Best Food In China

Location

For many travelers and locals, the district of Pudong has often been associated with tourist landmarks such as the Jin Mao Tower, Pearl Tower and Lujiazui Financial District. Unlike the enchanting French Concession of Shanghai , it is hard to imagine that good restaurants could exist in the urban stoicism of Pudong. Like an explorer on a path of self-discovery, there are little gems to be discovered in this part of Pudong.

Set in the glamorous five-star setting of the InterContinental Hotel, the Oriental restaurant offers a decent Chinese meal with a touch of finesse and warm service. William Weng is the Executive Chef, in fact, the Chinese Chef Master of the Oriental. Leveraging on his culinary roots from Guangdong, William conjures a Chinese menu that weaves Shanghainese, Cantonese, and Chiu Chow style with a dollop of haute international presentation.

The Oriental presents itself without too much fan-fare. Upon entering the restaurant, there are large round tables set in a semi-circular hall, nestled on thick plush carpets, ushered by elegant waitresses dressed in traditional silk cheongsam. The mood is vibrant, immediately sensing the presence of every guest in the restaurant but thankfully, each table is set well apart to keep conversations private and discreet.

Without further ado, we commenced with the “tasting” set menu that showcases Chef Master Weng’s culinary creations. The appetizer was a gentle appreciation of Asian roots. On a tasting plate, we had nibbles of Japanese sashimi with California unagi sushi roll, accompanied by slivers of hunan ham, drunken prawn, rolled bean-curd skin and a colorful yard of taro mash. To be honest, I was a little uncertain what might come next but my mind was put at ease when a wonderful pork-rib soup arrived. Though it was a little fancy to have soup poured from an earthen Chinese tea pot and drunk from a miniscule teal cup, the end result was near perfect. The broth had a rich goodness that can only be derived from the slow simmering of pork ribs and a sweet savory taste using the right amount of herbs and spices. This is essentially a Chiu Chow soup, known as Bak Kuh The (pork ribs tea), hence its clever presentation in a tea pot!

It was a six course meal and we had a long way to go. Fortunately, the dishes were not over-laden and portions size was just right. The next dish was a deep-fried prawn ball covered in a creamy mayonnaise sauce. The ball had all the right textures and taste but I would have preferred something spicier after the savory soup. The main entrees were the beef steak in black pepper sauce served with 12 types of vegetables. The beef was certainly of good quality and so tender that it melted in the mouth. The sauce was, again, rich but I wished the Chef had a heavier hand on the peppercorns. The next entrée was my favorite, a lightly fried cod, dressed in a tangy mango sauce. It was a much welcomed light but invigorating taste after the savory predecessors.

The finale was a dim-sum tasting plate that included a couple of traditional dumplings, such as, steamed prawn dumpling (har gao) and the ever so popular Shanghainese pork dumpling (xiao long bao). Though presented in a neat and orderly tasting plate, I was slightly puzzled that dessert was also accompanied but it is a dim sum (little nibbles) sampler after all. The sweets were a shot glass of fresh strawberries drizzled with vanilla cream with a dash of pistachio and a mini-pastry pie filled with candied nuts, which was surprisingly sweet and savory.

Throughout the meal, I was most impressed by the kind and gentle service of the smiling waitresses. They showed good attention to detail and always served the dishes with a kind explanation of what was being served. Good service is hard to come by in Shanghai’s competitive restaurant industry and it helped me to enjoy a fulfilling meal.

by Brian Sun

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