City Living
DINING
New & Noted MARC
Nyima Pratten
What: Authentic French haute cuisine on the Bund Where: Wanda Reign On The Bund. 21/F, 538 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, near Longtan Lu. Web: www.wandahotels.com Why: To experience dishes crafted by a legendary Michelin star chef
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rench Chef Marc Meneau, owner of L'Espérance, a Michelin two-star restaurant in Burgundy, has opened a namesake restaurant in Shanghai at the invitation of Wanda Reign On The Bund. Although decorated with extravagant Art Deco pieces, and offering sweeping views through large floor-to-ceiling windows down the Bund’s historic waterfront and across to the skyscrapers of Lujiazui, the superb venue is, unsurprisingly, not the main reason to visit this remarkable restaurant; the food is. A master of both traditional and contemporary French cuisines, the septuagenarian chef has been dividing his time between France and China, in order to discover more about the Middle Kingdom’s ancient dining traditions, seasonal ingredients and local foodie culture. His menu draws on knowledge gleaned in research trips and takes inspiration from his new environment, whilst remaining true to his French fine dining roots. We sampled dishes from the a la carte menu, starting with a colourful langoustine and caviar dish (RMB
368), served with beetroots, radish, turnips and a comté cheese biscuit under a luminous “wasabi marshmallow”. This vibrant dish had a lot of moving parts, but pulled together exceptionally well, with the creamy wasabi marshmallow melting in the mouth and adding an Asian spicy flare into the mix. For mains, we selected the monkfish (RMB 298), which was wrapped around a thick, aromatic stick of cinnamon and served alongside cep mushrooms sprinkled with grilled buckwheat, cashew and fennel sauce. Finishing on a sweet note, the vanilla and pistachio crunchy cream puff (RMB 118) under confit apricots, sorbet and sour juice, was showstoppingly presented, with the light and tart sorbet cutting through the thick cream.
Interestingly, Meneau is known for his signature presentation whereby dish components are arranged according to how they grow. Ingredients that grow beneath the surface are assembled at the bottom of the dish, on top of which go ingredients that grow on the ground, topped by ingredients that grow elevated above the ground. So look out for and admire this small detail when dissecting the painstakingly plated dishes. The set dinner menu starts at RMB 788, or RMB 1,498 with wine pairing. In homage to the chef, there is an exclusive selection of Burgundy wines, as well as new and old world wines available. Although the restaurant is still in its early stages, Meneau is contracted to be at the restaurant once a month, so we do not expect the meticulous service standards or innovative offerings to plateau anytime soon and we are excited about the future of this world-class restaurant.
Second Helpings: Jade On 36 @ Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai Nyima Pratten
What: The crown jewel in the luxury hotel’s F&B offerings Where: 36/F, Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai, 33 Fucheng Lu, near Lujiazui Huan Lu. Tel: 6882 8888. Web: www.shangri-la.com Why: For the new dinner menu featuring interpretations of Asian cuisine.
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lthough typically specialising in French gastronomy and European fusion foods, Jeremy Biasiol, chef de cuisine of Jade On 36, has dipped his toes into the wider world of Asian cuisine and created an exotic new dinner menu, taking inspiration from his travels around Asia. The sharing-style menu features classic dishes, with delightful Asian twists, suitable for the local and expat crowd. Our favourite appetiser was the tuna and sea urchin, with a wasabi and soy sauce infused egg covered in bonito flakes. This dish creatively played with characteristically Asian ingredients and was set upon crispy rice, topped with salmon roe, which intensified this wonderfully rich seafood dish. In fact, seafood lovers will have a field day at the restaurant, and should follow up the delicious appetiser by tucking into the Maine lobster, served with herb and corn beignet and porcini mushroom espuma.
The dinner menu is priced at RMB 448 per diner for three dishes, RMB 508 for four dishes, RMB 558 for five dishes and RMB 608 for six dishes. There is also a seven-course degustation menu designed to be enjoyed by the whole table for RMB 638 per diner, with wine pairing at a supplement of RMB 358 per person. September16 TalkMagazine
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CITY LIVING
DINING
Brunching @ Jean-Georges
What: An exquisite brunch setting and all round fine dining experience Where: Three On The Bund. 4/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu. Tel: 6321 7733. Web: www. threeonthebund.com Why: For the unparalleled, lavish brunch menu
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ombining two of our favourite things on one menu, brunch foods and Jean-Georges’ signature egg caviar, weekends at this restaurant are made for good friends, good food and good times. The elaborate brunch menu has all of the key ingredients one could possibly imagine when it comes to an indulgent meal. First and foremost, Jean-Georges’ iconic egg caviar, which was created at the flagship New York restaurant, is sublime with its buttery scrambled egg centre, served in the
Nyima Pratten
shell and topped with vodka-spiked cream and exquisite caviar. In terms of eggs, which are of supreme importance for any brunch worth its salt, the lobster egg benedict, with generous shavings of earthy black truffle, was second to none in the city and came jiggling to our table, ready to be torn into. If you can handle another savoury dish, before giving into the temptation of the divine pastries, the smoked salmon and avocado toast on black bread was a winner, with the textured bread supporting the soft avocado and herbed salmon. Rich and hearty ricotta beignets, sugared and oozing with cherry jam on every bite, rounded out the meal flawlessly, along with the fluffy French toast accompanied by tart, syruped peaches. Naturally, the croissants and pain
au chocolat were also a thing of beauty at this famed French restaurant. Thanks to the extensive renovation in late 2015, the restaurant re-emerged with a sleek bar and lounge area, which lends itself seamlessly to after-brunch cocktails. Guests can relax in the light and airy lounge, whilst sipping on a rich cherry-yuzu old fashioned (RMB 128) or a refreshing cucumber martini (RMB 118), crafted by head bartender, Sean Pan, behind the elegant French bar. The cocktail list combines classic cocktails with creative twists, along with tried and tested favourites, and they are the perfect ending to an exuberant brunch. Jean-Georges brunch sets are priced at RMB 298, or RMB 498 for a luxury set (with the signature egg caviar), and are served every weekend between 11:30am and 3pm.
Second Helpings: Light and Salt Nyima Pratten What: A tranquil restaurant, in the heart of the city, from the Light & Salt team Where: 407 Shanxi Bei Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu. Tel: 5266 0930. Web: www.light-n-salt.com Why: To try the revamped menu and signature dishes by Executive Chef Liu Yang
yet tangy Thai style salad with pomelo and thick chunks of crab leg, and tagliatelle pasta, served in the shell with a creamy lemon, garlic and burgundy sauce. The pan-fried Hokkaido scallops, with mushroom, homemade bacon, beetroot chips and green peas puree (RMB 117), were also a great ode to seafood.
confit peach, cabbage and orange reduction, was a rustic, hearty affair, with perfectly balanced ingredients which sits well in the autumnal menu. Speaking of hearty fare, the raspberry crumble (RMB 57), made from whole wheat crumble and accompanied by cheese ice cream, is not to be missed.
hef Liu Yang was recently named as one of China’s Top 10 contestants in San Pellegrino Young Chef 2016, and is eager to leave his mark on the restaurant’s new dinner menu. Having worked in Canada’s leading gastronomic scene, he has, by his own admission, been heavily influenced by Vancouver’s fresh seasonal seafood culture, as well as Montreal’s French and Irish meat dishes. This experience has now become his inspiration for his fusion Asian dishes.
In terms of meat, the seared duck breast (RMB 147), with le puy green lentils, cumin carrot puree, cabbage, garlic,
Light & Salt Daily has also recently launched a gourmet delivery service, DeLightful by Light & Salt. The allday delivery service offers some favourites from the restaurant’s menu, as well as a selection of exclusive dishes. Currently DeLightful delivers within Shanghai Puxi’s inner ring and is available to order through various leading local food delivery apps, so check it out!
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We particularly enjoyed the new seafood dishes on the menu, and were happy to hear that Chef Liu has followed the sustainable sea farming practices drummed into him in Vancouver, by selecting sustainable seafood suppliers and reducing seafood product waste. The “two ways wild brown crab” (RMB 498) was a highlight of the menu, with a sweet,
12 TalkMagazine
September16