The Snapshot

Founded by the visionary David Pan in 2022, Fumée is a modern Chinese-French restaurant that aims to integrate traditional Chinese cooking with predominantly French and other global techniques, a goal expertly executed under the guidance of head chef and Shanghainese native chef Reina Chen. Standing for fusion, ultimate, modern, elegance, and ecological, Fumée is also a direct translation of the word for “smoke” or “steam” in French, one of the many cooking techniques employed in Fumée’s kitchen.

Fumée owner David Pan

Chef Reina Chen is the driving force behind Fumée’s pioneering menu, bringing her worldly perspective (coupled with a deep understanding of Chinese culinary heritage) to the frontline of the dining experience. With her experience at San Sebastian’s Mugaritz, where she refined her skills in avant-garde cuisine, Reina approaches food with an artistic sensibility. Her training as a Kunqu Opera singer has also contributed to her exceptional plating and presentation skills, allowing her dishes to tell a story as visually captivating as they are delicious.

The Food

Chef Reina’s culinary philosophy revolves around the concept of “Glocal,” or a blend of global and local influences that characterizes her dishes. This “Glocal” New Chinese Cuisine – a hybrid cuisine that is no longer confined to a geographical region, but instead acknowledges the widespread exchange via population movement of indigenous ingredients and local recipes that form the backbone of culinary cultures – is showcased in the restaurant’s temporal menu.

She emphasizes the importance of seasonal and regional ingredients, using them to craft a menu that respects traditional Chinese flavors while integrating contemporary techniques. This duality is at the heart of Fumée’s identity, as it strives to create a dining experience that is both familiar and refreshingly novel.

The menu unfolds as a carefully curated eleven-course experience, paired with four cocktails. The attentive staff ensures that each course is presented with care alongside an illustrated menu booklet, inviting diners to connect with the stories that each dish embodies.

The experience begins with Fruit Aroma, a marriage of unexpected summer tastes: olive, peach, and oyster. A quenelle of Chaoshan sweet olive ice cream sits astride pickled nectarine cubes and a lip-puckering green apple foam, sheathing a perfectly plump French oyster bursting with briny salinity. Diners are invited to scoop the ice cream, foam, and oysters into a single bite, a tidal wave of sweet, sour, and salt that encapsulates the essence of summer.

The Crystal Soup is a reinterpretation of an ancient Southern Song Dynasty delicacy, utilizing the natural gelatin from whole golden snapper to create a jelly-like texture. The herbal broth, infused with lime leaves, lemongrass, and Yunnan preserved chili, is brightened by the curious addition of passion fruit. Plump medallions of French blue lobster are blanketed by translucent honey bubbles.

The freshness of these intro courses is complimented by the first of a quartet of cocktails, in this case one that sees London Dry gin shaken with peach, green apple, sour papaya, lemongrass, and a nip of mujiangzi pepper – a spice hailing from Guizhou, dubbed “mountain demon berries,” for its citrusy numbing heat.

As the meal progresses, the focus shifts to more substantial dishes, like the Tofu Trio. This visually striking plate spotlights the diversity tofu spans, combining traditional Puning fried tofu encircling East China Sea hairtail and scallop mousse that mimics tofu in both texture and appearance. A side serving of pungent furu (腐乳 fermented soy bean tofu) aioli for dipping rounds out the holy tofu trinity. The unconventional addition of paper thin sliced, sugar-marinated pork lard lends a slick and satisfying mouthfeel, its richness cut by the salty pop of caviar beads.

Immersed in Lees – Cold drip Shaoxing wine yeast, sturgeon tendon, cauliflower mushrooms, egg custard

Following the more intense flavors, Fumée introduces Meiling Congee, a comforting rice porridge palate cleanser. Yam and soy milk complement New Zealand abalone, in both sliced meat and smarmy abalone liver sauce form, dusted with crispy fried broccoli florets.

The second cocktail takes on the aroma of tiramisu sans the sugar high, with a dark rum and Grand Marnier base, stirred with coffee and local rice wine. The drink is then yogurt fat-washed and clarified, finished with hints of coconut and chocolate. Silky without the heft, the bitter chocolate notes assist in revealing nuanced flavors in the dishes to come.

Twin Sauces – Smoked mackerel, smoked Sichuan pepper-cured pork belly (腊肉), 20 year aged radish sauce, 18 months aged Parmesan sauce

The evening culminates in the show-stopper Stuffed Roasted Duck, the turducken of Chinese fare, if there was such a thing. Picture 10 days-aged duck with tiger prawn mousse – streaky and pink, resembling a layer of glossy fat – piped between the puckering skin and the fowl’s meaty flesh below. A tableside drizzle of reduced duck broth with fermented radish mingles with a shmear of preserved black olive paste for an extra umami burst.

Cocktail 3 – Maker’s Mark, Montenegro, raspberry, cranberry, strawberry

As no Chinese meal is complete without a hefty helping of carbs, Fumée’s Dongbei Glutinous Rice dish fits the bill. Each glossy kernel maintains its individual integrity, via a labor of love cooking process that involves first soaking then dry steaming the rice before cool fanning and a second soaking in a jamon iberico and Jinhua ham stock. A generous scoop of Dalian sea urchin creates a lip-smacking sauce of sorts that coats each grain in oceanic unctuousness.

Desserts at Fumée see pastry techniques applied to seemingly savory components: vegetables, herbs, and the like. Case in point, the Savory and Umami is a gastronomic reset of sour papaya fruit and foam, Yunnan tree tomatoes, and Thai basil sorbet laced with green pepper gel, breaking the notion of what dessert can be with each spoonful.

In the same vein, the Ley Cha takes inspiration from the eponymous savory soup with rice it’s named after, but with reimagined textures. Think arugula ice cream with Thai basil, coriander and mint astride toasted rice milk pudding, capped with a dried shrimp and seaweed tuille. A sprinkling of toasted nuts and grains adds necessary crunch while still deviating from the typical sweetness found in desserts.

Cocktail 4 – Moscato, mint, basil, arugula, cream cheese-stuffed lychee

Petite Six – Mango pomelo sago, sour plum jelly, ginger milk curd, Chinese date chocolate, Yunnan rose pastry, black sesame madeleine

The Vibe

As you step into Fumée, you are immediately enveloped by subtle elegance and warmth. The restaurant's design boasts a modern aesthetic with nods to natural elements. Soft lighting casts a gentle glow on wooden accents, leafy table displays, and minimalist decor, creating an inviting space.

Fumée stands out as a culinary gem in Shenzhen, offering a wholly distinct take on Chinese cuisine that marries convention with invention. Whether you are a local resident or a food-focused traveler, Fumée promises to deliver a dining experience that is not only visually stunning but also rich in flavor and cultural significance. As the restaurant continues to evolve and refine its offerings, one thing is certain: Fumée is set to remain at the forefront of the culinary scene, inviting guests to embark on a gastronomic tour of taste that transcends borders.