[Radar]: Prime 1921

Pictures by Joshua Tintner / SmartShanghai

 

Area: The second floor of Sasha's. For those of you totally fresh off the boat. That's Dongping Lu, right at the corner of Hengshan Lu. Sharing a coutyard is the (in)famous Zapata's.

What it is: The last few years have not been kind to Sasha's. There have been several attempts to restore relevance to its name -- at least two relaunches, a few menu changes and I don't know how many different chefs. But these were all half measures in the face of bigger systemic issue. Sasha's had become the red-headed stepchild of the company. What little money upper management was willing to allocate to operations usually went to Zapata's. A few months ago, however, the owners finally came to the realization that it's 2011. The market has matured. Dancing on the bar and pouring cheap tequila down people's gullets may work on tourists and lonely businessmen. For the rest of us, though, it ain't gonna cut it anymore.

So, first order of business: hire Julian Robertshaw to give Sasha's some overdue TLC. Robertshaw was Sasha's executive chef about six years ago during its heyday. In the interim, Robertshaw was busy pumping his CV up with stints at the Ritz in Sanya, the Westin in Guangzhou and, most recently, the Pullman in Lijiang. He's helming the entire operation now -- both Sasha's and Zapata's. To run the kitchen Robertshaw has recruited another hotelier, Sacha Hernau, former executive chef of The Grand Mercure Hongqiao.

What Hernau is doing in the kitchen is pretty straightforward: contemporary cuisine skewed heavily toward European traditions with with some Asian elements thrown in for good measure. We're talking starters like a pillow of creamy burrata mozzarella served with Himalayan pink salt, lemon basil and heirloom tomatoes, mains like wild venison with red currant cauliflower mousseline, and cipolini onions. They're also bringing in imported oysters Kumamotos and Fine de Claires. Then there is the steak. This is more or less the centerpiece of the menu, with a selection of Aussie cuts like a grass-fed veal chop, strip loin, rib eye and 1kg tomahawk -- all the rage these days, apparently. All come served with Yorkshire pudding and a selection of gourmet mustards and sea salts. Desserts, likewise hew to tradition with classics like crème brûlée, cheese cake and a Grand Marnier souffle.

Atmoshpere: If you've been here long enough to remember what Prime looked like before, little has changed. If this is all new to you, though, the background of this place bears mentiniong. Built in 1921 (hence the numerals in the name), the three-story villa eventually became the residence for the illustrious Soong family. In 1927, pater familiaris Charles Soong bequeathed it to his daughter Meiling, wife of Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek. This connection to two of modern China's most powerful personages has always been a Sasha's trademark and it's a key component to the design. You can expect simple, tasteful concession era stylings: hardwood floors, plush red velvet curtains, antiqued table tops, molded plaster ceilings and accents of chinoiserie like lattice screen partitions.

Damage: Starters start at 70rmb with a corn veloute and end up at 100rmb with a tuna tataki. Imported oysters on the half shell are 210rmb and 390rmb for a half and a dozen, respectively. Mains range between 180 and 220rmb. Steak cuts will pad your check even more so at 220rmb for a 300g veal chop all the way up to 800rmb for the "tomahawk," which serves two. Sides will set you back 30 or 45rmb. Desserts, 65 or 75.

Who's going: People who have outgrown the whole "dancing on the bar and letting a total stranger pour cheap tequila down your throat" scene.

First impressions: Considering the previous state this place was once in, it's a marked improvement. I wouldn't say that the new team is doing anything revolutionary, but the passion is obvious. You can tell these guys actually care about food. I don't think anyone's been able to say that about Sasha's or Zapata's in a long time, so that's a start.