102 House

Here are three unique and unconventional aspects of the Michelin-starred restaurant 102 House in Shanghai:

1. Seasonal Flavor Profiles of Sweet and Sour Pork
102 House offers a signature dish of Sweet and Sour Pork that changes its flavor profile every season, using seasonal fruits like pineapple in spring, lychee in summer, peach in autumn, and strawberry in winter. This evolving approach reflects the chef’s kaiseki-inspired sensitivity to seasonality and elevates a classic Cantonese dish into an otherworldly experience.

2. Intimate Dining Space with Bund Views and Traditional Elements
The restaurant is housed in the House of Roosevelt on The Bund and features just three private dining rooms and six tables in the main dining room, creating an intimate and personal atmosphere. The entryway includes rough-cut slabs of stone traditionally used in Guangdong foundations, providing a minimalist contrast to the modern Shanghai skyline visible from some private rooms, blending heritage with contemporary elegance.

3. Innovative Cantonese Banquet Cuisine with Modern Techniques
Chef Xu Jingye revives nearly lost Cantonese culinary traditions with a modern twist, offering a seasonally rotating tasting menu inspired by traditional banquets. Dishes include imaginative creations like lychees stuffed with shrimp and pork paste served in their skins, and diamond-shaped snacks filled with mushroom broth-infused custard designed to melt in the mouth. The restaurant also hosts "Four Hands" dinner events collaborating with other top restaurants, adding a cult-like exclusivity.

The most honored or signature ingredients at the Michelin-starred restaurant 102 House, Shanghai include:

• Pork cut between loin and belly: This specific cut is used in their signature Sweet and Sour Pork dish, prized for its perfect texture that balances tenderness and fat content. It is paired with house-made fruit vinegar to create a refined and seasonally evolving flavor profile.

• Seasonal local produce: Chef Xu Jingye emphasizes the use of the best locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, which are central to the restaurant’s rotating menu. This approach highlights ingredient quality and freshness, reflecting Cantonese culinary traditions with modern interpretations.

• Lychees: Featured in dishes such as sautéed Feizixiao lychees stuffed with white shrimp and pork paste, lychees provide a sweet, fragrant element that complements savory fillings, showcasing creative use of regional fruits.

• Mushrooms (porcini, chanterelle, termite mushroom): Used in innovative preparations like diamond-shaped snacks filled with a mushroom broth-infused custard, these mushrooms add umami depth and textural complexity to signature bites.

These ingredients are significant as they embody the restaurant’s philosophy of honoring traditional Cantonese banquet flavors while incorporating seasonal changes and modern culinary techniques to deliver an authentic yet evolving dining experience.

Tasting Menu

• 6-course menu: ¥1,580 (approximately $220 USD)

Signature Dishes

• Sweet and Sour Pork: seasonal fruit and housemate vinegar ($38-$48 USD)