Going Native: Shanghai

Nick Dodet, executive producer at Shanghai-based production house P.I.G. China, offers a guide to the city’s chaotic charms, from neon-lit bathrooms to the best place to slurp a bowl of soup noodles

What’s the best thing about working in advertising in Shanghai?

Chaos.

And the worst thing?

Chaos.

If you’re booking a hotel in Shanghai, where would you choose to stay?

The centrally located PuLi Hotel & Spa, it’s a lovely boutique hotel offering great service in beautifully designed rooms. Or the Andaz hotel in the Xintiandi district, which is spacious and nicely designed. Plus it has LED lighting in the bathrooms and the swimming pool, which is a huge crowd-pleaser among my nerdy friends.

What advice would you give to a visitor?

Let yourself flow with the city. Get lost, discover the guts of the beast. And always look left, right, and up before crossing a street.

What do you miss when you’re out of the city?

Chaos.

What’s the best Chinese ad you’ve seen in the last year?

I honestly do not watch TV… Never get high on your own supply!

Who do you/would you love to work with in the industry?

I love Chinese-American directing duo Jess Zou and Jing Shao, aka J+J – they’re riddled with talent and fantastic to work with [see shots 151 for more]. Jing got a Young Director Award in Cannes this year. Paul Mignot is also amazingly talented. Ringan Ledwidge and Bruno Aveillan would be nice to work with, and it will hopefully happen soon.

If Shanghai were a product, what would it be?

A gold-plated and diamond-studded doormat.

What’s your favourite memory of Shanghai?

The night I met my wife, ten years ago. I’m still trying to recover my breath from that night…

What’s Shanghai’s favourite pastime?

Chaos.

What’s the best place to eat in Shanghai?

A little, nameless la mian noodle shop on Yongjia Road (known simply as the la mian shop on Yongjia Road). As in most Chinese noodle restaurants, the noodles are made by hand in front of you. Within minutes, they go from a pile of dough to thinly pulled noodles quickly dipped into a delicious, steaming broth. And of course Paul Pairet’s multi-sensory restaurant UltraViolet, because of the mind-boggling experience. It appeals to all the senses, including some I didn’t know I had! It has 360-degree projections and music reflecting the different dishes (over 20 bite-size courses) which are served over a whole evening. It recently made the top 30 restaurants in the world. The wait list for a table is over several months as it only sits 10 people each evening, but it’s worth it.

And the best place to have a drink?

Craft, a ‘secret’ vodka bar on Donghu Road. It can be a bit hard to find as there are no signs outside. You have to go down an alley and up the stairs above a local restaurant to get to it. Great vodka-based cocktails – try the Moscow mule – but more importantly, some of the best DJs in town.

One table, four places. You and who?

Xiaolong Zhang, the inventor of [digital social platform] WeChat; Johan Vakidis, ECD of R/GA Shanghai, because he’s a pretty cool and talented cat; [Chinese cinematographer and director] Rain Li, sitting on Chris Doyle’s lap to save seats; and Paul Pairet, the chef behind UltraViolet, manning the kitchen!