Offering the ultimate luxury experience to its guests, the newly opened Wanda Reign on the Bund is a new destination for the most distinguished guests. Located on the rooftop and helmed by legendary Michelin-starred chef Marc Meneau, MARC Restaurant & Club is one of the property’s main highlights of the property’s dining venues. Boasting an exclusive 270-degree view of the Bund and the futuristic Pudong skyline, the stylish restaurant offers customized afternoon tea and a Michelin-starred fine dining experience. In the evening, it transforms into a terrace bar where patrons can sip classic cocktails while enjoying the beats provided by world renowned DJs.
Marc Meneau, who hails from Burgundy, embraces both tradition and innovation in the culinary experience he has crafted for MARC Restaurant & Club. Creatively incorporating a traditional techniques into his own contemporary cuisine, Meneau’s perfectly presented dishes are all about respecting and highlighting the original flavors of the ingredients while offering a healthy, wholesome approach to fine dining.
We met with Chef Meneau on the grand opening day of MARC Restaurant and spoke to him about his Shanghai restaurant.
Tell us about the concept of MARC at Wanda Reign on the Bund.
The concept lies in constant revolution. We get what guests need and listen to their feedback so they will be the ones who make the concept. God gives us food and I want to make good use of them. We have to extract pleasure from the food - intellectual pleasure I mean, not guilty pleasure.
We heard your inspirations came from the landscape and culture of your hometown Burgundy. Are there any Shanghainese influences to the concept?
The products we find here are obviously not the same as they are in France because of the way they’re cultivated and the weather. I would use the products from here and relate it to my worldwide vision about the food. I’m reading a book about Shanghai history these days and I quite like it, so yes I would definitely incorporate some Shanghai influences.
What is your cooking philosophy?
There are five main flavors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy. With these five flavors you can make thousands of recipes. And for every single dish I have the philosophy where the components are arranged according to how they grow. Ingredients that grow underground are assembled at the bottom of the dish, topped by ingredients that grow above ground, and finished with ingredients found in high altitude spots at the very top. I believe that the best dishes highlight authenticity and flavor. Following the way of natural cooking, we never cook over 60 degrees so we can keep all the taste inside.
How would you make sure the qualities of the dishes served here are as good as they are at your restaurant in France?
We have a team of French chefs here and I fly over once a month to correct, guide and to make sure no mistakes are made while I’m away. We are also sending local chefs to training courses to learn French cooking. Elegant and beautiful French cuisine is all about a blend of history and different culture.
There are many French restaurants in Shanghai. How does MARC stand out from the rest of the competition?
I don’t know yet. My idea is not to stand out, but to be with others. I’ll leave it to the guests to decide.
0 User Comments