Chelae is where seafood is ALWAYS the catch of the day

Seafood is a finicky thing to cook, but this restaurant is making it look easy. Opened in the Fengsheng Li complex near West Nanjing Road, the Chelae seafood bistro is serving Mediterranean-style dishes that let the original flavors of the ingredients shine. To find out more, we talk to head chef Jojo, or Big Jo, as he is affectionately known, about his family of chefs, his inspiration, and how he got the restaurant to buy him a six-figure-sum oven.

How did you become a chef?

I’m the third generation in my family to be a chef. My mother, her father, and her father’s brother are all chefs. My family had a Shanghainese restaurant and ever since I was a child, I liked to help out in the kitchen after school doing simple chores. The time I spent there made me develop a huge interest in cooking. While I don’t think it has a lot of influence on how I cook today - in my opinion, cooking is a world without borders - what it did for me was develop my passion for the trade.

Chef Big Jo

What is Chelae and what's cooking here?

Chelae is a Mediterranean restaurant and we're cooking traditional food that brings out the real flavors of ingredients that's not heavily sauced. We change our menu every four to six months, and there will also be specialties from time to time. I also infuse unexpected ingredients into the menu. We have a mushroom side dish that I cook in Shanghainese style with soy sauce and sugar, but not too much as to overpower the dish.

Where have you worked before, and why did you come to Chelae?

I have worked at Osteria and Mercado de Waima in Shanghai, and I chose to come to Chelae because the restaurant is open to innovation and has given me a lot of support. They bought a Josper oven for me, which costs ¥140,000 and took three months to arrive from Spain. The investors were pretty shocked when I asked for such expensive equipment, but they eventually agreed. We cook some seafood in it, which gives the food a smoky flavor. We also use it to cook our dry-aged beef.

Where do you look to for inspiration?

My inspiration comes from traveling around Europe and learning from local restaurants. I like to go to the small bistros on the side of the street. They don't have to be famous, as long as they're popular with the people who live there and not packed with tourists. I went to one in Florence called Zaza. They are known for their t-bone steak, which they cook medium rare with sea salt, olive oil, and arugula on the side. It’s a simple but delicious dish, and since then I always avoid using heavy sauces when cooking beef. In Shanghai, I enjoy eating at Villa Le Bec, Raw, Loon Fung House, and Din Tai Fung.

Chelae

2/F, No.9, Lane 229 North Maoming Road / 茂名北路229弄9号2楼

Scan QR code to RSVP ▼

Click 'Read More'

to RSVP!

▼