The Place
A piece of France has returned to the former French Concession, embodying both the re-gentrification of this neighborhood and perhaps the apex of local interest in all things Francophile and bourgeoisie. It is Chez Maurice, the much-hyped, affordable French steakhouse named after eponymous Frenchman Maurice Nolant, who hails from a line of charcutiers from the Champagne region of France.
As with Al's Diner, the opening is consulted by in-demand chef duo Anna Bautista and Sean Jorgensen, who have designed the menu and will be present in the kitchens once or twice a week to supervise the quality.
The Food
Chez Maurice is a place filled with good ideas, and would shine at its best if Chefs Jorgensen and Bautista, the latter of whom was behind the revelation that was Coquille when it opened in 2014, were there 100 percent of the time.
The menu focuses on two things: steak and house-cured charcuterie from recipes of the aforementioned Maurice. By virtue of them being laboriously housemade, it feels mean to be overly harsh, but there are some better than others.
If nothing else, make sure to order the excellently cognac-y foie gras au torchon (below center, individually from RMB78). Which more than stands up to the torchons of heavyweight restaurants Franck, Cuivre and Mr & Mrs Bund. It comes with buttery toasted brioche and a dollop of tart port and currant jam.
Less charming is the terrine de canard (above right, individually from RMB58), which could do with more seasoning. The duck galantine (above left, RMB68) is a gallant effort, but is also outshone by the foie gras torchon.
Of the porcine charcuterie, the 14-day aged cured ham (third from left, individually from RMB68) was our favorite. Charcuterie offerings are available by the platter, (RMB138 for the full assortment, or RMB118 for the duck varietals).
Not included in that is the truffled boudin blanc sausage ('le célèbre boudin blanc truffé de Maurice' RMB68), which thankfully, is indeed cause for celebration. The accompanying red wine plum compote is good enough to eat by the spoonful.
Surprisingly, steak is not expensive by Shanghai standards. Starting from RMB168 for a 200g Australian Hunter Valley Farm tenderloin and reaching up to RMB868 for a kilogram of M3, 270-day grain fed bone-in ribeye (Ranger's Valley, Australia), which would easily feed three hungry people.
There are however, consistency issues. When under the eagle-eyed Chef Bautista, the place runs like a well-oiled machine. When not, the service is patchy and the cooked-ness of the steak vulnerable to inconsistency.
Our advice? Avoid confusion and respond to the 'how would you like your steak?' question in Chinese by saying 'san fen' for medium rare, 'wu fen' for medium, or 'qi fen' for medium well. Service is by and large English-speaking and should understand all but the thickest accents.
While the bone-in steak is well worth ordering, the in-house dry-aged chef's cuts (alternating between New York strip, below, or rib-eye) are a specialty not to be missed, in spite of Chez Maurice's vulnerabilities.
Both of these are possessed of the deeply bovine flavor profiles desired of a dry-aged cut. If forced to choose at steak knife point, we'd go with the rib-eye (300g, RMB458).
Vegetarian/pescetarian options are few and far between, but two exceptions are the salads. Kale, pomegranate and duck confit (RMB68) is very repeat-worthy.
Same for the unmissable pear, raddichio and black truffle salad (RMB68), a dish clearly by design of Chef Bautista and all the better for it.
Steaks come with a side salad or french fries, but you'd be silly not to get the RMB48 gratin dauphinois, so creamy it's a shame Julia Child (God rest her soul) isn't around to rave about it.
If you've any room left, the crème brulée (RMB48) is a pure pleasure – untampered with matcha, raspberries or other such superfluities that this dessert has endured in recent times.
Lastly, the caramelly tarte aux pommes (RMB48) is good enough to turn even the most patriotic American away from apple pie. Even Donald Trump.
Food verdict: 2/3
The Vibe
Set fittingly above Heyday jazz bar, the restaurant itself is manicured without being grand, and peppered with vintage French chophouse visuals, only slightly spoiled by how obviously new it is.
Service is very well meaning and often great when the kitchen is running smoothly. Water glasses are filled, wines recommended by the dish, and pleasantries exchanged with a genuineness that touched our black, shriveled hearts.
Vibe Verdict: 1/1
Value for Money
Provided that the steak is cooked correctly, Chez Maurice is value for money. The quality of the ingredients belie their prices in many cases, and the place is classy enough for serious dates, business occasions and formal dinners without an unpleasantly steep check at the end.
Wines, which are mostly French and other old world locales, are all organic and have been cleverly selected by Maurice's nephew Jean-Marc Nolant (former wine guru to the Park Hyatt Hotel and recipient of CNN Travel's 'Sexiest Shanghai Sommeliers') to provide quality whilst remaining affordable, available by glass from RMB70.
Value for Money: 1/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 4/5
Price: RMB250-600 per person
Who's going: local society gals and French expats
Good for: French food, steak, dates, medium groups, wine, casual and formal dinners
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