In 2017, Jean-Georges was finally awarded a Michelin star, which is well deserved. Western-loving diners in Shanghai will already know Jean-Georges, a French restaurant on the fourth floor of Three on the Bund by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, one of the world's most celebrated culinary masters. As a pioneer in gastronomic fashion, Jean-Georges, a name that has revolutionized food in New York and Paris, is avant-garde, fusion and revered in today's dining world. Jean-Georges rose to fame at the age of 29 with Lafayette's creative French cuisine earning an unprecedented four stars from the New York Times. Since then, each of Jean-Georges' restaurants has been a hugely successful and award-winning one, and now Jean-Georges operates more than 30 restaurants around the world, forming a vast gastronomic empire that operates not only French cuisine, but also Italian, Spanish and other styles.
Jean-Georges in Shanghai, the only restaurant to bear his name outside of Manhattan, is a replica of Jean-Georges in New York. Since landing in Shanghai in 2004, it has always been an insurmountable classic in the hearts of diners. The team tried to understand the local flavors and spices of Shanghai, and due to the different ingredients in each region, the cuisine at Jean-Georges in Shanghai is similar to that of New York, but not the same. In New York, Jean-Georges, a top French restaurant, has become a Vanity Fair for celebrities from all walks of life; In Shanghai, Jean-Georges offers guests the same authentic classic dishes as they would in New York, while also seeking new and varied ideas, conveying to diners the idea that Michelin-starred restaurants are not far from the public.
In 2017, Jean-Georges commissioned Neri&Hu Design to carry out the first interior renovation, and the renovated restaurant changed the original classic, intimate aristocratic atmosphere to a more open and low-key modern minimalist style, the designer let the sunlight fill the room, bringing a brighter and more open space to the restaurant, avoiding the dull and depressing feeling that high-end restaurants are prone to, and the art installation full of lines and spatial sense brings orderly, symmetrical elegance and avant-garde to the restaurant. The retro brass-colored decoration and smoked glass give people a sense of time, and the view of the Bund river outside the window is contrasted.
Vongerichten spent his early years working and travelling in Asia, where his exotic flavours and use of spices inspired him to reinvent French cuisine and redefine cuisine. Instead of using meat sauces and creams to create a singular heaviness in taste, as is traditionally the case, his signature dishes use fresh vegetable juices and spice extracts to enhance the natural flavours, depth and complexity of the dishes, in line with the light food trend of recent years. The menu at Jean-Georges is mostly light and modern French, light and healthy, with a menu that changes seasonally and aims to surprise the palate with seasonal food.
Jean-Georges currently offers brunch on weekends from 11:30am to 3:00pm, with a three-course set menu for RMB 298 per person (plus 10% service charge). Egg caviar is a permanent dish on the menu, a classic that keeps customers coming back for more than 20 years. Grilled Icelandic Halibut, Emerald Cream and Celery Tubers, which has been on the menu for three seasons now for three seasons, is a new creation, still based on Jean-Georges' culinary philosophy, with a sauce based on lemongrass, ginger and coconut milk, dill and parsley, and finally 5 different herbs and basil for a refreshing and vibrant taste experience.
Equally impressed is Jean-Georges' open kitchen, which Vongerichten boldly splits into two, with the dining room serving the guests in the lobby, bringing openness and vibrancy to the lobby dining area, while the back kitchen prepares the daily ingredients and food for private rooms and banquets. Being able to juggle two kitchens at the same time is quite a challenge for the restaurant, but Jean-Georges is still very well organized, which shows that the chefs have a strong sense of management and control over the pace of the kitchen.
Jean-Georges is definitely a restaurant that deserves the service fee, from the introduction of food and drinks, to the speed and timing of the serving, it is very professional, so that customers feel that the pace of the meal is smooth. Jean-Georges also caters to weddings, banquets and gatherings to meet the needs of the clientele. Please inquire about the restaurant as soon as possible if you need it. For general meals, please make a reservation at least one day in advance.
