Madison

Amazing brunch experience, had a huge table of food so we took a bite of everything! Poached Eggs, were very yummy with this amazing homemade bearnaise sauce, and the Deviled Eggs, lets just say we had two orders of those. French toast was amazing, with banana sandwiched in between and blueberry sauce and syrup drizzled on top. The Waffle Chicken Sandwich was very delicious, the faint sweet maple aroma was perfect with chicken and veggies inside. The smoked salmon bagel was bursting with smoked salmon, the chunks were falling off the plate. BLT was good also, must eat while hot. The spiced hot chocolate was very thick and rich, something to dip the over-sugared donuts into. Fried cheese balls... like there could be anything wrong with that!

Glad that Madison is open again. It's a good restaurant in many aspects. I even like the selection of home-made breads to start. My only problem is the small portion size. Why do some pricy restaurants think that giving tiny amounts of food makes customers feel happy? If it wasn't for filling up on the bread I would have left hungry.

I ordered the cuttlefish and as it was the appetizer, it set the mood for the rest of the dishes. I couldn't even eat it. It was so chewy (not soft) and actually pretty disgusting. I was really surprised. I guess I wasn't that hungry to chew the tiny pieces for 5 min. each. So just had the leaves. The waiter noticed and he was nice. He asked if i didn't like it, and I told him the truth, sorry it's inedible. He said he wouldn't charge for it, i said it was okay. He was nice at least. When I go to nice restaurants, I am not really look for freebies, just awesome food. I am a fish lover and the fish I had seamer or something like that was fried. I avoid deep fried anything. So I prefer broiled or baked. This was fried almost like deep fried... hm...
I went there with a party of 5 of us. We all had entrees and main dish and three of us had dessert and two bottles of wine. The bill was 4000 RMB.
Overall good service though, but probably need to return and try new dishes as my selection didn't work for me.

congrats to young chef Austin for finding this great location!
the new space is much nicer than the original one..
the food - cannot really compare yet, since they've only opened the casual side
if you enjoy being surrounded by a room-full of ABC's, eat here. (when I passed by at brunch, the place was packed)
loved the clam chowder, every spoonful was filled with little juicy clams .. everything else I tried was a tad too salty for my personal liking - but I didnt grow up on American food, so some might find my taste too bland..
won't give a rating until the adjoining/main restaurant reopens in a few weeks..

Ahem. Very very very soft opening today...

Was looking for Madison on Yueyang Road. What is the exact address? Is it open already? Or when will it open?

Fyi City Weekend: I passed by Dongping Road a few days ago. Not Me, Azul, Madison are all closed. Looks like a big construction site with graffiti on the walls.

After reading all these great reviews and awards Madison are getting i thought i would give it a shot. i realize this is "fine dining" in Shanghai i normally avoid them like the plague as there never live up to standards like in Europe etc. And they tend to charge a big price tiny portions and you left feeling cheated out of a hard earned cash.
Bread = excellent
cod cakes = no seasoning and TINY!!!! easily 3 pieces are just one mouthful each.
bean with chestnut chips and garlic= pretty good but the chestnut chips were very stale.
pumpkin ravioli = look and tasted like store bought square ravioli, not quite sure on his take of a sage butter sauce but it was a grey gloopy mess, i did like the touch of the breadcrumbs on top.been in china the masters of dumpling surely one of his chefs could be making better ravioli than this,
roast chicken = very well presented and beautifully cooked.

The service was by far the best i have had in Shanghai, the environment good too.

if someone else paying i would go back for sure, but if i had to pay the bill i would hesitate.

Kampachi tartare w/ shallots, cashew, radish appetizer kept our excitement rolling. The kampachi tartare had a fresh fragrant taste and the cashew gave it that crunchiness to contrast that slimy kingfish sashimi. We only hoped for a better balance of kampachi/cashew ratio, as the tartare was deeply infiltrated by the cashew and conquered the whole dish.
The Lamb duo – cauliflower, curry, raisins, and almonds had a reminiscent of authentic Indian flavors. It had that distinctive spice that worked towards its advantage. The garnish and seasoning was great. However, we felt that the quantity of our main was quite small. I was expecting to be 30%-50% more than what was served.
Madison would put up a good fight even against the “New American” heavy weights in New York. The food, service and décor matched to the restaurant concept of being a classy, glamorous and sophisticated fine dining restaurant. I saw a major improvement in the food and overall presentation of the restaurant. I went from being cynical prior to dinner service and walked out as a devoted Madison fan.
For full review and pictures: http://fattoro.com/2012/03/01/madison-best-of-new-american/

wish i could afford to go to madison everyday

At first glance, the dishes on the menu look fairly standard, but Austin Hu's use of top notch, primarily local ingredients really makes a difference, giving otherwise run-of-the mill Western dishes real fusion flair. His flavor combinations are unexpected, punchy, and work very well together. Go for the chicken liver and foie gras mousse, fried oysters, the venison, and the warm apple tart -- all are fantastic! There is also an excellent selection of wines. One of my two or three favorite meal experiences in Shanghai (and high on my list globally too)!

per person

Hi Aloha, quick question:

Is that 300 RMB per person or per couple?

Mrs Narsfs has it in her head that she wants to go here, apparently she's "heard about it" which means she probably walked into the sign and someone shouted "Oh my god, that dim-looking-inherently-evil-woman has walked into the sign at Madison! MADISON! Look what happened at MADISON!"

That probably happened last year, these things take a while to filter through all the thoughts about new clothes, cheap socks and the importance of tree bark in a healthy Chinese diet. Yeah...

Anyway: per person or per couple?

Wanted to try this restaurant for a long time and thought the Sunday dinner set menu for 300 rmb was a good opportunity.
Atmosphere was nice. Sophisticated but not pretentious. Dim light except for the horseshoe banquettes. Nice place for a date or dinner with friends.
Upon arrival we were given the set menu which consists of 8 items (cornbread, salad, potatoes chips, shrimps, potatoes, meat, mac and cheese, roasted peaches with ice cream). Waiter then ask you if you agree with it or if some dish need to be changed.
Every single we tasted was delicious. Portion were of good size and I'm really sorry that our stomach were almost full by the time the meat and mac and cheese arrived. We just could not finished it despite the flavory taste. All we could do is take small bites of it to taste it. Same for the yummy dessert. (the table next to us was in the same situation)
I was a bit skeptical about the set menu. Usually there is always something that you won't really like. That was not the case. I really liked the combination of flavors and even trusted the Chef with ingredients I don't normally eat and I was not disappointed. Austin Hu fully deserves his good reputation. I haven't seen the regular menu so can't say much about it.
We had a lovely time and we will surely be back for more as I've heard that he regularly changes his menu depending on what's in the season.
Another thing to mention was the outstanding service. Excellent value for money.

Don't be turned off by the grody entrance - a remnant from another time and a different use of space. Maybe a seedy hotel or hostel? Ditto for the musty carpet-walled elevator that time-transports you up to the restaurant and opens up to deliver you to a new and different world.

Although the restaurant itself is a welcome retreat from the squalor below, it could use a little updating and polish - and closing of windows that let in mosquitoes and the din of the neighborhood nightlife and car traffic and horns.

On to the main event - what brung us: Chef Hu (and staff) knows what the heck he is doing. The lamb loin (chosen and cooked to perfection) and tempura'd oysters and apple tart w/ goat cheese ice cream were as good as it gets - creative culinary genius. The firm and plump, multi-textured oysters (with sauce) - I could have eaten them like popcorn all night. Sad, only 3 to a serving (ordered a 2nd serving after the first titillation). Wish there was a little more food in each dish.

Nice wine list. and the service and timing of dishes from the kitchen were perfect. All things considered - especially the food and service = 5 stars.

Brunch is a great deal and a great reason to go. It's the same price you would pay at a place like element fresh and way, way more exciting! I loved the massive booth my boyfriend and I were seated in, and with so many dishes to try you need a big table to fit it all!

The shrimp burger had fantastic juicy shrimps battered and fried into a patty, sandwiched between fluffy brioche. The scotch duck egg could have had a softer centre, but it is definitely an interesting dish with great flavour and textures. One of my favorites was the French eggs loaded with mushrooms on top of a flaky pastry that becomes pleasantly soggy under the creamy eggs. Is Austin a pastry chef as well? Because the croissant we ordered was probably the best I have had. Ever. I'm probably going to be here every weekend now until I try every item. This food is amazing and the value is unbeatable.

Love the emphasis on natural flavors and local ingredients here. Tilefish, lamb loin, oysters and foie gras were all terrific in terms of their core ingredients, but definitely brought to a higher level thanks to great sauces. Kind, attentive and knowledgeable service was refreshing. Appreciated the Reberg beer recommendation. There is a great collection of F&B books available for browsing. Some of these, like the Noma and El Bulli cookbooks, may be too bulky and expensive for your own collection, but are very fun to flip through while dining at Madison.

I have been here once, and it was when my parents were in town. They heard a former Gramercy Tavern chef was at the helm and insisted on coming. One of our party was a vegetarian, so I e-mailed the restaurant to request a vegetarian tasting menu for her. Austin himself e-mailed me back with a nice menu. He even offered to change it again if we were not satisfied.

We got there at 7:00 and were promptly and politely seated. What does politely seated mean you ask, it means a person who actually smiles at you, makes you feel welcome, and walks you to your table. Afterwards, what followed was one of the best meals I have had in Shanghai. Each dish was made with care balancing all the flavors while also providing a well-sized quantity. The wine recommended was great and went with each of the courses well AND our waitress(French lady) was a pleasure to be served by. She was there when we needed her without giving us the feeling she was constantly over our shoulders hovering. Best service in Shanghai bar none.

Finally, after the dinner, Austin himself came out and talked with us for a while. That added personal touch to dinner that made it perfect for my family's first trip in China. One last thing to note, Austin Hu loves food and you can tell by the way he talks about it. He really loves what he is doing and that passion comes across in the food.

hello narsfweas-els i like the dish with 两头乌, which is a local Iberico, i like their caviar, 100% from Qiandao Lake. if you are so interested in gossipe, you can check all my weibo post on Madison: http://weibo.com/profile.php?uid=1723190230&page=1&filter_date=&filter_search=madison

One of my favs in Shanghai. Chef Austin masterpiece local ingridients to its best.

I brought a friend here for a birthday dinner this past weekend. Austin made the meal truly special with delicious dishes, nice wine pairings and excellent service. The foie gras mousse was so rich and the kampachi was light yet full of flavor. The take-home banana bread goodies at the end of the meal were a great finishing touch. Great value overall. I would definitely come back for a romantic evening or to impress a client.

Dining at Madison is a treat. Our party fo 4 went to Madison this past Saturday evening. We had all wanted to try to restaurant for some time and I am thrilled to say that it did not disapoint. The service was spot on, the food was great and the presence of Austin himself really added to the experience. Chef Hu is passionate about food and the enjoyment of food. He loves talking about food and he geniuely cares about how his customers feel about thier meals. Even more refreshing is his openess to feedback! All four of us enjoyed everything we ordered. We were particularily impressed by the fennel dessert - which was a very refreshing taste and experience. I have no hesitation recommending Madison and will definetly be returning! Thank you Chef Hu for creating a great dining experience in Shaghai

-Cont from last post
Next, we shared a pasta course that, though still very good, was my least favorite part of the night. We had ordered gnocchi instead of a pappardelle I had been eyeing. The gnocchi that came out were fantastically light and airy, but the sauce was also a very light sauce. Though my gf loved it, and frankly it was a perfect mid course for the large meal we were having, I’ve always preferred a sauce with a little more body to it and found myself yearning for the ragu I have grown accustomed to having with my gnocchi at Michael Symon’s restaurants in Cleveland where I’m from. As my gf would say, cest la vie.
Our mains and their wine pairings arrived and this was the part I was most anxious for. I had asked Austin if he could make an upscale version of Houn Shao Yu for my gf as this was her favorite childhood comfort food. I didn’t tell her what the dish was supposed to be to see if she would recognize it by herself. The tilefish that arrived at our table worried me a little as it didn’t look like anything I had imagined, but then my GF took a bite, closed her eyes and smiled. She recognized the flavors the moment she took a bite and she said it was the best version of that dish she had had outside of her mother’s kitchen.
I quickly relaxed, ready to focus on the excellent dish in front of me. My sautéed duck breast had a nice crispy skin, was well seasoned, and cooked just to the proper point of medium rare. The vegetables it came on top of were a whole new story. The flavor profile they provided was not the sweet or citrus contrast that I usually expect to help cut the richness of the duck breast, but rather buttery and a little bitter. The flavor combination was a totally new to me. Overall an excellent dish that challenged my understanding of what should go with what.
My final present, and our deserts next and they were fantastic. Once again the staff handled my requests for presentation perfectly and Austin even gave us to glasses of sherry as a present. The first desert was the apple tart that came with a goat cheese ice cream and caramel sauce. This dish was once again excellent with a good crisp crust and still juicy ripe apples. The real standout however was the goat cheese ice cream that had just the right amount of sour and sweet. Jeni’s Ice Creams in Ohio makes, in my opinion, the best ice cream in the world, but this ice cream was a very close second to Jeni’s own goat cheese creation. The second desert was a great Chocolate domed moose over tapioca pearls. I normally hate tapioca pearls, but here, they presented a good textural contrast to the moose and crisp chocolate dome, a fantastic way to end a wonderful meal.
We thanked Austin for helping to conduct a perfect evening, received some sweet petit fours to take home, and happy strolled into the cool evening hand in hand.

Had my girlfriend’s birthday dinner at Madison and am extremely thankful I did. Everything about the night was absolute perfection with fantastic food, sublime service, and a casual romantic atmosphere. I cannot thank Austin enough for making the night one that both of us will remember for a lifetime.
The great experience actually began in the afternoon when I popped in to drop of some gifts to be given to my GF through dinner and to make sure that the staff knew how I wanted the night to proceed. Austin wasn’t there, but his staff was great in handling all my requests and most of all, double checking to make sure they got everything right. As is noted by so many people, service in Shanghai isn’t the greatest thing in the world, but my experience with the staff at Madison will insure that it will be one of the first places I go to when I need a place to provide something more than just a meal.
I also had some special dishes that I hoped the kitchen would be able to make. The staff not only assured me they could, but actually double checked with the kitchen to make sure they had the ingredients on hand to make that one dish only my table would want. This was such a breath of fresh air as I’ve encountered front of the house staff making promises that the kitchen cannot possibly keep just to drum up business over and over. I left Madison relatively confident that my Gf and I were were going to have a wonderful night, when Austin personally called me later to confirm everything and do another checklist, well that was simply the icing on the cake. (I should note, although I’ve eaten at Madison twice before, I had never talked to Austin before yesterday, and to Madison’s staff I was just some yuppie with no relationship to the restaurant coming in to ask for special stuff.)
Fast forward a few hours later and my GF arrived at the restaurant to a staff waiting for us and not even needing to ask for my name as they led us to our table. The table itself was set perfectly, and with a few quick words, our waiter assured me that everything was ready and set for a great night.
Two glasses of champagne and my first present—presented just the way I had instructed—arrived without another word. I had ordered the caviar special when we got to our table and it quickly arrived in a wonderful presentation. The caviar and its accompaniments were wonderful and the brininess contrasted nicely to the sweeter champagne.
Our appetizers came next and were again wonderful. The Beef Carpaccio I had ordered for my GF was not on the menu, but was excellently composed and she truly loved every bite. My own Foie Gras was a good portioned lobe that had been seared perfectly. In Shanghai, I’ve really hated to the tendency of most restaurants to overcook their Foie Gras, but this one was cooked to the perfect point of doneness and the wild blueberry compote it came with provided excellent contrast

The description by CityWeekend "casual-yet-upscale American-style eatery" characterizes the restaurant very well. In a casual American-style eatery you get not only excellent food but also the best service I have gotten so far in Shanghai. Everybody was attentive, it seemed to me that everybody even knew the status of my dinner. Everybody was making sure, that this evening becomes a nice one. And it was: great crispy oysters, excellent foie gras and Chinese wagyu steak and a cheese platter with some nice add-ons. Definitely worth the value for money.

I've been dying to go to Madison for a long time and finally went to Sunday Supper with a big group of friends. Everything about the night was perfect. Austin whipped up an incredible Italian feast and the food just kept coming. My favorite part of the meal was the perfect tiramisu served with super fresh strawberries at the end. Pure bliss.

I love the brunch here, especially the raspberry butter pancakes, which are just the right combo of sweet and savory. If you haven't yet, try the hot chocolate, which is infused with chili and will warm you from lips to toes.

What really makes the place is the service which was absolutely spot-on. Spoke English and Chinese well, knew their menu and could make sensible recommendations, attentive to our needs filling glasses etc without being asked but without being intrusive, food came at exactly the right speed and always arrived without hesitation in front of the right person.

Food was very good without being excessively fussy. We had the fish carpaccio (not really my thing but pretty good for what it is I'd say), sticky riceballs (yum!), crispy skin pan-seared fish (very good), pumkin ravioli (super good - no idea what they put in this but it tasted divine), coffee-chocolate pannacotta (average) and spicy hot chocolate (yummy but not quite spicy enough for my taste).

Decor was a little on the plain side, but still quite nice. They have smaller tables for couples and larger tables for groups and there is enough space between table to feel that you have your own private space.

Not cheap - dinner for two including starters, mains, desserts and a bottle of wine good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc came to just under 1000RMB, but for the quality of food and service still considerably cheaper than many "haute cuisine" enterprises in Shanghai that charge much more and deliver rather less.

Pretty good, but can be expensive. Good beer and wine lists though, love the tilefish.

Madison had a few hits but also a lot of misses and a low QP ratio.First... no amuse bouche at this price point and from a NYC trained chef, a big black mark. Oh but the do offer 'pre-starter' dishes which equate to a small appetizer and cost 60+ RMB, how thoughtful.

Food was decently prepared and well seasoned but not great or wow. It would equate to a decent hotel or a small-town upscale restaurant.

Portions are completely no scaled. My 'pre-starter' and appetizer were both about the equivalent size of my main yet 1/3 the price of the main. The lamb dish came with THREE (3) slices of loin and a few scraps of neck. Much smaller then I would expect and desire, but it was a good dish.

Chicken liver and foie mousse with red onion confit and pistachio, I agreed was good. But way too much mousse for the measly 4 points of brioche it is served with, Simply down size the mousse or serve more brioche. No one wants to eat a small price of toast with a mountain of uber rich mousse piled on top, the thought is less than appetizing.

Won't return until they drop the prices to match quality of the food and portions. Or the take it up 2 notches on execution and become an actual mid/high end eating establishment.

I will definitely go back to Madison. Was pleasantly surprised by their chicken pate starter - simply superb and a must try at Madison. Their Chinese Waygu Beef was perfectly cooked and seasoned and large enough to share, but their mash is no where as good as Mr & Mrs Bund's. For dessert, our whole party had to wait for a good 20 minutes before being served. I suggest waiters inform customers when their order their main that desserts are made to order and will need to wait 20+ minutes. It would be a shame to miss dessert ifcustomers don't have the luxury of time to wait around. For dessert, we tried the apple tart, which was too thin to savour. The portions should be a little more generous. My friend's meringue was a winner though.

Very interesting dishes and everything was good. Put this place on your list of places to try.

Love the creative fish plates, fresh-made pasta, and amazing desserts. Will go back for the risotto appetizer, as well. Great wine list and happy to find they're serving Sinkiang black beer!