By way of Beijing comes Ling Long, a contemporary fine dining restaurant by chef Jason Liu, located in the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai. Ling Long Beijing currently ranks #77 in Asia’s 50 Best, a new entry in the 2023 edition.
About Chef Jason Liu
Chinese media are calling chef Jason Liu a dark horse. It’s probably true, but not for long. Jason Liu’s name has been featured in quite a few headlines in the past couple of years, but coverage of the young chef has flooded food media since the opening Ling Long Shanghai. The attention is very well deserved.
Jason Liu is from Taiwan, and opened Ling Long Beijing in 2019. Before he turned 30, he received the Young Chef Award and a one-star rating in the Beijing Michelin Guide 2022. Then, he was recognized by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, which ranked him #77, a new entry in the 2023 edition. I don’t know him personally, but he has been described to me as humble, modest, and talented.
The Food
The menu at Ling Long Shanghai reportedly has very few similarities to the Beijing menu, with some dishes like the Shandong Wagyu featured on prix fixe 9-course dinner. The meal has four themes, Xian (鲜), the Chinese equivalent word to describe umami, tradition, localization, and memory. The menu is ¥1,680 plus 15% service charge.
The drinks pairing was excellent, too, priced at ¥980. In addition to the variety of wines, which ranged from new and old world, sweet to even savory, dishes are also paired with ice wines, huangjiu, and a gueuze.
Service was exceptional, not at all stiff, and sincere.
In Summary
Ling Long is an artistic opus, a storytelling of chef Jason Liu’s vision and interpretation of Chinese ingredients and traditions. It is extremely personal. I’m usually quite skeptical when it comes to excessive storytelling based on past experiences at restaurants that focus too much on background only to fall short on delivery. Ling Long is the exception, and delivers a pleasurable dining experience with an abundance of flavor and a memorable narrative.
Ling Long Shanghai
Address: The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Yan’an Dong Lu 华尔道夫酒店, 中山东一路2号, 近延安东路
Tel: 23290313
Hours: Wed-Sun, 5:30pm-10:30pm (soft opening)
