Time October 7, 2002 [antikvár]

Putting on the Gütz After decades of neglect, Shanghai is once again all decadence and delight By HANNAH BEECH SHANGHAI Iuring the 1930s, shanghai—a.k.a. the Paris of the Orient—was both swank apex and sin sinkhole. At the Great World entertainment complex, the vices became more outlandish as you climbed up six floors, past ac-robats, dwarves, singsong girls and stripteasers. This was the city immortaiized in the movie Shanghai Express when Marlene Dietrich purred: "It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." go '90s, many graceful mansions remain, especially in the old French During The 193OS, shanghai—a.k.a. the Concession. The city's funkiest bars and restau-Paris of the Orient—was both swank apex rants crowd this area, some in renovated colonial and sin sinkhole. At the Great World enter- villas. True, there's been plenty of recent buzz tainment complex, the vices became more about Xintiandi, a Disneyfied version of Ye Olde Shanghai that houses the city's poshest restaurants and bars in gutted old buildings. But Xintiandi feels like a sleight-of-hand: an insta-ver-sion of Shanghai that betrays little of the city's real history. Avoid it. Instead experience real colonial splendor at Face, located on the verdant grounds of the Ruijin Guesthouse. Face combines two restaurants and a sump-tuous bar in an ornate mansion built in 1936. The two eateries offer northem Thai and Indian food, the latter in a romantic tent complete with wooden pillars and föuntains. Never mind that you're in China and not eating, you know, Chinese food: Shanghai prides itself on offering up the best of whatever global nosh you're crav-ing. After all, this is the city where the favorite soup is not wonton but FACE TIME: Chic Shanghai revives its gilded past as the Paris of the Orient borscht—brought by the city's East European immigrants in the early 1900s and now proudly made by countless Shanghai grandmas. After you finish your phad thai or tikka But after 1949, the communists brought their monochromatic palette to China and Shanghai was straitjacketed as punishment for its formerly outré ways. Only now, after years of repression, has Shanghai finally erupted into technicolor. The city is embracing its sequined past with decadent bars, eateries and night-clubs. Ecstasy is the new opium, and the re-quired accessory is a top-end Nokia instead of a polished Walking stick. The excesses that stoked Shanghais legendary past are fueling its future as well. After-dinner conversations are filled with, "So I was in Paris over the weekend," or "We bought the apartment because it was so cheap—only one-point-six." Yes, that's million. In U.S. dollars. Although lots of Shanghai's historic tree-lined neighborhoods were torn down in the go- masala, head to Face's bar, which opens out to a sweeping lawn. Sit in the Ming-style chairs for a quiet drink on the veranda. House drinks in-clude the Chinese Whisper (Cointreau, Midori and lemonade) or a frozen vodka-cassis cocktail called the Shanghai Blues. The real action, though, is in the cushioned front salon, where the jeunesse dorée of the 21st century gather each night to discuss red lipstick and red-chip compa-nies—even the prettiest, poutiest Shanghai vixen dabbles in the market. If nothing else, a conversation might elicit a decent stock tip. Hints and hustle are what the new Shanghai is all about— just like the Shanghai of yesteryear. ¦ SHANGHAI STREETWISE BEST RESTAURANT ¦ Each région in China offers its own local treats, and Shanghai is no exception. Try down home Shanghainese tare at Jesse's restaurant The braised pork shoulder, drunken prawns and red dates stuffed with sticky rice are the best in town. 41 Tianping Road, near the intersection with Huaihai Road, tel. +86 216282 9260. VIEW FINDER ˇ The breathtaking views from the 88-story Jinmao Tower encompass the historic river-front Bund with its 1920 buildings and Pudong's Blade Runner surrealism. Enjoy a drink at Ckxjd 9, the bar at the Shanghai Grand Hyatt atop the Jinmao. Jinmao Da-sha, 2 Shiji Avenue, Pudong, tel. +86 21 5049 1111. COFFEE BREAK ¦ The Starbucks bug has bitten Shanghai, but head instead to the Old China Hand Reading Room, a pleasant library cum café opened by a local photographer. Try the java with slices of thick buttered toast or go locai and sip fragrant rose-bud tea. 27 Shaoxing Road, near Ruijin Er Road, tel. +86 21 6473 2526. BEST GALLERY ¦ Modem art is booming in Shanghai, and some of the best can be found at ShanghART, a tiny gallery tucked into Fuxing Park. ShanghART has shown the works of its top contemporary artists at the Venice Biennale. 2A Gaolan Road, in Fuxing Park, tel. +86 21 6359 3923. 12 TIME, 0CT0BER 7, 2002