Taian Table

Sure, here's the translation for the given text into English with the restaurant name corrected to "Taian Table":

"Taian Table has been the biggest winner since the Michelin Guide started in Shanghai. In its first year, it became a hot topic for having to close due to alleged unlicensed operations after earning a star. This year, it stood on the awards platform with three stars, alongside UV, and its new branch in Guangzhou clinched two stars right away. Undeniably, it has maximized its buzz.

I was never really Taian Table’s target audience, but these three stars have indeed converted me into a visitor. Just minutes after the announcement, I booked a table for Saturday. Purely out of curiosity: Why did it reach three stars? What's the next path after achieving such status?

My main takeaway from the visit: Taian Table is a “by-the-book” Michelin restaurant. This isn’t to say that its dishes are exceptionally delicious, but rather that the restaurant makes it apparent that every aspect is crafted to please the Michelin inspectors.

These aspects include an open kitchen, counter seating, the amiable foreign chef, choices and rapid changes of tableware brands, and the chef seeing guests out.

But truth be told, running a restaurant is about living with concern and dying in ease. After acquiring the third Michelin star, besides celebrating, it’s crucial to contemplate the future path.

Honestly, I worry for Taian Table. Despite ticking all the boxes on the Michelin score card, this doesn't mean it's an extraordinary restaurant. I could even argue that the restaurant keeps its form but lacks its “soul,” as I couldn't sense any passion from the servers or see any “relevance” in the eyes of the diners – that is, the connection and significance with the restaurant.

Of course, the food isn’t great. But this really isn't so important because taste is subjective. I may not like it, but that doesn’t mean others won’t, and a mediocre menu now doesn’t mean the next won’t be better. Taian Table doesn't rely on many returning customers. The Chinese dining scene is ripe for the taking; even without regulars, those three stars will continue to draw an endless flow of new patrons.

So, let's talk about the food last.

Firstly, the service. The staff don’t appear well-trained. I believe if I ever run a restaurant, I would require all servers to "serve gentlemen and ladies with the demeanor of gentlemen and ladies," meaning that all servers must demonstrate their expertise and affection for the menu. Food may be the endpoint, but service is the medium that can either enhance or detract from the culinary experience.

At Taian Table, the issue seems to be a lack of a maître d’ – there’s no sense of anyone overseeing the dining room. The servers' presentations of dishes are procedural and cursory, quickly glossing over the elements of the dish with little improvement even when more detailed explanations are requested. I don’t want to be told what the dish is in the briefest of sentences, as it's all clearly listed in the menu.

I want to hear about the inspiration behind the dish, the selection process for each element, and the intended final sensation. I also appreciate the offer to change my main course after I expressed dislike for a bite of deer/meat, but honestly, this level of service is now standard even in restaurants with an average spend of three to five hundred.

With three Michelin stars now, there should be some self-improvement. Don’t skimp on investing in servers, whether for training, menu tasting, or salaries.

During this visit, seated in a booth, I quietly observed the diners at the bar and noticed that most looked bored, passively waiting for food or fixated on their phones, with little conversation even among companions.

Here, I propose a cross-industry concept for the restaurant: the “relevance” between diners and the establishment. This encompasses the crafting of experiences and the establishment of emotional connections, making the evening “relevant to me.” This should be a bi-directional interactive process, not a one-man show by the restaurant.

I believe that most of the bar patrons tonight, aside from a few very social ones or those with foreign faces, didn't feel much relevance with the restaurant. If there's no such connection, why bother sitting on a bar stool instead of a comfortable sofa? Why opt for a three-Michelin-starred restaurant over a delightful hotpot, grill, or street food stall?

Having discussed service and diner interaction, let's talk about the cuisine. Please, I urge the chef to spare Chinese elements!

The menu is quite "localized," but this localization seems rough and deceptive, with a pervasive "earthy" scent throughout the experience.

The pickled swim crab is overwhelmingly salty and fishy, the Yunnan black truffle lacks aroma and feels like eating plastic, the Nuodeng ham adds nothing, and dishes like chicken

, monkfish liver, smoked eel, turbot, venison, and sea urchin rice challenge my tolerance with their earthy flavors...

Regarding the localization of ingredients, I feel it's more about saving costs and maintaining a stable supply chain than catering to Chinese customers. There’s no attempt to accommodate Chinese tastes, or if there was, it failed because Taian Table does not understand China, or perhaps it doesn’t care to. After all, if diners don't understand, it's because they don't know what authentic French cuisine is, right?

Overall, only the sea king shrimp met my satisfaction with its freshness and tenderness. The various starters were also generally up to standard for a traditional French restaurant. The pacing of the courses was well-managed, with diligent utensil changes after each dish, and the chef was courteous enough to see guests out.

In conclusion, in this moment of celebratory tranquility after receiving three stars, out of care for the restaurant, I, a transparent, self-paying, unaffiliated diner, sincerely offer the following three pieces of advice:

(1) On the service front, stronger selection and training of servers are needed, displaying enthusiasm and professionalism in presenting dishes, and a more visible and elite maître d’ to control the front house.

(2) On the diner interaction front, strengthen the relevance between the diner and the restaurant, namely the crafting of experiences and the establishment of emotional connections.

(3) On the cuisine front, please respect China..."