Few have conquered Shanghai’s notoriously competitive dining scene like celebrity chef Jean Georges Vongerichten, whose global empire of Michelin starred restaurants stretches from Las Vegas to the Bahamas, New York to Tokyo. At his Three on the Bund location alone, the Alsace-born chef has four restaurants: fine dining flagship Jean Georges; perennially popular coastal Italian restaurant Mercato; casual French Nougatine and now Chi-Q, a Korean barbecue concept. On his latest visit to this corner of his kingdom, Vongerichten talked to us about success, regrets, and life lessons learned the hard way…
"The Bund has returned to its former glory… the only thing that’s missing is the opium!"
What would you say are the key factors to your success?
Perseverance. When we first arrived there was not much in terms of ingredients. Lots of live fish, but in terms of herbs and vegetables it was sparse asides from Chinese vegetables like choi and water spinach. We had to grow our own herbs from seeds; there was no rosemary, no parsley, almost nothing!
We hear even these days that people struggle to import ingredients. What channels did you use ten years ago?
We used a lot of seafood; Dalian has a lot of scallops, fish, shrimp and lobster. All the meat came from Australia: beef, lamb etc. Chicken was local. The main challenge was herbs.
Actually by the time Mercato opened two years ago, Korean cheese-maker KJ Lee had started Solo Latte, selling exquisite mozzarella and burrata. The timing was perfect! In the beginning the menu was smaller, but has grown over the years.
Do you use Chinese ingredients more?
For sure! For example, we have a fantastic vinaigrette with fermented black beans. Chinese diners are quite surprised when they taste something familiar within Western cuisine, and we love experimenting with local flavors.
Do you find your Chinese customers react positively or negatively when you use local ingredients in fine Western cuisine? Don’t people expect pure Western food?
They seem happy we’re buying local. We charge a lot though, so people expect to see premium ingredients. When we opened Jean Georges 10 years ago our clientele was 80 percent expats, 20 percent Chinese. Today, it is the opposite. Mercato is split about 50/50 down the middle, but at Jean Georges it’s completely switched around. Chi-Q is a mix, too. It’s about 50 percent Chinese, 40 percent foreigner and 10 percent Korean.
“When we opened Jean Georges 10 years ago our clientele was 80 percent expats 20 percent Chinese. Today, it is the opposite.”
What do your Korean customers say about Chi-Q?
I think they like it; it’s quite different from what you find in Korea Town. We were pleased to welcome the Korean consulate general, who has visited several times.
Honestly, I think we’re about 10 years ahead of most people. When we started, there was nothing on the Bund except M on the Bund all the way to the Peace Hotel and the Peninsula. Even the landscape has changed from since I started; now it’s like a new city.
The Bund’s returned to its former glory…
The only thing that’s missing is the opium!
What advice would you give to your young self?
Follow your passion. Whether you like to cook, be front of house or sommelier. This business is all about pleasing people, so you need to have the passion and just go for it. Believe in yourself.
How do you balance your ego as a chef with pleasing other people?
Pleasing people is the number one priority; otherwise you simply don’t have a business. If people only come once and then never come back, then what’s the point?
It’s about pleasing yourself, and cooking for yourself - but at the end of the day, putting the customer first. People look at the price compared to the food they’re getting, the quality- all equally important. The flavors, they have to suit the customer, not just you.
But isn’t your role to introduce people to new combinations of flavors?
Yes, but it’s cravings that keep people coming back, a lot of the time. Take Mercato - some people come two or three times a week because they have cravings for our pizza. To Jean Georges they might come once a month as it’s fine dining. There’s a lot of great competition in Shanghai now, so my challenge is to create something that people will come back for time and time again.
What’s the most popular dish at Mercato then?
Our warm seafood salad is very popular, and I think the pizza is the best in class. But I also love the rigatoni and meatballs with its smoky, spicy sauce. Often customers come back with a big group so they can try more of the dishes, although recently the Huangpu District government has put signs in the entrance of some restaurants - including ours – saying: “Don’t order too much, and don’t waste!” It’s a bit anti-business but it’s probably a good thing.
With regards to your global business, you have restaurants all over the world from the Bahamas to Las Vegas. Is there anything you’ve done along the way that you regret, or that you would do differently?
I would like to go back in time with the head that I have today: the know-how I have today, take it back 30 years. If I go back in time, I want to go all the way! Looking back, I missed opportunities; I missed seeing a lot of things.
You were one of the first international chefs to see the potential that Shanghai had as a dining destination though…
I had a restaurant for 10 years in the Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental hotel, but when when they closed for renovation in 2005 I didn’t renew my contract because I was busy establishing Three on the Bund. But I should have because I love Hong Kong too.
“Pleasing people is the number one priority, otherwise you simply don’t have a business. If people come once and never come back, then what’s the point?”
What do you think of Shanghai these days?
Every time I come back to Shanghai it seems there are about 20 new restaurants opened! But it’s great because there are always new things for me to try.
Tell us about it. What changes have you made in your restaurants recently?
Private rooms are getting more and more popular. Some people want them for corporate events, and some people just want to hide. We had Zac Posen in one of Mercato’s private rooms last night, and Nicole Kidman is coming the week after next. People like Mercato because it’s easy, relaxed, but still good quality. And the view isn’t too shabby either.
How come you never opened a Chinese restaurant?
I did in New York, but it didn’t work because I lost all my team. It was called 66 and had a full-blown Chinese menu. I brought over the chefs from Hong Kong, but after just three years they all had to go back over visa problems. After they left it was too much of a hassle to find good enough people, so I turned it into a Japanese restaurant [Matsugen, open from 2008-2011].
Last time I was in Shanghai I actually tried Hakkasan. It was delicious; they’re doing a great job. Some items are a little over the top, like the Peking duck with caviar. Although, I have to admit it was delicious.
Do you prefer cooking Japanese or Chinese cuisine?
I like how Japanese cooking is very focused and small. Yakitori, sushi, soba - they’re all distinct types of restaurant. Chinese cuisine is more about family style with lots of flavor and very different ingredients.
What kind advice would you give to young chefs today?
First, focus on a region and perfect it. Also, travel widely and make sure you stay open to new inspiration
And what advice would you give to anyone wanting to open a restaurant in Shanghai?
Start small. Make it comfortable, affordable and know your market.
Lastly, aside from your own restaurants, where do you like to eat when in Shanghai?
I’m a huge fan of thick-cut daoxiao noodles (刀削面) and xiaolongbao dumplings (小笼包), the crab ones in particular! I also love the curry noodles you can get on a street very close to here. The curry comes from way back in the 20s when Shanghai’s law enforcement was primarily Indian guards from the British Empire. They brought the curry with them and contributed to the evolution of Shanghai’s culinary traditions.
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