"I'm Back": Chef Carlos Sotomayor Returns to Shanghai, Taking on Two New Kitchens at VICE and Pony Up
After some time off, Chef Carlos Sotomayor is stepping into the kitchens of both VICE and the new Pony Up bar at the same time—while, in that very same month, the 18-year-old Maya and all Xiao Nan Guo locations quietly shut their doors for good.
"I'm back, you filthy little gremlins! The secret's out!" — this wasn't some PR line from an agency, it's what Chef Carlos Sotomayor posted himself on social media. After stepping away from Shanghai's dining scene for a while, he's not just coming back to one restaurant — he's taking on two kitchens at once.
The first is VICE, arguably the most anticipated opening of the season, tucked into an old villa at No. 128 Yongjia Road right next to the original O'Mills. At the helm is Raffe "Wolf" Ibrahamian of Cantina Agave, with Carlos Sotomayor (former High Yaki chef) coming in as Executive Chef, and Head Bartender Nick, alum of J. Boroski, running the bar. The menu leans into globally-inspired small plates: yellow wine sesame chicken, roasted lamb shoulder gratin, tiger's milk salmon, pigeon consommé with squid noodles — clearly not a restaurant playing it safe. The space has a café and terrace on the ground floor, with a bar and lounge with balcony views upstairs. VICE is set to soft open dinner service in the second week of June, with brunch to follow later.
Meanwhile, Dre Yang, the rising star bartender behind Asia's 50 Best Bar regular Pony Up, is opening a more intimate cocktail lounge right next to the existing space, debuting in August. Food will also fall under Carlos, who'll be serving up elevated bar bites. Running two kitchens in the same month — this kind of comeback speaks louder than any opening press release ever could.
Same Month, Maya Closes After 18 Years
Amid all the buzz of new openings, some old favorites are taking their final bow. Mexican restaurant Maya has closed after 18 years in business. According to a post from a co-founder on WeChat Moments this past April, the closure may only be temporary, and the team still hopes to reopen someday. Meanwhile, Xiao Nan Guo, which announced a "temporary" closure of all its Shanghai locations earlier this year, has now confirmed that "temporary" was actually permanent.
Chicken & Egg on Fumin Road closed last week, with the space set to become a location of Taiwanese chain Taoyuan Juancun — word is their youtiao was some of the best in Shanghai. Bambino and Grumpy Dog will both close after service on May 31st, while Nebula Shanghai shuts down in mid-June, with former chef Jonatan Rubio moving on to become Executive Chef at Terrakota. Add in the closures of Suzie, +PINK, ULU ULU Gelato, LeeLaksa, Voisine, Catch of the Day, WULI, and more than ten other spots, and this May's list of closures ends up longer than the list of openings.
Also This Month: A Taste of Bali Spice, A Bowl of Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken
On Fuxing Middle Road, mala hotpot spot Malaogo has been transformed by OHA Group into Holy Spice, a Bali-inspired concept restaurant with spice, ritual, and rooftop terrace seating. Right now it's running a soft-opening menu, with "the real deal" not landing until mid-June. Over on Yongkang Road, Chef Gabo's EIGHT has reopened with a self-coined cuisine called Chifané — tracing his personal journey from South America to Spain to China. The space features an 8-seat chef's table, plus an à la carte bistro area upstairs, with dishes like crab salad savory churros, peach-cured tuna, potato-crusted pork ribs, and dan dan sauce duck pasta rolls. The chef's table tasting menu is priced at ¥888.
The former Le Verre à Vin space at Ferguson Lane has become Cumin, a modern Xinjiang restaurant from the same team behind Miss Ali. The menu features big plate chicken and lamb skewers, alongside reinterpreted dishes like red wine-braised lamb leg. Sober Company is undergoing a major overhaul starting in June: the ground floor is becoming æ café & bar, a mini "zero-waste" concept and sister spot to the Tokyo location of the same name, with a seasonal Sober Airways tasting menu hidden behind a brick wall. Upstairs, the izakaya lounge will be helmed by Chef Ryusuke Nakagawa of one-Michelin-starred Toronto restaurant Aburi Hana, reimagining festival street food with premium ingredients.
