I’ve never been to Shanghai and did not live through the 1930s, but if Park Chinois is anything to go by, then it certainly would have been a wonderful period. This is the angle that this high-end Mayfair Chinese venue is going for. It’s full of old school charm; a sort of opulent decadence – albeit at prices not for the faint-hearted. Park Chinois was also so much better than I remembered it.
Diners step through a heavy velvet curtain to enter the main dining room. The furnishings are red and gold with no shortage of mirrors. There’s a piano set up in one corner and live music provides part of the entertainment in the evening. Food is, of course, the main event and our large group were lucky to sample widely across the menu and see the skills of Park Chinois on full display. Dainty Dim Sum was followed by delicious duck. The venue’s ‘duck de Chine’ elevates this classic dish to a new level. I can state with some confidence that this was the best rendering of duck I’ve had in any Chinese restaurant anywhere. The meat was moist and juicy, not fatty at all. The crispy duck skin was to die for. Everything was rounded off nicely with the traditional accompaniments of pancakes, baby cucumber, spring onion and duck sauce. Mains hit similar highs with the restaurant’s rendering of beef (Scottish rib-eye 35 day aged) and king prawns being standouts. The little things were done beautifully too: take the accompanying rice that was pimped beautifully with black truffle.
If one were to quibble (other than about price – it was lucky someone else was paying) then it would be over the restaurant’s wine list. Only a handful of bottles retail for less than £100 and some countries (such as South Africa) do not get a look in at all. We were pleased with our choices, particularly the white Burgundy from Faiveley, but the list could benefit from greater democratisation.