Center-stage kitchen

 plates of food that also pleases the palate. Provided to China Daily

Sashimi, beautifully cut and presented, is a feast for the eye.

Foie gras on radish - a combination that challenges the palate.

 

A minimalist Japanese restaurant hidden in a grove of bamboo is attracting diners who travel for the gourmet delights. Shi Yingying follows the food trail.

Shanghai

The kitchen is the main focus in the spare dining room, and all eyes are on the army of chefs cooking on stage, literally. Shintori Null II is a Japanese restaurant housed in a converted movie theater, and the original stage is where the chef and his kitchen crew show off their talent and their skills.

The restaurant is what is known as a "destination restaurant", according to Lawrence Sun, deputy director of customer service. "People come here especially to dine with us. That's why we don't have a big sign at the entrance."

In fact, the casual passer-by may have trouble looking past the dense grove of bamboo that cloaks the facade. Even dedicated diners may miss the huge boulder which has the restaurant's name carved on it.

The unassuming facade of this 18-year-old Japanese outlet gives no hint of the striking art-house interior. Inside this seemingly unfinished loft, the only highlight is the food.

"We have retained the old stage as the focal point - and it is now a full-size open kitchen," Sun says.

On stage, chefs slice, roll and fry. Theatrical lighting and soaring ceilings lend a sense of drama. There is a vantage view from every corner of this two-story industrial-chic restaurant, and guests can see their meals as works-in-progress.

An unusual menu appears as soon as guests are seated - a wooden tray with cups in various sizes and shapes is presented - glass ones for chilled sake and ceramic ones for warm sake.

Even more impressive: every cup was designed by the restaurant.

"All our crockery comes from Spin Ceramic - our own brand born six years ago when the owner figured there was no available tableware in the market that could go with our restaurant's style," Sun says.

With crystal clear sake filling up your choice of vessel, the contemporary Japanese meal starts with the traditional rice liquor.

Sake can be served warm or chilled, and it becomes stronger and fuller in taste and body even as the diner becomes more light-headed. Higher-quality sake should be enjoyed chilled, like a white wine. However, when it is too cold, you can't taste anything.

Apart from a wide array of melt-in-your-mouth sashimi served with fresh wasabi and soy sauce, the legendary foie gras on radish is Shintori's highlight.

"Because of the thickness of foie gras, I put a big piece of refreshing radish at the bottom - it's the item that most Japanese enjoy," says 29-year-old executive chef Zheng Zheng, who has already spent a third of his life cooking at Shintori.

"Similar tastes combination can be found in the West, such as pairing foie gras with chocolate or matching ham with melon."

To shake up your notions of authentic Japanese food, start with the Shintori spring roll with cheese, beefsteak on Pu-leaf (a Yunnan specialty), Japanese yuzu and caviar.

Peking duck, Vietnamese style is also novel - where the crisp skin and tender meat of the duck is wrapped in Vietnamese rice paper and served with a Japanese gingko-miso dressing.

The creative dishes also come in style - arriving at your table by elevator. Shintori is equipped with two small elevators that make sure your food arrives at table piping hot.