3 Michelin-Star Chef Brings 100-Year-Old Restaurant to Shanghai

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but what happens when you are imitating yourself? For the three-Michelin-starred French chef Eric Pras, his motivation to start up an exact replica of his already extremely successful restaurant Maison Lameloise, which shares the same name as the one now located in the Shanghai Tower, is quite clear. When you have perfection, why change the recipe?

The original Maison Lameloise first opened its doors to their customers in 1921 in Chagny, a city in the eastern region of Burgundy in France where it still operates after almost 100 years of existence. The role of the restaurant’s chef has remained in the family for three generations, starting with Pierre Lameloise, followed by Jean Lameloise, and eventually ending with famous Jacques Lameloise, who achieved three Michelin stars in 1979. 

In 2008, chef Eric Pras was invited to join the team where he worked closely with Jacques for a year, cherishing a time of learning and mentorship unlike any other. This allowed Eric and Maison Lameloise to fully retain the three Michelin-star status which is not an easy feat when bringing on a new chef. 

With the restaurant in Chagny flourishing, chef Eric Pras was looking for something bigger to sink his teeth into. He put a solid team together in 2015 to work on opening his first restaurant overseas and ultimately picked the iconic Shanghai Tower as their second location worldwide. 

Little did they know that they would find themselves in an entirely empty space with a need to design everything - the kitchen layout, restaurant arrangement, wine selection, tableware and decoration - from carpet to ceiling. The restaurant was built with the soul and atmosphere of the Chagny restaurant at its core. Small touches such as the ceramic starter plates made by the same French artisan can be noticed on the tables upon arrival. 

The overall goal of the restaurant is quite simple: to offer an experience as close and authentic to the identical Maison Lameloise in France as possible in order to create complete synergy between Chagny and Shanghai. Whether in France or in China, the atmosphere, the service and quality of the food remain the same. Why get on a 10,000-kilometer flight to France when the exact same dining experience is located within subway distance here in Shanghai? 

There are, of course, a few differences in how each of the two spaces has been designed. For starters, the town of Chagny has a population of 6,000 people, all of whom could fit inside the Shanghai Tower at the same time if they really wanted to. Yet, that same coziness you feel as a result of the tables being separated by stained glass walls - a feeling reminiscent of being comfortably at home with close friends - prevails just in a fine dining ambience. 

A low-key, down-to-earth personality usually doesn’t go hand-in-hand with three Michelin-starred chefs but when it comes to chef Eric Pras, his dedication to the restaurant and passion for food really do balance out his reserved nature. Instead of just traveling around the world, he spends the majority of his time at the restaurant every single day, clocking in as early as 7am and usually out by midnight, checking the quality of their ingredients with his team, tweaking the daily menu, and perfecting dish presentations. 

The mantra “tradition is innovation” is what has developed Maison Lameloise into the powerhouse brand that it is today. The aim is to always be moving forward, always asking questions, and always striving towards improvement and, ultimately, perfection. The dishes scream innovation, and they truly live this philosophy of following timeless, classy French traditions while still evolving. 

Let’s now set that lengthy introduction aside to make way for what you’re all really interested in - the food. The Shanghai menu isn’t the exact same as what they currently serve in France, but all menu items are either signature dishes or restaurant favorites taken from the menu in Burgundy. 

The chef uses tried-and-true recipes and sources the absolute best products possible here in China while making slight adjustments to the seasoning only according to the seasonality of their ingredients. They update their Shanghai menu at the same frequency as the one in France with small daily tweaks based on the quality of their produce, thus making it more interesting for repeat guests. The chef’s cooking is really product-focused and aims to celebrate each individual ingredient by using all of their components in unique ways. 

Similar to the concept of the yin and yang, each dish exemplifies the utmost level of craftsmanship where the customer can taste every flavor, texture, and component which are balanced out by another aspect of the dish. Currently, there are a few different set menus available throughout the day. 

For lunch, you can choose between the Menu du Déjeuner (RMB 488) which includes a choice of starter, main, and dessert, or the Menu Degustation (RMB 1688) for a starter, fish, meat, and dessert courses. For dinner, you can opt for the same Menu Degustation that is usually served for lunch or add in the Frog Legs course before the meat dish for RMB 2088. Finally, the 6-course Grand Menu (RMB 2588 including dessert) is the highlight of the restaurant, composed of their signature dishes, the best produce, and the most inventive cooking techniques. 

Looking at the Menu Degustation, the Britany Blue Lobster is a light and delicate way to start off your meal. Live lobsters flown in from France make up the base of the dish, cut into meaty lobster medallions and cooked to perfection. A cloud-like foam floats on the side of the plate and made from the leftover confit tomato juices, it exemplifies the restaurant’s goal of minimizing waste and creatively using all parts of an ingredient. Cardamom-infused milk rather than flour serves as the outer skin of a play on the ravioli that are stuffed with tender crab meat. The dish is ultimately topped with a spicy, concentrated lobster shell infused bisque, crunchy pieces of coral tuille, and dots of lemon caramel, coral cream, and herb pesto. Every bite is different yet balanced, refined, and thoroughly thought-through. 

The restaurant’s signature dish (and notably the chef’s favorite) is the Snails and Octopus, which was created as an homage to a traditional Burgundy dish made of snails, garlic, and parsley. The classic tart is filled to the brim with Burgundy snails, confit octopus, potagère, as well as fresh carrots, beetroot, and radish. Finally, the creamy garlic mousse and rich red wine reduction add depth and richness that compliment the umami seafood flavors. 

My favorite bite of the meal was the Pigeon and Cherries; a playful course composed of juicy pigeon breast topped with a thin layer of sinfully-delicious foie gras sitting on a polenta puree. Wine-soaked cherries filled with a black garlic sauce garnish the plate along with deep red, crunchy beetroot chips. The dark, warm colors of the dish along with the rich flavors make this a standout and memorable morsel. 

For dessert, chocolate lovers can rejoice because the restaurant’s Chocolate and Black Currant could satisfy even the strongest of chocolate cravings. Layering soft cacao biscuits with Alpaco ganache cream, pieces of confit blackcurrant and ginger as well as thin chocolate crisps would have certainly been enough, but the addition of the sweet and tart blackcurrant sorbet is pure genius. 

Finally, the Mango and Coriander had me dreaming of Thai beaches as a refreshing, palette-cleansing dessert that can be enjoyed by all. The dish brings together creamy mango sorbet topped with mango jelly Chantilly cream and crunch pieces of merengue dusted with dried cilantro. All of these components sit atop a cilantro syrup and come with fresh mango slices and a side of Greek yogurt mousse.

Chef Eric’s cuisine has clearly evolved since he took over the kitchen at Maison Lameloise over the last 10 years. He somehow finds a way to honor each ingredient on a daily basis and continues to push the boundaries of fine dining while still adhering to classical French techniques. From what we’ve seen so far, he has already successfully replicated his formula from France here in Shanghai which leaves us looking forward to revisiting this new location as their cuisine continues to develop. The restaurant’s grand opening party took place on July 9th, and is now fully open to the public. 

Maison Lameloise

Address: 68th Floor, Shanghai Tower, 501 Yincheng Zhong Lu, near Huayuan Shiqiao Lu

Tel: [phone]