Hot on the heels of spring comes The Dome, an upscale Japanese restaurant, bar, and lounge on the corner of Yan’an Dong Lu, just a couple doors down from Goodfellas.
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The Dome Shanghai
It’s a project from The Fellas Group (Fellas Terrace, Goodfellas, The Captain’s) and Chef Terada-San of Chez Bulizo, bringing refined dining with a lively after-dark energy to a stretch of the Bund that hasn’t seen something new in a while. Omakase, Bund views, and plenty of events.
The venue spans two floors. The top-floor terrace bar and lounge is due to open at the end of April.
Down on the fifth floor is the omakase counter, a dining room, a bar and a semi-private room. There are two terraces: one with a street view, and another facing the Bund.
Adjacent is “The Samurai Room,” a space that sits somewhere between a dance floor and a lounge. They do a Ladies Night — but more on that later.
The omakase counter seats just eight, with Chef Terada-San at the helm. He’s an old hand at performance-style omakase — showy, a little whimsical, with a good dose of guest interaction. The menu runs nightly at ¥988 per person, which is genuinely reasonable for the Bund. No service charge.
There’s also an à la carte menu for a less formal dinner, plenty of which double as excellent drinking snacks.
The Spring Omakase Menu
The new spring omakase menu is built around sakura — pink hues, seasonal produce, a theme that runs through a few of the dishes.
It starts with a rapeseed flower and olive oil soup. Hot, light, and comforting with slice of prosciutto that adds a hit of saltiness.
A Russian king crab puff arrives in a crunchy pani puri shell, savory, with a touch of floral brightness. Next, foie gras with wasabi (it’s in season), done crème brûlée style. Though, the sweetness didn’t quite land for me.
Then, a jump start to the palate: horse meat tenderloin sashimi topped with sea urchin, brushed in house soy seasoning. This one is the epitome of a perfect bite: seasoned rice that doesn’t overpower the tender meat, unctuous uni, layered with umami. Absolutely heavenly.
Sashimi arrives in an elaborate display: tuna chutoro, tuna otoro (the fatty belly), New Zealand king salmon, and scallop, served in a gigantic bowl over ice. A statement piece, for sure. Three dipping sauces: bright yuzu shoyu, a sweeter option, and classic sashimi soy.
Next, a fried course of eel spring roll with avocado and a vegetable and prawn fritter with a heavy hand of ginger. Served with a sweet Thai-esque dipping sauce and light soy with daikon.
A palate cleanser of purple cabbage and cherry tomatoes with salted cherry foam, ice cold from the fridge, acts as the perfect intermission.
Then, a temperature shift: Japanese curry with cod fish, colored pink from the purple cabbage. The curry is unmistakably Japanese with strong cardamom and pepper aromas. The cod is fatty, juicy, and naturally sweet. On the spoon are sweet carrots and fried onions to mix in as you like. I cleaned my bowl, and so will you.
For a bite of luxury, M9 beef with teriyaki balsamic and a light salad of tender bamboo.
Finally, the handrolls. Guests are given a choice of three, made a la minute. You can choose from a selection of fresh sashimi or sushi-grade wagyu beef as your filling.
It’s a fun, interactive part of the meal, and Chef Terada customizes them based on your preference. It’s the course that ensures no one leaves hungry.
Dessert arrives as bitter green tea mochi with sakura ice cream. But the chocolate matcha that followed stole the show. Creamy matcha laced with chocolate, paired with boozy cherries — can’t go wrong with that. That dessert is also available a la carte.
A La Carte
The à la carte dishes are more straightforward with fresh seafood taking center stage. The Sashimi Platter (¥428) is good for 2-3 to share, with four kinds of seasonal sashimi served in the same style as the omakase.
The star has to be the Black Cod (¥228) with miso spicy sauce. A classic preparation that pays respect to what I’d consider the “A5 cut” of fish. Ultra fatty, absolutely juicy. Fantastic.
The Toro & Nori Tartare (¥198) comes with flying fish roe and spicy mayo, and the Tuna & Watercress Salad (¥168) with crispy caramelized onions makes for a shareable option.
There are also snack-like plates: Wagyu Tenderloin Sando (¥338) with teriyaki mustard, and grilled Chicken Ichiyaboshi (¥128) with potatoes and yuzu pepper sauce.
Plenty of Events
The Dome knows how to put on a show and plan on hosting regular events. Here’s what’s coming up:
Tuna Ceremony: A whole fresh tuna!
They do a Tuna Ceremony monthly, usually during the cooler months. The next one is on April 24.
They bring in a fresh, never-frozen whole tuna from Spain — Japanese tuna isn’t an option these days — and make a whole event of it.
Menus start from ¥1,088, which gets you different cuts of tuna (chutoro to akami) in sashimi and sushi form, plus dessert and a bottle of sake. Scan to sign up!
Sake Ceremony: Crack that barrel!
Coming up on April 10 is a sake barrel breaking ceremony, known in Japanese as kagami biraki. This time, they’ll be spotlighting sakes Gotensakura, Kajou, and Junmai Daiginjo.
A Japanese shamisen player will also perform Okinawa-style music throughout the night.
Ladies Night — Free drinks!?
Every Thursday the The Samurai Room hosts an old school ladies night.
Drinks are completely free for ladies from 10:30pm to 1:30am! House wine, house sparkling, house mixed drinks, etc. Wild!
I saw a few patrons arriving early… and boy, do they dress up. If you’re looking for a spot to glam up with the gals, this is it. Guys, you know what to do.
In Summary
The omakase is solid value at ¥988 for the Bund, honestly. The terrace will open soon — and that’s going to be a party spot for sure — stay tuned for more info.
There you have it. A new Bund hangout, an alternative spot on the strip that’s bringing back a bit of glitz and glam.
Nomfluence Readers Deals
Nomfluence readers deals! Limited quantity available — valid on Monday to Wednesday only.
- Get 20% off omakase set (food only)
- Get 20% off a la carte food
Click here to book.
The Dome
View the listing here.
