This IS RestaurantAs the local dining scene burgeons, patterns begin to emerge. Restaurateurs have the option of starting small, luring a targeted group of patrons with their mid-range fare; another option would be to go the whole hog and splash out on a multi-million yuan space in a swanky location with prices to match.
A concept is another tool often employed, sometimes in tandem with the two strategies above. These joints brainstorm for ages and come up with a premise they hope is so irresistible it pulls in the crowds in droves.
IS Restaurant is hoping they have latched on to a winning formula.
Bordering on the ultra-pretentious, the New Factories establishment is decidedly focused on putting the "experience" in "dining experience." Part art concept, part fine-diner, there are moments when it is not exactly apparent what it is trying to be.
There are restaurants that immediately appeal to the visual senses, wowing you as soon as you walk in; sometimes with palatial decor, sometimes with sheer size. IS has gone for the cold, minimalist approach that exudes art-crowd cool.
It is no wonder, as the restaurant is the brainchild of General Manager Weng Yinlan and her husband, who is in the art business. Having started the concept in her native Guilin two years ago, the former advertising executive is confident that the concept will be a hit locally as well. "We do creative, fusion dishes that are appealing to the eye as much as they taste good," she said. "None of our serving ware is mass produced. Besides custom-made plates, we also use a lot of natural products, like pine needles for decorative plating."
"Some things, like acorns, are things that I've picked up myself from the countryside back in Guilin. You could never find stuff like this in Shanghai."
The design lives up to its billing. Words do little justice to the creative use of space on the top floor of this refurbished factory. Dried roots and branches form non-imposing barriers that partition the dining area; the centerpiece is a long, mirrored table with imposing, tall-backed chairs forming booths without being sealed off.
Neo-classical teapots and dings (an ancient Chinese tri-legged vessel) are displayed prominently with the similar furniture. Weng said that plans are afoot to hold art exhibitions and performances in the restaurant.
Whether she realized it or not, she was already right. Each dish was a show in itself albeit with some decidedly over the top. The opening act of mushroom soup came served on different plates for each guest. While the bed of rose petals was sweet, the flaming plate was a bit much. The soup itself was not creamy enough and weak.
The emphasis, however, is on healthier dishes, and the sliced cucumbers with walnuts, caviar and wasabi was delightfully refreshing and a stimulant at the same time. The same went for the simple garden salad.
The tasty pork cordon bleu (48 yuan/US$6.30) was not oily and came with a mild pepper sauce, although the addictive spiced beef served in a bubbling bowl of oil smacked of tenderizer. The steamed chicken dumplings came served hanging from a small tree, making you wonder what the point was. The meat was passable although the portions were just not enough.
Another flaming dish was served, this time seven kinds of fungi in a creamy sauce served in aluminum foil (98 yuan). It was a spectacle really, nearly eclipsing the mushrooms within.
The fried rice dish was somewhat odd. Intended to resurrect a dying recipe, it kind of halted the forward thinking nature of the meal preceding it.
It was great - a simple, rustic flavor - but jarring due to the lack of extravagance.
Dessert was truer to form, with pear slices coated in muesli. An excellent snack, the roughage aids digestion and exactly what was needed to end the meal.
IS is interesting to say the least. There is no denying the cool factor, which is what dining experiences should be about. The food is better than average, and the "show" is constantly updated to keep things fresh.
As it stands, the restaurant is a novel luxury, not intended to merely fill the stomach and satisfy the palate but more to introduce an avant-garde culture and immerse appreciative diners.
IS RestaurantLocation: 4/F, Building 7, 537 Haifang RoadTel: 021-52135399
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