The first meal in Shanghai was surprisingly hosted at a Western Fusion Restaurant. La Ciel's supposedly got a famous chef hemming its operations and housed on the 50th floor, the view was more than spectacular. Pity the camera failed to capture any of its beauty.
Bread rolls were dished out by the servers. I had a choice of soft, hard and black bread. The soft bun was exactly like those rolled out by our local bakeries. The hard ones had a lovely crunch to it. Black bun had a certain charred fragrance that appealed to me. The cube of butter was more ordinary than not, save for the pepper seeds that were scattered.
Amuse Abouche of salmon tartlette, duck roll and tomato juice. The salmon tartlette was bland, almost like cheese on a limp puff pastry. I relished the duck roll, bearing most resemblance to a vietnamese rice roll with shredded duck. Tomato juice had a nice natural sweetness to it and I loved the pureed tomato within.
Scallops Confit on Mint Jelly, Goose Liver Ravioli with Saffron Butter and Scented Truffle Oil
Visually, I was sold. The mint jelly bore a light mint aftertaste. Truth be told, I would have not guessed it were mint had I not read the menu. Diced scallops tasted more like diced crabmeat, certainly did not impress. Comparatively, the mustard coloured ravioli was more appetizing with the mashed goose liver.
Cream of Mussel soup with Vegetable Ragout
Once again, I was impressed with the presentation and portions accorded. That above, is the vegetable ragout which consists of one creamy mussel on a bed of well oiled stir fried peppers.
You are presented with a cup of mussel soup to pour over the ragout. How interactive.
The final product. Two thumbs up for the full bodied mussel soup, so rich and flavourful. Truffle oil had alot to play in this, the fragrance that permeated with every sip.
Seared Lamb Loin with Cream Morel, Potato Gratin with Pommery Mustard and Bacon Jus
Pardon the bad lighting but really, La Ciel redeemed itself with this dish. Lamb Loin seared lightly, the juices were spilling out of the tender lamb with every cut. I never thought lamb could be so delectable and it is one of those dishes you cannot get enough of.
Jasmine Creme Brulee with Pink Grapefruit Sorbet and Baby Apricot Compote
After a rocky start and reaching a new high with such nicely executed mains, I was expecting more for dessert. Especially so with such a description! Top marks for presentation yet somehow most of which matched the description. Grapefruit sorbet was too bitter, baby apricot compote was just half a peach drenched in syrup and lastly, jasmine creme brulee was just chocolate pudding.
Hits and misses galore..I was not highly impressed despite the freeflow of wine, still and sparkling water..having the waiter follow you so tightly.
La Ciel
Shanghai Pullman Skyway
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