/ Reviews / Fusion
Culinary Creativity
by Stephanie Sherrill
on Friday, December 04, 2009 12:00 AM
For a night of evening elegance and fine dining in Shanghai, Laris at Three On The Bund has been at the top of the list since opening in 2004. To keep the experience fresh and diners curious, chef and proprietor David Laris periodically reinvigorates his menu by incorporating novel dishes, using both seasonal ingredients and unorthodox techniques. As he explains, "five years on, and the culinary rules change. As a landmark restaurant in Shanghai, we need to take it and shake it." While maintaining the perennial favorites of his faithful regulars, such as the Cod Fillet with Mono Miso Emulsion, the new dishes add a touch of winter flair.
The menu is laid out in a manner conducive to the creation of your own tasting menu. Choose three to six courses (RMB480-780) from the cold and hot starters, the soup and salad selections, and the meat, game and seafood sections to fully enjoy a variety of culinary creations.
Laris' characteristically inventive cuisine mixes the exotic and comfort aspects of food into one. Highlights include the Caviar and Chilled Cauliflower Mousse (RMB158), which combines salty caviar with a creamy, decadent mousse. For hot dishes, the Potato Foam (RMB108) topped with foie gras, truffle oil and pancetta is just as fabulous, playfully concealing a potato hash brown beneath thick, soup-like foam.
Soaring above the other dishes, the Squab (RMB228) roasted in a port wine reduction is an essential eat. The tender, lean bird is stuffed with a mixture of foie gras, prunes and apple cider emulsion, resulting in a rich, satisfying dish that is readily devoured.
Make sure one course is saved for the dessert section. Laris' crème brûlée cheesecake is pure divinity, combining two of the best desserts on earth into a single intense indulgence. Accompanied by the chef's signature chocolates, the pudding has the unmistakable mark of the maestro, illustrating the same originality and adventurousness that radiates from the entire menu.
The Bottom Line: For fine dining in Shanghai, this Bund restaurant can still be relied upon for high-quality service and deliciously inventive cuisine.
