Sage

Suzhou Creek’s F&B offerings blew up when Sage Gastro swung its doors open last fall, the first venue by Singaporean-Japanese chef Jun Nishiyama – whose impressive pedigree includes six years at Shanghai’s top-rated restaurant, Paul Pairet’s Ultraviolet.

READ MORE: Sage Gastro – Ex-Ultraviolet Chef Opens Global Bistro

The venue went on to win That’s Shanghai New Restaurant of the Year 2023, and the hype continues with the launch of a highly anticipated 8-Course Tasting Menu (RMB940) – one that hones in on local, seasonal, and organic produce woven together by an inventive thread that traverses Nishiyama’s polyglot culinary origins.

Each plate takes stock of all five sense – through sizzle and scent, pleats and puffs, crackle and crunch – bridging Eastern and Western ingredient traditions. 

An optional (yet exceedingly encouraged) six glass Tipsy Pairing (RMB490) carries diners through the gastronomic expedition, with stops along the way at Bordeaux, Ningxia, Osaka, Napa Valley and more. 

With a Japanese dad and Singaporean mom, the Snacks are an homage to Nishiyama’s upbringing, bites from his roots: a semi-frozen uni, horseradish and nori crisp savory ice cream sandwich (of sorts); and a charred pork pluma satay skewer.

The juxtaposition of temperatures and textures prepares the taste buds for the epicurean onslaught to come. 

Paired with a crisp Riesling from Alsace, France, rolled and cut Turnip Noodles are tossed in a smarmy fermented portabella cream with toasted almonds and wild rice.  

The silky strands boast an al dente crunch, the root veggie’s natural sweetness augmented by mussel skirt. 

Next, a thick slab of oily Grilled Mackerel arrives tableside, draped in peppery nasturtium leaves and swimming in a parsley oil-dribbled fermented cabbage and celery juice…

… while the yeasty perfume of still-steaming brioche Bread is further amplified by daisy-infused butter, the subtle citrus notes of daisy paste balanced by the toast’s char. 

Trying to avoid carbs this good is like attempting to eat soup with a fork. Futile.

We are firm believers that some foods objectively taste better when eaten with your hands, and the Fried Chicken 2.0 proves that without question.

Frying the deboned spring chicken drumstick using three different methods and at three different temperatures results in a skin that puffs and crackles, shattering like glass when bitten into, and revealing ultra-supple dark meat below.  

Sake-glazed spiked peaks and valleys of corrugated rice, corn, and potato starch batter results in an unmistakably meaty morsel, paired with effervescent champagne (an unexpectedly exceptional match made in heaven – on a par with potato chips and caviar, or white truffles and chocolate). 

Ruddy Lamb Loin is coated in a fistful of scallions, flanked by dusky, grilled black plum segments.

Best savored swiped through a puddle of sour plum jus, the lingering char of burnt asparagus and leek crisps further enhances the ewe’s gamey undertones. 

A heart on the sleeve love song to melon season, compressed and Semi Frozen Melon is perimetered by shiso and sorel leaves, a moat of concentrated melon juice and sour grape vinegar jelly further coaxing out the honeydew’s unbridled saccharinity. 

Rhubarb – White chocolate cremeux, strawberry vinegar, poached rhubarb pleats, sorel

Chef Jun’s humble attitude translates precisely onto the plate, and the fact that he makes it a point to hand-deliver most courses and talk diners through his thought process in creating each dish makes everything feel all the more familiar. 

There are currently only four Tasting Menu sets sold per day (just four lucky diners get the chance to experience Chef Jun’s culinary heritage each night!) so make sure to reserve – +86 189 1704 3962 – in advance.

Sage Gastro, 1407 Nan Suzhou Lu, by Chengdu Bei Lu 南苏州路1407号, 近成都北路

NAMU

Coming at us from a trio of Jeju Sagye alumni is modern Korean resto NAMU, situated in The Shanghai Center below Beef & Liberty, in the old Chaco’b space.

The brainchild of Shin (previously of Jeju Sagye), Dean (previously of Belloco Group and Jeju Sagye) and Jass (previously of Botong Sikdang), NAMU's RMB588 nine-course set menu features a rotating selection of contemporary Korean bites, with all plates orbiting one central ingredient.

In the case of this spring menu, that one central ingredient is namul – a species of wild edible grass and leaves prized for their herbaceous freshness. 

The laid-back vibe is all about exploring Korean classics with an innovative twist in an approachable setting, where the chef and owners regularly interact (read: drink) with guests, adding to the feeling of dining at a friend’s house party. 

Beginning with a finger-friendly Appetizer Trio, diners can work their way through three nibbles: a potato crisp filled with minced scallop, green aori apple, celery sprouts and yuzu; a chunky pork terrine inspired by Korean pyeonyuk; and a duck confit mousse piped inside a mini ice cream cone, adorned with walnut candies, strawberry marmalade and mint. 

A refreshing Tuna Tartare is next, seasoned with vigor in a perilla-laced ssamjang (Korean spicy dipping sauce made with fermented soybeans, gochujang, and a myriad of aromatics).

Unctuous cubes of avocado are balanced by more greenery – glutinous rice-fried seaweed crisps, chrysanthemum greens rapeseed blossoms – plus a zippy ponzu dressing. 

A Korean take on arancini, a panko-coated Rice Ball is chock-full of homemade kimchi, pork sausage, and a trio of cheeses – cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan – pulling apart in ropey threads with each gooey bite.

Topped with parmesan-dusted baby spinach, the rice ball is anchored to the plate by a velvety carrot mash. 

Webfoot Octopus is slathered in fiery gochujang paste, mixed with water parsley, pear, and edible cucumber flower.

A crispy sheathing slice of a paper-thin dried aori apple lends a tempering sweetness.

Succulent Galbi-style Grilled Pork Shoulder is marinated in a red chili pesto, flanked by shepherd’s purse greens and grilled deodeok root – a variety of bonnet bellflower used for asthma treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and prized for its bountiful vitamin and mineral content like fiber, calcium, phosphorous and iron.

A homey dish that involved all three owners calling up their moms to compare recipes, the Ox Knee consists of springy collagen, skewered and served over a flavor-packed pork bone broth with a Korean soy, garlic and red chili dipping sauce. 

Grilled Freshwater Eel – Deep-fried fatsia shoots, pickled ginger, wasabi Maldon salt.

A menu favorite, the grilled Pork Tteok-Galbi are minced meatballs marinated in soy and Korean spices, before being pan-fried and grilled for a pleasantly scorched exterior.

A classic pairing of nori-wrapped Korean kimbap are filled with an array of minced spring vegetables – radish, spinach, bean sprouts, eggplant, aster leaf, and dried radish leaf – all wrapped in sticky rice. 

An internationally influenced Korean dessert showcases a clash of cultures – a citron Cream Cheese Cake base coated in a mugwort matcha crumble.

The most flavorsome of fusion. 

If you’re still feeling peckish post set menu, there are two seasonal optional add-ons worth springing for. 

First up is a less conventional Korean take on Pizza (RMB68) – slick with an equal parts syrupy and tart yuzu sauce, a thick layer of melty mozzarella and blue cheese, and topped with grilled baby spinach and cherry tomatoes.

The Pollock Ramen (RMB98) sees buttery chunks of grilled fish interspersed with seasonal vegetables and bouncy ramen noodles in a punchy, rust-colored spiced broth – a play on the Korean 'hangover soup' profile.

Satisfying in oh-so many ways, we would happily slurp it down year round, regardless of our previous night's drinking (or non-drinking) shenanigans.  

To book a reservation, scan the QR below. 

NAMU, Shanghai Centre, No. 108, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Xikang Lu, 南京西路1376号108室, 近西康路.

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