Revisited: Sir Elly's, Michelin One-Star Restaurant in Shanghai

Over the years, Sir Elly's at The Peninsula Shanghai has been known to be a traditional fine dining restaurant.

I would say they played it safe. It was technically sound French and modern European fine dining with textbook sauces and painstakingly assembled dishes on oversized white plates. But Sir Elly's today is very different from that.

What I had from their menu last fall was very new and modern. It was impressive. Chef de Cuisine Charles-Benoit Lacour integrates global flavors, particularly from Southeast Asia, and borrows from his experience cooking in those countries. Lemongrass, chili, yuzu, miso, ginger comes together with modern French food. This is what diners are leaning towards, and Sir Elly's is obliging. Plus from what I can see, their prices have also been adjusted to be more accommodating.

Dover Sole, served table side.

On The Menu

Table bread

Amuse bouche - Radish jelly with rice vinegar, torched mackerel and ponzu honey granite.

Amuse bouche - Clam gratin with mango, lemongrass, ginger and pandan.

Crab Salad (¥118) with crab ice cream, tomato jelly and spicy bell pepper vinaigrette.

Grilled and Confit Eel (¥138) - A signature dish of smoked eel and eggplant. The sauce, mixed table side, packs a punch. It has an entire pantry of ingredients including grain mustard, garlic, chili, ginger, olive oil, vinaigrette, seaweed, and coriander. The aromatic sauce, used sparingly, complements the wonderfully smoky eel.

Dover Sole (¥298) with artichoke barigoule, clam and clam butter sauce.

Pan-Seared Foie Gras (¥138) with duck leg gyoza, citrus and shavings of cured duck meat. It's a dish inspired by canard a l’orange, a traditional French dish of sweet and sour duck. This is absolutely sinful and expertly done.

Wagyu M6 Tenderloin (¥388) with a center of braised oxtail, potato dauphine and red wine jus.

Melted Chocolate Cake (¥108) with raspberry coulis, almond crumble and pistachio ice cream. The chocolate even has a hint of cracked pepper.

Pavlova (¥98) with fruit minestrone, passion fruit and coconut cream.

Wine highlights: Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseigneres 2018, Oremus 2008 Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Hungarian dessert wine.

Sir Elly's also has a five-course degustation menu for ¥898. All prices subject to 16.6% surcharge.

In Summary

The meal was excellent, particularly the crab salad, roasted eel, foie gras and chocolate dessert.

I would say it's not easy for a restaurant like this one to reinvent itself. What they're trying to achieve is commendable, ballsy even. Introducing Asian flavors and ingredients to European cooking isn't a novel idea, but I think it's worth noting, especially when restaurants like Sir Elly's makes the shift. If you're looking for a fine venue on the Bund with a view, here's one that is worth a revisit.

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Sir Elly's, The Peninsula Shanghai
Address: The Peninsula, 13/F, 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu 中山东一路32号13楼, 近北京东路
Tel: 23276756
Hours: Tue-Sat, 6pm-11pm