The Place
Culinary obsessive types that pay attention to the Michelin Guide and World’s 50 Best rankings will definitely be curious about Light & Salt’s newest venture, The Pine at Ruijin because the group has brought in Johnston Teo, who was previously the Research and Development chef at two Michellin star, Odette in Singapore.
You will have to be willing to throw down some cash to see if the experience lives up to the chef’s pedigree with tasting menus that range from RMB397 for a four course lunch to RMB1,197 for an eight course dinner. Optional wine pairings start from RMB597.
The Food
The first two courses on the chef’s menu (RMB697) kicked the meal off roughly. Simply labeled Tomato on the menu, a shimmering bowl of peeled yellow and red tomatoes slices comes fanned out in a pool of perilla tomato jus. Beneath a dollop of slimy shiso gel are some smoky tomatoes, yet the flavors couldn’t hide the slippery textures.
Next up the shredded king crab with citrus and avocado, has a pleasantly intense lime flavor but the consistency of the dish again resembles mucus.
Thankfully, the appearance of turbot in sweet garlic foam with celery juice and sesame turns things around big time. The heavy garlic and salty celery might be overwhelming for some, but it’s right up our alley.
Wagyu with smoked onion puree and delicate mountain yam is cooked to perfection although surprising additions of mango pepper caramel and burnt lemongrass powder distract from the excellent piece of meat.
Lobster rice with XO sauce is Asian comfort food at its best. The sweet crustacean paired with umami-laden sauce and scallion rice is a slam-dunk.
Finally, the strawberry dessert mixes berry rice pudding with a unique pink peppercorn ice cream in perfect harmony.
Bites stolen off our dining companions’ plates lead us to the conclusion that the other sets are a better choice. In particular, a light and fresh mix of trout with kohlrabi and walnuts as well as prawn with shellfish emulsion and carrot had us green with envy.
Food Verdict: 2/3
The Vibe
Both the kitchen and front of house are aiming to impress. Service starts off strong before slipping up right at the end when desserts took more than minutes to arrive.
Every dish at The Pine is highly ambitious and incorporates a number of techniques with heavy use of Asian flavors. Overall, it’s quite impressive, yet individual courses land with varying degrees of success. If you are interested, we highly recommend the four-course lunch set as the best value. Just make sure you keep your afternoon free of appointments so you can enjoy the long meal properly.
Vibe Verdict: 1.5/2
Total Verdict: 3.5/5
Price: RMB400-2000 per person
Who’s going: well-helled locals and gourmands of all stripes
Good for: adventurous eaters, fine dining, special occasions
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