Anticipation

by Stephanie Sherrill
on Friday, February 12, 2010

I'm not sure what's going on but I like it. The buzz surrounding the plethora of restaurants opening around the Lunar New Year is deafening. I feel like Pavlov's dog, salivating in anticipation. Who has me most excited? Basically, it's always the most recent project I hear about.

Today, that is Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet. His newest experimental venture is planned to open in May - not quite March but I'm that excited! The concept is similar to an intimate yet theatrical dinner party hosted by Chef Paul himself. There will be just one table with ten seats and only a single menu - a blind interactive degustation set meal. Pairet promises to make it dramatic, with lights, sound and ambiance all "choreographed" to ensure a high-end experience - like a 10-seat "theater" restaurant, where you will sit with other food aficionados to enjoy a 20-course feast. The fare dreamt up is avant-garde, modern and uniquely Paul Pairet. Learning about this restaurant feels like a tease with it still two months away.
Nonetheless, I've added my name to this reservation list.

And then the phone rings and I hear of another new place. Now it's Avalon I'm curious to try out. This new wood-grill and wine bar plans to open this month on ChangLe Road, near RuiJin Road, in a two-storey space in the Jin Jiang Tower. Seafood is expected to be a specialty, with lobsters flown in from the US. The owners have soaring expectations for this upmarket surf-and-turf type restaurant. With the former VP of ASC Wines running the show, the wine cellar is sure to be extensive and varied.

Then the calls really start flying. The chef from Napa is opening a new restaurant called Chalet Suisse; and Laris is just about ready to unveil Downstairs at the URBN hotel. Meanwhile, old house of dynastic delights, Family Li, is reopening its doors just in time for the returning Chinese New Year crowds, while a second Bella Napoli is rising up amidst the trees of the French Concession in March. Yes, definitely Pavlov's dog.