[Shanghai Girl Eats] Pirata 比拉达厨房 (3)
Pirata 比拉达厨房 | Dianping
Address: 136 Xinle Lu near Xiangyang Bei Lu / 新乐路136号(近襄阳北路)
Date visited: August 2015 for dinner
Price: RMB300 per person
Will return: Yes
What to get: Everything
Update: this venue has closed
Pirata is one of my favorite places in Shanghai where Chef owner Ling and her team whip up homey Spanish tapas. Small bites, big flavors, and an excuse to order a lot of variety. This is my go-to for sangria and tapas with good company.
Foie gras toasts (RMB78)
Recommend: yes
Creamy piece of foie gras with ham and a dash of mayo syncing seamlessly. One piece is not enough.
Sardinas Santona (RMB155)
Recommend: yes
Sardines on a bed of chips. Literally fish and chips.
Smoked oysters (RMB135)
Recommend: yes
Creamy and gelatinous preserved oysters.
Warm sardines, onion, soya (RMB85)
Recommend: yes
I was not a fan of sardines or anchovies before Pirata. This made me believe.
Ventresca escalivada (RMB72)
Recommend: yes
Premium imported tuna belly paired with sweet piquillo peppers. Another favorite here.
Don Bocarte anchovy (RMB132)
Recommend: yes
When this came to the table, we stared at the blocks of butter on the toast. Skeptical. But it came through with each bite full of soft butter seasoned by the salted anchovy. Inexplicably delicious though one piece is quite enough for the heart.
Spicy clams with Thai basil (RMB68)
Recommend: yes
Fragrant basil and clams in a spicy broth. Ask for some bread to dip into the broth.
Grilled octopus leg (RMB128)
Recommend: yes
Lightly charred and in bite size pieces.
Thursday special: Suckling “babi guling” (RMB98)
Recommend: yes
Pirata rotates a different special each day of the week such as suckling pig on Thursdays and paella on Sundays, which are personally my favorite days to go to Pirata.
Babi guling is a roasted Bali suckling pig accompanied by minced pork and green beans stir fried with lemongrass and turmeric. Fatty and soft meat loosely attached to super crispy and crunchy skin. Get there early because there are only so many pigs on hand.
Portuguese rice with duck (RMB60)
Recommend: yes
Firm rice mixed with chunks of chorizo and duck. The best part is the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot.
Praline ice cream crepes (RMB35)
Recommend: yes
Chef Ling’s Taiwanese influence comes through with delicious pieces of ice cream wrapped with cilantro and peanuts in a sweet crepe. No matter how full, this is a necessary dessert.
Ferrero toasts (RMB40)
Recommend: maybe
The idea is there but I wish the dollops of chocolate were Nutella instead.
