There are a lot of upscale dining options in Shanghai, and all of them are fussy to different degrees. But more and more, things are trending the opposite way. Diners are wanting to get closer to chefs, and that in turn has freed chefs to do more creative things. Table No. 1 is a good example of that. The menu focuses on European-style dishes made with local ingredients, so each dish is given an unexpected twist, from the grilled mackerel with almond ice cream (RMB78) to the snapper main with raisin and smoked mussel veloute (RMB148). Whatever you settle on for your meal, be sure to top it off with chef Scott Melvin’s fruits and flowers dessert (RMB63). “Dessert is supposed to be fun,” he tells us, and this sweet finish is his precursory attempt to do something really fun and crazy–eventually he wants to put a salad on his dessert menu. As the dish is presently constructed though, it’s a simple, fresh plate of fruits and fruity sweets, including nectarine slices, halved lychees, a strip of lychee mousse and a smooth scoop of lemon and sage sorbet. Rose meringue is sprinkled liberally all over, and best of all, it’s sided with a fresh berry soda. The fruits used change with the seasons, but this is a great finish to any meal.

DETAILS

What: Fruits and flowers dessert

Where: Table No. 1 | 1-3 Maojiayuan Lu 毛家园路1-3号

How much: RMB63

Tel: 6080-2918