SHANGHAIPORTMAN

“We don’t have the newest hotel…and we’re not the hippest hotel, but our guests always come back.The secret to our success? It’s the employees. I call the employees craftsmen, because really being able to take care of a guest, that’s a craft.” --John RolfsGeneral Manager,The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai

Our secret

Shaking things upThis month,Tables at The Portman Ritz-Carlton introduces Sahnghai’s first ever martini brunch with a free flow drinks menu featuring 13 varieties of the classic cocktail.Jake Newby meets barman David Hong and sips his way through the highlights

hen wenamed the brunch at The Portma Ritz-Carlton hotel’s Tables restaurant one of the 25 best in Shanghai last year(see WWW.timeoutshanghai.com/brunch for the full list),we cautioned that while it was one of the better value hotel brunche，‘someareas could do with a little sprucing’.This month,the Shanghai Centre-set hotel goes well beyond‘a little sprucing’with a martinithemed relaunch. Starting from Sunday3,in addition to its usual spread of Chinese and international dishes and free-flow Champagne,Tables will be offereing a free-flow menu of 13 different martinis,with the whole thing soundtracked by jazzman George Butts(whoalso gets a zesty orange martini named in his honour).Each month,a new ever-growing menu of cocktails to accompany brunch. Having been granted a sneak preview,here are five of our favourites:

W

Each month,a newmar�ini will beadded,resulting

in an ever-g�owingmenu of cocktails

Where else to start than with this Bond-inspired classic? Turning a blind eye to his Heineken-swilling antics in Skyfall, this version mixes gin,vodka and Lillet Blanc for a satisfingly sharp martini:essentiallywhat most people think of when theyorder the drink.Controversially(for007 aficionados at least),this martini is stirred,not shaken,a move which Portman barmanDavid Hong defends as‘simply better’.Whether he’d say that to Bond’s face isanother matter.

This twist on a Manhattan mixes bourbon,amaretto and lime juice to create a dark,weighty drink that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a negroni, but with a sweet twist that takes the edge off.The drink

00tini

Ritz Bar mar�ini

was first made at the Portman’s Ritz Bar at the behest of a regular hotel guest and has now become a fixture,despite not appearing on the menu there.

A rarely-used spirit when it comes to martinis,sake is blended here with a large measure of gin for a sharp,but pleasing sip.While it slearly lacks the purity of drinking these spirits straight up,the shaken mertini brings the two together surprisingly well,making for a good wake-up call on a Sunday morning.

Probably the fruitiest thing on the menu,the generous splash of pineapple juice and a coconut-dusted rim mask a significant dose of alcohol courtesy of a Malibu and

Caribbean mar�ini

Sake mar�ini

vanilla-flavoured vodka base.It’s not for everyone,but is a refreshing sip when you’re easing into the morning after the night before.

For a true brunch companion however,look no further than the breakfast martimi.A Cointreau and gin base are mixed with a citrusy hint of lime juice and a couple of spoons of apricot marmalade to make for an inventive,thoroughly enjoyable cocktail.The high alcohol content is tempered by the lime juice,while the marmalade aftertaste lingers pleasantly on the tongue.Emphasising this martini’s point of difference,this version comes With a strip of toast on top,spread,(naturally)with marmalade.

Tables’Martini Brunch begins on Sunday 3 at The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai,priced at 518RMB/person(plus 15 per cent).Brunch takes place every Sunday thereafter from11.30am-2.30pm.

Breakfast mar�ini

SHANGHAIPORTMAN