Boonna Cafe 3
1690 Huaihai Zong Lu,
French Concession
near Wuxing Lu
淮海中路1690号
近吴兴路
6433-0835
Open 7am-11pm
Price Y100-Y199 per couple
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- City Weekend
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Just a few steps back from the busy street rests a peaceful deck patio and a small cafe known to those in the know as a haven for Wi-Fi enthusiasts. Donated English and Chinese books and magazines line the bookshelves, cushions adorn the bench seating and cappuccinos, simple Chinese-style Western fare and Macbooks dot every table.

A Boonna in Training
On a drizzly night we wandered down a short lane to the youngest of the Boonna sisters that, at the moment, remains little known to laptop carrying crowds. Tucked away within a quiet residential nook, Boonna 3 and its outdoor deck immediately caught out interest. Stark white walls offset by simple black tables and hard bench seating dotted with red cushions (a signature Boonna trait, but we suggest more cushions) lent a clean, minimalist look to the space. The bookshelf, stocked in other Boonna locations, is relatively bare here, a sign that this incarnation is still in its infancy and in need of literary donations. We settled in and quickly discovering that the menu translations weren't spot on. Our appetizers (which arrived last) consisted of "Whole Wheat Bread with Avocado" (YY28), literally as the name implies, and the "Sausage and Mashed Potato with Basil" (YY28), with sausage akin to that you can find on a stick at Lawson's and the mashed potatoes actually pesto, not basil. We ordered the soup of the day (YY20), which our waiter thought was spinach but was actually broccoli. This didn't matter though because, with its garlic whole wheat croutons, it was delicious. A chicken burrito (YY30) was actually a chicken wrap, though this too turned out to be a nice, simple dish. The lasagna (YY40) was dense and cheesey with a comfort food quality to it, outshining the spaghetti bolognaise (YY30) whose mild sauce had a nice hint of nutmeg. Request the balsamic dressing for your side salad though, the honey mustard concoction is all mustard, no honey. The extensive drink list offers a variety of brewed and specialty coffees, cocktails and more and while the food definitely fits the Chinese-style Western food category, this café will undoubtedly become a popular spot for laptop toters once it grows into the space. --Trista Baldwin