Maison Asano 淺野府
Add: 318-2 Julu Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu / 巨鹿路318-2, 近茂名南路
Tel: 6216 2019 / 18019363910
Hours: [Tue-Sun] 5:30-10:30pm (closed on Mon)
Price: 888~1980 RMB/set
Visited: Mar 2016
Please note that this was an invited tasting.
It’s been over a year since I last visited to Maison Asano, and during the past few months, this high-end Japanese restaurant has gone through some significant changes. The original open space has been sectioned off into various private rooms, and even the bar feels more intimate now. The chef in charge has also changed from Liam to Simon, a young Taiwanese chef in his early thirties, but we will talk about him a bit later.
請注意本次為餐廳邀請試吃。
記得 2010 年 Sushi Oyama 開幕時，曾是上海唯一一家高級壽司店，讓我非常著迷。在離開上海的幾年，陸續聽說多了不少類似級別的壽司店，而其中一家開幕時備受矚目的是巨鹿路上的淺野府。後來通過朋友介紹認識了老板Judy，上周受她邀請去用了晚餐，除了好奇這家餐廳的現況，也想了解下這位臉蛋精致的像洋娃娃的台灣日本混血女孩，怎麽會想要跑來上海開一家日本料理。
What’s left unchanged is the price – Maison Asano still offers set of 888 and 1380 RMB, but they can also go up to 1980RMB for those who really want to splurge – but they do request an one-week advance notice to prepare this special menu. For me, dinner commenced with a bowl of Japanese yellowtail soup – a perfect start for this chilly Spring evening.
淺野府自 2013 年開幕後有了不少變化。本來開放的空間改成了包房的設計，吧台的位子多了不少私密感，料理長也在最近換了人 － 這點，稍後再細說。淺野府有888元和1380元的套餐，也可以根據客人的要求做1680和1980的極致套餐（需一周前預訂）。我當天的晚膳，由一碗熱騰騰的鰤魚蒜味前湯開始。
Appetizers: sesame spinach, red conch, tuna withmountain yam, and tomato poached in red wine.
前菜：胡麻菠菜、紅螺、山藥金槍魚、紅酒番茄。
Japanese sea bream with orange vinegar.
鲷魚，佐橙醋。
Mackerel.
竹莢魚。
Yellowtail with yuzu pepper.
黃鰤，上面是柚子胡椒。
White pomfret.
鲳魚。
Mackerel.
青花魚。
Also mackerel, but this one has been marinated for a longer period of time and hence the whiter color and different texture.
同樣也是青花魚，不過跟上圖的比起來，這個的腌漬的時間較短。據說一般腌漬時間以魚的肥瘦決定，而時間短更可以保留魚的口感。
Chutoro, and on the left is a piece of super fatty Otoro – probably the fattiest I’ve ever had, and needless to say it was a melt-in-your-mouth sensation.
金槍魚中腹，左邊是極肥的大腹。
Oyster with vinegar jelly.
生蚝，佐醋凍。
Before going into the nirigi sushi, I was served this teamed egg custard with crab meat and sea urchin. A much welcomed warm break.
蟹肉海膽蒸蛋。
Now, a bit on Maison Asano’s current chef Simon. Originally from Taichung, Taiwan, Simon was born into a family of doctors and grew up studying art (his university major was actually industrial design). Having always been passionate about Japanese cuisine, he made the leap 6 years ago – he started working at a Japanese cafe in Taipei, then moving to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, and eventually entered the realm of upscale sushi bars. In 2013 he came to Shanghai with Maison Asano, and just six months ago he became the chef here.
淺野府的料理長 Simon，台中人。出生醫生家庭，從小學習美術，大學時主修工業設計的他，六年前轉入了日本料理的行業，在台北從最普通的日式簡餐店，回轉壽司，再到高級料理學習工作。2013 年暑假淺野府開幕時來了上海，半年前成了這裏的料理長，開始掌管淺野府廚房裏的一切大小事。雖然和他只聊過幾次，但感覺是個做事踏實的人。
The meal continued with nigiri sushi, the first was ebodai (butter fish). I noticed that the rice here is a bit less cooked than the sushi rice I’m used to, and this sturdier texture started to grow up me after a few bites.
握手司，首先是疣鲷。第一口覺得這裏的飯偏硬，和之前吃過的壽司比起來口感更加粒粒分明，習慣後倒也不錯。
Shiba shrimp.
小白蝦。
Leather jack.
剝皮魚。
Fried Hokkaido pond smelt.
炸北海道公魚。
Grunt, with marinated shiso.
石鲈，佐醃紫蘇。
Botan shrimp.
牡丹蝦。
Oyster stewed in soy sauce, served with young leaf of sansho (Japanese pepper). It was my first time tasting this leaf, and absolutely fell in love with its mesmerizing flavor.
矶煮牡蛎，綠色的是木之芽（山葵的嫩葉），辛香氣十分特別。
Firefly squid.
螢烏賊。
Wagyu, one side has been scorched to accentuate the flavors.
和牛，半面烤過引出油脂香氣。
Stewed scallop.
紅燒扇貝。
I thought I was beyond full by this point, but Simon then brought out a bowl of chirashi – a few bites of perfectly cooked vinegar rice topped with chopped tuna, sea urchin, and salmon roe. It can’t get any better than this.
本來以爲到了這個點什麽都吃不下了，結果 Simon 端上一小碗極美味的散壽司 － 煮的完美的醋飯上堆了金槍魚泥，海膽，和鲑魚子…真想要下次來的時候就點這樣一大碗。老板，可以嗎？
House-made black sesame ice-cream to end the evening.
甜點，自制黑芝麻冰淇淋。
Maison Asano’s owner Judy is Taiwanese and 1/4 Japanese from her grandmother’s side, and if you know a little bit about the dining scene in Taiwan, you know that the Taiwanese take Japanese cuisine very seriously. Judy’s idea was to bring talented Taiwanese chefs to Shanghai and change the concept that only Japanese chefs are capable of make good sushi. In a city where high-end Japanese restaurants are all run by Japanese chefs, are you willing to give Maison Asano a try?
話說回來，爲什麽 Judy 會來上海開這樣一家壽司店？首先當然是覺得有商機，再來她希望做第一個在上海由非日本籍師傅掌舵的高端壽司餐廳。由于外婆是日本人，Judy 對日本的文化非常了解，知道壽司在日本是個很傳統、很封閉的系統。她放眼上海，發現高端日本料理全是日本人在做，但她在台灣認識許多優秀的師傅，所以把他們帶過來， 希望改變 “只有日本人才能做出像樣的壽司” 這個觀念。在上海開餐廳的兩年多遇到說不完的困難，不過仍然努力堅持著自己的理想。懂吃、愛吃壽司的你，如何認爲呢？
淺野府
地址：巨鹿路318號-2，近茂名南路
電話：62162019 / 18019363910
營業時間：5:30-10:30pm（周一休）
價位：［套餐］888-1980元
造訪：2016年4月