Ling Long Shanghai: Chinese Fine Dining by Chef Jason Liu
By way of Beijing comes Ling Long, a contemporary fine dining restaurant by chef Jason Liu, located in the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai. Ling Long Beijing currently ranks #77 in Asia’s 50 Best, a new entry in the 2023 edition.
About Chef Jason Liu
Chinese media are calling chef Jason Liu a dark horse. It's probably true, but not for long. Jason Liu’s name has been featured in quite a few headlines in the past couple of years, but coverage of the young chef has flooded food media since the opening Ling Long Shanghai. The attention is very well deserved.
Jason Liu
Jason Liu is from Taiwan, and opened Ling Long Beijing in 2019. Before he turned 30, he received the Young Chef Award and a one-star rating in the Beijing Michelin Guide 2022. Then, he was recognized by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, which ranked him #77, a new entry in the 2023 edition. I don't know him personally, but he has been described to me as humble, modest, and talented.
The Food
The menu at Ling Long Shanghai reportedly has very few similarities to the Beijing menu, with some dishes like the Shandong Wagyu featured on prix fixe 9-course dinner. The meal has four themes, Xian (鲜), the Chinese equivalent word to describe umami, tradition, localization, and memory. The menu is ¥1,680 plus 15% service charge.
Amuse Bouche “Xian” – Sweet peas, smoky scarmoza cheese, and caviar. A simple yet evocative bite.
King crab leg poached with fermented grain sauce (糟卤) and finished with butter and cream, served with tomato water.
A soup made with house-dried chicken thighs. Clean flavors with a crunchy clam.
Jasmine infused butter over tangzong toast. Slightly sweet, fragrant butter. Served tableside in a block of ice to keep chilled.
Blue lobster with shaoxing wine jelly. Intoxicating flavors from the seafood stock with a subtle undertone of fragrant shaoxing. The most memorable dish of the whole menu.
Grilled scallop with heart of palm from Xishuangbanna and a sauce made with caviar, trout roe, and chives. Brimming with flavor and texture.
Sticky rice and fish maw cooked in a sauce of parmesan cheese and orange peel livened with peppercorns, garnished with a parmesan cheese crisp. The parmesan cheese is made in Beijing, an artisanal production commissioned by chef.
Rock fish with puffed, crisped skin dipped in chili oil and served with sour soup. Sour, sweet, and spicy enough for you to break into a sweat. Paired with fresh and fruity lambic.
For mains, it’s Hetian Chicken or Shandong Wagyu (supp ¥298).
The Hetian chicken and cuttlefish farce is served with crispy skin, a glossy jus, chestnut purée, and charred hen of the woods. The dish is finished tableside with shavings from a giant, dried white flower shiitake.
Dried white flower shiitake
Wuchang Rice – A claypot rice complete with guoba. Seasonal vegetables, cured meat, eggs.
Chinese Honey – The dessert, from tuile to mousse, is made with three kinds of honey from Yunnan. Flowery, notes of caramel. Delightful. Paired with Tokaji Aszu.
Memory – Dessert, a nostalgic ode to one’s childhood. Toasted popcorn, crispy olive bread, white rabbit marshmallow, and a sugar ball.
Petit Fours – A cart laden with candies reminiscent of a sundry shop display, accompanied by a purse with coins that powers up a music box.
The drinks pairing was excellent, too, priced at ¥980. In addition to the variety of wines, which ranged from new and old world, sweet to even savory, dishes are also paired with ice wines, huangjiu, and a gueuze.
Service was exceptional, not at all stiff, and sincere.
In Summary
Ling Long is an artistic opus, a storytelling of chef Jason Liu’s vision and interpretation of Chinese ingredients and traditions. It is extremely personal. I’m usually quite skeptical when it comes to excessive storytelling based on past experiences at restaurants that focus too much on background only to fall short on delivery. Ling Long is the exception, and delivers a pleasurable dining experience with an abundance of flavor and a memorable narrative.
Ling Long Shanghai
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About Rachel Gouk
Founder & Editor, Nomfluence
Rachel Gouk is a seasoned dining journalist based in Shanghai with over a decade of experience covering food culture, restaurant developments, and the Asian culinary landscape.
