The place
What a pleasure it is to find a new restaurant worth telling everyone about. Very newly opened Racines is just that, an excellent little French bistro in the former French Concession, tucked away in a discreet lane house behind a white wooden front door.
A French bistro in this part of town, sounds like a familiar story, right? Except this one's got a twist that will doubtlessly divide opinion amongst conservative appreciators of French bistro cooking: it's run by a Japanese chef.
Ishibashi Kenji, who previously headed up La Queue de Chiot now makes Racines (French for 'roots') his culinary home. And like La Queue, Racines is a boutique restaurant with just 20 seats.
The food
We'll be the first to admit we've had Japanese-style French food cooked exceptionally well, but Chef Kenji is focusing on more orthodox interpretations of the classics, and he does them well.
Similarly to Franck, the menu is written on a board with minimal description. It starts off with a little blurb ('48 month aged Iberico ham' etc. etc.) but by the end whoever wrote it obviously got bored and simply wrote 'chicken, RMB165,' 'lamb chop, RMB170'.
We started off with four plump Tia Marra oysters (below, RMB45/each) alongside warm bread rolls and a richly meaty pâté studded with oat granola. A welcome freebie, but we can imagine if you ordered the pâté de campagne (RMB100) this would be quite rich.
Next up came two bonbon de foie gras (below, RMB130), at which point we knew Chef Kenji means business in the kitchen. Each crispy roast potato sphere encased a center of molten foie gras, accented by a luxuriously bold jus of vinegar, fig and physalis.
Next ratatouille and mozzarella (below, RMB100), not a traditional interpretation of this dish, but delicious nonetheless. Generously portioned roast mêlée of mediterranean vegetables, next to a chunk of oil and balsamic drizzled mozzarella so fresh it was barely set. We'd guess they're getting it from Solo Latte, but regardless – so tasty it's better eaten fresh than cooked.
Duck is obviously something you'll see at a French bistro worth its salt, Racines offers a duck breast for RMB165 (below), and a duck leg confit for RMB170. We tried the breast and weren't disappointed – Chef Kenji showed an experimental flavor pairing with this perfectly crisp, just-fatty-enough duck and lemongrass-hued sauce, complimented by wilted baby greens and millimetre-thin raw mushroom stem discs. The overall sensation was decadent without overpowering the appetite.
Finally a hefty beef bavette for RMB200 (below), with grilled gnocchi, red wine and onion reduction atop creamed potatoes.
For this price and size we were expecting chewy lean meat, but were delighted by the tender, perfectly rested flank steak that arrived. It's a clever move, since this more unusual cut of meat commands less cost than your average filet mignon or rib-eye, whilst is still a good balance of fattiness if you know how to cook it right.
Desserts too didn't disappoint. At the risk of fawning over this place, the brown sugar cake with crème caramel (RMB40) was nothing short of exquisite. We don't know where they're getting the vanilla ice cream from, but it literally tastes like frozen clotted cream.
Food verdict: 2.5/3
The vibe
Set in a lane house, Racines feels like you're eating in a chic friend's apartment. The waiters are attentive and serve with care, but since this place has only been open a week, they're still a little shaky on recommending and/or describing dishes off the menu.
On our rainy, Monday night visit the place was not busy, so anticipate having it more or less to yourself if you go at a similar time.
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for money
Food this good wouldn't be amiss at a five-star hotel or Michelin-starred restaurant, so for around RMB300+ per person, Racines offers excellent value.
Dishes are best suited to dining in pairs or small sharing groups, and may be on the large side if not doing so.
Overall, Racines is a very serious and yet low-key addition to the French bistro gems in Shanghai, and one we'll be returning to post-haste. Go, we urge you, go now!
TOTAL VERDICT: 4.5/5
Price: RMB300+ per person
Who's going: Japanese and local gourmands
Good for: Romantic dates, French food, wine, small groups
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