Hi!!! I’m back this week with another review. This week, it’s a repeat.

RAW Eatery and Wood Grill

With so many delicious restaurants and so little time, reviewing the same restaurant twice isn’t the most logical point… unless the restaurant is REALLY worth it. RAW is one of those. About a year ago, my dad and I went and I had some of the best fish in my life (read more here). However, I left quite disappointed. Why? there were SOOO many menu items I missed- stupid chicken! I was determined to change that. Hence, Part 2. Let’s eat!

Food

New Zealand Moana Oysters- Oysters in Shanghai are a risk, but these were TOTALLY worth it. The oysters themselves were quite small, but incredibly fresh plump and fresh. They also came with an incredible red wine vinegar that perfectly complemented the salty richness. With that said, the oysters at RAW are seasonal to ensure quality, so chances are, Moana oysters aren’t going to be on the menu. However, whatever the type, I can pretty much guarantee they’ll be top notch.

Roasted Dragon Beans-I’m not a fan of beans, but turns out, dragon beans aren’t beans. They’re actually a type of cactus like plant that were practically made to be roasted. The roasting gave them a wonderful char while maintaining their bright, refreshing crunch. In addition, the tangy, smoky garlic vinagrette brought out the freshness, making this dish the perfect counterbalance to the richer dishes below.

Creamy Seafood Stew- My mom’s all about having a nice thick soup to go with her (complementary) bread. RAW had a solution: Creamy Seafood Stew. Guess what, there’s no cream, just ridiculous amounts of seafood and some tomato for flavor. As expected, the soup was packed full of incredible umami from the cooked down shrimp heads and shells. I wish they had roasted the tomatoes and maybe added more veggies, but otherwise, I couldn’t imagine anything more comforting

Chilean Beef Tenderloin- RAW is famous for it’s steak, so I had to try some this time. Well, it was quite disappointing. To be clear, it wasn’t bad, just nothing special- I guess expectations do matter. It was well seasoned and came with the most AMAZING roast garlic as well as high quality olive oil for dipping; however, I asked for medium rare and got medium. My dad prefers medium so this actually worked in our favor. Also, I was missing char, which is surprising considering it was cooked in the Josper oven.

Tip: When ordering meat at a restaurant with a Chinese chef, order one temperature below what you actually want. ie, if you want medium (60-70% cooked), order medium rare (50% cooked).

Smoked Foie Gras with Sauteed Spinach- Honestly, I’m not a fan of foie gras, but this dish was really calling me. Well, it turned out to be the best dish of the night. The foie was agressively seasoned and perfectly charred, which helped cut the overwhelmeing fattiness, leaving only delicious cream. The irony spinach further enhanced the natural bitterness of both the char and foie, completing a perfect, decadent bite.

I still haven’t gone around to trying the famous Raw dishes like the beef tartare and ceviche, but I guess that’s just another excuse to come back!

Service and Atmosphere

The service and atmosphere were just as top notch as last time, if not better.

Overall Impression Pt. 2

This repeat was definitely worth it. Every aspect was better than I remembered and I will definitely be going back again.

Well, that’s it for this week. I hope everyone had/has a great week! Until next time, Bye!

• Dining