Colabo is small chain of Italian restaurants, conceptually created by a group of Japanese and Shanghainese partners. You might initially think that Japanese have no business doing Italian cuisine. But if you look into Italian cuisine in Japan, you realize that there is a great following of pasta and pizzas in the land of the rising sun.
Recommended by Sugared and Spiced, our little group made our way to the Hengshan location. We also started off with a mixed appetizer plate (¥75), Layer of Beef Carpaccio and Prosciutto (¥125), and Tomato and Mozzarella with Basil Pesto (¥65). I didn’t care for the large mixed appetizer plate, but I did enjoy the Tomato and Mozzarella. When it comes to Italian cuisine, I like large juicy tomatoes and mozzarella.
We ordered the Spaghetti with Crab in Creamy Tomato Sauce (¥85), Spaghetti Pomodoro with Block Mozzarella and Basil (¥75), Pizza Capricciosa (¥120), Roasted Country Chicken with Potato (¥85), and Homemade Lasagna Layer of Cheese and Meat Sauce (¥75) for our main courses. Seems like a lot of food, but there was seven of us. The highly recommended Spaghetti with Crab was star of the night with large sized crab sitting on the pasta. My companions thought it made the night. The Capricciosa pizza – the Chef’s recommend 4 different tastes, priced a bit high at ¥120, was an interesting mix of shrimp, prosciutto, black olives, tomatoes, and ham. The Pizza Capricciosa is evenly split, with 4 distinct flavors, proved to be an interesting mix. But the crust of the pizza, done thin, was pretty good, though a little more soggy than I would like – but still acceptable. I’m not sure I would order this again, but I would be willing to try the Margherita. The Spaghetti Pomodoro with Block Mozzarella and Basil was a surprisingly nice classic dish that I’d recommend. And unfortunately, the Lasagna was uninspired with the lack of flavor. Which sucks, since I do like Lasagna.
We finished off with Tiramisu (¥45), Fruit and Yogurt Bavarian Cream (¥50), and off the menu Panna Cotta (¥50). The Panna Cotta was quite luscious and creamy. I don’t understand why it wasn’t on the menu.
The wine is list is quite extensive, as noted by one of my dining partners. They even have deals on 1/2 bottle orders, which is good if you want to bring a (cheap) date. Aesthetically, there’s a small outdoor balcony for a few tables, which I would assume to be quite popular in the fall and spring. You can enjoy the peacefulness of the large outdoor courtyard as it looks into the French Concession.
What to Order: Spaghetti with Crab, Spaghetti Pomodoro with Block Mozzarella and Basil, Panna Cotta
What not to Order: Pizza Capricciosa (just go for the Margherita), Lasagna
Rating
2 Pigs
Price Range 2 $/¥/NT
Links
Dianping Listing, City Weekend, Smart Shanghai, Zagat, Shanghai Expat, Dining Secretary
水城, 衡山店
Colabo, Hengshan Location
上海市徐汇区汾阳路156号
156 Fenyang Lu, near Taojiang Lu
+86 21-64373793
colabo.cn
Popularity: 11% [?]