Fine dining has some how become synonymous with epic, bank account reducing gastronomic menus. While these are great (and sometimes life changing) you’re probably not going to want them every night of the week. Most nights you just want great food, reasonably priced and if there is great service, all the better. In Shanghai, that’s Nougatine.

Nougatine is an idea borrowed from Jean-Georges’ NYC restaurant. It serves bistro-style food in the re-purposed bar area of Jean Georges at 3 on the Bund in Shanghai. There’s a 3-course prix fixe dinner for only 250 RMB (about $37 USD) and various a la carte seasonal selections… I’d call them superbly executed, comfort food classics.

We recently were able to enjoy at meal at Nougatine. We’ve previously been to the Jean-Georges location in Shanghai last summer so we knew about the grand interiors…. but the warm, cozy decorations felt that much better when escaping from the cool winter air on the streets. We were handed updated menus with some exciting bistro classics as well as creative new options. The prix fixe offerings looked lovely, but there was too much to try on the regular menu… so we opted to go family style. 

We split 3 appetizers between the 3 of us. The highlight for everyone was the Truffle Fontina Pizza (148 RMB or about $20 USD). The crust was light and crispy and perfectly seasoned, absorbing the truffles and transforming something as common as a pizza into a simple yet sophisticated culinary delight.

Next was the Warm Asparagus Salad (68 RMB about $10 USD) – the asparagus was perfectly cooked and dressed with care. An excellently executed and exciting veggie dish… no small feat.

Lastly for the first course were the Crunchy Crab Beignets. Great crab flavor and balance of textures. The sauce, as is always the case with Jean-Georges, helped elevate the dish into something refined.

Then it was time for the main courses. Joanna had the Slow Cooked Salmon with Braised Mushroom, Onion Compote and Dill. Grilled salmon is Joanna’s new comfort food and this was an excellent rendition of it.

I wanted to go for the Roast Chicken as I’d read so much about it and absolutely love Roast Chicken… but let my mind get the better of me. You see, I thought I’d be “lame” if I ordered such a basic dish on this night out. In the end I ended up ordering another dish, going with the Carmelized Beef Tenderloin with Herbal Spinach, Crunchy Potato and Bearnaise Sauce. Mostly because I was in the mood for some spinach and have been reading a lot about Bearnaise sauce. The steak was cooked to perfection (it’s hard to get a proper medium rare steak in Asia) with a great carmelization on the meat. The Bearnaise was frothy and had a rich, complex flavor. Our dinner guest Matthew even tried it with the bread and found it delicious :)

Lastly Matthew ordered the Roasted Red Snapper, Leek and Pistachio Fondue with a Spice Vinaigrette. When I asked him about his fish, he replied simply, “amazing”. We all had a bite and had to agree.

I have a rule to try and order anything with the name of the restaurant or special next to it (though I didn’t get the Jean-Georges burger) and so had to order the JG Chocolate Cake. The molten cake here makes the ones served other restaurants taste like cardboard with Hershey’s syrup poured on top.

Joanna went with the Creme Fraiche Cheesecake with Sour Cherry Compote. She said it was one of the best cheesecakes she’s had in a long time… no small thing for a New Yorker to say.

Matthew had the Calamansi Lime Tart with Thai Chili Mascarpone Cream. A dessert that could have easily failed given the unusual flavor combinations… but this is just the kind of thing one should order when at Jean-Georges as it is this deep knowledge of flavor profiles and the way ingredients work together that raises him to the level he’s at today. If there’s some unusual items placed together on a menu… you can be sure it works.

After dinner we sat back and reflected on the dinner over cappuccinos. I lamented the fact that there’s nothing similar in Singapore… if there was I’d be eat there at least once a week. The value at Nougatine is excellent. The quality of food coming out of the kitchen is miles beyond similarly priced meals coming out of other restaurants. Add to that the stunning atmosphere and impeccably trained service staff and you have a real winner.

Since we regularly stay just up the street at the Westin when in Shanghai on business I see myself stopping by here at least once on every visit. If not for a meal, then just a drink at the bar and a snack of Truffle Pizza… can’t imagine a better afternoon treat

Nougatine (Jean-Georges on the Bund)
No. 3 on the Bund, 4th Floor
3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Shanghai, China 200002
Telephone: +86 21 6321 7733

Why is it that Jean Georges seems to define the various culinary chapters of my life?

I first became aware of Jean Georges Vongerichten when I was living in New York. I was in advertising…it was the early 1990’s…expense accounts were fat (people in America not just yet;)…and I was just learning what it meant to eat really well. My first meal with JG, as he is known by foodies worldwide, was at JoJo in 1992. Funny because this is also my mother’s nickname for me, but personal coincidences aside, this was the meal that transformed me. Three courses of wonderment later, my eyes were opened to the startling possibilities of cuisine which pretty much put me on the trajectory of culinary exploration I have been on ever since.

After that was Vong…a Thai French fusion restaurant just 2 blocks north of my office. It became a regular lunch time haunt – and ironically my first taste of Thai food. JG actually worked at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok early in his career so masterfully blended the styles. Little did I know then that the silky coconut milk and lemongrass infused broths and papaya salads would become my daily rations when I moved to Thailand some 10 years later.

Then in the late 1990’s Mercer Kitchen was the place to be – convivial NYers rubbing elbows at its communal tables. In 2004, Spice Kitchen ignited the whole Meat Packing District craze while Perry Street somehow brought a fresh perspective to traditional, old stomping grounds in the West Village. Somehow in retelling this tale, I realize many of my NY eras of living prominently feature JG restaurants. How did this man know exactly where I (and everyone else) wanted to be and what we wanted to eat?

And so it was no surprise that Jean Georges is now writing a new Asian chapter in my life in Asia. In Shanghai, the copper painted ceilings and dark, woody environs of Jean Georges’ restaurant evoke a NY contemporary feel, while the view of the Bund with its meandering Chinese junks on the river leaves no doubt one is in China. It’s romantic, yet co-worker appropriate…exclusive, yet welcoming….posh, yet comfortable. How does JG manage to strike just the right chord every time?

Paul decides on the 3 course set menu, which is a surprisingly good value at 250 RMB / $37 USD, featuring a nice selection of Asian inspired dishes:

1^st course
Tuna tartar, avocado, spicy radish and ginger marinade (PAUL’s PICK)
OR
Crispy Calamari, Yuzu Dip and Pickled Chilli

2^nd course
Pan Roasted Red Snapper, Coconut Lime Sauce & Sauteed Green Beans (PAUL’s PICK)
OR
JG Burger with fries (really?!?!?!?)

3^rd course
JG Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (PAUL’s PICK)
OR
Poached White Peach with Berry Sauce, Almond and Sesame

I order a la carte, selecting the Foie Gras Brulee with Sweet & Sour Pineapple Compote (118 RMB / $17 USD) followed by the Pan Seared Salmon with Roasted Porcini, Green Chilli and Garlic (158 RMB / $23 USD) and the Crème Fraiche Cheesecake with Sour Cherry Compote (58 RMB / $8 USD)

Paul loved the tartar, but wished it had been lighter on the ginger and citrus…somehow the tuna got lost in the mix.

Whereas the foie gras brulee was excellent – simultaneously rich and sweet with the caramelized top, yet when combined with the pineapple the flavour profile is deftly transformed…a rich, creamy mouthful melting into a burst of freshness. Too bad that the presentation was a little less compelling – the circular shape of the foie gras was reminiscent of a sausage patty, but I was willing to overlook this small detail after tasting the dish.

The salmon was full of punches of lemon mellowed by a brown sauce. I loved the small, artistic touch of a cracker of fish skin perched rakishly on the plate.

Paul’s fish was also good, but I had clearly made the better choice.

And then the desserts…I was simultaneously relieved and disappointed by the dainty sizes of the desserts. This food reviewing is tough on the waistline, but then again dessert is typically my favorite part of the meal. Paul’s molten chocolate cake was as expected – deliciously rich and decadent, comforting in its perfect rendition of a crowd pleasing favorite.

My Crème Fraiche Cheesecake was simply lovely with the sour cherry sauce playing its necessary role to cut the richness of the crème fraiche.

What can I say, it was a lovely meal. I think next time we will probably not order the set menu, only because somehow the a la carte choices were less predictable and better executed. But all in all JG never disappoints, so it is hard to imagine ever making a bad choice.

When in Shanghai, you simply must get to Jean Georges. And to finish off a perfectly chic evening, head to the neighbouring Glamour Bar.

Jean Goerges on the Bund
No. 3 on the Bund, 4^th Floor
3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Shanghai, China 200002
Telephone: +86 21 6321 7733