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Finding quality French food and wine is easy
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ONCE known as “Paris of the East,” Shanghai’s links to France are plenty. There’s the former French concession, a mutual love affair with cafes and a connection to food that goes way beyond mere sustenance.
French restaurants are well represented in the city.
According to dianping.com, there are 108 French restaurants in Shanghai, most of which are fine dining establishments in Xuhui, Huangpu and the Pudong New Area. The average price of the city’s 10 most expensive French restaurants is 695 yuan (US$108) a person, according to the website.
Some of the restaurants feature world-class menus created by world-class chefs like Jean Georges Vongerichten, a three-star Michelin chef who opened Jean Georges a decade ago at Three on the Bund.
Etienne Dalancon, the general manager at Park Hyatt Shanghai who hails from France, says the attention to detail in a French restaurant is essential and a part of the culture, which respects artisans.
“Artisans are a big part of our cultural heritage,” says Dalacon, the organizer of the annual “Park Hyatt Shanghai Masters of Food and Wine” events that promote a French lifestyle in Shanghai. “They are a source of creation and inspiration. Manual work is hard, requiring a tremendous amount of time, learning and attention to details.”
While tradition is important, French cuisine most certainly allows for innovation and creativity. Culinary insiders say some big changes are occurring in Shanghai’s French dining scene. They say some French chefs are no longer following classic recipes exactly, nor importing ingredients from France because they are trying to express Chinese terroir in a French way.
“We have seen a radical turn and change thanks to smart and talented French chefs such as Paul Pairet (the restaurateur of Mr and Mrs Bund and Ultra Violet) and Nicolas Le Bec (owner of Le Bec), who have started sourcing the best ingredients in China based on their understanding of the local market,” Dalancon says.
Mei Ningbo, editor-in-chief at Vinehoo.com who studied wine in France, has seen the emergence of French bistros highlighted by Franck, which features affordable prices, a casual dining ambience and big portions ideal for sharing.
French dining culture is more versatile than ever and no longer limited to fancy restaurants. There are French bakeries, patisseries, wine shops with predominantly French vintages, cheese counters selling French cheese; and even a school teaching French cooking.
We explore some of the most impressive places in town, where guests can enjoy authentic French dining.
Wine
Although French wine is often criticized by Chinese wine insiders as over-priced, China imports more wine from France than any other country, according to a recent report by Vinexpo.
French wine is known for its expression of terroir, as well as its elegant style and balanced taste.
There used to be many wine shops in Shanghai featuring expensive French wines, but many closed after the central government launched its austerity campaign to cut down on wasteful spending by local governments and state-owned enterprises.
Casal is a two-story wine shop that opened in 2007 and is dedicated to selling affordable French wines.
“Casal comes from ancient Provence language, meaning cellar,” says Huang Yangdong, the owner, who spent five years studying in Provence.
The first floor has the wines while the second is a cafe that can accommodate around 70 people. Diners can gaze out at the tree-lined street or into the open pastry kitchen.
Casal has 200 French wines covering Bordeaux, Champagne, Rhone, southwest France and, of course, Provence.
“Provence is known for producing quality rose wine. We probably sell the most diverse French roses in town,” Huang says.
A highlighted wine includes Estandon, which is the oldest wine estate in Provence going back 800 years. A wine collection called “eight” is also popular. This fruit flavored wine has 8 percent alcohol content and is made with 70 percent dry white wine and 30 percent of fruit extracts such as cherry, peach, grapefruit and lychee.
Huang imports the wine himself so most of the wines range from 100 yuan to 500 yuan per bottle.
Casal
Address: 428 Taixing Rd
Tel: 5213-3291
Patisserie
French pastry is known for its layered structure, precision and complex flavors.
Le Reve, meaning the dream in French, imports most ingredients from France to ensure authenticity and quality. It’s run by Pascal Molines, a winner of the prestigious artisan competition Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
Try the chef’s signature cake named “subilite,” a layered chocolate cake made from four different cocoa beans to balance sweetness, acidity and bitterness.
Molines also adds some seasonal Chinese ingredients into his pastries, for example, osmanthus flavored chocolate and hairy crab filled macaroons.
Le Reve
Address: 1/F, 88 Yuanmingyuan Rd
Tel: 6329-0161
Culinary school
France is known for exporting great chefs due to its world famous culinary schools represented by Le Cordon Blue, the world’s largest hospitality education provider. Julia Child, American chef and food writer, is probably its most famous graduate.
Courses offered by the school cover cuisine, pastry, culinary management, hospitality management, gastronomic tourism, cheese and wine, as well as food entrepreneurship.
Its first school in China was opened in April in the Pudong New Area. So far around 200 students have applied for the French cuisine and French patisserie majors. They are tutored by three French chefs, according to its Chinese partner Shanghai Business and Tourism School.
The school is recommended to both professional chefs and food lovers interested in French cooking.
Le Cordon Blue
Address: 2/F, Bldg 1, 1458 Pudong Rd S.
Tel: 400-118-1895
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