paul pairet | Sugared & Spiced

2017/02/202019/06/29

[Shanghai 上海] Chop Chop Club

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Chop Chop Club

Add: 2F, Three on the Bund, 1 Zhongshandongyi Lu
Tel: 5308 5399
Hours: seats at 6:30-7pm and 8-8:30pm
Price: 400~500 rmb/person
Visited: Feb 2017

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

If you’ve been eating and drinking in Shanghai, you should know the name Paul Pairet (PP). This French chef has created many climaxes in the F&B scene here since his arrival in 2005 – Jade on 36 at Shangri-la Pudong, Mr & Mrs Bund at Bund 18, and Ultraviolet, the all-immersive dining experience that ranked #24 on World’s 50 Best Restaurants (in addition to two Michelin stars) in 2016. His most recent project, titled “Chop Chop Club” in collaboration with Unico, just opened a week ago and immediately became (unsurprisingly) the hotspot on the bund.

常在上海吃喝的人，對 Paul Pairet (PP) 這個名字一定不陌生。這位法國大廚自 2005 年以來在上海創造了各種餐飲界的高潮，比如浦東香格裏拉的 Jade on 36、比如外灘 18 號的 Mr & Mrs Bund，比如名列 World’s 50 Best Restaurants、去年得到米其林二星的全方位感官餐廳 Ultraviolet。最近他和外灘三號的 Unico 合開了一家名爲 Chop Chop Club 的餐廳，開幕才一周，已（不意外地）成爲外灘上最受矚目的新寵兒。

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Decor at Unico has remained largely unchanged, the only conspicuous difference being the addition of two large electronic screens detailing the carvery menu, constantly updated with time, price, and pieces left. Like this:

“18:30｜cote de boeuf｜650/portion, 1300/whole”
“19:45｜grilled seabass｜140/portion, 700/whole”
“20:15｜char-roasted chicken｜180/portion, 320/whole”

You will notice, upon closer inspection, that the first few items had already been sold out. Why yes, the dishes here go fast, so chop chop and order whatever you fancy before they are snatched by other tables, otherwise there’s no choice but to come back another evening.

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走進餐廳一看，Unico 的布置沒有太大的改動，不過架起了兩座電子屏幕。屏幕上寫著每晚更新的 carvery 菜單以及每種料理出爐的具體時間、價格、以及所剩份數，比如：

“18:30｜烤肉眼｜單份650元，整份1300元”
“19:45｜香烤鲈魚｜單份140元、整份700元”
“20:15｜炭火烤雞｜單份180元、整份320元”

仔細一看，前面幾款都已 sold out？！沒錯，這裏的美食不等人，店名中的 “chop chop” 在英文裏的意思就是 “快一點”，所以在屏幕上看到自己想點的菜別忘了趕緊和服務員下單，一旦賣光就要下次再來吃啦。

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2012/07/242015/09/27

[Shanghai] Mr & Mrs Bund (2)

restaurant

Mr & Mrs Bund

Add: 6/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu 中山东一路18号6楼, 近南京东路
Tel: 6323 9898
Hours: [lunch] Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm, [dinner] Tue-Sat 6.30pm-4am, Sun-Mon 6.30pm-10.30pm
Website: www.mmbund.com
Price: [Lunch] 200~250RMB [Dinner] 400+RMB
Visited: Jul 2012 (visit 1)

It’s been a year and half since I last dined at Paul Pairet’s Mr. & Mrs. Bund (oh my, how time flies), and I was happy to be back again last week for another terrific meal here. The restaurant was quite full even on a Monday night, but I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised – Mr. & Mrs. Bund was recently ranked #95 on St. Pellegrino’s World Best Restaurants, the first restaurant in China to ever enter the list. I’m not too obsessed with these rankings, but the status sure is a recognition for Mr. & Mrs. Bund’s popularity.

…Mad Hatter tea party from Alice in Wonderland?

The meal, as usual, started off with an airy tuna mousse served with thin crisps.

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2012/05/302015/09/28

[Shanghai] Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet

restaurant

Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet

Add: You are not supposed to know.
Tel: Non-existent.
Website: uvbypp.cc
Price: 2000 RMB/person, 20 courses
Visited: May 2012

Please note that I have omitted some details of the meal in order to not spoil your actual visit.

“If you want to use the restroom, do it now,” our receptionist suggested, “because you won’t want to miss a second of the following hour.” Is she exaggerating? Most certainly not. A meal at Ultraviolet, Paul Pairet’s much awaited multi-sensorial concept restaurant, is an immersive dining experience that engages not only your taste buds, but also your eyes, nose, and ears. As I perused the 20-course menu while sipping a glass of pear cider (which was excellent, by the way) at Mr. and Mrs. Bund where we were waiting to be picked up, I couldn’t help but feeling a bit fidgety about what I was about to experience.

And off we went…into the unknown.

After a few twists and turns, we arrived at Ultraviolet. It’s housed in a nondescript building, its exterior telling you nothing about the grand secret that lurks inside, perhaps except this purple window that gleams subtly in the sun. Our receptionist left at this point, leaving us with nothing more than a cryptic line of “just wait, something will happen.”

The door slid open, and we ventured into a dark room dimly illuminated by purple neon light. Then, a thumping of heart beats, faster, faster…and faster.

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2011/02/152015/09/24

[Shanghai] Mr & Mrs Bund

restaurant

Mr & Mrs Bund

Add: 6/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu 中山东一路18号6楼, 近南京东路
Tel: 6323 9898
Hours: [lunch] Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm [dinner] Tue-Sat 6:30pm-4am, Sun-Mon 6:30-10:30pm
Website: www.mmbund.com
Price: [lunch] 200~250RMB [dinner] 400+RMB
Visited: Feb 2011 (visit 2)

The modern French restaurant by Paul Pairet was recommended to me by a number of food lovers, so I found myself outside its bright red and green door one day. I rang the doorbell (yes there’s a door bell), and was ushered in.

We were promptly served a bread basket and the amuse bouche, which consisted of toasted thins, a tuna mousse, and butter. The tuna mousse, whimsically served in a peeled-back tuna can, was ethereally airy and full of peppery tuna flavor – delightful.

Our first appetizer, foie gras light crumble (110 RMB), was a contrast of crunchy fruity topping of raisins and hazelnuts with velvety smooth duck foie gras mousse underneath. Served with a thick cut of toasted bread and slices of fresh green apple, the portion was generous enough to feed two people.

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