Cuivre—樸實溫暖的南法料理

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

We could not have picked a better night to visit Cuivre. As Shanghai』s first snow this winter left the whole city in shivering elation, the golden glow spilling from Cuivre』s wide windows beckons us inside with the promise of warmth, comfort, and chef Michael Wendling』ssouthern French fare.

For nearly 7 years, Mr. Wendling has been serving a generous repertoire of French comfort food, making Cuivre one of the city』s longest-standing French restaurants. That repertoire was expanded recently to includeover a dozen new dishes.

Even the bread was new. The warm focaccia assaulted us with its garlicky, herby fragrance as soon as it was set on the table. The bread wasmade in-house at their bakery next-door, simply named 「Le Pain.」 Make sure to pick up some baked goods there after dinner.

In a bright and refreshing start to the meal, the tuna tartare was tinged with a tangy dressing fragrant with ginger and coriander, and piled on a creamy bed of diced avocado. All this was held in a crunchy tapioca taco, and served in a neon pink pelikan just because.

Paleo tuna tartare (148)

金槍魚塔塔

A salad of arugula and spinach was laden with streaks of homemade bacon, as well as juicy cherry tomatoes and crunchy slices of radish. The salad itself was slightly overwhelmed by its sweet dressing, but the strip of toast smothered with creamy br?léed goat cheese wasone of best things we had that evening.

Fresh goat cheese salad (108)

新鮮羊乳酪色拉

For something heartier, there was an expertly grilled octopus leg that delivered a powerful punch. The smoky flavors were rounded out with an intriguing garlic purée laced with saffron and paprika, and brightened with a salad of fennel and grilled bell peppers.

Grilled octopus (178)

烤章魚

Equally impressive was the fish soup, served with croutons, aioli, and grated cheese. With a complexity reminiscent of lobster bisque and a lingering herbal fragrance, the bowl haddepth and flavor in spades.

Photo credit: Cuivre

Fish soup (128)

魚湯

Exciting as these new dishes were,some classics just couldn』t be missed. One simply couldn』t visit Cuivre without having the foie gras terrine, marinated with port wine and poached to melting richness. We would have liked the accompanying bread to be a little more toasted, but the chutney alongside it was perfectly addictive with its gentle underpinning of spices.

Foie gras terrine (148)

鴨肝醬

Thedish of the nightcame in the form of a decadent mushroom risotto spun through with the heady aroma of truffles. A perfect balance of earthy mushrooms, fragrant truffles, and rich cream, this was rustic simplicity at its best.

Truffle risotto (188)

松露意式燴飯

Another dish that hadwinter comfortwritten all over it was the salmon confit baked in puff pastry, served in beurre blanc on a bed of ricotta-rich spinach. The idea was promising and the salmon melted seductively on the tongue, but the pastry was a little soggy, so the outcome was not as nice as it could have been.

Salmon confit baked in puff pastry (178)

酥皮包三文魚

Other additions to the menu included a seared beef flap served with an intensely garlicky butter and somefantastic fries, and a cod served with clam broth, coriander, basil and fried garlic that was somehow less than interesting despite the abundance of herbs.

Seared marinated beef flap (188)

煎牛排

Cod fish with clams (158)

鱈魚配蛤蜊汁

The best dessert we had that night was also the least photogenic. In a modern take on a tarte tatin, tender apples were heaped on caramelized French toast and served with caramel and vanilla cream. The plate might look a little rough around the edges, but thedepth of flavorwas stunning.

Photo credit: Rachel

Les pommes (68)

蘋果塔

The?le flottante(i.e. floating island) is another classic, consisting of poached meringue floating on crème anglaise. Our resident Frenchman at the table pronounced it to be 「exactly as it should be.」 You can』t go wrong with the impressively tall millefeuille or the chocolate fondant either, both of which were well-executed and delicious.

?le flottante (68)

漂流島

Millefeuille (68)

拿破崙

Chocolate fondant (78)

巧克力熔岩

Cuivre』s new additions were remarkably easy to love, the flavorsclassic but far from boring. Chef Wendling』s brand of generous French comfort would be welcome any time of the year, but it is particularly appreciated on cold winter nights.

圖/文：Emma的饕餮之旅

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