Article by Manuela S. Zoninsein
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Today this metropolis of more than twenty million is racing ahead in another arena: eco-consciousness. The mission of the city’s 2010 World Expo is urban sustainability. It’s home to China’s first offshore wind farm, the first outside Europe. And the local green movement goes beyond business borders. Peggy Liu, founder and chair of the Joint US-China Collaboration on Clean Energy, asserts that “China is going from the manufacturing hub to the cleantech laboratory of the world.” The same might be said of developments in the areas of fashion, food and lifestyle.
Food
Downstairs with David Laris
In Shanghai, “every hip young Western chef is doing local food,” says Crystyl Mo, dining editor of Time Out Shanghai. And there might be no more hip a Western chef than David Laris, the mastermind behind Laris Restaurant on the Bund, the restaurant concepts at The Opposite House in Beijing, the first-ever Barbie Café (seriously) — and now Downstairs.
Based at URBN Hotel — itself known for a commitment to sustainability as well as good design sense — the focus here is “all about sustainable living — from where the food supply is sourced to the uniforms of the service staff,” explains Christina Kao, one of the team members. Whenever possible, the menu features ingredients that are organic, homemade and traceable to the farm.
