CITY GUIDE >Food Reviews
Maison Boulud
By Jeremy Webb (bestfoodinchina.net)
Updated: 2009-03-30 15:11

Maison Boulud

Only a couple of obvious Asian twists make their way onto the French menu. My favourite was the suckling pig, which rested upon sauerkraut made from daikon - a white East Asian radish. While the sourness of this inventive localisation cuts nicely into the sweet pork, care had gone into ensuring that the strong flavours complement, rather than overpower each other.

Sadly, my word limit forces me to cut short what would otherwise be an essay for each of the eight excellent courses. However, I have been careful to save some linage for the two indulgences I miss most in China – quality cheese and good wine. The four excellent French cheeses covered a satisfying range of flavours, the French sommelier talking expertly about each one, and ending with an exciting promise that, on its way is a Chinese cheese good enough to make the Maison Boulud grade...

I was equally chuffed with the wine, every stage of the thoughtful pairing as fun as it was delicious, as I was with the way it was served. I attempted to put a waitress on the spot with difficult wine questions. I was impressed with the response - first some useful information, and then some details as hard to decipher as a review by any accomplished wine connoisseur. For me, most exciting was an adventurous example of Maison Boulud’s commitment to local produce – a fresh and fruity Chinese Chardonnay, which, the waitress told me, hails from the Grace Vineyards of Shanxi.