. I ended up on the flight only because some of the Chicago police thought they were getting a freebie meal at Carlos’ Restaurant!
But this is not Chicago, and they wouldn’t necessarily have a clue right? No free dinners I can give out yet…
So I jump in line and hope for the best.
That guy goes to the x-ray, that gal goes, and oooh, the lady right in front of me! Yeah, she’s probably got all kinds of illegal stuff. Take her!
Gotta love walking away from a potentially frustrating situation unscathed;)
But wait….!
I realize when I’m walking towards the metro in Shanghai that they have x-ray machines at all the stops. And there is the Maglev train. The one that goes 435km/hour, and gets you in to Shanghai in 7 minutes, so do they. Did I want to get a taxi and spend more money? Not really. So I’m wondering which train will be the best option with a bunch of knives in my bag. After much deliberation, I decided that if I spent more, and there were less people, maybe I would have less of a hassle. So I went to the Maglev, bought my ticket, and placed all of my bags on the belt that moved them into the x-ray machine.
Seems as if the girl standing and directing me, and the girl looking at the monitor had more important things to discuss. I was in Shanghai in 7 minutes! (Instead of jail in 7 minutes..;)
Funny thing is, I’m pretty sure everything I brought was ok to bring into the country! I did get a little worried though, that there may have been a little difficulty explaining such things.

Now I just need to focus on recipes, suppliers, spaces, and so forth…