As part of its rich history, China is home to many different cultures and cuisines. A fine example is the Shanghainese kitchen, strongly influenced by the sea and famous for its crab.

One of its foremost ambassadors, Fu 1015, is located in an impressive villa right in the middle of the busy Jing’an district. Although fairly modest from the outside, the well-preserved interior and spacious garden submerge the guests right back into grandeur of the 1920’s, a time when the house was home of one of the city’s richest bankers. Nowadays, guests are seated in large private dining rooms with a dark, wooden interior and classy chandelier. Each room comes with a gracious saloon where one can enjoy a last glass after dinner or simply relax and have a chat. Those who want may smoke in the cigar room downstairs.

Contrary to most restaurants, there is no menu to choose from. Upon booking, guests only tell how many they are, agree on a budget and the rest is left to Executive Chef Tony Lu. Based on his own experience, he prepares several dishes to maximise the taste of Shanghainese food. Most dishes are meant to be shared on a Chinese round table, with a few exceptions for the main course and dessert. Chef Tony’s style pays a maximum of respect to the authentic Shanghainese cuisine and features very little modern day influences. A good example is the traditional pork belly with black truffle sauce although he is most renowned for his marinated hairy crab with yellow rice wine.

To maintain a high standard, Chef Lu keeps a close eye on the quality of his ingredients and only works with fresh products. Through his close collaboration with several large suppliers, he gets most of his products from the city’s fresh markets. Not a single item is imported, apart from a few wines to offer a maximum of choice. However, wine is not necessarily part of the menu as most guests tend to bring their own wine if they really care for a glass.

In addition to preparing excellent food, Chef Lu has made it his personal mission to upgrade the profession of Chef in China. Unlike in the West, in China there is no formal training programme to become a Chef and often they are only seen as the staff member who prepares the food. Through his involvement in the four Fu restaurants and several hotels across town, Chef Lu has contributed more than his fair share to develop the Chinese culinary scene and to put Shanghainese food on the map.

Dining at Fu 1015 means enjoying some of the best food and grandeur China has to offer. Simple yet refined, it is nothing short of a gastronomic escape back in time.

Written by Sebastiaan