Shanghai Blue 1920, Where Jazz Meets Chinese Cuisine

In the 1920s - 1930s, long before it becomes one of the most populated cities in the world, Shanghai was known as Asia’s nightlife hub. A refuge for opium smokers. The Paris of the East. It was also home to hundreds of tea houses — one of which eventually made an appearance in Batavia through the hands of a sailor, Chan Mo Sang. He arrived in Batavia, married a local woman, and later opened a small warong in Sunda Kelapa, the Shanghai Tea House. This small tea house is what inspires Shanghai Blue 1920, Jakarta.

Some might think that jazz is a segmented music, but even back in those early jazz years, Shanghai had quickly caught the bug and immersed itself in jazz — this continued well until the Communist put a ban on it. Shanghai Blue 1920 naturally pays homage to this phenomenon as well, by regularly showcasing jazz bands from different sub-genres. When no band is playing, expect classic jazz records — Ella, Coltrane, Billie — to accompany your meal.

Shanghai Blue 1920 offers a variety of Chinese-Indonesian food with a touch of Western flavour. A perfect example of this is the “Love Duet of Melted Cheese and Crunchy Asparagus”: asparagus, commonly used in European cuisine, is combined with the classic XO sauce, which originates from Hong Kong. To cleanse your palate, try the “Chilled Eight Treasure of Shanghai Blue” after main course.

Credits:
Photo © Shanghai Blue 1920
Text by Alexandra Karman