The Bund is well placed for Walsh Bay’s theatres, and clearly aimed at folks who frequent them. Staff fly across the floor to get you in and out within an hour without even being asked. The restaurant is named after Shanghai’s famous waterfront stroll which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River facing the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong. So it should come as no surprise that they employ red neon for their name and window art. The interior, which is more expansive than it first seems, is richly decorated in the Chinese Art Deco style with patterns, prints, ornate lacquer screens and “Shanghai girls” wallpaper.
The menu is succinct, captured on just two pages, as is the booze list. The bulk of wines sit under sixty bucks; and, from the by-the-glass selection, the Brookland Valley Verse 1 Chardonnay ($12/glass) proves quite drinkable. It cuts the sweetness of crispy eggplant ($19) in honey and tamarind. The pile of eggplant planks proved a little over-battered and sweet for me, though I did like the addition of hazelnuts. The Bund dumpling fusion ($22/4) quartet is colourful and flavoursome, if somewhat unwieldy.
Using Jack’s Creek Angus beef in their wok-fried flank and asparagus ($42) kicks it up to the next level, so long as you like black pepper. Wok-fried prawns ($40) with ginger and woodear fungus was simple but the kitchen did take care to ensure all the vegetables stayed nice and crisp. We ate it over pricy egg fried rice with vegetables ($24). While The Bund is unlikely to become your favourite Chinese restaurant, it does the job for those doing dinner and a show quite well.
