Have always liked Ecriture, so when informed that there was gonna be a 9am meeting in Shenzhen, decided to try out Chef Maxime’s venture in Shenzhen the night before.Wine list was ok. Went for a glass of burgundy red which was more chilled than a glass of white. Ermmmm.Felt sorry for VeggieGal, who was told the only dish available to her was a tomato tartare. The rest of us decided on the 8-course WINTER SEASONAL MENU @RMB 1,088pp.Here’s what we had. Bread basket: truffle brioche and sour dough. Canapé trio:-Sweet prawn with plum on cracker, a delicate and sweet/savory start-Potatoes and clam in cream sauce -Beignet (deep-fried pastry) with nutty Sunchoke filling topped with hamPieces of yellowtail, daikon and Persimmon served in a Citrus cream sauce. Could hardly taste the persimmon (which I normally love). Altogether a bland combination of flavors.Uni served with tender Cuttlefish and subtly crunchy wafer-thin Cauliflower pieces.Pigeon prepared 3 ways: BBQed breast served on cracker, confit leg with liver, and a comforting broth with mitake mushrooms. Scallop lined with mushroom and spinach encased in pastry. 4 types of sauces: parsnip puree, black garlic, lemon, and Tempeh (fermented soy with an earthy, nutty flavor and a slightly bitter undertone). Tasted much better than expected, lovely balance of flavors.Charcoal Grilled Wagyu Beef, Beef Bourguignon tartlet with Pearl Onion, topped with caviar.-oops no photo for this- Strawberry pieces and Tomato sorbet with Basil sauce. Must be the trend these days- have come across this various times already in other restaurants. Chocolate cake served with Cherry sorbet. A classic pairing, regrettably have never been a fan of Black Forest.Petit Fours (taste-wise, a disappoint conclusion to our meal):-Persimmon eclair -Red sugar Madeline-custard tart-Black plum MacaronIn summary: refined and understated dining journey centered around seasonal ingredients. The tasting menu suggested a restaurant striving for culinary excellence and innovation; yet we were not impressed- dishes lacked the wow factor or gastronomic complexity- with the exception of the scallop in pastry. Price point was much higher than expected (all this yapping abt how cheap Shenzhen restaurants are obviously didn’t apply in this case.) Or maybe we set our bar too high; or maybe it was the cold red wine, or the language barrier that undermined our experience. (Shame on me for not perfecting my Mandarin….)…查看更多
