I had dined at the Edition Hotel previously, but only at their Shanghai Tavern on the ground floor, as it was Friday and date night, my regular dining partner invited me to experience the much-touted Hiya, that’s been open for some 11 months now, you know the venue, the one with the waiting list for the table with the view over the bright lights of the Bund, our reservation was for 20h00, the table by the window was empty and not booked until much later at 21h30, of course, we would have finished by then.

We were out of luck for that table, and got the dodgy table where the banquette to table to height ratio with the adjacent diners’ chair is out of whack, which seems in vogue at many of the restaurants in Shanghai, why can’t the interior designers of these high-end restaurants get this basic details right, diners need to be seated at the same level, and not slouching on an unsupported poorly designed banquette.

We went with the idea of choosing the TASTE OF HIYA menu at 1388RMB for two pax, and an additional 390RMB each for the wine pairing which would consist of four 100ml servings of beverages again per pax, good job we chose the menu in advance, as the lighting at 20h00 was far too dark to read the menu, especially as one of the down spotlights, positioned above the table was blown, (see the image) the devil is in the detail, they don't offer menus in braille. 

The menu consisted of the following

House Made Snacks

Chefs Selection of Sashimi

Summer Sweet Corn Chanwamushi Fresh Uni, Dashi Jelly

Tuna Termaco with Scallion, Tobiko, Sushi rice, Avocado, Fresh Wasabi 2pcs

Spice Duck Broth, Seasonal Mushrooms, Fried shallots

Brittany Monkfish Kaarage, Smoked Mayo, Citrus Salt

Sanchoku Australian Wagyu Short Rib, Pickled Daikon, Kinpira Vegetables

Pre-dessert

Fuji Mount Blanc

Whilst waiting for the food to arrive, we ordered a bottled beer and a glass of Skyline Chardonnay, the waiter served me first and my regular dining partner second, not what one would expect at this type of establishment, service was very much hit and miss, more on the missing side throughout the meal, the white wine was not served at the correct temperature, far too cold, I experienced the same at their Shanghai Tavern venue as well.

Dishes that stood out for both presentation and their overall taste were as follows

Chefs Selection of Sashimi

Summer Sweet Corn Chanwamushi Fresh Uni, Dashi Jelly

Tuna Termaco with Scallion, Tobiko, Sushi rice, Avocado, Fresh Wasabi 2pcs

Sanchoku Australian Wagyu Short Rib, Pickled Daikon, Kinpira Vegetables

The beverage package which accompanied the meal was nothing special, none of this Sake that goes with this course etc, the plates were not changed throughout the entire meal.

The Fuji Mount Blanc dessert was akin to a mushed up splodge of a Jaffa cake and looked like a scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

One realises that Shanghai at this time of year goes through tremendous change in the weather, with high humidity, but surely after 11 months I would have thought the A/C would have been balanced by now, it was not cool enough in fact very weak, the venue is very noisy, not just by the thumping club-style music which is hardly necessary through dinner.

Following dinner, we took the circular stairwell up to the rooftop bar, only find that the upper section was dimly lit, with the glass door locked, no signage to say no entry, just some manager waving to go around so much for Fire Life Safety, we then took the route via the lift, and due to what appeared to crowding deciding against going out on the deck area, here several fans were positioned as you exited the lift (see the image) so the A/C needs checking overall.

Several months ago, we dined at Anthologia this was a better bang for your buck than HIYA was on this dank evening in July.

The table that was blocked for 21h30, the guests only showed at 21h55, all about customer service.

Can honestly say I could not recommend, nor would I return at 2388RMB for two, a little over the top and certainly not value for the price paid all rather disappointing.

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The Shanghai Edition came to the city with several dining proposals, but the most surprising one -for me- was Hiya, a fancy Izakaya on the 27th floor with a stripped and amazing view to the Shanghai skyline.

Seated by the window we had a full experience. The place decor is minimalistic and sophisticated. You will feel a tranquil vibe and will get a really professional service from the staff. Also, pay attention to the tableware because it is Japanese style and very fancy one.

The menu doesn't reflect a real and traditional Japanese Izakaya but that extra modern touch turns into a fusion I really liked. We had a two Temaco that are a taco but made of tempura fried seaweed instead of tortilla filled with tuna and salmon. Simply delicious: crispy, fresh and tasty. They bring homemade mayo and spicy tomato sauce dip, both secret recipes of the chef, which are incredible. The cured seabass roll with crispy potatoes and a mouthwatering sauce, glorious. But that's not all folks, the tempura chicken aka fried chicken, I think is in my best top 3 I have ever tried. Also the pork tonkatsu was delightful.

I guess the twist to the Japanese classics are amazing and although it seems it might be boring to go for a dinner in a hotel, believe me this restaurant  –and this hotel- is in another league. Dishes are pricey (1100RMB aprox. for 2) and the portions are small but, the delicacy, high quality of the ingredients and the savor of the dishes are worth to give it a try.

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