Shanghai

There is no lack of fancy high-end steak houses in Shanghai, but Char promises to offer more than just the finest beef in town.

Located on the top three floors of the boutique Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund, the design of the restaurant is in line with the hotel's chic and contemporary style. Dark wood, stone feature walls and exposed ceilings together with some modern art installations make the restaurant, as they described themselves, a "sophisticated loft".

It is said to be the only place in town to serve the award-winning Blackmore Wagyu Beef from Australia, which has a marble score of 9+, making it one of the best in the world.

Despite its price of 1,888 yuan ($292), about 10 orders of the beef are still sold every week.

The quality and price of top-class Wagyu may not be affordable to all, but there are options. Customers can choose Tajima beef, which is more practical on the pocket. This is one of the most famous Wagyu bloodlines in Japan and the marbling of between seven and nine can still meet expectations for a fine cut.

Char also serves both grain-fed and grass-fed beef.

The grain-fed Black Angus, with a marble score of 3+, is famous for its tenderness, while the full-flavored grass-fed Cape Grim beef comes from Tasmania, the place with the world's purest air.

"We set up a tasting panel and sampled over 30 steaks from four of Australia's most reputable suppliers to select the top 10 based on moisture, texture, softness, flavor and ability to melt in the mouth," says executive chef Julie Donohoe, herself an Australian.

When your order is placed, the waiter will immediately present a large wooden box containing six different knives. The handcrafted knives, said to have cost quite a bit, come from the US, France and Brazil.

You can try each for shape and sharpness, before you decide which one to use. We're told the gentlemen usually go for the American one with the sharper edge or the one piece stainless steel, while women prefer the more elegant French knife with a pretty tortoiseshell handle, according to the chef.

"For regular customers, we can engrave their names on their preferred knives. It's a kind of recognition for them," the chef says.

As soon as the beef is served, your next quandary is to choose the salt. There are six choices, ranging from the Australian Murray River Flake Salt in a lovely apricot color to Fleur De Sel de Gurande from France, known as "the caviar of salts".

Layman diners may not be able to distinguish the subtle differences among each salt, but they are indeed a part of the experience.

What's more, you will also be offered a selection of eight sauces to add more flavor to the beef. Among them, the sweet-and-sour beetroot sauce is most recommended.

Many dishes at Char are presented in quite a playful way. For instance, the black cod, with its skin fried crispy, is served with two paintbrushes together with a pot of sauce. You can "paint" as much sauce as you want on top of the fillet.

The lobster soup is poured from a Chinese traditional purple clay or zisha teapot on top of the lobster and mussel on the soup plate.

Like the paintbrushes for the cod, the teapot makes no difference to the taste, but adds an interesting touch that you will remember.

"The dishes are playfully presented to allow guests to interact with the food. We want dining at Char to be an overall experience," Donohoe says.

Other signature dishes include foie gras served with crackers and the banana cheesecake, the rich fragrance of which is almost unforgettable.

After the meal, you can have drinks on the terrace of the Char bar upstairs.

It's probably the only spot in the city where you can enjoy the skyline of both Pudong and the Bund, as well as the old town near the Yu Garden.

A meal at Char is around 700 yuan ($108) per person without service charge.

You can contact the writer at yangyijun@chinadaily.com.cn

China Daily