Taking a three-Michelin star culinary experience with over 90 years of heritage out of its quaint hometown of Chagny, Burgundy to Shanghai is no small feat. Luckily, Chef Eric Pras is always up for a challenge. Since taking over Maison Lameloise in 2009, he managed to retain the restaurant’s reputation by keeping all the stars. We spoke to the chef on the process behind one of the city’s most highly anticipated openings this year.
Why did you choose the Shanghai Tower?
I met Zhou Jiahao of the Zhoujiahao Restaurant Management Company in France and came to Shanghai in 2013 by his invitation. One day, we were driving past the Shanghai Tower, and I told him that it would be a dream to open in that building. He told me securing a spot in China’s tallest building might be difficult. Years later sent me a message saying, “Maybe we have a chance to open a restaurant in Shanghai Tower.” That’s how my dream came true.
Image courtesy Maison Lameloise
What is it like to move from being an established restaurant with a long heritage to being the new place in town?
Taking over a venerable institution such as Maison Lameloise in 2009 was also difficult, but overcoming challenges is my motivation for moving forward. This Shanghai project is a great learning opportunity.
"French cuisine is similar to Chinese cuisine in that they both require mastery of multiple techniques"
Would you have considered opening in another Chinese city?
I wanted to learn from Chinese people in one of China’s most populated cities, Shanghai. It is an exciting first step and, we hope that the diners here will be encouraged to travel to Chagny after dining in the Shanghai Tower.
How was the menu created for Shanghai?
This menu stems from the hard work of our Shanghai executive chef, Yann Klein. He came and analyzed the products available in China then tested the recipes with them. We always begin with the original recipes, but small adjustments have been made based on seasonality, availability and customer preference. In Chagny, we add notes in the system to reduce salt for Chinese diners, yet we must have the kitchen increase the salt for foreign diners here.
Image courtesy Maison Lameloise
Will the Shanghai restaurant influence Chagny?
We cook without limiting ourselves and gain inspiration from all our guests. One time, Chef Yann returned to France with a Chinese tea that I added to my foie gras dish with abalone, creating a true fusion plate in both flavor and texture. This is now on the Shanghai menu. French cuisine is similar to Chinese cuisine in that they both require mastery of multiple techniques.
[Cover image courtesy Maison Lameloise]
See a listing for Maison Lameloise here.
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