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cityweekend

At Merryl in, l u n c h shi f t bustles to full capacity with businessmen and office ladies alike, taking advantage of this crystalline-dripped eatery. In typical Shanghainese-style, we began with several starters: the shredded turnip and jellyfish (¥28)—a bit hard to chew through and oily–and kaofu with mushrooms and black fungus (¥12), which, with a distinctive star anise aroma, was delicious. We wanted something light, but our vegetarian rolls wrapped in bean curd (¥25) tasted oily instead, masking the flavors of the carrots and mushrooms inside. Something on the menu caught our eye—beef with chocolate sauce (¥38). The generous chops of beef were tender, drizzled in a sauce so surprising in flavor and peppery in taste that for a minute we thought we were dining at a Western restaurant. However, the coconut-bottomed red bean layer cake (¥8) brought our tastebuds back to Chinese fare. Merrylin is a convenient lunch spot, but if you’re looking for something more palatable, venture out for dinner. –E.C