Mr & Mrs Bund
Add: 6/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu 中山东一路18号6楼, 近南京东路
Tel: 6323 9898
Hours: [lunch] Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm, [dinner] Tue-Sat 6.30pm-4am, Sun-Mon 6.30pm-10.30pm
Website: www.mmbund.com
Price: [Lunch] 200~250RMB [Dinner] 400+RMB
Visited: Jul 2012 (visit 1)
It’s been a year and half since I last dined at Paul Pairet’s Mr. & Mrs. Bund (oh my, how time flies), and I was happy to be back again last week for another terrific meal here. The restaurant was quite full even on a Monday night, but I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised – Mr. & Mrs. Bund was recently ranked #95 on St. Pellegrino’s World Best Restaurants, the first restaurant in China to ever enter the list. I’m not too obsessed with these rankings, but the status sure is a recognition for Mr. & Mrs. Bund’s popularity.
…Mad Hatter tea party from Alice in Wonderland?
The meal, as usual, started off with an airy tuna mousse served with thin crisps.
Then, a flurry of appetizers descended upon our table, starting with one of MMB’s most popular dishes – Picnic Chicken Ailloli (100 RMB), tender char-grilled chicken breast served with an aromatic garlic mayonnaise.
Smoked Salmon Essential (135 RMB), house-smoked salmon seasoned at the table.
Asparagus XL Essential Parmesan (85 RMB), steamed asparagus with olive oil, lemon & parmesan.
I loved the Tomato Mozza Salad (95 RMB), which looks like a simple toss of fresh tomato chunks with mozzarella di bufula, but there’s more than meets the eye. The tomato sauce that comes with the salad is made from not just one, but a few varieties of tomatoes, which gives it a much fuller flavor.
Seared Foie Gras Pomelo (160 RMB), the combination of pomelo with foie gras was a first for me, not bad.
Then arrived the mains. My friend’s Black Cod Truffle New Meunière (260 RMB) looked so alluring that I had to steal a bite of it before I even tasted my own dish. Tender, succulent black cod was served with truffle slices, mashed potato, and drizzled with a light meunière sauce at the table. Flavor and texture perfect.
My Turbot Grenobloise (350 RMB serves two), which is pan-fried trout served with golden butter, lemon juice, and capers, was a lovely dish as well, though I personally preferred the black cod.
For the sides, Potato Gratin Dauphinoise Slice (75 RMB) is a most divine choice. Thinly sliced potatoes baked slowly with cream, I’d be happy to just have this and a salad for a meal.
To add a bit of green to the table, we had a bowl of Arugula Parmesan (60 RMB) in soy dressing.
Ok, we went a little crazy on desserts and ordered six in total. We started with Paul Pairet’s famous Lemon & Lemon Tart (100 RMB), a candied lemon filled with lemon sorbet, lemon curd, vanilla chantilly & served with sablé. I’ve already described this dessert in detail last time so please refer to that if you need to know what it is.
We also tried the orange version of the dessert, the Orange & Orange Tart (100 RMB). I’m a fan of its simple presentation, and love the wowing moment when it’s sliced open and out oozes the orange sorbet, orange curd, and vanilla chantilly. There’s also a little bit of sablé hidden inside the candied orange, which gives it a nice crunch.
We then sampled a House Vanilla Yogurt Strawberry Coulis (60 RMB), which would be perfect for those looking for something simple and light.
On the contrary, if you are looking for something heavy, order the Tarte Choco (80 RMB), a bitter smooth chocolate tartelette served with toffee sorbet. It’s a decadent plate.
Or, opt for the Toffee Petit Pot (50 RMB), a small bowl of toffee (yup, pure toffee) served with a hot loaf of chocolate cake. It’s simple, it’s good, and it’s going to kill your waistline.
Lastly (I swear this is the last dessert we had that evening), a Rhum & Raisin Vanilla Milk Rice (70 RMB), a bowl of panna cotta vanilla milk rice with caramel rice crispies and raisins. To be honest, I was a bit too overloaded with sugar by this point to fully appreciate it, but still enjoyed the lovely contrast between the creamy rice and crunchy rice crispies. Served cold, perfect for this weather.
What a meal. I was beyond full and completely satisfied after the feast. What I love most about Mr. & Mrs. Bund is that the dishes are elegantly simple in presentation, yet each bite is a revelation of how much work went into the preparation. For those who want a taste of Mr. & Mrs. Bund without spending too much, try their lunch sets and late night menu (both 200~250 RMB).
