American Express
The American Express Centurion Card, known informally as the "Black Card", is an invitation-only card issued by American Express to people who have a lot of money and aren't afraid to spend it. But where to spend it in Shanghai?
Each month, I scoured the city for F&B openings, events and specialty stores that would appeal to Centurion clientele, from hidden gems advertised through the most obscure of WeChat accounts to free-champagne, cold-canapes, socialite-studded soirees. The result was a comprehensive database of offerings that differentiate Shanghai from other cosmopolitan destinations favoured by Centurion's card-carriers. Reluctantly trying fine-dining restaurants, sipping single-origin coffee at chic cafes, trudging through luxury boutiques:- it was one of those jobs that really made me question my commitment to being a features writer, but thankfully I struggled through that shit.
Project Overview
Client
American Express (Centurion Card)
Role
Writer, Shanghai City Expert
About Centurion - The List
A mobile app featuring curated lists tailored to the Centurion lifestyle. They’ll include the top cities where live, work and travel. The app will only be accessible to Centurion members upon the entering of a valid card number, enabling access to a wealth of knowledge on Centurion-level experiences and service-providers in cities across the globe. Each month, a list of curated spots are experienced and written up by a city expert.
Select Excerpts
Shanghai Dining
Lost Heaven
Yunnan fusion chain Lost Heaven adds to its ever-expanding empire with a flagship restaurant inspired by China’s Silk Road, where both the decor and food reference Western China. Diners enjoy grilled lamb, flatbreads, and yogurt-based dishes on two floors and a massive patio spread out over an incredible 6000 sq.m. space adorned with silk lanterns and replica Dunhuang cave paintings.4C4646
Phenix Eatery & Bar at the Puli Hotel
Serving up intuitive French cuisine on the second floor of the the Puli, PHÉNIX is a pastiche of the hotel itself - a master of understated luxury. The sun-drenched dining room is the ideal place for a weekend brunch, boasting lavish spreads of fresh-baked breads, indulgent cheese and charcuterie plates and a selection of fresh oysters. Classic cocktails are served at the intimate bar, while the main dining room offers à la carte dining and a strong French-oriented wine list.
Pelikan
A casual eatery featuring Nordic-inspired fare helmed by Danish chef Kasper Pedersen and serial restauranteur Craig Willis, whose roster includes Shanghai dining staples Mr Willis and Henkes. Far from adhering to Scandinavian restraint, the interiors invoke distinct tropical vibes, with an open kitchen and a bright dining room featuring loud wallpaper prints of palm leaves and pelicans. On the menu: a selection of light plates, heavy on vegetable-centric offerings: smoky charred beets and a seafood-asparagus salad pair well with a glass of wine from the restaurant’s extensive selection.
Anthologia
A multi-sensory take on traditional Japanese kaiseki from the group behind Shanghai dining darlings Elefante and Sushi Oyama, this quirky, oft-surreal prix fixe dining experience is served against a giant video screen displaying various natural scenes from sea and land, with guests arranged in tiered theatre-like seating. The set menu runs 980 RMB per person for 8 courses, and the single seating of 46 seats per night runs from 7-9.30pm. The menu will rotate regularly.
Select Excerpts
Shanghai Shopping
Ms. Min
Xiamen-based designer Min Liu created the first pieces of her eponymous collection on a small sewing machine in her hometown. A Taobao store soon followed, and proved to be an instant cult favourite amongst the China’s fashion set; her pieces were soon in demand by leading international retailers such as Lane Crawford and Opening Ceremony. Following her success, the designer has now opened her first brick-and-mortar boutique; an elegant backdrop for the collection’s restrained palette and structural silhouettes: exquisitely embroidered dresses, cheongsam inspired blouses and flowing palazzo pants alongside its minimalist knitwear staples."
Comme Moi
Founded by Chinese supermodel Lv Yan, Comme Moi’s versatile, neutral-toned basics have garnered a cult following who stock their closets with elegant staples like the Bead-Embellished Mandarin Collar Blouse (USD 240). The brand’s flagship, designed by high profile architectural design firm Neri & Hu, is set in a historic building and preserves its raw, unfinished walls accented by minimalist touches of marble and metal detailing.
Select Excerpts
Shanghai Nightlife
Le Baron Shanghai
A discreet presence in the city’s French Concession district, the Shanghai extension of the Le Baron nightlife brand has remained the firm favourite of the city's fashion and creative crowd, while partnering with an ever-widening range of local talent and global brands to diversify its night-time offerings. The club has done an impressive job maintaining the same je ne sais quois of its sister outposts while curating a diverse crowd to its intimate parties, which favor old school disco, classics, and hip hop. Cocktails range from 80-100 RMB, and bottle service is not only available, but encouraged.
