The Place
U Lounge is a pretty, modern-looking bistro and bar underneath another bar – Taste Buds Cocktail Palace. Having been a damn long time in the making, the place has a stunning tiled patio out front framed by lush trellaces.
Outside is also a sandwich bar catering to lunchtime French Concession wanderers, plus a decomissioned milk truck that will sell housemade ice cream when the summer comes. Inside the main restaurant, Chef Anthony Wang (who worked formerly at The Peninsula Hotel's Lobby Lounge, and before that at Jean Georges) cooks a menu of French bistro dishes.
The Food
Starters begin at RMB69 for a pleasantly light salad of sous vide egg with crisp blanched seasonal vegetables and a splash of white truffle oil. Apparently there was a miso pear reduction which went undetected, but the dish does cope without it.
Other starters under RMB100 are good but not remarkable. RMB88 beetroot salad with goat cheese, 'eal' (sic?), and candied walnuts could have been a smidge bigger and more seasoned.
Oxtail consommé was alright, but not RMB98 alright. Same with the RMB119 lobster bisque.
Pricier options are better – seared duck foie gras with figs, hazelnut and brioche was great over two visits, and the Norwegian 'citrus salmon' (RMB169) comes with a generous dollop of caviar on top.
Of the mains, the Iberico pork neck (RMB180) is one of the strongest dishes on the whole menu; caramelized and luciously fatty and without being overpowering.
The New Zealand lamb shoulder (RMB228) turned out to be a rack instead, and almost as good the truly sublime versions cooked down the road at Franck Bistrot. At U Gastronomy it's also one of the strongest dishes.
Duck breast (RMB169) is nice, but a little tough and not gamey enough. They also pair it with broccolini and a spring roll on the side, which doesn't really work.
Australian M7 wagyu chuck eye steak (often dubbed the 'poor man's rib eye' for its similarity to the pricier cut) is definitely not big enough to satify larger appetites, but nevertheless tasty. Same with the black cod, inordinately expensive at RMB248 for a small filet.
Overall, U Gastronomy's menu has a lot of promise and Chef Anthony cooks well. We wish it were a little less expensive, since a lot of the ingredients listed in dish descriptions don't actually materialize on the plate. Call it 'soft opening,' but if the ingredient isn't in the dish then it shouldn't be advertized on the menu.
Food verdict: 1.5/3 (on the cusp of being a 2/3)
Vibe
The vibe is let down by oddities like a projector screening endless videos of ChefSteps, an online cooking channel featuring hipster chefs sous viding just about everything under the sun. On another visit, an outdoor space heater was installed in the restaurant, making us feel like we were being slowly sous vided too.
However, service is incredibly earnest, bilingual, happy to recommend wines (some very nice ones from RMB45/glass), and a million miles away from the abject apathy you get from a lot of service in this city, and even some of the places where you have to pay an extra 15 percent for it.
Vibe: 1/1
Value for Money
U Gastronomy is filled with potential, and is overall a pleasant experience for a date or dinner with friends. As with all but the very best restauants, order the stronger dishes and you'll have a great experience, order weaker creations and your experience may be the polar opposite.
Value for Money: 0.5/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 3/5 (almost a 3.5/5)
Price: RMB350-400 per person
Who's going: young locals
Good for: French food, dates
See a listing for U Gastronomy & Lounge
Read more Shanghai Restaurant Reviews
0 User Comments