Jing’An at the Puli Hotel 静安餐厅 璞麗酒店, Shanghai
Restaurant Week Shanghai has come and gone, but luckily I got to try a great place. Based on the suggestion of a friend, I got a reservation at the Jing’An at the Puli Hotel.
The Puli Hotel is luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Shanghai. With exquisite subdued contemporary architecture & decor combined with traditional Chinese detailing, the Puli Hotel creates an air of sublimed beauty. The simple lines of design accent the exterior & interior with bamboo and lighting. I’d say the Peninsula, the Four Season, and the Ritz Carlton and others have competition with Puli.
When I was making online reservations, shanghairestaurantweek.com, I saw some of the choice restaurant reservations getting quickly booked. Thank goodness, I got mine in for the Jing’An.
The interior of the Jing’An is a modest dark hued experience. With comfy seating and soft lighting, you are at ease for a quiet dining experience. The intimate setting offers great nighttime views of the Shanghai skyline. The service was impeccable as soon as you exit the elevator. I remember the staff waiting on every need, before it was requested. I’m not sure if there was anything more I could ask for in the dining experience.
The set menu at Jing’An features a starter (they call an entree – not sure why), a main, and dessert. We choose the Cauliflower soup with black ravioli and Salmon with spices, beets, and rye. The soup was good, not overly salty, with an interesting black ravioli. The salmon was different with the beets. I liked the beets.
For our mains, we had the Turbot with chickpeas & lemon and the Duck with maple and foie gras. I had never had a duck with a maple glaze, but it seemed right. The sweetness made sense. The foie gras, a nice large piece, was more than enough. But I am not too entirely fond of foie gras. The Turbot, a fish, was quite good. I like the crusted skin, as it contrasted with the subtle and fine texture of the flaky moist meat.
With the bread and my gin & tonic, I was just about full. We finished our meal with Coconut panna cotta with water melon and Lemon curd pie with yoghurt. Luckily I picked the panna cotta, since Miss W didn’t like her choice of the Lemon curd pie. I especially liked the lemony sourness over the panna cotta texture. The executive chef, Dane Clouston, does a fine job at Jing’An. Hailing from New Zealand, via Hong Kong, she is one of the top young up & coming chefs in Asia.
What to Order: The Turbot, Lemon curd pie, Duck with maple What not to Order:
Rating 3 Pigs Price Range 3 $/¥/NT
Links Smart Shanghai