Second Bite Review, June 2011

Moving Up

Faced with the impending takeover of three floors of the China World Trade Center by Louis Vuitton, Taj Pavilion’s Guomao branch was displaced this May. The new spot, in China Overseas Plaza, is just minutes away on foot. It has some small advantages over the old address, and the atmosphere, food and service have all remained intact.

The new location doesn’t feel much larger, but with 80 seats and a large private room, it is. The new second-floor perch affords better views of the CBD, with skyscrapers mixed in with lush green trees outside the windows. Another advantage of the China Overseas Plaza location is the bathroom: It’s still located outside of the actual restaurant, but diners are no longer faced with the labyrinthine trek to the toilets we used to dread back at the China World Trade Center.

Taj Pavilion’s move certainly hasn’t hurt its business. The place was packed on the Monday evening we visited, and we were just about the only ones there who weren’t Indian, which speaks volumes about the quality and authenticity of the food. The lassis (we tried mango and salty, both ¥25) are superb, and the palak paneer is our favorite in the city. Butter chicken (¥78) is spicier and richer—as well as less orange-colored—than at other Indian restaurants, and the healthy hara bara kebabs (¥36) are always a delight.

We recognized both Indian and Chinese staff from the original location, so service remains as gracious, considerate and helpful as always. Taj has been one of our top picks for Indian dining since we first visited the Lido branch back in 2008, and this latest move hasn’t changed our opinion at all.

Sienna Parulis-Cook