If you’re lucky enough to nab one of the 10 covers at French chef Paul Pairet’s secretive two Michelin star restaurant Ultraviolet in Shanghai then you’ll be treated to one of the most unique, multi-sensory dining experiences of your life, complete with visual and smell projectors, and more speakers than a mid level gig venue.
But head to Pairet’s newest culinary offering in the city and all thoughts of the avant garde will dissipate to be replaced by, well, getting your hands dirty with meat – and lots of it.
The Chop Chop Club at the city’s UNICO venue offers a carvery menu of largely sharing portions of both meat and fish, all scheduled to come off the pass at regular intervals (see a sample menu and timings below), with some larger pieces of meat to be shared between different, unconnected tables. Dishes include whole leg of lamb, and roasted and grilled turbot. And you've got to be quick – hence the name.
“It’s the reverse of Ultraviolet,” says Pairet. “It’s a very simple idea, very much like the Sunday meal with your family. It’s an interesting way of cooking that you don’t find in many fine dining restaurants. The sharing of food, I love it. I love to cook it.”
Take a look at some of the dishes below. The Chop Chop Club is the well-travelled Pairet’s third restaurant in Shanghai, after Ultraviolet and Mr & Mrs Bund. “I didn’t think I would settle, but Shanghai’s magnetic. After 12 years it’s nearly home!” he says.
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