Chef Gerhard Passrugger is high when he cooks–literally, of course. He runs the kitchen at the Park Hyatt’s Dining Room—on the 87th floor of the SWFC—but he’s high in the figurative sense too; he adores absolutely everything about food. Whether he’s talking about his love of airplane meals or his mother’s home cooking, he’s always this close to melting down with excitement. He gestures with a forceful extravagance, working himself into a lather while popping sound effects into the middle of every other sentence to make each and every one of his descriptions sizzle as they come spilling out of his mouth.

He’s one of the big reasons why we love his restaurant and, more specifically, its simple, vividly savory signature dish, the baked cod (RMB250, or RMB220 in set lunch, plus 15 percent surcharge). Inspired by Passrugger’s childhood holidays in Greece, the huge slab of meaty fish is baked until the edges are perfectly crispy and served with smaller but surprisingly flavorful chunks of vinegar-braised octopus and a sharp accompanying sauce. It’s paired simply with dollops of puréed capsicum to balance the sweet and savory and a small pot of delicately fluffy mashed potatoes to complete an epic dining experience in the clouds.

DETAILS

What: The Baked Cod

Where: The Dining Room | 87/F, Shanghai World Finance Center, 100 Century Avenue 世纪大道100号上海金融中心87楼

Tel: 6888-1234

See more great dishes around town:
Bella Napoli's Salmon E Vodka Pasta
Zen’s Stuffed Chicken Wing
Anna Maya’s Avocado and Beetroot Donburi
City Deli’s Turkey Avocado Sandwich
Table No. 1’s Fruits and Flowers Dessert