Kathleen's5

Why the 5?
     Because we’re on the 5th floor, the rooftop, of the Shanghai Art Museum. In 2004, When Kathleen decided to open her 4th restaurant in Shanghai, she chose the Art Museum for its historical importance, its beautiful architecture, and most of all because of the panoramic view from the roof: a view from the center of Shanghai like no other.

     To match the beautiful scenery, she brought in Natalie Guihaumé and Marion Dorel, as Manager and PR to ensure an impeccable service. For the cuisine, she turned to chef Peter Gong, a Shanghai native trained in Australia for 20 years. Peter continental cuisine reflects his preference for Mediterranean flavors and abundant fresh ingredients.

History of the Building

     Kathleen’s 5 looks out onto People’s Square, once the Shanghai Horse Racing Course. Built in 1933 by the English as the Racing Club, its clients were the rich and famous who came to watch their thoroughbreds when Shanghai was the “Sin City.” Outside of the Bund, People’s Square has the most extensive collection of historic buildings from the 30s.

     Reclaimed by the Chinese in 1949, the new government built an extensive network of underground tunnels that still exist today. When the Grand Theatre was built next door, the street had to be refortified because delivery trucks were too heavy that they might crush the cement pavement and fall into the tunnels below.

     In 1955 it became the Shanghai Library, and books and manuscripts were stored under a makeshift awning in what is now Kathleen’s 5. The library stayed until 1998 when the Shanghai Art Museum took over.

     Today, guests at Kathleen’s 5 can sit under the clock tower, one of the most towers in the city. For many years, the clock told the wrong time and was associated with decay until Kathleen’s 5 moved in. It has been accurate since then.

The Panoramic View

     From the terrace of Kathleen’s 5, our guests can look into Shanghai’s past and see the city’s vision of the future.
     There is the echo of 30s jazz through the corridors of the Park Hotel, built as the tallest building in China at the time just across the way. It stayed the city’s tallest building for 50 years. When city planners enlarged the boundaries of Shanghai, they assigned it as Point Zero. A few buildings down, there is the Number One Department store which was indeed China’s very first department store.

     The area is also the cultural center with the Shanghai Museum to the right of Kathleen’s 5, the Grand Theater next door, the Concert Hall and the Planning Museum all within view of Kathleen’s 5 terrace. On the other side of our Glass Pavilions, our guests can see the awarding wining Tomorrow Square, built in 2003.

     Future of Shanghai can be seen in tops of the China’s 2 tallest building, the Jin Mao and the International Financial Center, completed in 2009.

     There is no restaurant more central who can offer a comparable view, no restaurant with more attentive service, or with better tasting western food than Kathleen’s 5. See our other webpages to find out more about our Events Packages, Menus, and Promotions.

Kathleen Lau
     I came to China in the early 90s much like many of those early ex-pats - with no clear idea of why I came, and only the lure of adventure keeping me here. I was awed by the vastness of this country, the density of its population and finally cowed by speed of which it was moving into the 21st century.

     I chose Guangzhou as my first city of residence. Shopping for food I recognized meant paying US$4 for a stick of butter at the Garden Hotel Deli. Good coffee could not be found and bad coffee cost US$5 a cup and you had to put up with stiff hotel service.

     To make my first salad, I rinsed the vegetables with tap water and added tofu from the wet market, uncooked. I was sick for three days. I missed eating the food I liked, using the products I knew, and reading English.

     To pass the time and earn enough to pay rent, I taught English. Students in those days were working professionals who worked in joint-venture companies (colleges had not begun bringing in native English teachers). Instead of questions about language, they asked about American culture. Foreign TV programming had only just started coming into the mainland and pirated American movies barely existed.

     I thought the best way to illustrate American culture was to open a coffee shop. In 1996, I opened the first privately-owned American/western cafe in Guangzhou. It was called Kathleen's. But my Chinese students did not drink coffee (nor any other Cantonese I knew!), so I added a home stove and put spaghetti on the menu.

     My lunch rush was five little boys from the apartment upstairs who managed to cough up the 10rmb for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The challenge was cutting it into five equal parts. Soon, even they stopped coming.

     Then one day, Marylin walked through the door. She was one of the Canadian teachers of an exclusive grammar school preparing Chinese 8-year olds for a future at Harvard - the first of its kind. She liked the coffee and spread the word.

     Kathleen's did not succeed in bringing coffee to the Chinese masses, but it did become the expat oasis of its time. Foreign managers and top executives running international firms would drop in. In time, they started to ask questions about where to find turkeys for Thanksgiving, how to get an English speaking piano teacher, or is there a good dental clinic. I decided to collect all of this information and print it up.

     In June 1997, I wrote Clueless in Guangzhou from my living room. It was the in-house "newsletter" for Kathleen's. I printed 3,000 copies of the first issue. Within a year, we were printing 10,000 copies per issue.

     By 1998, many of my clients were moving their offices to Shanghai. So in early 1998, I came to Shanghai to see what the commotion was all about. The team for Clueless in Guangzhou published the first issue of our Shanghai magazine in July, 1998. We called this magazine iSH - in Shanghai. After a few issues we changed the name to that's Shanghai.

     Many of Kathleen's Guangzhou clients had also moved to Shanghai. And so in 1999, Kathleen's Mao Ming was opened. In 2000, KABB (Kathleen's American Bistro Bar) at Xintiandi also opened.

     Changing priorities convinced me to sell all my interests in those restaurants and magazines to my business partners. In 2001 I left China for a break。
     After two years, my first book, Riding the Dragon: A Practical Guide to Living in Shanghai was published.

     In February 2004, Kathleen's 5 was opened in the rooftop of the historic Shanghai Art Museum. It is the biggest project I have ever done.

     In many ways, my personal growth have mirrored that of Shanghai's. Being a part of this city's spectacular and speedy climb - from an undeveloped city with no street lights to having the newest infrastructure of any international city - have allowed me to stretch my own horizons. As, I am sure, it has been the case for you.

     For all who have set foot in this city, for a day or a lifetime, we are fellow travelers, sharing the 15 minutes of fame with one the China's most stunning achievements. Enjoy the moment.

Kwok Wai Christopher, CHAN
Chris is currently Kathleen’s 5 Restaurant and Bar Manager. Born in Hong Kong, Chris received his B.A, in International Hospitality and Tourism Management at Bournemouth University in Australia. He received his advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management at the renowned hotel management school, IHTTI in Australia, and also partook in the Double Awards Program for Business and Hospitality at Monash University in Australia. In addition, Chris was certified as Hygiene Manager by the City University Hong Kong (2005), and received his Intermediate certificate in wine from the Hong Kong Sommelier Association (2007). Chris is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, martial arts, and traveling.

You can contact Chris at chris@kathleens5.com

Peter Gong
     Peter Gong is the Head Chef at Kathleen’s 5 Restaurant.

     Born in Shanghai and bred in Sydney, Peter was inspired to cook at a young age. After arriving in Australia, he began formal culinary training at the age of 18. Beginning at the bottom as a mere “kitchen hand”, he progressed quickly to the position of cook.

     Peter worked in Shanghai for 2 years prior to joining Kathleen’s 5 in 2006. With a career spanning two decades he has worked in some of the best restaurants in Sydney, including the spectacular Catalina Restaurant. He’s resume includes catering for the exclusive Black Truffle Company to setting up super glamorous restaurants in Moscow.

     Peter’s food style is Modern Fusion with an Asian Flare, and his philosophy is based in the exploration of classical food marriages and harmony of flavour. In Shanghai he enjoys revisiting the food and produce he had grown up with as a child. Peter sources exceptional ingredients and is working closely with our own vegetable farmer to organically grow baby and unknown vegetables especially for Kathleen’s 5 guests.

     On the K5 menus, you will find his signature cured Salmon with Capers, Berries, and Soft Egg Dressing, as well as the delightful Suckling Pig Served 3 Ways on the dinner menu. His Chinese heritage shines through in the Grilled King Prawns with Chinese Pork Hock Terrine and Sweet Tamarind Dressing.

     Peter is fluent in English and Mandarin. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his young sons and wife, breeding fish, cooking, and traveling.

     You can contact Peter at chef@kathleens5.com

Ebony Huebner
      Ebony Huebner is the Sous and Pastry Chef at Kathleen’s 5 Restaurant.

     Born in Southern Australia, Ebony fell in love with cooking at the age of 18.

     Prior to joining Kathleen’s 5 in 2007 she worked in Shanghai for 2 years. With an impressive resume working under Australian chef greats such as Peter Gilmore, Neil Perry, and Steve Manfredi, she has honed her skills and spends her time perfecting her craft.

     Ebony’s delicately-made desserts are pleasantly refreshing. Her signature Yoghurt “Cheesecake” with Slow Poached Apricots and Biscuit Florentine is a K5 customer favorite amongst both locals and newcomers. Her Black Sesame Pannacotta with Green Tea Ice cream, Pebbles, and Fresh Mango is sweet yet tangy, a modern reflection of Shanghai’s East-West fusion culture.

     In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her young family, learning about Chinese culture, and traveling.

     You can contact Ebony at ebony@kathleens5.com