Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

With Love From Chiang Mai: New Dishes at URBAN Café

URBAN Café at The Sukhothai Shanghai does some of the best Thai food I’ve had in Shanghai. I raved about it in July, when they launched their northern Thai menu with new Thai chef Anchalee Luadkham.

Chef Anchalee has just added some tasty new winter dishes to the menu! If you like Thai food, I highly recommend trying URBAN Café.

New Winter Menu at URBAN Café

Chef Anchalee has once again jazzed up the menu for the season, delivering some winter warmers and fresh new dishes inspired by Chiang Mai’s northern flavors.Traveling isn’t easy these days, but I’ll settle for some delicious Thai food to transport me to the tropics.

Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

A fried tilapia is served with a sauce of multiplex flavors, begging to be eaten with rice, a tangy and peppery soup of beef shank warms the bones, and a crispy duck is served over a luscious peanut-based curry.

Here are some of the new dishes at URBAN Café:

Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Tilapia (¥168) – Though demure in appearance, this tilapia dish represents all the hallmarks of Thai flavors. The secret is in the sauce—sweet tamarind, salty fish sauce, zesty lime juice, and has an undertone of spice from the chilies. The first bite lit up my eyes and I immediately called for a bowl of rice. A must-order.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Larb E-San Moo (¥118) – A cold dish of spicy minced pork salad with roasted sticky rice powder, chili, mint, and lime, served with endives and salad to wrap.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
It’s fiery with accents of citrus, fresh lemongrass and lime, and grassiness from the herbs. Marked with three chilies on the menu, as chef mentions, to signify “Thai-level spicy.”
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Tom Zab Nua Toon (¥168) – A Northern-style soup with five-hour braised beef shank. It’s a tangy, reinvigorating elixir bolstered with dry spices and aromatics of galangal, celery, chili, and scallion. One to seek out in the cold of winter.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Kanom Jeen Narm Ya Pu (¥138) – A bowl of creamy crab curry served with rice vermicelli noodles.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
The curry is fragrant with roasted spices, coconut, and curry leaves. Dip your vermicelli into the bowl or top off the noodles with the curry.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Wok-Fried River Prawns (¥178) – A southern-style Thai dish of river prawns tossed together in a scorching hot wok with diced capsicum, coriander root, and birds eye chilli. The wok hei “breath of wok” is strong in this one. An addictive dish of little crispy prawns.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Panaeng Roasted Duck Curry (¥138) – It’s uncertain if it this curry was inspired by the city of Penang, but I can see the connection with satay sauce. Panaeng curry, a prominent Thai curry, is all about the peanuts.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
It’s nutty, mellow in flavor, not at all spicy, has a hint of sweet caramel notes. The duck is roasted to a crispy finish and holds its own. Served with big juicy globes of lychee to cut the richness.
Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Chili Lava Cake (¥98) – A rich and sinful chocolate cake with a gooey center served with coconut ice cream. The chili spice is subtle, and the texture from the cookie crumble and ice cream makes it all the more enjoyable. 

Signatures like the papaya salad, tom yum, pomelo salad, and pad kraprow, a rice-ready wok-fried minced pork dish, all remain on the menu. For more food from Urban Café, click here.

Stellar Thai restaurant Urban Cafe at The Sukhothai Shanghai launches new winter dishes. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.
Pad Kraprow (¥138) – Wok-fried minced pork with hot basil, chili, and garlic.

Thai food is one of the many things I crave in winter for its zesty and spicy flavors. I’ll especially be looking to the beef shank soup for comfort from the chill.

Nomfluence Readers Deals

The deal below is valid from now until December 23, 2022 for Nomfluence Readers when you book via the link below!

  • Complimentary glass of house prosecco or milk tea. One per person. Valid for dinner only.

Click here to book your table!


URBAN Café, The Sukhothai Shanghai
Address: 1/F, 380 Weihai Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu 威海路380号1楼, 近石门一路
Tel: 52378888
Hours: Daily, 12pm-9:30pm

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