As we look forward to the new year, the year of the tiger, Haibao and new subway lines, I predict we’ll witness many delicious developments in our city’s dining scene. I talked to a few folks in the field to learn what they look forward to in the coming year.

Zhang Tao, head of China’s largest restaurant review website Dianping.com, recently told me, “I think the economy in Shanghai is recovering. So this year should be a pretty good one for restaurants.” Zhang, whose site gets over 12 million unique visitors a month says, “I see large trends showing that dining will continue to become more upscale and people will care more and more about décor and service.”

Meanwhile on the cooking side of things, Chef Dane Clouston, who’s been wowing diners at the new Jing’an Restaurant, says he looks forward to using more local, seasonal ingredients next year. “We had a guy who could give us fresh Chinese figs from an organic farm and when they were at the peak of the season they were really beautiful,” he recalls. “If there were more people who supported these great farmers, then the produce would become better. We need to start with the people who are growing and transporting the food.”

Clouston has a remarkably generous attitude toward helping to train the next generation:“I think that the quality of the staff here and the level of the cookery is actually quite high. I really hope to expose my chefs to as much as possible. If they stay with me for two years and then leave to work elsewhere for a bit more money, I want them to go on with a skillset and knowledge so they can grow and develop as chefs as they move on to more and more senior positions.”

There will be plenty of opportunities for Clouston’s young chefs. According to the China Cuisine Association’s recent report, after posting 15 percent yearly growth for 18 consecutive years, China’s F&B market has entered “a rapid development stage.” Apparently we’ll have more dining choices than ever in 2010.

With a bright, food-filled year ahead, I bid goodbye to The Dish. Many thanks to my wonderful readers for your support over the last three years!

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