Posts Tagged ‘jon lombardo’

things well done | the donut ::

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

:: my dad always told me that my taste buds would change as I got older. He would usually tell me right as he turned down a bite of something sweet. He was mostly right, but he inexplicably failed to mention that donuts were exempt.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the Donut King at Grand Gateway Mall in Xujiahui. Having sampled (and been disappointed) by Mister Donut and Dunkin’ Donuts efforts in Shanghai, I agreed to grant Donut King a shot at The Throne.

While I cannot speak to the caliber of the prepared donuts, I can testify that the cinnamon sugar donut is the best donut in Shanghai. The fine folks at Donut King drop dough into a magic, frying donut machine (see below) and a minute later emerges for some a quick sugar coating and then — voila! — you have fresh, warm, cinnamon sugar goodness.

In addition, while the taste is regal, the cost is only a pedestrian RMB 6; available at Grand Gateway in Xujiahui or at 1649 Nanjing Xilu in front of Jingan Park. [full disclosure: surprisingly, this is NOT an advertisement, but rather just an observation from an inspired donut lover]  //

Donut King

[ is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]

Posted in food, random, shanghai, things well done | Tags: Donut King, donuts, , ,  | No Comments »

mobile guides | shanghai unlike ::

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

shanghai.unlike

:: the folks at Unlike have created a series (seven to date) of city guides that they boldly brand “the definitive city guide for the mobile generation.” The most recently profiled city is Shanghai and Unlike does a solid scan of the Shanghai scene. Heck, even locals will probably learn something from this well-crafted guide. And cheers on how utterly sensible it is for a mobile to double as a city guide.

Anyways, the guide is broken into six, helpful categories: Shop, Food, Hotel, After Dark, Art & Culture, Escapism

    Each category lists best-in-category destinations along with vital information easily accessed from your mobile (address, hours, nearest subway, phone number, etc.).

    I used the Berlin guide while traveling there and it dramatically enhanced my experience. I also played around with the Shanghai guide this weekend and visited boutique hotel, Jia Shanghai, which is ridiculously indulgent and stunning.

    I have only two, simple suggestions for improving the guides: 1) include user recommended / uploaded 1 / 2 / 3 day itineraries (a la Lonely Planet) for those on a schedule and, 2) allow user comments, which will layer additional insight onto each write-up. User uploads / comments will only burnish further what is already a comfortably excellent guide. All in all, kudos to Unlike, who has created a guide that unlocks Shanghai for locals and visitors alike. //

    [ is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]

    Posted in cool hunting, culture, design, internet | technology, media, shanghai, travel | Tags: Berlin, , , , , Unlike | No Comments »

    snaps | renaissance man ::

    Thursday, February 19th, 2009

    :: last night, I took in a Jose Gonzales performance at the Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre – a perfect venue. It was one of those so-intimate-that-there-are-zero-bad-seats kinda places. Below are some snaps from the show. Also, see here for a short video Sean posted from Jose’s second Shanghai performance at Glamour Bar (2/19/09). Hats off to and his team at Split Works for making it all happen.  //

    Jose Shadow

    Jose Purple

    [ is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]

    Posted in music, shanghai, snaps | Tags: , , , , renaissance man, , ,  | 3 Comments »

    snaps | hu’s on first? ::

    Monday, February 16th, 2009

    :: taken with my iPhone in Shanghai on Anfu Rd. (near Amokka Cafe); a well-named furniture store. Reminded me of the great Abbott & Costello a la Hu (Jintao). //

    [ is a guest contributor on 56minus1.]

    Posted in china, iPhone, snaps | Tags: abbott & costello, Humor, ,  | No Comments »