Tried & Tested: Mr & Mrs Bund Delivery

Contemporary French restaurant Mr & Mrs Bund recently kicked off delivery via Eleme. Here’s what to expect.

Preface, of sorts: Upscale and fine dining restaurants that have disregarded or long resisted offering takeout or delivery have recently made the switch in light of the coronavirus outbreak. This is happening the world over. Restaurants in Shanghai (and all over China) have the upper hand, as delivery systems here are advanced and normalized.

So how does fine dining delivery look like, but more importantly, how does it taste like?

Delivery Luxe Edition: Mr & Mrs Bund

Mr & Mrs Bund joined forces with sister restaurant Polux to launch delivery on March 18 via delivery app Eleme.

The delivery menu is sizable, but nowhere near the heft of the dine-in menus at MMB and Polux. This is understandable—dishes must transport well. The Lemon & Lemon tart would melt before it was out the door and a boxed Shrimp in a Jar defeats the purpose.

Coquillettes, double decker club sandwich, black cod, duck confit, boeuf bourguignon, side dishes, and desserts are among the offerings. Here’s how it looks:

Upscale French restaurant Mr & Mrs Bund launches delivery following the coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Whoa. That’s a lot of packaging.

Fancy cutlery. It looks like the real deal, but it’s plastic.

In Summary

The order above serves two, and you’d be quite full. The food bill is ¥600. Dishes are priced the same as per dine-in.

Thoughts?

The food tastes great. The Picnic Chicken is the highlight, and because its usually served cold, flavor and texture is not any different via delivery. The dressings and sauces (which I maximized usage on more store-bought bread) completed the meal. I wish I could say that I took the time to replate it, but I ate the food out of the paper containers, all while watching funnyman Trevor Noah on The Daily Show.

Don’t think I overlooked the price—it’s irrefutably expensive as a waimai option. Dining in at MMB gives you ambiance, excellent service, entertainment value, and all the glamor that comes with dining Bund-side. As of today, there have been 51 orders on Eleme (according to the app). I’d say that’s pretty good for a first run on upscale delivery for MMB.

Here’s an idea: Do you know anyone who’s still in quarantine with only their cat for company? Is your best friend on the verge of insanity? This delivery option could be a nice care package—send it to them and make their day. (Or save it for yourself.)