Isle of Mystical Food

2 Photos

by Monica Liau
on Friday, May 14, 2010 12:00 AM

Avalon has the potential to become one of the best things to appear on the Shanghai dining scene this season - not a light declaration in this sea of egos, star chefs, haute cuisine imitators and expensive decorations.

While it advertises itself as a wood-grill restaurant, what it actually offers is much more sophisticated. Executive Chef Hilary Ambrose, who trained at Jean George's Spice Market in New York City, has the advantage of both an understanding and a healthy distrust of molecular cuisine. He uses the techniques mostly to his advantage, while not relying on showy performance to hide basic mistakes.

The appetizers are a promising start. Pieces of salmon are pleasantly poached, lightly cooked with a good two inches of rare pink flesh in the middle. The sweet fish matches well with a sharp purple mustard glaze and a bright lemon and fennel confit. Phyllo-crusted prawns served with tender seared calamari, scallops and a vibrant green herb broth are also a lovely balance of sea and summer flavors.

The beauty of Avalon is that the kitchen can think outside the box without getting carried away by smart-alec ostentation. Take, for instance, the gnocchi served with coconut foam, Parma ham and a poached egg. It sounds bizarre - a nouveau dish that could easily flounder in its ingenuity - but the result is masterful. Ambrose teases out the richness of the poached egg, the saltiness of the Parma and the sweetness of the coconut to mould an impressive ensemble. Same goes for the star of the evening: a grilled whole snapper topped with pickled red onions and a passion fruit sauce. The skin is rubbed with spices, grilled until crispy and then topped with the unlikely sweet and acid of passion fruit: an excellent accomplishment.

Red meat is not to be denied benefits from the Avalon treatment, though not to the same echelon of spectacle. Perhaps the most interesting is the 24-hour-cooked pork belly. Its appearance resembles a slab of fat but the richness is a perfect match for tart Granny Smith apples.

Though the bar and grill is just starting up and will continue to tweak its prices and menu until its hard opening in late May, the soft opening sneak preview is a promising peek into what could be a really excellent restaurant.

The Bottom Line: Shanghai should be salivating at the great expectations of Avalon's nouveau cuisine.