Fine dining in a towering Maison in the sky
On the 68th floor of the city’s tallest building, Shanghai Tower, the legendary Maison Lameloise has opened its first restaurant outside Chagny in Burgundy, France.
Maison Lameloise has been an institution in Burgundy since 1921. Through three generations, Pierre, Jean and Jacques Lameloise carried their culinary art to Michelin’s highest level of three stars.
In 2009, Jacques, then 62, left his position to Eric Pras whose food had already seduced both old and new clientele yet the cuisine has remained faithful to the Maison motto: Tradition is innovation.
The motto holds true in this newly opened Shanghai venue with Pras’ sous chef Yann Klein taking the helm of the kitchen. The unique layout housed in the glass-and-metal structure features the best city view from above and an ultra-urban vibe. Surely it will soon be a go-to venue for special occasions.
Alsatian chef Klein, who had worked with Pras for six years back in Maison Lameloise, is here to make sure the dining experience is as authentic as in Burgundy. Tradition and heritage are important but also is responding to what’s around him. The key is to maintain the essence of the seasonal ingredients while mixing them inventively to produce the best flavor and experience possible. The menu elevates the classic Burgundy recipes to unique culinary heights.
Maison Lameloise is about a complete dining experience, where each element is of equal importance, yet serving the same purpose — to complement the taste and flavor of the food journey. So the plate of petit canapés from foie gras lollipop and passion fruit jelly to snail and squid ink kromeski set a solid foundation for the whole evening.
“Eric Pras places a lot of importance in the petit canapés in the beginning of the meal,” said Klein. “Firstly to bring in the appetite of the guest and offer a slight taste of the regional flavors; secondly, in France we have the tradition to take before the meal so its his way of offering a more sophisticated
Among the several following courses, I particularly liked the line-caught sea bass, featuring tomato butter with thin slices of sea bass on top. The flavors are balanced by adding yellow and green zucchini, slices of baby tomatoes, diced sour watermelon, sea asparagus, razor clams, lime zest, mini coriander leaves and basil infused tomato juice. Arctic Char and Linden Tree is another delicate fish course slowly cooked in the steam oven with a low temperature.
The degustation menu is 2,088 yuan per person and the grand menu is 2,588 yuan per person.