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March 16, 2017

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Hooked reels in winning seafood formula

By Patsy Yang | March 16, 2017, Thursday | Print Edition

THE trendsetters in Shanghai’s food and beverage scene are moving into Found Mill on Julu Road and opening new, cool concepts one after another.

One recent opening inside the complex is Hooked, belonging to the Camel Group. Chef Hardeep Somal, who is responsible of creating the menu, claimed: “We have the best English style fish and chips in town.”

I didn’t doubt it. Hailing from London, Somal knows how to make authentic English right.

“Chef Somal is from the UK, the home of fish and chips. Myself and the other owners are all from Australia where seafood is one of our main ingredients. With our last restaurant, The Bull & Claw, being steak and lobster, Hooked is focusing on fresh seafood including poke bowls, proper British fish and chips and modern seafood dishes paired with tropical cocktails and craft beers,” said Todd Pearson, managing director of The Camel Hospitality Group.

The interior, with 54-seats inside, is decked with a tropical, beach theme. Light blue and white colors dominate the space, giving a light, breezy vibe.

“A meal at Hooked is a night away from the hustle of Shanghai. It is a laid-back, casual night out, with a surf/beach shack inspired interior. A trip to Hooked will have you feeling like you spent the night at a tropical island beach,” Pearson added.

My recent visit to Hooked started off at the bar with one of its signature cocktails: B&C Club. The bar manager joined Hooked since last December, who used to work as a bar supervisor at Long Bar, Wardolf Astoria Shanghai. He had developed a few cocktails to help any guest chill as if you were at a seaside lounge.

Fish and chips is a must-try and I was only “allowed” to order the battered haddock fish. “I want you to try the most authentic, proper English fish and chips,” said Somal. It was faultless with satisfying flakes. And Heinz Malt vinegar and salt were offered to give flavor to the fish.

The fish and chips comes with four different options: haddock, Icelandic cod, halibut and salmon, and one can choose to get it either battered, crumbed or grilled.

“We also love poke and we felt that it wasn’t being done in a restaurant setting in Shanghai. Both of the fish and chips and poke are being served in pubs and small take-away shops so we wanted to bring two of our favorite dishes and put them in a proper restaurant setting,” Pearson said.

Pearson commented: “Some of the big Chinese restaurants with live seafood tanks are world class, but we felt there was a proper lack of Western style seafood restaurants in the city. There are over 100 Italian restaurants, hundreds of Thai restaurants, but we struggled to think of any quality Western style restaurants that really focus on fresh seafood, so we wanted to create a restaurant to fill that space.”

“We love using fresh ingredients so we only source live lobsters flown in daily from Canada, live green lipped mussels from New Zealand, and the best fish that is available in the city,” he added.

Recommended dishes at Hooked are the lobster eggs Benedict on the weekend brunch menu, the poke bowls and the British fish and chips.

HOOKED

Opening hours: 11am-midnight

Average price: 150 yuan/person

Address: B1, 158 Julu Rd

Tel: 6333-2198

iDEAL


 

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