Mediterraneo Restaurant & Bar
Tue, 07/29/2008 - 08:04 | Written by Laura Siperman
Ratings: 
Location(s): L124, sb 128. F/1, West Wing of China World Trade Center, No.1 Jianwai Avenue, Chaoyang District.
Tel: 6505 6139
| Service quality: | |
Food quality: |  |
| Price per person: | 100-200(RMB ) | Environment: |  |
| Feature dish or Menu: | Yi Yuan Chicken, Wu Xiang Fish, Ma la doufu, Shuizhu Yu , hujiao soup | ||
Certain restaurants maintain exclusivity with astronomical prices, an uptight atmosphere or an ultra-cool attitude, which can be quite off-putting if you just want an enjoyable meal. Vizcaya, on the other hand, is a comfortable resort whose only claim to being exclusive lies in its membership.
The Chinoise Story can be described as a modern Chinese fusion restaurant. It seeks to re-present the traditional Chinese dining that we all know through fresh and innovative developments. This modern Chinese theme touches not only the restaurant’s cuisine but every aspect of the Chinoise Story, from décor to dessert, resulting in a distinct and seamless dining experience that pleases all the senses.
Rather than the bright neon lights, crowded tables and loud clamor of typical Chinese restaurants, the Chinoise Story provides a more fashionable and elegant dining environment that is suitable to expatriate customers. In accordance with its theme of the modern Chinese fusion, the design of The Chinoise Story blends Chinese influences with international trends. The Japanese designer, Mr. Junpei Yamagiwa from Myu Planning, has preserved the essence of the original building’s traditional art deco style and combined it with modern elements. The two level dining room boasts sky-high ceilings that exude a sense of space and luxury. Traditional Oriental carved-wood chairs are contrasted with sleek, stylish white leather banquettes. The dining room is lit by exquisite fixtures designed by contemporary German lighting designer, Ingo Maurer, including such pieces as “Oh Mei Ma” and “Luxury Pu”. There are also contemporary Oriental chairs by Philip Starck and luxury brand chinaware from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Japan and China. The 180 seat restaurant also features 5 luxurious private dining rooms for more intimate diners. Finally, the restaurant provides both smoking and non-smoking areas to cater to all customers needs. All of these elements combine in the Chinoise Story’s dining room to exhibit a unique and visually stunning interior that is at once both modern and Chinese.
The service at the Chinoise Story is also not what you would expect from a typical Chinese restaurant. Dressed in traditional qipaos that are updated with splashes of hot pink and more revealing seam-lines, the restaurant’s servers are professional and attentive. They all speak English to respond to expatriates’ dining questions or requests. And the extensive menu includes all dishes named both in English and Chinese. While the large amount of choices on the menu may seem overwhelming to diners, the servers are helpful in choosing and explaining the restaurant’s specialties. There are also various set menus to choose from that range in price, including a set for vegetarian diners.
The modern and elegant Chinese theme also extends well into the restaurant’s outstanding food. Heading the kitchen, the Shanghainese Jacky Shaw is an internationally distinguished chef, having been featured in various magazines and serving as a guest at the International Gourmet Summit in Singapore. As he explains to Best Food in China, although The Chinoise Story’s food is fusion, it is ultimately and certainly Chinese. As part of the new generation of Chinese chefs, he honors the responsibility of preserving Chinese tradition and promoting Chinese food to the world. However, rather than the heavy and greasy food that is common amongst Cantonese and Shanghai cuisine, Mr. Shaw focuses on trendy and healthy Chinese food to satisfy international palettes. Chinese cuisine’s long history is preserved through the use of traditional ingredients but innovated with new cooking methods and artfully detailed plate presentations. He also focuses on keeping his cuisine fresh and up-to-date to satisfy customers’ tastes. Since Shanghai has four distinct seasons, the menu changes every 3 months, thereby offering the freshest seasonal selections.
And the chef certainly executes his culinary goals well as every dish is distinctly Chinese whilst exceptionally fresh, delicious and elegantly appealing to the eyes. Our meal began with the Chicken and Melon appetizer which consists of a bite-sized round of winter melon, a staple in traditional Chinese cooking, topped with diced chicken marinated in a Thai-style dressing, garnished with mango and dill. Altogether served in a Chinese soup-spoon, it is intended to be eaten all at once, so that the tangy and spicy flavour of the chicken is perfectly offset by the juicy sweetness that comes with biting into the crisp melon. Another appetizer, The Chinoise Story’s Combinations, is a varied sampling of four cold appetizers. Served on a long white horizontal dish, the left side begins with rounds of fresh and crispy shan yao, a Chinese white yam, drizzled in a sweet raspberry sauce. Next, is a mound of finely diced tofu and malantou, a wild Chinese herb, all tossed in a clean sesame oil dressing and served atop a thin slice of blanched tomato. Third is the bite-size slices of barbequed pork. Crispy, sweet and flavourful skin, tender meat and smooth ribbons of fat are perfectly balanced, making this a truly delectable tasting of the classic Chinese dish. And finally there is the cubed beef in a sweet and spicy orange sauce, served in a boat of crisp-fried cheese.
The next dish, Selected Mushrooms and Fungus Served in a Paper Bag with Superior Mushroom Consomme is outstanding; a simple and beautiful exposition of the essence of mushroom. The dark brown consommé is served naked, allowing one to clearly taste its deep and warming mushroom flavour. Alongside the consommé, served in a paper bag that the mushrooms have been steamed in, is a varied combination of shiitake, enoki and buttons, sliced and simply seasoned with fresh garlic and ginger to enhance their flavour. Despite, or perhaps in light of this dish’s simplicity, the dual display of mushrooms, in contrasting liquid and solid presentations, is a delectable experience for the senses.
Finally, one must try the Chinoise Story’s fish dishes. The Braised Boneless Fish Head with Mushrooms and Pickled Lantern Chillis is prepared exquisitely. The mild saltiness of the chicken stock based sauce and the slow, warming heat of the pickled chillis serve to highlight the freshness and flavour of the tender fish meat. One cannot help but scoop up every last drop of this dish. There is also the Baked Cod with Stir Fried Egg White and Caramelized Vintage Dark Vinegar. The seemingly odd ingredient pairing can be explained by a traditional Chinese cooking belief that eggs dressed with vinegar will taste like crab meat. While its likeness to crab can be debated, the Chinoise Story’s gourmet pairing of egg whites and vintage vinegar is undoubtedly delicious. Topped with a sweet barbeque sauced piece of fresh cod sprinkled with sesame seeds, this dish is a harmony of flavours for the palate.
The Chinoise Story’s innovative and modern takes on traditional Chinese dishes, paired with superior quality ingredients, artful presentations, professional service, and a stunning dining room is certainly taking Chinese dining to new, modern dimensions. The Chinoise Story offers a unique, multi-sensory dining experience that is well suited to expatriate clientele. A food-lover’s stay in Shanghai must include a visit to this exceptional restaurant.
200 - 300 yuan per person
Family event
Fusion
Shanghai
