Related News
Blast from the past ought to stay long forgotten
By Aubrey Buckingham |
May 17, 2009, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
NOSTALGIA is just not what it is cracked up to be. It is one of the weakest manifestations of the human condition that we tend to view the past through rose-tinted glasses. I'm sure psychologists can explain this phenomenon much better, but it still boggles the mind how often we tend to yearn for the good old days, even if they weren't particularly good.
When it comes to food and drink, well, it's no wonder emotion takes over. I'm sure most reading this remember at least one terrible restaurant in a fond light because it used to host many a date during high school and it was the best you could afford; perhaps the fare at that small, little eatery where you proposed to your better half was worse than gnawing on dead rats, but obviously constitutes one of the best meals of your life (or worse, depending on how that marriage turned out).
When a restaurant opens promising the food of yesteryear, one cannot help but feel cynical. The very concept is a novelty pandering to emotion rather than good taste. It's not that people of days gone by were wrong to enjoy what they did, it's just that the style of food in general has changed over time and, with improved produce, has shifted emphasis from masking natural flavors to celebrating them.
Everything I've read about Le Cygne since its inception has centered around owner Larry Zhou's desire to recreate the Western dining experiences he had in his youth, which is a noble endeavor though ultimately flawed.
The question to these theme restaurants is who exactly are they trying to sell food to? The older generation weaned on this fare is not likely to still be eating it on a regular basis, maybe popping in once a year for reminiscence.
The new and more affluent younger generation, on the other hand, is not interested in such a novelty either. Their idea of Chinese-style Western fare is Pizza Hut.
Everything about Le Cygne was shoddy, apart from the grand entrance which has graced many a magazine page since its inception. The restaurant was completely empty on a Wednesday night, which was an ominous sign, and the waiters uniforms were in disarray as they stumbled over to serve us.
Lighting is a key element of any restaurant and here was another monumental failure. I may not be an expert, but I can still give you this tip: if you use spotlights everywhere, your electricity bill is going to be monumental, or customers are going to be very hot. Plus, it looks terribly unflattering.
The food took ages to arrive, probably because the kitchen wasn't expecting any customers and didn't get any mise en place in place. The pork rillettes with sweet onion puree (48 yuan/US$7) are OK, if indelicate and slightly cloying. The salad on the side with a mystery fruit sauce is less so and undid the good work. Also, two slabs of cold meat for 50 yuan is not good value in any book.
The much touted baked cheese fettuccine (68 yuan) is exactly as calorie-laden as it sounds, and much more bland than any of the hacks in town would admit. The baked cheese has a bile-esque tartness to it while the noodles have little variation throughout the creamy mess.
Sin of sins
The lobster bisque (78 yuan) was indicative of what was wrong with the joint. A basic kitchen worth its salt painstakingly reduces its stock to serve a broth of imparted flavors and fangled nuance; when bisque is thin, bland and wispy, and, sin of sins, laden with MSG, then the whole exercise is a monumental failure.
Frankly, the only reason I ordered the cod (188 yuan) was because it was wrapped in bacon, and served in Muslim sauce. I did some research and Muslim sauce is a term for a fish sauce added to Massaman curry. Well, Le Cygne got it all wrong with lemon and a touch of beurre blanc, but no telltale fishiness.
The bacon had the consistency of boiled cabbage while the fish had been frozen and packed too many bones.
According to sources, The Swan, the Chinese-Western restaurant Le Cygne is based on, was the people's choice for affordable Western meals.
At 550 yuan for two with no wine, it is no wonder punters are giving the abysmal fare here a miss. Avoid at all costs.
When it comes to food and drink, well, it's no wonder emotion takes over. I'm sure most reading this remember at least one terrible restaurant in a fond light because it used to host many a date during high school and it was the best you could afford; perhaps the fare at that small, little eatery where you proposed to your better half was worse than gnawing on dead rats, but obviously constitutes one of the best meals of your life (or worse, depending on how that marriage turned out).
When a restaurant opens promising the food of yesteryear, one cannot help but feel cynical. The very concept is a novelty pandering to emotion rather than good taste. It's not that people of days gone by were wrong to enjoy what they did, it's just that the style of food in general has changed over time and, with improved produce, has shifted emphasis from masking natural flavors to celebrating them.
Everything I've read about Le Cygne since its inception has centered around owner Larry Zhou's desire to recreate the Western dining experiences he had in his youth, which is a noble endeavor though ultimately flawed.
The question to these theme restaurants is who exactly are they trying to sell food to? The older generation weaned on this fare is not likely to still be eating it on a regular basis, maybe popping in once a year for reminiscence.
The new and more affluent younger generation, on the other hand, is not interested in such a novelty either. Their idea of Chinese-style Western fare is Pizza Hut.
Everything about Le Cygne was shoddy, apart from the grand entrance which has graced many a magazine page since its inception. The restaurant was completely empty on a Wednesday night, which was an ominous sign, and the waiters uniforms were in disarray as they stumbled over to serve us.
Lighting is a key element of any restaurant and here was another monumental failure. I may not be an expert, but I can still give you this tip: if you use spotlights everywhere, your electricity bill is going to be monumental, or customers are going to be very hot. Plus, it looks terribly unflattering.
The food took ages to arrive, probably because the kitchen wasn't expecting any customers and didn't get any mise en place in place. The pork rillettes with sweet onion puree (48 yuan/US$7) are OK, if indelicate and slightly cloying. The salad on the side with a mystery fruit sauce is less so and undid the good work. Also, two slabs of cold meat for 50 yuan is not good value in any book.
The much touted baked cheese fettuccine (68 yuan) is exactly as calorie-laden as it sounds, and much more bland than any of the hacks in town would admit. The baked cheese has a bile-esque tartness to it while the noodles have little variation throughout the creamy mess.
Sin of sins
The lobster bisque (78 yuan) was indicative of what was wrong with the joint. A basic kitchen worth its salt painstakingly reduces its stock to serve a broth of imparted flavors and fangled nuance; when bisque is thin, bland and wispy, and, sin of sins, laden with MSG, then the whole exercise is a monumental failure.
Frankly, the only reason I ordered the cod (188 yuan) was because it was wrapped in bacon, and served in Muslim sauce. I did some research and Muslim sauce is a term for a fish sauce added to Massaman curry. Well, Le Cygne got it all wrong with lemon and a touch of beurre blanc, but no telltale fishiness.
The bacon had the consistency of boiled cabbage while the fish had been frozen and packed too many bones.
According to sources, The Swan, the Chinese-Western restaurant Le Cygne is based on, was the people's choice for affordable Western meals.
At 550 yuan for two with no wine, it is no wonder punters are giving the abysmal fare here a miss. Avoid at all costs.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
