Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire, the Michelin one-star restaurant located at Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li, officially launched its new limited seasonal menu in November. As the only restaurant in China helmed by legendary chef Pierre Gagnaire, the revamped menu was led by Gagnaire himself and Executive Chef Ramses Navarro.

Centering on the concept of "local Chinese ingredients with French culinary techniques", the new menu balances Michelin standards with the taste preferences of Shanghai diners.

"China's seafood industry is really strong, and the seafood products from markets around the Yellow Sea are of very high quality", Gagnaire said in an exclusive interview with China Daily, adding that seafood from Dalian is the core ingredient of the seasonal menu.

Standout dishes include Pan-Seared Dalian Scallops with Lightly Salted Butter, served with palm hearts and Thai lime-flavored coconut milk, and Slow-Cooked Dalian Sea Bass Fillet in Olive Oil, accompanied by local water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and a chanterelle-tarragon sauce.

Adjustments tailored to local tastes are clearly reflected in the dishes.

"Most Chinese people enjoy spicy flavors, but not everyone likes food that is too salty", Navarro noted. When finalizing the menu, he added a touch of Sichuan-style flavors to some seafood dishes. This not only caters to locals' preference for spiciness, but also preserves the original taste of the ingredients, achieving a balance between French flavors and local demands.

"Cooking is a career full of human touch, not mechanical repetitive labor", Gagnaire said. During the design of the new menu, the team insisted on "judging the quality of ingredients through taste."

"Take apples, for example, they may taste a bit sour at the start of the season, reach their flavor peak during the prime season, and lose much of their taste once the season passes", Navarro said. "Artificial intelligence cannot judge such differences in ingredient quality."

Factors like the freshness of Dalian scallops and the crispness of Yunnan kohlrabi affect the seasoning and cooking time of dishes each day, and the team makes slight adjustments to recipes accordingly, refusing to "take shortcuts."

"We need to truly understand the ingredients themselves — to feel them, touch them, and understand their characteristics", Navarro said.

Operating 15 restaurants worldwide, Gagnaire also noted two major trends in the current high-end catering market. First, "more people are fond of dining out, as they love the atmosphere of restaurants." Second, a growing consciousness of health, with "people drinking less wine and alcoholic beverages, and turning to tea or other non-alcoholic drinks instead." In response, the new menu offers non-alcoholic cocktails and fine teas — such as the herbal non-alcoholic drink paired with sea bass, which helps cut through the greasiness and meets health needs.

Gagnaire added that the core goal of the new menu is to establish a genuine emotional connection with diners.

"Typically, diners may only focus on tasting food when dining at a restaurant", Gagnaire said, "but we hope to convey a complete concept and story to them through our dishes."