Emma Li
A cozy French bistro by Japanese chef Kenji Ishibashi, Racines is a hidden gem in the truest sense of the word. Discreetly located in a quiet residential building behind a rather nondescript door, Racines is certainly not a restaurant you’d stumble across. But if you know what you’re looking for, Racines is one of most invigorating French bistros in town, a compelling meeting of French techniques and Japanese sophistication.
Taian Table and Bo Shanghai, two of the most formidable players on Shanghai’s dining scene, joined forces to present a four hands dinner for two nights. With five dishes from each team, the two restaurants managed to unite two distinct visions and styles of cooking into an engaging and surprisingly coherent dinner.
It is rare to have the chance to watch a restaurant find its voice and grow into its ambitions. When that happens, the experience can be fantastic and thrilling. I found that thrill at Taian Table. Over the nine months since it opened, it has been a pleasure watching the evolution of each menu, and seeing the restaurant get into its rhythm.
The younger sibling of Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, Bo Shanghai tries to interpret the ingredients, flavors, and cultures of Chinese cuisine through a global lens.
There are probably few other restaurants in the world that dedicate their attention as unwaveringly to seafood as chef Kotaro Meguro’s Abysse in Tokyo. The 30-year-old chef forgoes meat dishes entirely on his menu, turning an unwavering focus to the fruits of the ocean.
Over the course of an evening at Florilège, I witnessed a truly fearsome combination in Chef Kawate’s cooking: a clear and precise vision of what each of his plates is meant to evoke in us, an astute understanding of what flavors to call upon to evoke those feelings, and the impeccable skills to make each of those flavors do exactly what he tells them.
With his Japanese heritage and European training, Chef Namae manages to strike a balance between French flair and Japanese simplicity. His unassuming restaurant tucked in a quite alley in Nishi-Azabu pays homage to both the traditions and techniques of French cuisine, and the spirit of Japanese cuisine that allows the natural flavors of ingredients to speak for themselves.
Mr & Mrs Bund (Asia’s 50 Best No. 28) Add: Bund 18, 6/F, 18 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road, Shanghai … More
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (2 Michelin stars) Add: 3/F Bund 18, 18 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road, Shanghai 中山东一路18号，外滩18号3楼 Tel: +86 … More
Coquille Add: 29 Meng Zi Road, Shanghai 蒙自路29号 Tel: +86 (21) 3376 8127 Hours: Tue-Sun 5:30pm-10:00pm Price: RMB350-600 Visited: June 2016 Will … More
journeys of a gourmand 