Second Helpings: Jade On 36 Restaurant @ Pudong Shangri-La East Shanghai

What: European fusion cuisine with a twist
Where: 33 Fucheng Lu, near Yincheng Dong Lu. Tel: 6882 8888 ext. 6888. Web: www.shangri-la.com.
Why: To check out the dynamic restaurant’s brand new vibe

Ever since the popular chef, Franck- Elie Laloum, left Jade on 36, the restaurant has been searching for a new identity, and now they have found it in the form of new chef de cuisine, Jeremy Biasiol, with a revamped atmosphere and contemporary menu.

The new face of the restaurant, Chef Biasiol, is a French national from Lyon. He brings to the table 20 years of experience in French gastronomy and has previously worked at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world including running a onestarred Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong.

Dining in the restaurant is a fun and mischievous adventure. From the minute you enter the dedicated elevator, with a graffiti covered chalkboard, the dining experience has begun. This is not a pretentious French restaurant boasting a slight view of the Bund, it is a lively venue that does not take itself too seriously, is warm and welcoming and has a fantastic, unobstructed view over the length of The Bund. Furthermore, and probably the most welcomed news of all, the price range of the menu is extremely reasonable.

We tried the signature dish of the restaurant, which lives up to its playful nature, Jade 36 Garden (RMB 66), a salad presented in a black clay pot filled with edible soil and colourful vegetables served as cute little plants, a fresh and quirky start to proceedings. We really enjoyed the Foie Gras “Tagada”, made of pan-seared foie gras
served with foie gras lollipops and strawberries (2 pieces/ RMB 158). We loved the perfectly seared confit and the creamy foie gras centre of the strawberry covered lollipop, but the standout feature of this dish was the popping candy, which sounds wrong but was oh so right in our mouths. A welcome discovery was the Oyster Surprise (1 piece/RMB 48 – surprise!), which also featured yuzu, champagne jelly and herbs. We also enjoyed the large,
pan-seared scallops served in their shell with cauliflower curry (2 piece/RMB 98). It was impossible to resist the sound of slow cooked Boston lobster (RMB 368), so we pushed the boat out. The dish was oven baked, and served with pasta; the lobster claws were divine. We rounded off our meal with Les Crème Brulee (RMB 68), which offered dark, milk and white chocolate varieties of the dessert on one plate, served with brioche.

70 to 80 per cent of the produce used in the kitchen is sourced locally, which means that the ingredients are fresh and it also cuts the costs to the customer. This was a fine dining experience where you get fantastic views of The Bund, high quality food and sensible prices. You will also benefit from fantastic service, as you expect from the Shangri-La brand, with knowledgeable and attentive waitstaff.