/ Reviews / French
Mahi's Butterfly Effect
by William Mahi
on Friday, November 20, 2009 12:00 AM
Stepping out of the elevator on the fourth floor of the Lan Club building, a pure, fresh mix of black and white décor greets the eye, accessorized with Baccarat chandeliers and 504 butterflies - one of which is worth RMB1,000,000 all on its own.
Papillon's culinary mastermind, William Mahi, has recently finished designing a new avant-garde tasting menu (RMB388 per person), launched at the beginning of November. "I want to create here more than just French fine dining," he says excitedly, "I want to create a new experience in Shanghai."
From the very first course, the palate is perturbed by unusual textures and tastes. The gazpacho soup amuse-bouche arrives at the table in two equally surprising portions - as frozen ice pebbles and as an egg yolk. This is followed by a crisp-shelled pear macaroon and a jellied duck liver, drizzled with red wine jelly sauce. While everything at Papillon is beautifully presented, nothing is more aesthetically sophisticated than the scallop shell, which emerges on the crest of a rock-salt mound, enclosing a single tasty scallop, a stem of perfectly cooked asparagus and a strip of cured dried ham.
Mains come in larger portions but are not so huge as to overwhelm. A fleshy piece of sea bass is served up alongside a peppery eggplant puree and clam sauce foam, accompanied by lemon zest and a bitter black olive sauce. This is followed by tender Australian beef and creamy mashed potato made with white truffles, balanced by black truffle powder, red wine jus, fresh spinach leaves and soft shallots.
The favorite of the chef, the dessert is a rich mélange of coffee ice cream, ganache and nitrogen-frozen chocolate, all sprinkled over with a handful of chocolate flakes and imbued with spices.
Papillon is a beautifully designed restaurant, with a wonderfully fun new menu. Though the strong characters of the dishes will undoubtedly divide the gustatory opinions of diners, nobody can be disappointed with the style and the playfulness of Mahi's avant-garde cuisine.
The Bottom Line: The fun food and delightful décor has all the delicacy and beauty of a butterfly.
