With the final days of this food festival looming over us, here's a reminder to get out there and enjoy the truly fine dining that we're lucky enough to have available to us in Shanghai! Thursday, April 30th is the final day that the Gourmet Month menu will be offered in Shanghai restaurants. Make your reservations now, because we're betting you won't be the only one rushing out for Gourmet month this week!

Here are a few more reader review highlights to give you some inspiration as well!

Reader Review of Gourmet Month at Casa Mia by alegna_roma

Great deal; well-worth, even relatively cheap!

Aperitif: I liked the smooth and light taste of this "Kir" cocktail. It's a perfect start to a great evening.

Appetizer: I've never had something like "Carpaccio di Petto d`anatra" before, which is like the duck variant of sashimi. From the presentation, it seemed that the dish is carefully prepared and served. I loved the slightly spicy flavor of this starter, owing to the rose pepper, which is quite refreshing from the Sichuan or Hunan spice.

Entrée: I should give the chef two thumbs up for this almost perfect main. The chicken breast was cooked to just about right; it's soft and tender and sweet, you can still savor the juice of this dieters' favorite white piece of meat. It's not dry and overcooked at all. It's a bit disappointing, though, to see a teeny-weeny reddish pink speck of blood in the inner part of my second-to-the-last slab. But I could let that go since over all, it was just great. The sauce, which tasted a lot like mushroom-based, is an exquisite complement: I'd wished they served the dish with mashed potato instead of rice. What really turned me off was the overcooked asparagus. Although it was still flavorful, it was as close to grave as its family name, 'vegatable', suggests. I like my greens crisp. After that wonderful meal, I was already so full, I felt rather sleepy. I lingered around for a while, uncertain if I will be served dessert. I had the chance to experience the place, inhale the atmosphere, and exhale my thoughts.

Ambience: The interior decoration has a rather solemn appeal, perfect for an intimate night out with close friends, family, or with a significant other. The music played by a DJ (as the posters claim, on Thursday and Friday evenings) seem noncomplementary to the overall ambience. Another thing I noticed was that Casa Mia doesn't have identical chairs, except perhaps those at the bar. It gives an impression close to that of dining at some country tavern, which makes me feel kind of "cultured" in some ways. Service: I highly appreciate the service I received from Casa Mia's staff. From the moment I called to inquire of their location, up until I head out to leave, they made me forget I'm in China. The wait staff are very helpful, always there and ready to serve and attend to your needs. If there's one thing I didn't like, it would've been their ever-presence. Had they been as great as they are, yet invisible, I would say they're the best in town. One "mistake" that I think should never happen, for hygienic reasons, was when the waiter cleared my table after I finished my main dish, and took the napkin with the cutlery, then placed a new set directly on to the table (wood) without a napkin.

Dessert: I was typing some notes when the dessert came. It had an aroma similar to that of cinnamon. I confirmed with one of the staff that it's apple pie. I loved the crust! I could've been satisfied without the apple filling. Coupled with the shot of lemoncello that got me all warmed up [again], this heavenly dessert made me feel like it's Christmas or Thanksgiving all over again. I tried to find out if it's 100% made of the apple fruit, or if they use chayote or choko, as the McDonald's apple pie was rumored. I'm no expert enough, but I highly suspect Casa Mia uses real apples.

If I have forgotten anything, that would be that tipping is not as common here in China as it is back home, but with such magnificent service and mouth-watering meal at a sleek restaurant in Shanghai, I couldn't help but leave them with something in appreciation. I left with a good, very satisfied smile. I highly recommend Casa Mia and their CW's Gourmet Month offering. So, what are you waiting for? Don't let this chance pass you by...

Reader Review of Gourmet Month at Le Cygne by missbeverley

I was pretty impressed with the luxe, cozy interior of Le Cygne. It's small but still seats quite a few tables, and a few curved booth seats that we were lucky enough to score. The furnishings are eclectic and don't match perfectly, but it still seems to work in giving both a comfortable yet posh atmosphere. The staff are well trained - the same service as you would expect from any other Western restaurant in Australia. I loved the little touches - like how they re-folded the napkin if you excused yourself from the table, and the change of cutlery for every course. They were attentive, but not in-your-face (can't stand wait staff that hover and stare at you the entire time). We kicked off with some French baguette that arrived warm and crusty. However, the perfect texture was slightly marred by the fact that the bread didn't have that delicious warm bread smell - in fact, it didn't have any smell! A generous mound of butter was provided, but I would have far preferred a garlic & herb butter. Our Strawberry & Mango Daiquiri & Pina Colada were POTENT! They arrived in large glasses and tasted like pure alcohol - to the point where I couldn't taste anything else. Great for getting plonked quickly, but we were more after a delicious sweet cocktail ;) The Pork Rilette with Sweet Onion Marmalade starter was a total stunner. Subtly-flavoured and rich, the pork rilette was delicious on the French baguettes and with a helping of the awesome caramelised onion. Absolutely delicious! We also had the Salad Warmed with Scallop and Goose Liver Raspberry Vinaigrette. I wasn't a fan of the salad because it consisted mostly of rocket leaves (which I find too peppery and overwhelming) but the scallops, despite looking a little sad and small and flat, were tender and delicious. The goose liver was absolutely the BEST part of the dish. It actually had a strange texture, very soft and almost runny, not like other fois gras I've had. However, it was so creamy and moist that we were wishing we had lots lots lots more of it. So good! Our soup choice was the Lobster Bisque with Napoleon Cognac. Sounds decadant, no? It was ;) The bisque was really rich and thick, and delicious with the baguette dunked into it. Strangely, there were really really really fine bits of lobster shell still in it, which gave an odd crunch at times. One more good strain of the soup and it would have been perfect. The Creamed Seafoods with Pine Nuts Sauce was, by far, my favourite dish. Warm buttered rice nestled under a tumble of prawns, scallops and fat mussels.. then smothered with a creamy sauce. It was heaven!! Perfectly flavoured, perfectly textured, and perfect in every way. Scraped every bit off the plate, and was gagging for more. Rack of Lamb with Port wine jus was not actually a rack of lamb, but 2 lamb cutlets, lol. They were small, but perfectly cooked and so tender. The only downside was that they serve the lamb chops with the fat still on them, which I don't like - I'm used to lamb chops trimmed so all you get is tender, lean meat. This dish would have been made perfect if it came with 4 lamb chops, with all the fat removed. The Filet Mignon with Sichuan Pepper and Porcini Jus was another star dish, albeit teeny tiny with just a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it slices of steak. It was delicious with the sauce - which generously came in a little jug and was thick and creamy. The dish needed 3 times the amount of steak, to be honest.

Reader Review of Gourmet Month at Naam Thai by billyjoe

I had a great Gourmet Month dining experience at Naam Thai the other day. This is definitely a good choice for those who like modernized tastes. I felt like this was Thai food with something special added, customized almost just for me. They also have these great red pepper garnishes that look like exotic flowers. It made me feel special for one. The spring rolls were the kind with the soft white wrap. Crunchy, refreshing, and perfectly bite-sized. More like a salad roll and a perfect light way to start off the meal. The sauce was just right too, spicy enough to give it some zip, but not too much for those of us with sensitive tastebuds. If the even more surprising and delicious chicken salad hadn't showed up, I would have been happy just eating these all day! The chicken salad was more like a crispy chicken appetizer than a salad. Crunchy and delicious with a slightly fruity sticky sauce. I chose the galangal soup for my soup choice and was impressed with the light creamy taste. The main course was four dishes and a choice of rices. There were a few of us in my group, so we each had the rice we liked! They all came with such cute presentation like little presents. It made a really well balanced meal with the sauteed eggplant, yummy curry, green veggies, and crispy eggs. I really felt like it covered all of the bases. Everyone I was with had their own favourite, but mine was the eggplant. For dessert, I had the water chestnut dessert. It's really something unique. It's like the tapioca balls from bubble tea almost, but with crunchy bits of water chestnut in the middle. It must take a long time to make! My friends all had the cheesecake and let me have a bite. It was really good too. Creamy and light! Definitely give this a try. The weather was nice and Naam Thai has a perfect outdoor dining area away from the dirt and noise of the street. The service was great and my friends and I all had a great time and there was more food than we could finish!

You have very little time left, so browse the menus, make some choices, and make your reservations now!

You can find the menus in City Weekend's event listings After your meal, go back and write a review for your chance to win your next Gourmet Month meal on the house! Contest details here.

We are giving away multiple dinners! Contest winners will be announced throughout April, all the way up to the last day of Gourmet Month!