Jean-Georges has 25 stores around the world, including the New York main store, which is more famous and powerful than any other branch, having been awarded three Michelin stars (now down to two) and many celebrities and politicians have dined there. There is a quote in the American drama "Sex and the City": "The most powerful woman in New York is the usher in Jean-Georges who decided not to give you a place, because she can decide who will be seated today." Jean-Georges Shanghai is the second restaurant in the world to be named after him, in addition to the New York flagship store.
Unlike the previous three young Western restaurants that had just settled in Shanghai for a few years, Jean-Georges was located at 3 on the Bund as early as 2004, becoming one of the first restaurants to bring the concept of "new French cuisine" to Shanghai. As the first store in Chinese mainland, Jean-Georges Shanghai has a history of 14 years, establishing its status as the patriarch of Fine Dining in Shanghai. The restaurant was completely renovated at the end of 2015 and reopened in April 2016. In the 2018 Michelin Guide Shanghai, Jean-George Shanghai finally earned a Michelin star and became the new Michelin star.
The founder of the restaurant, Jean-Georges, was not only one of the most prestigious chefs in the world, but also a very successful businessman. In addition to Jean-Georges, which bears his name, there are also Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges, ABC Kitchen, ABC Cocina and many other restaurants in famous cities around the world. He began his career in a training program at the Auberge de l'Ill Hotel, where he was apprenticed to Chef Paul Haeberlin. He then studied with Chef Paul Bocuse and Chef Louis Outhier at the Hôtel L'Oasis in the South of France. After winning three Michelin stars for the restaurant, Jean-Georges began his journey to Asia. The Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Le Méridien Singapore and the Mandarin Hotel Hong Kong have all left his culinary footprints.
Paul Eschbach, Executive Chef of the Shanghai store, also has a background in the chef industry for more than 20 years. After graduating from American Culinary School in 2002, Paul worked at a Jean-Georges restaurant, the then famous 66 restaurant in New York. After a year at 66 restaurants, Paul was offered the opportunity to work in the kitchen at Nougatine by Jean-Georges in New York. Over the next seven years, Paul worked in a variety of Jean-Georges restaurants. After a long period of training, Paul eventually gained recognition from Jean-Georges and in 2014 moved to Shanghai as Executive Chef at Jean-Georges and as Executive Chef at the sister restaurant Mercato.
At Jean-Georges, Fine Dining, which follows a strict dining routine, has an upgraded interpretation, rejecting the verbose and complicated etiquette in order to preserve the refinement. In terms of the expression of the dishes, the seasoning method of a large amount of butter and a large amount of milk fat in traditional French cuisine is reduced, and Asian peppercorns, lemongrass, kimchi from Southeast Asia, and chili peppers from Sichuan cuisine are selected to inject fresh blood into traditional French cuisine. Blending flavours from around the world with bold innovations is what Jean-Georges loves best. As Chef Paul Eschbach puts it: "Jean-Georges represents traditional French cuisine, but at the same time we are very open-minded. ”
Due to some ingredient restrictions, the menu of the Shanghai store will be slightly different from that of the New York restaurant, but in general it will maintain a similar rhythm and production standards as the New York store. The restaurant has a tasting course with the chef's signature dishes, a seasonal tasting course with fresh seasonal ingredients, and in recent years, a la carte selection has also been introduced. Egg caviar is undoubtedly one of the most popular dishes in the chef's signature dish, but the seemingly simple shape and production process is extremely complicated, consisting of three layers of caviar, vodka cream and hot scrambled eggs. Another seafood dish, the deep-sea scallops, is equally excellent, served with golden cauliflower, melon fillet and grape sauce, and the whole dish is very refreshing. The dried fried scallops are fatty and fresh, the moisture is locked in the meat, with sweet and sour sauce as the base, and then with golden cauliflower, the plate is exquisite, and all kinds of umami ingredients are just right. In addition, garlic and herb soup, pan-fried bullfrog legs, turbot fish, lemongrass longxi, chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream are the star dishes on the special menu. After strict screening and vetting by Jean-Georges himself, I believe that diners who have no taboos can not go wrong with any order.
In addition to the chef's signature dishes, there are also many excellent dishes on the à la carte menu that are worth trying. A classic seafood dish of tuna tartar, served with avocado spicy radish and pickled ginger, the avocado has a dense texture, and the two flavors of fishy ingredients make the whole dish delicious and appetizing. The restaurant prefers a sour approach to sea urchin, served with sour, crispy brown bread and grapefruit. The sea urchin is small but very fresh, full in the mouth, and the combination of sour and astringent is also bold and novel, which is more suitable for diners who like sour taste. Grilled prawns are wrapped in homemade smoked bacon, which is very thin and unhurried, and served with pear mustard sauce without losing its freshness. In addition, there are a variety of fresh seafood such as New Zealand emperor salmon, turbot, red snapper, etc., as well as cheese chicken and roasted pigeon. In the seasonal winter menu, egg yolk toast is served with caviar and vanilla for a triple flavor. Emperor fish sashimi with avocado contains a Japanese flavor without losing the taste of traditional French food. Classic winter must-haves such as pan-seared foie gras, baked lobster in butter, pan-fried beef tenderloin and baked potatoes with black truffle are also included.
Neri&Hu designed the elegant, bright spaces with partners Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, led by world-renowned architect Michael Graves, who were involved in the renovation of the new Three on the Bund and were responsible for the interior design of Jean-Georges at the time. The renovated Jean-Georges retains its opulent and elegant style, with four main dining areas, 3 private rooms, a bar and an open kitchen. The 5-metre-high lobby is spacious and bright, with modern brass accents lining the ceilings. The tables and chairs are mainly decorated in white, with warm yellow lighting, comfortable and comfortable, simple and generous. Meals need to be booked in advance, and the service staff is highly professional, and they do an excellent job in cleaning up the leftovers in time and taking the initiative to add water. Each dish will be explained to the diners before it is served, and they will also have a certain understanding of the ingredients. The 10% service charge is good value for money.
