Two Michelin Stars, Measured: Inside 102 House Shanghai

Word: Pasuta Phongam Photos: Pasuta Phongam and Courtesy

At 102 House Shanghai, dining unfolds as a quiet exercise in precision. Removed from the city’s constant momentum, the restaurant offers a space where seasonality, technique, and time move in careful alignment. Nothing here announces itself loudly; instead, meaning is revealed gradually—through flavour, atmosphere, and restraint.

At the centre of this philosophy is Xu Jingye, a protégé of renowned Cantonese master Chen Daben. Xu’s approach is disciplined and deeply rooted in Lingnan culinary tradition, yet shaped by a contemporary sensitivity. His cooking favours clarity over complexity, refinement over reinvention. Ingredients are treated with respect, techniques applied with intention, and embellishment kept to a minimum.

Seasonality is not a gesture but a structural principle. Xu works closely with produce at its natural peak, allowing flavours to emerge through meticulous preparation rather than force.

At 102 House Shanghai, autumn is not announced—it is revealed. In the hands of Chef Xu Jingye, the season unfolds quietly, guided by restraint, precision, and a deep respect for time-honoured Chinese technique. The menu does not seek spectacle; instead, it invites contemplation.

A prelude of carefully composed cold and warm starters opens the meal, showcasing both technique and contrast: sliced pork stomach stuffed with five delicacies reveals meticulously layered textures and subtle spice, while homemade salted duck is naturally cured to deliver clean salinity and depth. Marinated jellyfish with ginger vinegar and quail egg brings bright acidity and crispness, balanced by richness, as braised goose web in white-spiced brine offers tender, gelatinous softness with gentle aromatics. Razor clams glossed with fragrant shrimp oil introduce briny sweetness, before a chilled cream cheese finished in white-spiced brine provides a quiet, contemporary counterpoint—cool, creamy, and restrained.

The journey begins with braised partridge soup, a consommé of remarkable stillness. Slow extraction coaxes out the bird’s natural sweetness, resulting in a broth that feels restorative rather than rich—a quiet introduction that invites focus.

Pomfret fillets, barely touched by the wok, arrive glazed in scallion oil. The dish is defined by what is withheld: heat applied just long enough, aromatics restrained to preserve the fish’s silken texture and marine purity.

A modern expression of Buddha Jumping Over the Wall follows, stripped of excess and rebuilt with intention. Premium ingredients are layered through precise stir-frying, offering depth without density—an exercise in balance rather than opulence.

Autumn vegetables take centre stage in braised eggplant and winter melon with Pengqi crab roe. The eggplant collapses into softness, the winter melon turns translucent, each absorbing the crab roe’s briny richness. The result is indulgent yet composed, generous but never heavy.

Chef Xu’s signature sweet and sour pork reconsiders a familiar classic through refinement. Crisp exterior gives way to tender meat, coated in a glaze calibrated for harmony—sweetness, acidity, and savour held in exact proportion.

A moment of pause arrives with double-boiled snow pear and bamboo pith consommé. Clear, gently sweet, and textural, the dish functions as both palate cleanser and philosophical statement: nourishment as elegance.

The intensity returns with traditional salt-baked pigeon, its juices sealed within a crust of coarse salt. The flesh is concentrated, the skin crisp—an expression of restraint yielding power.

The sequence concludes with clay pot rice, cooked over open flame until fragrant and lightly scorched at the base. Swimming crab and autumn chestnuts crown the dish, offering sweetness, depth, and texture—comfort elevated through precision.

A graceful conclusion unfolds, rooted in tradition and gentle sweetness. Double-boiled golden tremella with Sichuan fritillary offers a light, restorative finish, its floral herbal notes soothing and clear. Lye-treated zongzi follows, its subtly alkaline glutinous rice delivering a delicate chew, dusted with fragrant coconut floss. Soft rice rolls filled with olive kernels introduce quiet nuttiness and understated complexity, while hand-pleated phyllo parcels, folded by hand and filled with naturally sweet jujube purée, bring the meal to a refined and unhurried close.

At 102 House Shanghai, Chef Xu Jingye does not chase innovation. He refines memory, allowing tradition to breathe, season by season.

With glittering crystal chandeliers overhead, uninterrupted views of The Bund, and service that’s polished and professional, it’s easy to see why102 House is a favorite for grand gatherings. Well worth experiencing at your own pace. 102 House Shanghai

Tel: +86 216 3733 122 Location: 506 The House of Roosevelt, No.27 Zhongshan East 1st Road, Shanghai,

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/102House_Shanghai-100071354141531/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/102houseshanghai Reserve: welcome@102house.cn