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New Eatery SILEX Promises Japanese & French Savoir Faire

2017-06-09 ShanghaiWOWeng

Have you been hearing about SILEX? If not, you should be. SILEX is a new restaurant in town with a Japanese and French fused cuisine, boasting the standards of a 5-star European establishment while guaranteeing a lighter bill at the end. Located outside the city center, SILEX is part of a delightful complex that caters towards an exclusive lifestyle. 

 


THE CONCEPT


SILEX - in both English and French - means flint. This rough and multi-purpose stone first gave us fire, and subsequently introduced mankind to the art of cooking.  So, it’s the perfect name for a restaurant that treasures natural ingredients and respects the origins of beauty and taste. At SILEX, there's no fancy molecular cooking or unnecessary decoration; just substance, savoir-faire and quality. 

 


First of all, SILEX is beautiful, seriously. It made us gasp upon entry, and the longer you’re in this job, the less frequently that tends to happen. The interior has a sense of noble purity with impeccably chosen materials and smooth satisfying contours that are quite easy on the eyes. If paradise has restaurants, then they look like SILEX.

 


Why do we call it paradise? Well the whole concept is virginal, pure and simple. SILEX has a partnership with ICICLE, a leading Chinese fashion brand with whom they share the same vision of quality, lifestyle and environment sustainability. Hence the restaurant has a fashion shop built within. Also, we’d be remiss not to tell you about the second floor which has a bookshop, an art gallery, a wine cellar and some private rooms. Art books, exhibitions, drawing classes, lectures, wine and sake tasting… this really is an esthete’s paradise!  

 


Words might just fail to describe how sophisticated, delightful and pleasant this place really is. You’re better served to go and see for yourself. It might be a bit away from downtown Shanghai but it’s worth the journey. Promise. 


THE CHEF

 


A French chef with Japanese knives. You may consider the place a bit posh and its management even more so - especially after reading our glowing tribute above! But, the Chef, Jérôme Tauvron is an open and modest person, constantly eager to develop himself and who’s more than willing to do the less glamorous jobs as well. His focus is simple: simplicity! After spending ten years in Michelin-starred restaurants he realized that chasing ‘stars’ wasn’t fulfilling his potential. So, he said bye-bye to that superficial world and made his own way.  


With his talent and persistence, Jérôme gained the hearts of international stars such as Prince Harry, Madonna, Geri Halliwell and Emma Watson while enjoying prestigious collaborations with big name brands like JP Morgan, Aston Martin and LVMH.

However, he prefers to stay out of the limelight in order to respect the privacy of his high-profile clientele. Our most popular readers will be delighted to know that paparazzi are not allowed in.


THE CUISINE


One word: Simple. SILEX cuisine is fresh, uncomplicated and refined.

Fresh in as much that all of the ingredients are of the highest standards you can find in China. Simple because they don’t pass through a long and complex cooking process that makes your stomach do the work. And refined because it is light on the mouth and the flavors work together like a refreshing symphony for your taste-buds.  

We got to try the tasting menu - selected dishes from the chef which represent the best of their cuisine, and here’s what we think. 

 

Homemade tofu with Ponzu. RMB 128 


We don’t write enough about tofu. Shame on us. And SILEX offers some of the best, ever. The plate comes with a somewhat surprising DIY presentation, allowing you to make your own clean and fresh tofu. And the fresher tofu is, the better quality it is; ergo this is the best tofu you’ll ever eat! This is something you definitely need to try before you leave China. 

  

Hamachi sashimi, truffle ponzu and caviar. RMB 168 


We all love Sashimi, it is fresh, light, and melts in the mouth. It doesn’t contain saturated fat or sugar and fills your body with healthy nutrients. And you know what makes great sashimi? Great fish. Here is Hamachi; a wild Japanese fish that is appreciated for its naturally high fat content.  


Sashimi, truffle, caviar.. of course it is good. But the highlight is arguably the price: RMB 168. Treat yourself in a very affordable way. 

 

Seared foie gras, roasted hazelnut, confit apricot, apple and beetroot RMB 158


No French cuisine is complete without a foie gras dish. This one is great. The meaty confection is paired with a wide pallet of confit fruits that looks good, tastes good and will for sure impress your date. RMB 158 for a dish that can compete with what most Michelin star places offer anywhere in the city.   

 

The very famous Beef tartare with noir de noir Siberian caviar RMB 198


Being honest, this dish was one of the reasons why we wanted to check this restaurant out. And it didn’t disappoint. The display of the tartare is unprecedented. Dispatching all of the ingredients in this way makes it look very attractive (come on, admit it - we’re all suckers for symmetry). Plus it shows you exactly what is inside your dish, and it is very appreciable. 


Caramelized black cod with miso RMB 358 


You may not know it, but this dish is legendary in London. The Chef used to work there for years and this was one of his signature dishes. Considered the ‘Best cod fish in London’ by many local media outlets, we were honored to try it. It took months for the chef to crack the recipe and we understand why - this dish is to die for. Glazed with sake and miso, this masterpiece has such sweet subtle touches of flavor that, well… enough words. Just get one, this is the best advice we can give you. 


 Silex, The Rock - RMB 158 


This signature dessert perfectly embodies the name of the venue and comes with an unexpected shape. It looks like flint, right? Well actually it’s a chocolate confection. Let’s cut the technical details about the ingredients, the baking process and focus on what you really want to know: is it good? 


Honestly? Yes. Two points highlight this dessert and make it different from the innumerable chocolate desserts we’ve already had: it is placed on a bed of almonds, which gives it that crunchiness, plus it has pinches of chili. Give this chocolate and chili blend a shot, it’s worth it. 


 

Who you should go with:  Your superstar buddy. 

What you should drink: Their most popular wine: Silex by Didier Dagueneau a prestigious winery name from the Loire Valley. 

What you should eat: Everything 

 


SILEX

Address: 2570 Hechuan Lu, 1-2/F

Hours: Daily 11am- 10 pm 

Tel:  021-24269595

Price: RMB 350 per person (for a dinner) RMB 150 (for a lunch) 


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