French chef Yannick Alleno, whose Paris restaurant Le Meurice was awarded three Michelin stars in 2007, will open a new restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing in September.

The restaurant will be called S.T.A.Y, meaning "Simple Table Alleno Yannick".

Using simplicity as his concept, Alleno, who is the first French three-Michelin star chef to work at the Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing, said unlike those chefs who add things such as herbs to a dish, he tries to take out things to make it a simple but original dish.

"I want to be as simple as possible, but in a well-planned way," Alleno said.

Alleno, who is developing the recipes at present, said working with local products will be a great challenge, but he plans to use fresh and seasonal produce in his dishes to create and highlight the "Chinese terroir", the Chinese land.

"China is full of new flavors and I'm very impressed by the quality of the products," he said.

"I want to adapt my creativity to the local market and local tastes. In China, people eat less sugar than in Europe, that's why my pastries will be less sugared than French ones, for example."

The new restaurant will be decorated in a contemporary style. Two highlights will be the Communal Table and the Pastry Library.

The Communal Table is a sharing table in the French style, which can seat six to 10 people. It's meant for sharing good food and good conversation among family and friends, a concept that fits well with Chinese culture.

A customized menu from starters and main courses to wines will be available at the Communal Table. For example, guests can share a starter such as salt-crusted sea bass or spit-roast shoulder of lamb and only magnums will be served to pair with tailor-made menu.

Alleno said he wanted to make it a place "where kids can come to play, and ladies can ask the chef about a recipe".

No meal will be complete without dessert. That's where the Pastry Library comes in. It will be an open pastry kitchen where pastries and desserts are displayed on shelves and in glass cases. Guests can put a personal twist on their choice of dessert by choosing the last ingredient of a cinnamon tart or the topping of a passion fruit charlotte.

"Be they Asian or Western guests, we want everyone to have a good time, enjoying good food among good company in an environment that's not intimidating," said Christopher Chia, general manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing.

Alleno's team, consisting of a pastry chef, a cooking chef and a manager from France, will work with Chinese cooks. He said he would also change the menu quarterly with fresh seasonal local produce. On average he creates 200 new dishes every year, he said.

China Daily

(China Daily 06/08/2011)