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French cuisine with a Japanese twist at Racines
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RACINES has maintained a consistent high standard and warm welcoming feel among its relatively niche clientele since it first opened in 2014.
It’s one of the best-kept secrets in town, for a refined-yet-relaxed French dinner served by Japanese chef Kenji Ishibashi, who was trained in France before working as chef at Mardi Gras on Xingguo Road. He started Racines on Guangyuan Road and now it is located inside the building that also houses Sushi Oyama on Donghu Road.
It is composed of two dimly lit dining sections: One is ideal for a more intimate or group dinner and the other features tables with high stools where one can watch the chef serve fresh dishes that draw on French cuisine with Japanese influences. The whole process is done in a charmingly understated way.
The menu is scribbled on a blackboard and serves a changing menu that always includes some house classics, including an all-time favorite “Bon Bon de Foie Gras.”
On a recent visit, I started my dinner with Tuna tartar, layered with salmon roe, avocado dip and decked with pretty salad leaves — a tasty and refreshing combination without compromising the original flavors of the tartar.
Ratatouille and Mozzarella were one of the highlights. Unlike typical French ratatouille loaded with succulent Mediterranean vegetables, Racines’ version is topped with chunks of mozzarella cheese giving the whole dish a different perspective. It’s an excellent nutritionally balanced starter with a mixture of zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, fennel, celery and balsamic sauce.
My favorite main course was New Zealand scampi and ravioli. Found in the deep waters off the coast of New Zealand and used by the high-end restaurants around the world, the grilled scampi contains a white and delicately flavored flesh that is covered by a pale pink shell banded with a reddish orange.
Another main dish, the slowly cooked Iberian pork in beer, was nicely done although not my favorite. I picked a classic brown sugar pudding with financier cake for dessert. The financier cake with vanilla ice cream was a pure delight to end the evening with. And an espresso capped a perfect dinner.
Racines
Opening hours: 6pm-10pm (Monday to Saturday)
Tel: 5404-7702
Address: 1/F, No. 20 Donghu Rd
Average price: 550 yuan
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