Shanghai Presents VIP Halloween Dinner

While some may consider it unlucky to cross paths with a black cat, crossing through Black Cat Alley this weekend is sure to bring good fortune — in the form of delicious food and drink.

Shanghai, a tavern tucked away behind an unassuming fence in Black Cat Alley, will collaborate with chef Ramsés Alvaréz, and Shanghai’s own mixologist Kat Doughty to host a six-course dinner at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.

The eastside speakeasy, located behind the Oriental Theatre, was originally nothing more than a narrow offshoot of the alley used for deliveries. New Land Hospitality saw potential in the space while preparing to open the adjacent Crossroads Collective food hall, and quietly opened the bar in 2019.

Inspired by “all things dark and spooky,” Alvarez and Doughty will feature seasonal ingredients in dishes that play with perception and push the boundaries of the typical dining experience, according to a news release from New Land.

“Shanghai is such an amazing space — shadowy, moody, secretive and intimate,” said Doughty in a statement. “We’ve been so excited about putting together a dinner to play up some of the darker aspects of the season with surprising pairings.”

Doughty is known for her creative mixology, incorporating layers of flavor, smoke, charring and unique textures into her drinks, which are as appealing to the eye as the taste buds. She will create cocktail pairings to accompany Alvarez’s dishes.

Alvaréz is the force behind Dia Bom, the Latin-Asian fusion concept at Crossroads Collective, as well as Brew’d Burger Shop food truck, which recently departed Zocalo Food Park with plans to launch a new food park in the East Town neighborhood.

“I love to have fun with cooking — combining techniques and flavors in new ways to delight my guests,” Alvaréz said. “This Halloween dinner creates an exciting opportunity to push beyond limits to tickle the senses and play some tricks with presentation. In preparation, we’ve played around and experimented with different ideas, but at the end of the day we don’t settle for anything less than perfection.”

Alvaréz, a seasoned chef, said he plans to incorporate advanced techniques to manipulate the texture, appearance and shapes of ingredients. In that sense, the dinner will strike a balance between refined, fine dining and playful presentation, he added.

The meal will lead with a “one bite” raw oyster, with red seaweed and frisee salad topped with liquid nitrogen, squid ink mignonette made into “caviar pearls.” The first course will be paired with a spicy bloody mary shooter.

The following courses are equally adventurous, featuring intriguing ingredients such as the toasted goat cheese marshmallow that accompanies a beet salad, cured and grated egg yolk, or a roasted red pepper coulis “splatter,” to resemble blood.

Each creative course comes with a hand-crafted and artfully designed cocktail pairing.

For the final course, Alvarez and Doughty tapped into the talent at Discourse Coffee. The local cafe will provide hot sous vide coffee alongside a dark chocolate crenn. A light and floral cocktail consisting of Lillet blanc, orange liqueur, absinthe, lemon and dry gin will complement the rich dessert for a balanced finish to the meal.

The dinner won’t be the first time Alvarez and Doughty have combined their talents. The two joined forces earlier this year to create a fundraising dinner for Ukraine, according to Alvarez.

Tickets, $175 each, are available via Crossroads Collective online ordering portal. Attendees are invited to the food hall at 5 p.m. for a pre-dinner drink at The Pharmacy Bar with complimentary cava.

To access Shanghai, enter the alley from East Ivanhoe Place and ring the buzzer near the gate on the west side of the alley.

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