The Snapshot

Zee Zheng (of Fabula, previously of Tai’an Table) opened Alea in late fall last year in the space directly below his other co-owned concept Fabula on Weihai Lu. Instead of a set menu like Fabula, Alea is more approachable, with a French-leaning (and Chinese accented) wine bar style menu.

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Riding on the coattails of Fabula’s Michelin star win earlier this month, we decided to pop into the lauded venue’s sister restaurant downstairs and see what a newly anointed Michelin-starred chef’s take on wine bistro fare looks (and, more importantly, tastes) like.

The Food

Since you’ll find Chef Zee upstairs at Fabula on most nights, the day-to-day kitchen operations are manned by Chef Webb (previously of Seul&Seul and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon). Webb has taken Zee’s original concept a step further, branching out from Zee’s Ningbo roots to cover the entire Yangtze River Delta as menu inspiration, still set against a French backbone. Hence, expect seafood-forward bites, butter-laden (drool-worthy) sauces, and plating that rivals any fine dining restaurant in Shanghai.

What sets Alea apart however from any and every other wine bistro around the city is the technique-driven menu, elevated quality, and thoughtful union of heritage recipes that bridge the East-meets-West dish lineup. It’s fusion that works by respecting traditions yet rewriting the rule book in the most delicious of ways.

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Every meal begins with a seasonally-curated Welcome Bite. During our visit, that translated to a tubular nori crisp encircling beef tartare tossed in a smoked mayonnaise. A hint of mustard sliced through the richness, a common thread that ties the menu together with a bow.

Moving onto the Cold & Raw section, plates feature superior quality seafood, like the Flame Seared Mackerel (RMB98). For a fish that can be considered “too fishy” when not treated correctly, this was not the case for the delicately torched mackerel at Alea. Tender and moist, owed to its high oil content, the fish feels bright, fresh, and inviting as it arrives tableside swimming in a kombu dashi laced with ginger, vinegar, and mustard seeds. Tiny squares of green apple and jelly fish lend varied textural crunch, while perilla leaf oil rounds out the plate through herbaceous acidity.  

Equally clean in flavor, the Hiramasa & Wasabi (RMB188) offers a pleated, wreath-like arrangement of yellowtail amberjack and green mango. A quenelle of sweet wasabi sorbet provides a nose-tingling cold contrast, while creamy cucumber and coconut tiger’s milk is amped by nasturtium leaf oil. But the real kicker comes in the form of a homemade Chinese “dipping sauce” – a veritable trio of soy sauce, homemade aged vinegar, and chili oi. Clean, cold, and quietly complex, this is one not to be missed.

The Charred Hispi Cabbage (RMB78) transitions the palate from raw to warm, comforting bites, through frilly cabbage leaves, charred yet tender, encircled by a moat of mushroom cream sauce, anchovy emulsion, and caramelized cauliflower purée, dotted with verdant chive oil. A mélange of mixed nuts – toasted cashews, candied pecans, and crushed hazelnuts – adorns the top, the sprinkles atop a proverbial veggie “cake.”

Onto the main event – a roster of from-the-fire proteins – like Pigeon & Abalone Roulade, Iberico Presa, Mayura Beef, and, the venue’s showstopper in our humble opinion, the Aurora King (RMB238). King salmon is delicately poached in butter for a velvety mouthfeel that flakes away by the mere nudge of a fork. Plated atop a velvety beurre blanc sauce ingeniously spiked with sake (that delivers a requisite acidic funk) and studded with springy nian gao (rice cakes), the fish is flanked by pillowy gnocchi puffs, sautéed amaebi sweet shrimp, and wing beans. A crown of Oscietra caviar makes this dish as royal as its regal namesake.

A masterclass in dry-aging, the Chicken & Duck (RMB258) is a frankenfeast of fowl. Lusciously fatty yellow Sanhuang chicken thigh is pressed with black truffle against Muscovy duck then dry-aged as one, before being seared, grilled, then seared again as a lasagna-like layering of poultry. Crisped chicken skin juxtaposes the succulent meat, smothered in a chicken jus and shansu leaf reduction.

The humbly christened Gnocchi (RMB228) sees plush yet firm potato dumpling discs stuffed with both shrimp and beef tossed in an indulgently creamy shrimp bisque. Sheathed by a squid and fresh dill “cheong fun” (Cantonese steamed rice roll) whereby the squid’s bouncy flesh takes the place of rice batter, this spring-on-a-plate portion features crunchy water chestnuts, toasted walnuts, scallion oil, sorrel leaves, and fresh peas.

Not your average Rice Pudding (RMB68), Alea’s refreshing take is a piña colada in edible form: coconut mikk, pineapple ice cream, sago, and a crispy lime meringue chip topper speckled with edible flowers. A beckoning call to warm summer evenings to come.

There’s also a stellar wine list to match, with an emphasis on French chateaus, particularly in Burgundy and with Chardonnay grapes. Wines primarily fall in the RMB350-800 range, with wines by the glass going for RMB78. Don’t be surprised to find a few natties and New World vintages sprinkled throughout, keeping it interesting for repeat guests.

The Atmosphere

Alea’s décor – bottle-lined shelves, wood-paneled partitions, and a backlit purple accent wall – leans Nordic in its minimalism, with seating for 20 patrons. Despite its small size, the goal is not to rush tables, shuffling guests through the menu frenetically and flipping them over for the next round. Instead, this is place to hang out at, work your way through the wine list, nibble on playful amalgamation dishes, and feel like you’re with family.

Whilst flipping through said wine menu, DaBaby, Lil Tecca, Suge, and other melodic rap artists aren’t what you’d expect to be jamming out to across the sound system, yet it somehow fits, keeping with the easy-going “just hanging at a friend’s place” vibe, making it the neighborhood neo bistro that it strives to be. 

Alea, 720 Weihai Lu, 威海路720号三楼