If carrying luggage onto the Metro, prepare to be inspected. That new police officer hanging out drinking tea is manning one of the new security check panels and Fido is sniffing for more than just his next Scooby snack. Medium to large bags and suitcases are now subject to inspection ... Read more »

Effective June 1, 2008, the Chinese government's newest anti-drug laws come into effect. What does this mean for foreigners? A trip through the Chinese legal system. The new restrictions emphasize compulsory rehabilitation (two to three years) for users though we're willing to bet that, best case scenario, foreigners ... Read more »

By now, you must have heard about (or even felt) the devastating earthquake in Wenchuan county, Sichuan. Like everyone else across China, we here at City Weekend have been asking how we can help. To make it easier for all of you in Shanghai who want to do something to ... Read more »

Well, that didn't take long. As an update to a blog I posted exactly a week ago, Bistrow has reinstated the sticky date pudding. I hadn't even bought my placard yet or organized a picket line.

Says Jackie Yun, "We have listened to the masses and brought back ... Read more »

Just like any romance, the relationship between restaurant, customer, owner, landlord is a fickle one. When it's good, it's great. When it's not, you know. For example, the two El Cubano restaurants (Hongqiao and Jing'an) have parted ways and now have two different owners though the ... Read more »

My friend always tells me that he thinks Una's has the best pepperoni pizza in town. According to him, let's call him John Thomas (you know who you are!), it's the pepperoni itself that makes the pizza--salty, flavorful, delicious. While he may be right, pizza is nothing ... Read more »

Food streets are Shanghai's hidden gems, smoky strips of cheap grub stalls and shops. Try vegetable kebabs covered in oil and salt for starters, follow up with an oyster drowning in chopped garlic (ignore the pile of them being shelled directly on the street- fire kills all known germs ... Read more »

China Retail News reports that Yum! plans to open 425 more restaurants this year, and 20,000 more in the long-term.

The article, released on May 9, 2008 reads:

According to foreign media sources, Yum!, the owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, is planning its expansion in China, and the ... Read more »

It’s hard to believe that it’s finally that time of year again. The weather has been unbelievably beautiful. This lovely spring time weather seemed like it would never come, but it’s finally here which leads me to start thinking about what’s coming up – summer! Summer means ... Read more »

As I sat at my desk typing diligently away at events for the up-and-coming issue of City Weekend, I suddenly began to feel a strange sense of nausea, but not nausea. I was swaying back and forth in my chair, but not on purpose. The initial hypochondriac paranoia--am I getting ... Read more »

Actually I intended to write this article about a month ago, but feeling daring that day, my friend and I ventured further north on line eight to Huanggong Park, a vapid place where some villain meticulously filed through our bags while we dozed under a tree. He/she nicked a ... Read more »

or is everyone in a funk? there was enough going on this weekend, but everyone I seemed to talk to seemed...well, down.

is it this visa thing? pre-summer build-up?

maybe I'm just getting old. Read more »

I think at a certain point in life, every classy gent needs a good collection of booze in their house- it's the male version of having cushions and those tiny miniature ornamental boxes that ladies like.

When I first realised that a quart of cooking Sherry and three Cherry ... Read more »

Friday

As always, this Friday night has way too many options. Moving from east to west, there’s the Bund Brewery’s Microbrewery Beer: All You Can Drink party starting on the early side at 7pm. Then party and smirk a bit to yourself while you enjoy your open bar ... Read more »

Not a lot of people can go on for over 15 minutes about his plight in locating missing footwear....but Devon Clifford, drummer for YSP! is one of them. As read in this week's article, here is the full, albeit long-but-worth-it video taken at La Bella cafe.

Part 1 ... Read more »

While after the 'renovations' we swore off our little hipster haven, there's just no excuse for not attending 'Mircologo' tonight as the Who's Who of the minimal crowd (B6, tootekool, Ben Huang) pair up with accomplished musicians such as JQ Whitcomb (trumpet), Mark Pummell (keyboards), Vladmir (guitar) for ... Read more »

Just returned to the home office/garden from a lovely luncheon at T8 with the folks behind the Puli Hotel, the lux pile going up across from Jing’an Temple, and sked’d for an October launch. A few other media types and myself were invited for the very first ... Read more »

To keep it fresh and interesting, many restaurants like to change up their menu from time to time. As my parents are in town, I decided to take them over to Bistrow by Wagas for Saturday brunch. After our meal (and their three cups of coffee ... each--I've heard a ... Read more »

Shanghai is, without doubt, a city for the single man.

So much so that I’m thinking about starting a service at Pudong airport for visiting businessmen to check in their wedding rings for the duration of the trip.

I fell for a girl on pretty much my first night ... Read more »

Recently, Zagat launches their 2008 Shanghai survey. Reviewer Kim-Tien Huynh took a jaunt over to the press event at the Four Seasons to check out the launch and hear more about Zagat's 2008 survey results. Here's her report below:

The results of the Zagat Shanghai Top Restaurants and ... Read more »

Some more change-ups on the scene to report. The JW Marriott California Grill has revamped their entire menu, going with a "red" theme--red meat, red lobster, red wine. Says chef Danio Galli, "Our menu before was no in line with what my understanding of a grill is." It's all ... Read more »

Our friends over at Shanghaiist recently chances across a protest on Taikang Lu (you can check out Jake Newby's report on the event here) by a resident who felt that the burgeoning Bohemian development was disruptive to residents; she decided to pin up some banners to that effect. The ... Read more »

Beijing is waging a war against smoking, banning smoking in public places. The caveat to this is that smoking is permissible in restaurants, bars, internet cafes and amusement parks in designated areas. While efforts may have increased due to the Olympics, the National Health Ministry has been making a move ... Read more »