There's nothing that can invigorate the essence of decadence more than an expertly presented Lobster Bisque. Let's be honest, they're in the realm of the hotel (where else will have 20kg of lobster shells on hand?) and so here are three of Shanghai's best offerings:
CHAR | The Bund
Char’s lofty dining room is dark, sultry and luxurious and a perfect setting to savor the high-cuisine delights of expertly prepared lobster bisque. Chef Vincent Song perhaps matches the stock to the restaurant’s atmosphere; roasted saffron and fennel are added to the stock to give a deep and unsweetened flavor. It’s poured piping hot from a traditional clay Chinese teapot over a lobster, scallop and mussel ensemble. It comes together as a beautifully intense burnished-orange soup, and there’s even a spare portion kept warm in the pot.
The MEET | Century Park
Executive chef Tobais Unger attributes the focused flavor of The MEET’s bisque to the hours (sometimes days) that go into making their lobster stock. It’s an intricate process that involves 30kg of baked shells being simmered alongside onions, leek and carrots, which are re-boiled, adding ice cubes, over a series of cycles and then flambéed with cognac. The real fun happens when cream and cold butter are slowly blended into the stock, releasing the seafood’s intensity and matching it with lavishly velvety textures. Served over chunks of lobster tail in a soup bowl, the bisque is a wonderfully complex and weighty affair.
VUE Restaurant | The Bund
There’s little that compares to VUE’s awe inspiring vista over the Huangpu or their comfortable open-plan (yet private) dining concept. However, a table-side prepared bowl of bisque does both absolute justice. Is there anything more indulgent than a pristinely uniformed chef stirring stock and cream together in a glistening copper Mauviel saucepan? Any fence-sitters will be converted when the bisque is poured at the table into a pre-warmed bowl. The aromas are unlocked in real-time and are pure heaven.