Story by Nick Ross
Photos courtesy of Elite Concepts

Elite Concepts Restaurants

In 1998 Yè Shanghai opened in Pacific Place, and a new taste was born in Hong Kong. This Elite Concepts restaurant earned acclaim for its distinctive cuisine and stylish ambiance.

Then Yè Shanghai Singapore appeared, again winning the hearts of food lovers.

Elite Concepts is now operating 6 Yè Shanghai high end restaurants; one in Hong Kong and one in Kowloon, one in Taipei, one in Beijing, and one in Singapore and a  sixth is in the mother city, Shanghai. Plus, there is a number of other venues in Wan Chai, Central and Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon featuring Sichuanese dishes.

Both the initial Hong Kong venues are Michelin-starred. The one inside the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel has received 1 Michelin star, while the original one in Pacific Place has 2. The Shangainese Yè Shanghai has a mention on the current Michelin Red Guide but it is not starred. Those Michelin awards mean these restaurants must be doing something right. The xiaolongbao is absolutely delicious. The food is on the pricy side, but definitely worth a visit.  If you're overwhelmed by the menu choices, go for the table d'hôte menu, as it contains a little of everything from the Yangtze River Delta region; everything cooked with impeccable technique that means braising, roasting, flash-frying and steaming.

Yè Shanghai literally means "Shanghai Nights". You could eat like a Chinese emperor at any of the Yè Shanghai establishments. The food is authentically Shanghainese with freshwater crabs, xiaolongbao, and an assortment of other regional favorites; a contemporary interpretation of classic dishes from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai.

Those who have visited Yè Shanghai venues in Hong Kong have sampled some of the renowned cold Shanghainese dishes that make such excellent starters: Yè Shanghai offers Drunken Shrimp, Smoked Pomfret and Bean Jelly with Cucumber, just to name three. There are also tangy sun-dried seafood dishes, succulent meat and poultry offerings and superb crispy rice and noodle creations.

A live seafood selection is also featured on the menu.  Guests can order their fish or seafood live, as it is a Hong Kong regular practice, and have it cooked in a variety of ways – steamed, braised or sautéed with garlic.

The crispy Cantonese roast duck skin is to die for. Definitely not a Shanghai dish… but oh my god, it is spectacular.

Other Elite Concepts restaurants in Kowloon feature Sichuan cuisine, with a wide array of intricate flavor elements, not just the familiar mouth-numbing sensation. Sichuanese food is considered one of the eight great cuisines of China, and is unique as chefs there are constantly playing with flavors.

Ants Climbing A Tree is a classic Sichuanese Dish. It is so called because the dish has bits of minced meat clinging to glass noodles, evoking an image of ants walking on twigs. The dish consists of minced meat, cooked in a Chilly Bean Paste sauce, over bean thread noodles.

None of their dishes can be considered shabby in any way. Try them, you’ll love them!

 

 

 

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