Akanee is a Thai restaurant in Changning that’s doing the kind of “new Thai cuisine” you’d expect to find at a hip Bangkok bistro. Authentic flavors, modern techniques, charcoal grilling, and plating that’s way prettier than your typical Thai spot.
The Space
The location is part of the appeal. Opened last September, it’s tucked down a quiet residential lane in a remodeled one-story house, a space that used to be Alley1923.
There’s a vaulted ceiling, a casual dining room with a bit of rustic charm, and a bar counter facing the open kitchen. It’s the kind of place with an allure that few spots in Shanghai still have.
The Food
In the kitchen is Chef May Phannita, a Le Cordon Bleu alum who previously cooked at Oliang Bangkok Bistro. Akanee serves what they call “new Thai cuisine” — Thai flavors with Western techniques and modern plating, the kind of food trending at modern Thai restaurants in Bangkok. Think sous vide, swapping rice noodles for orecchiette, and plating that’s way prettier than your usual street food. But the flavors are authentically Thai and most dishes hit the charcoal grill.
The Jellyfish with Spicy & Sour Sauce (¥68) is a cold salad where crunchy jellyfish takes center stage, mixed with glass noodles and cashews. Fair warning, it’s quite spicy, 9/10 on my scale. The addictive heat will certainly wake up your senses.
If jellyfish isn’t your thing, the Avocado Seafood Salad (¥78) delivers similar pleasure, coated in a similar sauce that’s slightly less spicy but just as appetizing.
TheSous Vide Wagyu Tongue (¥88) is an excellent starter too. Tender from the sous vide, finished on the grill for a little char and smoke. It comes with two sauces: a potent, tangy tamarind sauce with northern Thai peppercorns speckled with fried glutinous rice and boosted with coconut sugar, and a green sauce of lime and green chili. I’d buy bottles of that tamarind sauce — it’s that good.
The Grilled Panang Chicken Leg (¥78) takes a classic Panang curry and concentrates it into a sauce. A large thigh and drumstick, marinated in spices and charred on the grill sits on top. The Panang curry is complex — sweet, spicy, nutty, savory — with kaffir lime leaf giving it a hit of fresh citrus.
A dish that steps away from tradition is the Pad Thai (¥58), made with orecchiette instead of rice noodles. The pasta gives it a desirable bite, and it’s imbued with wok hei and the full flavor of pad Thai. A smart, enjoyable rendition.
The Stir-Fried Spicy Squid (¥98) was excellent. Squid cooked to perfection, bouncy, with a little bite, served in a soy-based sauce with two specialty peppers and garlic. Sweet, sour, spicy, savory, with a hint of fish sauce.
The Stir-Fried Curry Crab (¥298) is the showcase dish. The sauce itself is great, creamy, with silky egg and a turmeric-forward curry packed with garlic. Next time, I’d go for the prawn version (¥128). I’m admittedly a bit lazy when it comes to finicky crab, though the roe was fresh and delicious. The sauce is best enjoyed with rice.
Desserts lean creative. The Thai Tea Pudding with Salty Cream Cheese (¥48) and the Coconut Pudding with Mung Bean (¥38) are the top contenders. Between the two, I prefer the latter, which is lighter, cleaner, and helps reset the palate after all that heat.
Akanee is a nice option for those seeking familiar Thai flavors with a modern twist, served in a chic space that’s got real energy. It’s rather popular, so book ahead.
Akanee Thai Izayaka
View the listing here.
