/ Reviews / Spanish
Thoroughly Modern Martin
by Steph Wy Ng
on Friday, December 18, 2009 12:00 AM
In a beautifully restored, French-style 1920s house in Xujiahui Park, Restaurant Martin is right at the center of the city. Open for nearly two months now, the restaurant of Chef Martin Berasategui - mastermind of two Michelin-starred restaurants back in his Spanish homeland - is an irrefutably elegant, modern dining environment.
Modern is also an apt adjective to describe the culinary style - for instance, the Foie Gras Mousse, whipped into a pink foam; or the pleasantly light Baked Seabass with Fresh Peas, Pea-pod Juice and Bread Rock (RMB210), its slightly creamy sauce suffused with the natural essence of the peas.
The oyster in the Oyster Watercress Chlorophyll Rocket and Apple, Lemongrass Cream and Fennel (RMB158) - despite its contribution to an absurdly verbose name - was cooked to perfection. Disappointingly, however, the numerous ingredients seemed rather confused as to their roles in the overall plot of the dish, while the fluorescent green watercress chlorophyll disconcertingly reminded one of nuclear waste.
After a 20-minute wait for the Whole Young Pigeon Stuffed with Foie Gras and Olives sauced with its Own Juices and Apple Foam (RMB390), it was gratifying to discover the time was not wasted in idle preparation, as both the foie gras and the olives did wonders towards enhancing the natural aromas of the meat.
To allow for a fair sampling of the menu, a nine-course set is available for RMB580/780. Restaurant Martin is also offering an even huger 13-course meal for RMB1280 per person, including champagne, to celebrate Christmas.
Plenty of dishes at this restaurant savor of ingenuity but don't expect to find Michelin-star wondrousness, as it often feels like the food got lost in translation when it made the cross-continental journey.
The Bottom Line: A unique, modern menu that makes the most out of each ingredient's natural flavour, though a meal here will put a serious dent in your pocket.
