Uv-Higher View-Aug 2014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SHANGHAI Sizzling Shanghai 64 In the past decade, China’s trendsetting metropolis has become a gastronomic powerhouse. Sarah O’Meara explores the city’s innovative dining scene ugh Grant and John decades. Rewind 20 years and the city was Cusack were here last dominated by a small selection of conservative, weekend,” says our host state-run restaurants. Now there are more brightly, as my husband than 90,000 dining venues, according to and I walk along the restaurant review website Dianping. And “Hcorridor to the Mandarin Oriental’s Yong Yi while that number might include every little Ting restaurant. dumpling stand, it also represents a significant Above our heads, lampshades inspired by influx of high-end restaurants. Chinese wine jars light our way towards a With its booming economy and robust modern dining room that feels fresh, yet investment scene, the city is the perfect traditional, with translucent embroidered launchpad for budding restaurateurs, both screens separating the tables, chilled music from China and the west. Shanghai restaurants and an avant-garde waterfall feature. The currently take five spots in the prestigious top glitzy five-star hotel in Shanghai’s Pudong 50 best restaurants in Asia list. district has barely been open a year, but it’s “The western food scene is pretty cutting-edge,” already made its mark – and not just when it says Shanghai-based food writer Crystyl Mo. comes to welcoming A-list movie stars. “Everyone wants to be here because you can Yong Yi Ting has been acclaimed by critics get financing, find collaborators and open as offering the most innovative examples of contemporary Chinese cuisine in the city. Developed by one of the country’s brightest gastronomic talents, chef Tony Lu (currently number 26 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for his Shanghai restaurant Fu1015) is cited by experts as China’s touchstone for modern dining. The menu is a sublime culinary combination of ancient and modern practises that, he says, is fundamental to his approach. “We create new flavours to suit contemporary clients. And the new creations may be tastier than those in their memories,” Lu explains. Light show ULTRAVIOLET USES UV The Shanghai dining scene has achieved a LIGHTS TO HIGHLIGHT Photo: Scott Wright of Limelight THE COLOUR OF FOOD remarkable transformation in the past two Photo: Scott Wright of Limelight SHANGHAI Sizzling Shanghai 64 In the past decade, China’s trendsetting metropolis has become a gastronomic powerhouse. Sarah O’Meara explores the city’s innovative dining scene ugh Grant and John decades. Rewind 20 years and the city was Cusack were here last dominated by a small selection of conservative, weekend,” says our host state-run restaurants. Now there are more brightly, as my husband than 90,000 dining venues, according to and I walk along the restaurant review website Dianping. And “Hcorridor to the Mandarin Oriental’s Yong Yi while that number might include every little Ting restaurant. dumpling stand, it also represents a significant Above our heads, lampshades inspired by influx of high-end restaurants. Chinese wine jars light our way towards a With its booming economy and robust modern dining room that feels fresh, yet investment scene, the city is the perfect traditional, with translucent embroidered launchpad for budding restaurateurs, both screens separating the tables, chilled music from China and the west. Shanghai restaurants and an avant-garde waterfall feature. The currently take five spots in the prestigious top glitzy five-star hotel in Shanghai’s Pudong 50 best restaurants in Asia list. district has barely been open a year, but it’s “The western food scene is pretty cutting-edge,” already made its mark – and not just when it says Shanghai-based food writer Crystyl Mo. comes to welcoming A-list movie stars. “Everyone wants to be here because you can Yong Yi Ting has been acclaimed by critics get financing, find collaborators and open as offering the most innovative examples of contemporary Chinese cuisine in the city. Developed by one of the country’s brightest gastronomic talents, chef Tony Lu (currently number 26 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for his Shanghai restaurant Fu1015) is cited by experts as China’s touchstone for modern dining. The menu is a sublime culinary combination of ancient and modern practises that, he says, is fundamental to his approach. “We create new flavours to suit contemporary clients. And the new creations may be tastier than those in their memories,” Lu explains. Light show ULTRAVIOLET USES UV The Shanghai dining scene has achieved a LIGHTS TO HIGHLIGHT Photo: Scott Wright of Limelight THE COLOUR OF FOOD remarkable transformation in the past two Photo: Scott Wright of Limelight “ S HANGHAI IS projects. You can bring a trend to Shanghai in “He served the dish in a martini glass. The rice OPEN- MINDED AND the span of an airplane ride.” wine was made into granita. You’ll still see this Whether you’re after molecular gastronomy dish copied around town,” tells Fischer. READY TO EMBRACE served in a hidden location, French cuisine that Ten years since the Hong Kong chef took UNUSUAL PROJECTS” rivals the brasseries of Paris, Ethiopian food Shanghai by storm, there’s been a taste revolution served from a pop-up kitchen or an organic, that culminated in the opening of Ultraviolet, locally sourced Chinese meal in a laid-back cafe, ranked number eight in Asia’s 50 Best you can find it in Shanghai. Restaurants – and 58th in the world – this year. According to Lu, customers’ tastes have moved Conceived by French chef Paul Pairet more beyond the traditional and towards a more than 15 years ago, the still new-age restaurant modern appreciation of the dining experience. offers a fully immersive dining experience by “Chinese gourmands have a comprehensive implementing multi-sensorial technologies. appreciation criteria for high-quality dining, “Ultraviolet could have happened anywhere; Art and food which is related to sensual pleasures and I tried to launch the concept a few times in FOOD AND VENUE ALIKE ARE CREATED arousing your imagination. Australia, Miami and in Paris,” says Pairet. BY OWNERS WITH “Achieving the ultimate food itself may just “The reason it happened in Shanghai was the AESTHETIC IN MIND SHANGHAI take up 30 per cent. The rest of the components positiveness of the economy. Shanghai is open- are service, art and ambiance.” minded and ready to embrace unusual projects.” Dishes at Yong Yi Ting include turnip The 3,000RMB per head restaurant was an 66 marinated with soy chilli sauce that melts on the overnight success and is regularly described by tongue like a glace cherry, a tuna tartar starter critics as “the best dining experience ever”. that tantalisingly combines fresh mango and Each evening, a table of 10 diners are treated plum powder, and desserts that cleverly deliver to a 20-course avant-garde set menu that Asian flavours with a modern, western flourish. engages their visual, auditory and olfactory Shanghai first found its high-end senses. “In a historical sense, we are going back Photo: Scott Wright of Limelight contemporary food voice with the opening of to the restaurant before the restaurant. To the Whampoa Club at Three On The Bund in 2004. 17th century, before any a la carte restaurant Managing Editor of SmartShanghai Justin opened. The DNA of Ultraviolet is to control the Fischer remembers how pioneer chef Jereme times that people eat, as well as the offering. Plate it up ULTRAVIOLET’S GUMMIES Leung turned traditional dishes such as drunken The principle that people can order different HIBERNATUS COLA chicken (marinated chicken in yellow rice wine, items from a menu to be served in a short time ROCKS (ABOVE); LIGHT steamed and served cold) on their heads. is not necessarily the best way to deliver a great & SALT CHEF TONY LU (LEFT); YONG YI TING KITCHEN (FAR LEFT) Master at work LIGHT & SALT EXECUTIVE CHEF RAFAEL QING (RIGHT) AND ONE OF HIS DISHES (FAR RIGHT) “ S HANGHAI IS projects. You can bring a trend to Shanghai in “He served the dish in a martini glass. The rice OPEN- MINDED AND the span of an airplane ride.” wine was made into granita. You’ll still see this Whether you’re after molecular gastronomy dish copied around town,” tells Fischer. READY TO EMBRACE served in a hidden location, French cuisine that Ten years since the Hong Kong chef took UNUSUAL PROJECTS” rivals the brasseries of Paris, Ethiopian food Shanghai by storm, there’s been a taste revolution served from a pop-up kitchen or an organic, that culminated in the opening of Ultraviolet, locally sourced Chinese meal in a laid-back cafe, ranked number eight in Asia’s 50 Best you can find it in Shanghai. Restaurants – and 58th in the world – this year. According to Lu, customers’ tastes have moved Conceived by French chef Paul Pairet more beyond the traditional and towards a more than 15 years ago, the still new-age restaurant modern appreciation of the dining experience. offers a fully immersive dining experience by “Chinese gourmands have a comprehensive implementing multi-sensorial technologies. appreciation criteria for high-quality dining, “Ultraviolet could have happened anywhere; Art and food which is related to sensual pleasures and I tried to launch the concept a few times in FOOD AND VENUE ALIKE ARE CREATED arousing your imagination. Australia, Miami and in Paris,” says Pairet. BY OWNERS WITH “Achieving the ultimate food itself may just “The reason it happened in Shanghai was the AESTHETIC IN MIND SHANGHAI take up 30 per cent. The rest of the components positiveness of the economy. Shanghai is open- are service, art and ambiance.” minded and ready to embrace unusual projects.” Dishes at Yong Yi Ting include turnip The 3,000RMB per head restaurant was an 66 marinated with soy chilli sauce that melts on the overnight success and is regularly described by tongue like a glace cherry, a tuna tartar starter critics as “the best dining experience ever”.