It’s mid-August, and we reckon it’s as hot as it’s going to get in Shanghai this year. Typhoon Muifa spared us the worst of its wrath, leaving sunshine and heat in its wake as it moved up the coast. If you can bear to leave your air-con behind and brave the boil, there’s some cool stuff going on.

1) Openings…
The URBN hotel on Jiaozhou Lu is the gift that keeps on giving. Their organic restaurant, Downstairs with David Laris, has proven a big success, and they’ve just opened a bar called (fittingly) Upstairs. Formerly the terrace of the hotel’s penthouse suite, Upstairs has just a few tables and chairs, and serves mainly Champagne and wine.

The Kerry Hotel over in Pudong has launched a new Sunday brunch. The COOK’s live food stations will be open for all-you-can-eat, and you get the option of unlimited Champagne or beer from The BREW. There’s a lemonade stand and playground for children and musicians will be playing live. If you don’t live in Pudong it’s a bit of a hike, but this is one brunch that’s actually worth travelling for.

2011 is turning into the summer of delivery companies. First Cheers, then Nosh, and now Taco Mama. It’s run by a guy named Daniel Avery who has plenty of experience in the F&B industry. He’s running Taco Mama as a delivery service through Mealbay to begin with, and his burritos, tacos, nachos and fajitas are pretty darn good.

Another newcomer to the dining scene is Stocchi, a Suzhou transplant that styles itself as a chocolate lounge bar. Located at 185 Fumin Lu, it’s a chic little venue offering sweet treats like brownies, cheesecake and truffles as well as cocktails and afternoon tea.

HoF’s Brian Tan has expanded his empire with a fourth venue, this time in Xujiahui. Tang Pin at 133 Tianyaoqiao Lu is a break from his chocolate theme and moves his flavours south to China’s lower reaches and his homeland Malaysia. This means flavours like pandan, coconut and durian instead of his customary cocoa.

Good news for Western brand devotees – Nanjing Dong Lu will soon be home to China’s first Forever 21, Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch stores. Plaza 353 isn’t finished yet, but it’s slated to include brands like Guess, Swatch, Fila, Marlboro, Lacoste, Dickies, Nike, and ZARA, as well as a 7-floor cinema and the largest Apple store in Asia.

2) Happenings…
The Kunshan International Beer Festival is on between August 18th and 28th, and tickets are now on sale for the Bräugaudi tent. This is the special Oktoberfest area that’s being sponsored by the German Chamber of Commerce, and promises to be authentically Bavarian (i.e. lots of sausages, tankards of beer, and a rowdy atmosphere).

If you pass through Xujiahui Metro station on your daily commute, you may have seen the punch bags covering the pillars on the platforms. Sponsored by Adidas, they are part of an advertising campaign called “Don’t Waste Your Wait” (运动你的等待). So if you’re frustrated on your way to work, give them a kick to relieve your stress.

3) In the news…
Shocking news from People’s Square this week. On the afternoon of August 16th, a 30-year-old woman was stabbed to death at the Culinary Art Leisure Restaurant in the D-Mall. She later died from her wounds at Changzheng Hospital. Her assailant is believed to be a man with whom she was romantically involved.

Over at the Yu Garden, the 2011 Old Shanghai Linong Night Market opened on August 11th and will run until the 25th. Situated in Yuyuan’s central square, the market is open 09:00 to 21:00 and involves live shows, Chinese storytelling, paper cutting, saxophone performances, acrobatics and magic shows.

If you were planning to travel by bullet train this month, think again. The Shanghai Railway Bureau has put a hold on the sale of tickets for bullet trains leaving from August 15th onwards from Shanghai Railway Station and Hongqiao Railway Station. Apparently this is because of new scheduling systems being put into place, but there’s no indication of when the service will resume.

Finally. if you feel like a late summer holiday, hop on one of Continental Airlines’s upcoming flights from Shanghai to Guam. The route opens September 30th and will operate every five days to the American territory in Micronesia. 

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Keywords: new openings Shanghai Shanghai watchdog Oktoberfest in Shanghai flights Shanghai to Guam