After a month or two of gliding around Orchard Road in Singapore, I find myself in Shanghai visiting my family to check out their relatively new home.. just down the road from where the likes of Alonso and his Renault entourage had found success - yet again, at the Formula One.
With the word on the street that a few "gastronomic" restaurants had sprung up across town over the past year or so since my last visit, my tastebuds were already warming with anticipation of something different than what most are accustomed to in Asia.
Choices, choices, choices...
With only a week in town and more than enough on my plate (no pun intended) on the family related social front, I couldn't be greedy and could only take on one of three restaurants I had in mind this time around; Jean Georges Vorgrichten's self named "Jean Georges", the Pourcel brothers' "Sens and Bund" and the lesser of the three in terms of historical significance, "Laris" - all of which are in the crosshairs of current chic zone in town, 'The Bund'. When I mention lesser of the three in terms of historical significance, it is of no disrespect to David Laris of Mezzo restaurant fame, it was simply a relative comparison of perception. Most who have been or lived in New York will probably have heard of Jean Georges' flagship at the Trump Hotel, with a set menu which I believe has not actually changed since the restaurant opened and is a hot favourite to many. The Pourcel brothers' claim to fame is their recent upgrade by the Michelin guide to three stars for their Paris restaurant "Jardin au Sens". Sens and Bund marks their entry into Asia and their menu is said to carry many of the three-michelin star trademarks.
I had already been thinking of Jean Georges' egg caviar, a dish on the cover of many cookbooks and food magazines - on the restaurant's set menu which people have told me is worth losing your sanity for... but after some pre-arrival research, I have heard that things are not quite what it was when it first opened up in Shanghai. Sens and Bund's three-michelin star founders were also an attraction, but I was finally drawn to close with Laris simply because the head of sales there was helpful and quick to send me the menu and wine list.
With a window seat overlooking Pudong and the river, our party of three was one of the early arrivees at 7pm on a Monday and my first thought was "Well, maybe it'll be quiet as it's a Monday..."
First impressions... chic design and grandiose elegance - yet with a touch of minimalism, gives the restaurant a wide open feel with the tables just far apart from each other to give patrons just enough privacy without being in isolation. The Vault Bar which lies at the center of the restaurant was bustling when we got there and held most of the patrons there for a few pre-dinner drinks.
Wait staff were generally courteous, but when we arrived - a whole bunch of them were hovering around one area not really doing much... perhaps I was right; it may just be a quiet Monday...
Having already examined the wine list, which looked to be somewhat on the high side, we brought our own Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, one which Parker gives a 93 and one of my favourites right now. The list price for the Caymus at Laris was close to RMB2,000(US$250), but opting for BYO path was RMB350; a steal considering the Caymus is, on average, about half of what the restaurants typically charge.
We ordered three of the Gourmet Set Menu at RMB680(US$85), with one of us changing a beef tenderloin for a lamb loin. In addition to that, having never tasted the Mandarin variant of Beluga caviar, I couldn't resist but to order a 50gms portion with accompanying condiment sampler which goes for RMB328(US$41). To be honest, although compared its Russian counterpart the Mandarin Beluga was almost as good; the eggs were smooth and silky with just the right hint of sea water saltiness. The Russian blinis which came with the caviar followed in line with the traditional way of serving caviar, but I wasn't really sure why the condiment sampler of egg white, egg yolk, onions, etc. was there. For me, the number one rule of eating caviar is that the natural taste should be how one enjoys it; having onions is definitely no good.
After the Amuse Bouche of lobster and a cold soup - both of which I never got the full details of, we were served a foie gras torte, an appetizer which went down like a ultra-smooth creamy cheesecake, with the rose petal and violet jams adding just the right amount of sweetness and . I am generally not a huge fan of foie gras unless it is served with duck, but this was an excellent dish. The accompanying brioche was just the right temperature and gave some good variation to the serving.
Foie Gras Torte with Sweet Pickled Ginger and Sour Roast Cashew Nuts Served with James of Rose Petal and Violet
Outside of Chinese cooking, the use of eel in cooking is rare, so I was naturally surprised to find steamed fresh water eel on the menu. Served with cuttlefish roe and vinaigrette and wrapped in agar jelly, the eel carried a refreshingly clean flavour with the vinaigrette adding some interesting punch to a typically bland fish. The taste of roe didn't quite register on my tastebuds - but overall the dish was not too bad.
Steamed Fresh Water Eel in Aspic with Cuttlefish Roe Taramasalata and Piquant Vinaigrette
So far so good..
Next up were seared scallops. The scallops were fresh and cooked just right, without spoiling its true texture and flavour. The flavours which accompanied the scallops were mild and not too overpowering - the basil mash was particularly subtle and nice.
Seared Scallops with Lemon, Fennel Vegetables, Basil Mash and Kalamata Olive Foam
Probably one of the weaker dishes in the tasting menu, the cod was by no means cooked improperly, but I think the miso emulsion combined with the sea urchin was too strong for the white fish. Although the daikon helped to neutralize some of the flavour depth, I didn't really taste too much of the cod fillet.
Cod Fillet with Mono Miso Emulsion, Sea Urchin and Braised Diakon
I did not have the opportunity to try the lamb loin, but the accompanying diner who did mentioned that the lamb was cooked just right to her medium rare requirements and the flavours were matched well.
Lamb Loin with a Light Spiced Crust, Cabbage and Ginger Emulsion, Caraway Dusted Potatoes
My main of beef tenderloin was excellent. Although the sauce perhaps came across slightly too sweet, the stuffed bone marrow combined with the beef was perfect. The two slabs of beef were tender and the stuffing in the bone marrow was had a lovely flavour to it.
Beef Tenderloin with Balinese Long Pepper Sauce and Bone Marrow Souffle
Dessert was probably the highlight of my meal. The desserts were served on a quadrant platter with a specific theme and a chef recommendation as to the order of consumption. Although I did not catch the theme of the platter, the first bite of truffle icecream was extraordinary.. with truffle season at its peak, I was amazed at how the strong forest fragrance carried through the icecream. The melon which came with the icecream added a sotthing touch to the complex flavouring of dish. The second part of dessert started off as a typical tasting coffee creme pudding, with an interesting caramelized banana accompanyment. However, the warm chocolate was superb... For me, chocolate is great when it goes down without getting caught halfway down your throat - this exceeded those expectations and was beautiful. The goat milk icecream breezed by without much notice for me, but Laris' trademark Pannacotta finished things off with a bang. Smooth, silky, sweet but not overwhelmingly so and just simply excellent.
Dessert - Truffle Icecream with (Melon?), Pudding with Coffee Creme, Caramelized Banana and Warm Chocolate Soup, Pandan Leaf Pannacotta with Fresh Mango Puree, Goat Cheese Icecream with Sesame Cracker and (Apple?)
After closing chocolates, there ended our gourmet tasting session at Laris - a worthwhile experience which ranks amongst one of the better meals I've had in recent past. Although the service didn't quick live up to what I expected, the quality of the dishes and the ambiance of the restaurant more than made up for that. Compared to London's Mezzo, Laris comes pretty close in terms of the over experience - but if you do pay Laris a visit, do expect to fork out a fair amount as good food comes at a price.
My experience has definitely given me a lot of anticipation for my next trip to Shanghai.. Sens & Bund and Jean Georges are definitely beckoning a visit..
Laris
Three on the Bund
+86 21 6321 9922
My Ratings:
Food: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Value: 8/10 (dinner for 2 with wine about USD$200)
* I must apologize for the quality of the photos this time around, but I had some issues with my camera. Hope to get that ironed out soon!
