New & Noted: T For Thai
What: Upscale Thai cuisine from the
team behind Cuivre
Where: 2/F, 1,502 Huaihai Lu,
near Wulumuqi Lu. Tel: 6437 9633
Why: It’s Southeast Asian food done
beautifully
I’ll admit I was sceptical when the French owners of Cuivre announced their plans to open a Thai restaurant, but then again, foreign commandeering of the cuisine is an international trend. Since Chef David Thompson received a Michelin star for Nahm, heated debates have raged over who – Thai or farang interlopers – is really bringing back the Land of Smiles’ gastronomic authenticity. Determined to do well by the cuisine, Cuivre’s chef-owner, Michael Wendling, spent at least a few days a month in Bangkok over the past half year, training with a former chef of the Thai royal family and supping on street food to authenticate his palate. It worked.
To drive home the restaurant’s credibility, the designers threw subtlety to the wind. Elephants and tuk tuks feature heavily, and an emerald jungle is projected onto a black bar-cum-mutable canvas. An oceanblue lounge hung with wicker chairs is tucked away at the back; a smart predinner stop as the food practically flies out of the kitchen once you’re at the table. Try the lemon tangerine tumbler (RMB 68) spiked with cloves and vanilla, a tropical drink worth savouring.
The menu never veers into fusion territory, but still goes well beyond Shanghai’s Thai restaurant comfort zone with fresh-faced dishes like meng kham (RMB 68). Typically served street-side in a plastic bag stuffed with pork neck and spicy condiment wraps, the smoky meat is given a dramatic (and delicious) makeover for the table. Lon gabi (RMB 78) simmers shrimp paste with coconut cream and shallots, creating a thick fragrant paste almost like Thai artichoke dip, and serves it with seared calamari and raw Thai eggplant and radish for dunking.
Classics, like pad Thai (RMB 78) have also earned a place at the table. Tom kha gai (RMB 68), sweet coconut soup with tender strips of chicken, is served in a deep bowl for easy sharing. And the lip-tingling slow burn of gaeng kiew wan gai (RMB 78) makes it one of the spiciest iterations of green curry in town.
Often, local ingredients just can’t reach the kitchen’s high standards, so they rely on imports to ensure quality. Koa-new moon mamuang (sticky rice - RMB 48) is only served when the seasonal Thai mangoes are sweet enough. In the pad grapow (RMB 88) the succulent stir-fried beef is Australian, and its marbled meat refines the fresh holy basil and sautéed shallot flavours.
Balance is a crucial aspect of Thai cuisine, and the kitchen nails the complex flavour combinations in almost every dish we tried. Sure, it’s slightly pricier than your typical Southeast Asian offering in Shanghai, but when you factor in the ambience, service and quality ingredients, it’s a steal.
