[Shanghai] Mercato by Jean Georges

Mercato by Jean Georges | Three on the Bund | Dianping
Address: 中山东一路3号外滩3号6楼(近广东路) – 6F/Three on the Bund, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu near Guangdong Lu (黄浦区 Huangpu District)
Date visited: 2014.09 for dinner
Price: RMB¥350-500 per person
Will return: Yes
What to get:
– Burrata
– Warm seafood salad
– Black truffle farm egg pizza
– Crispy beef short rib
– Char-grilled broccolini
– Lemon tart
– Green apple crostata
– Dark chocolate souffle tart

Please note this was an invited tasting

First impression is not always the last impression and that is what I learned from Mercato meal 2.0, which was a wonderful contrast to my lackluster initial visit where I ate two great pizzas but two overcooked pastas. I learned to stay away from the pastas this time. We had a full variety of the menu offerings and Mercato has landed on my favorites list.

Bread (complimentary)

Amuse-bouche: risotto croquettes (complimentary)
Little warm balls of rice to get this meal started.

Burrata cheese with sweet peaches, raspberries, sea salt and basil (RMB¥128)
Recommend: yes
A singular large and beautifully delicious burrata with the softest inside. The fruits in this dish change with the seasons, which is currently the sweetest premium peach. Toasty smokey bread to pair.

Warm seafood salad with avocado, lemon and parsley (RMB¥138)
Recommend: yes
A popular staple at Mercato is this salad with squid and clams poached in white wine. Lemony and full of umami.

Wild mushrooms, three cheeses and farm egg pizza (RMB¥148)
Recommend: yes
Mercato’s pizza is characterized by a crispy thin crust. I like Capo‘s pizza the most but Scarpetta‘s and Mercato’s pizzas follow closely behind. This pizza is a great vegetarian choice with the runny egg being the highlight; for us, it was just the prelude to our carnivorous main. My favorite pizza here from a previous visit is the back truffle farm egg pizza.

Crispy beef short rib, polenta fries and smoked chili-chianti glaze (RMB¥348)
Recommend: yes
A generous portion of beef grilled to a thin crisp on the outside and tenderness that cuts easily. The sweet glaze on top reminds me of Shanghainese sweet and sour ribs (糖醋排骨).

Incredible how crispy the outer layer can be while the inside remains super soft.

Fried polenta on the side.

Char-grilled broccolini, olive oil and chili (RMB¥40)
Recommend: yes
The broccolini was soft from tip to stem, which was not stringy (like when you can’t quite bite through the whole thing). I think these may have been boiled soft first and then grilled. I really marvel at the delicious simplicity of this broccolini.

Roasted summer squash with parmesan, chili butter and basil (RMB¥40)
Recommend: maybe
Hard to follow the broccolini and I would have been fine without this.

I could not narrow down what I wanted so we ordered three desserts to share… for three people. I ordered something sweet, sour, and chocolatey like a proper indecisive brat.

Lemon tart, warm meringue and basil sorbet (RMB¥60)
Recommend: yes
A mouth puckering sour lemon tart to kick off our whole other dessert meal.

Green apple crostata, almond crumble with Montenegro gelato (RMB¥60)
Recommend: yes
Thank you pastry chef for no raisins in this apple crumble because that is often the reason why I don’t eat apple crumbles. A surprising hit and tastes just like my ideal apple crumble.

Dark chocolate souffle tart, hazelnut with salted caramel gelato (RMB¥60)
Recommend: yes
Warm gooey chocolate resting inside a crisp and flakey pastry bowl. On the rich and sweeter side if you are up for it.

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