[See & Be Seen] Shanghai Snags Over 40% of Golden Spoon Awards

The Golden Spoons awards by Grand Hotels Media were back this week, a black-tie affair at The Langham, Xintiandi, where 63 awards were handed out across every possible category. Owners, groups, restaurants, chefs – if you've ever plated an amuse-bouche in a five-star hotel, there was probably a trophy with your name on it. But let's cut through the Uruguayan beef and the speeches from tourism officials.

The Big Ones

The Regent Shanghai on the Bund bagged Restaurant of the Year, while its Chinese dining room, Jin Lin, took Chinese Restaurant of the Year. Not a bad double for the newest addition to Shanghai's riverside bund heavyweights.

Across town, the JW Marriott Marquis Pudong's Le Manoir Ling scored Sumptuous Chinese Restaurant of the Year, while Cordis Hongqiao's Ming Court was recognized as an Exclusively Selected Chinese Restaurant. The recently opened Alila Shanghai got a nod for its rooftop bar, Secret Roof, named Glamorous Bar of the Year. We can attest that this rooftop bar is definitely a gorgeous addition to the city.

The Standouts

The Sukhothai Shanghai was awarded Hotel with Innovative Catering Service of the Year – a win that suits a property trying to differentiate itself from the mega-brands. The Grand Kempinski went two-for-two, picking up Executive Lounge of the Year for its Club Lounge and Innovative Western Menu for Albero. Meanwhile, The Shanghai EDITION added another feather to its already well-decorated cap with YONE, taking Exclusively Selected Restaurant & Bar of the Year.

Old Shanghai was well represented, too: the Fairmont Peace Hotel's Dragon Phoenix was honored as Classic Chinese Restaurant of the Year. Across Suzhou Creek, the Bellagio by MGM's Mansion on One was recognized as Signature Chinese Restaurant of the Year.

The Chefs

Individual chefs also had their moment. Duncan Feng at Kimpton Qiantan was named Influential Chef of the Year, while Andy Lai at MGM West Bund picked up Chinese Culinary Chef of the Year. At The Shanghai EDITION, Rossi Wei was crowned Brilliant Executive Chef of the Year.

And the Rest

From EVEN Hotel Hongqiao's EVEN Market (Healthy Food Restaurant of the Year) to InterContinental Wonderland's fried snowflake beef cubes (Chinese Menu of the Year – yes, that's a category), the long tail of winners shows just how many hotels are leaning hard into F&B as a differentiator.

Absent...

A solid list from the hospitality industry is represented in Shanghai. However, there are four truly interesting omissions in this year's awards. The Bvlgari Hotel, Capella Shanghai, The Middle House, and the entire country's flagship, the J Hotel. Curious.

What It Means

Anyway, aside from the omissions, for diners, the takeaway is simple. If you want to know where Shanghai's hotel industry thinks the action is, check the winners' list. Between the Bund, Pudong, and Hongqiao, the city's hotels are still betting big on restaurants – and backing it up with golden cutlery.

Out of the 63 awards doled out, 11 cities were represented in the awards list, and Shanghai took home 26 of them. That's more than 40% of the total tally, folks.

Here's the Full List of Shanghai:

Restaurants

1. Regent Shanghai on the Bund: Restaurant of the Year
2. Jin Lin, Chinese Restaurant of the Year
3. Alila Shanghai, Secret Roof: Glamorous Bar of the Year
4. Cordis Hongqiao, Ming Court: Exclusively Selected Chinese Restaurant of the Year
5. JW Marriott Marquis Pudong, Le Manoir Ling: Sumptuous Chinese Restaurant of the Year
6. The Sukhothai Shanghai: Hotel with Innovative Catering Service of the Year
7. DoubleTree by Hilton Pudong, Grand Café: High-End Buffet of the Year
8. Amanyangyun, Lazhu: Signature Chinese Restaurant of the Year
9. Grand Kempinski Shanghai, Club Lounge: Executive Lounge of the Year
10. Grand Kempinski Shanghai, Albero: Innovative Western Menu of the Year
11. Hotel Indigo Harbour City, Café Tide: New Creative Western Restaurant of the Year
12. Shanghai Snow World Hotel (Vignette Collection), The Alpine: Glamorous Western Restaurant of the Year
13. Crowne Plaza Shanghai Snow World, Crystal Hall: Family Restaurant of the Year
14. EVEN Hotel Hongqiao, EVEN Market: Healthy Food Restaurant of the Year
15. Fairmont Peace Hotel, Dragon Phoenix: Classic Chinese Restaurant of the Year
16. The Shanghai EDITION, YONE: Exclusively Selected Restaurant & Bar of the Year
17. Renaissance Zhongshan Park, Azur: Most Popular Western Restaurant (Online)
18. Shanghai Marriott Pudong East, Gourmet House: Exclusively Selected Western Restaurant of the Year
19. Bellagio by MGM, Mansion on One: Signature Chinese Restaurant of the Year
20. Artyzen Habitat Hongqiao, Townsquare Bistro: Quality Western Restaurant of the Year
21. Artyzen Habitat Taopu, Townsquare: Exceptional Quality Hotel Restaurant of the Year
22. InterContinental Wonderland: Chinese Menu of the Year (for fried snowflake beef cubes, in case you needed to know)
23. Radisson Blu Stadium, Jiu·Li: New Creative Chinese Restaurant of the Year

Chefs

1. Duncan Feng, Kimpton Qiantan: Influential Chef of the Year
2. Andy Lai, MGM West Bund: Chinese Culinary Chef of the Year
3. Rossi Wei, The Shanghai EDITION: Brilliant Executive Chef of the Year

From CNS, a hearty congrats to all of this year's Golden Spoon awards.

And now... for a See & Be Seen Gallery:
(All photos courtesy of Grand Hotels Media)

In case you are wondering...why do we publish these photo galleries?

Sometimes, it's easy to take for granted the people we walk among and the interesting things that happen, especially in a city that has more people than all of Australia. This is an incredible place, with incredible people.

See if you recognize anyone, and send a note to them!