Ortensia Shanghai is a fine dining restaurant with roots in Paris, where its original location in the 16th arrondissement holds a one Michelin star under the leadership of Japanese executive chef Terumitsu Saito.
About Ortensia Shanghai
The Shanghai outpost, which debuted in October 2024, was brought to life by owner-operator Xu Zhengyuan, who wanted to return to his hometown after years in abroad. Here, chef Saito continues to shape the culinary vision with chef de cuisine Hana Zhou (周欢) as his right hand.
The restaurant is located in the new phase of Zhangyuan on Maoming Bei Lu, housed in a restored shikumen building. The space is intimate and exclusive with seating for about 40; there’s a large private room for up to 10 guests, three smaller private rooms for five, and a cozy communal dining area. The brand also has Ortensia Patisserie & Café, located on the ground floor next door.
The Menu at Ortensia Shanghai
The inaugural Shanghai menu reflects Ortensia’s French culinary traditions, lightly fused with Asian flavors while highlighting local produce. Standout dishes incorporate iconic regional products like Sichuan caviar, Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs, and Shandong Snow Dragon beef.
The following opening menu is priced at ¥2,288.
The meal at Ortensia begins with a whopping seven amuse bouches. The first trio is a chip topped with citrusy and tart balms and purées, an herbal consommé, and a crunchy tart with celeriac.
Next comes taut fish roe paired with a smooth savory custard, followed by foie gras terrine with hawthorn “cookie” and deep-fried sunchoke with sour cream with 10-year Sichuan caviar.
The final amuse bouche is a deboned chicken wing stuffed with scallops and abalone — by far the most comforting bite, juicy and packed with flavor.
The first course is a signature dish from the Paris location: Beef Tartare, made with high-quality grass-fed beef tenderloin that’s dry-aged and marinated to enhance its flavor. It’s served with a Japanese-style smoked dashi foam soup, mashed potato, finger lime, purple perilla, and luxurious 17-year Sichuan caviar with quinoa for crunch. The dish is light but complex and leaves a lingering smokiness.
Next up is Amberjack Tataki. The fish is aged to intensify its rich flavors and quickly seared over a charcoal grill. A zesty, hyper-citrusy dressing made with calamansi, and crunchy water chestnut adds a refreshing contrast, making it an immediate favorite for its clean and vibrant flavors.
Following is Hairy Crab, a nod to Shanghai’s love for this seasonal crustacean. This three-part dish includes a cold, crispy tartlet that lets the crab’s natural flavor shine, a risotto made with rice from northeastern China, flavored with yellow wine and green chives, and a spring roll stuffed with crab roe, crab meat, and basil, served with leek béchamel.
The risotto’s creamy texture and al dente rice was especially memorable, though I could have done without the water chestnuts. The crunchy water chestnuts diverts from the creamy richness of the risotto. FYI — I visited during white truffle season, and received a lavish dose of shaved white truffle on the risotto.
The star of the meal is the Roasted Lobster, served with lobster ravioli. The lobster is cooked to perfection — bouncy and tender — with tiny crispy kernels artfully placed on top.
The ravioli is a strong addition, adding depth, and the bisque/sauce is subtle, never overwhelming the dish. This course is an exemplary display of the restaurant’s skillful technique and presentation.
Next is the Australian Mayura Full Blood M9 Beef Tenderloin, served with beef consommé. The beef itself is excellent, complemented by a rich jus. A surprise nugget (not listed on the menu) of beef tongue provides a desirable fatty richness, while the roll-up made with layers of potato and beef tongue is a clever touch that elevates the dish.
The remaining beef tongue is served in a flavorful consommé with baby lotus root adding a satisfying crunch.
The pre-dessert is a refreshing Pear and Jasmine foam and sorbet, light and cleansing, though a bit too much popping candy detracts from its balance.
For dessert, it’s a choice between Mille Feuille Soy & Vanilla, featuring soy milk vanilla ice cream, and Kumquat Osmanthus Oolong with orange osmanthus sorbet. The soybean dessert is a standout, showcasing the versatility of soy with layers of jelly, caramel soy sauce, chips, and ice cream, all coming together to create a rich, multidimensional dish.
Finally, mignardises round out the meal.
In Summary
Again, it’s still early days. Some dishes felt like it was trying too hard to deliver on texture. The amuse bouches, of which some had theirs merits, felt overwhelming and could be seen as distracting from the mains. The high points of the evening were the Amberjack Tataki and Roasted Lobster, both showcasing incredible technique and bold, clean flavors.
Starting in January, Ortensia will launch a new seasonal menu, available in three sets for dinner, priced at ¥1,288, ¥1,688, and ¥2,288 per person. An a la carte menu will also be introduced soon. All prices subject to 10% service charge.
Ortensia
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