Origin
by Rosy Meek
on Monday, May 26 2008
The apple never falls far from the tree at Origin. Rooted in reaping the rewards of the freshest local ingredients, this new eatery plants a seed in the minds of diners to take time to relax, replenish and revitalize without counting the cost. Pitching alongside the cafés and restaurants of Taikang Lu Origin offers an allotment of ripe fruits and vegetables cultivated in an assortment of different ways to more than compensate for your 5 a day. At the juice bar, customers are encouraged to hand-pick their own ingredients to be squeezed into their favourite smoothie, each one harvested to cover a cornucopia of beneficial properties to weed out the wrong-doings of city living.
Earthy tones, bare timber and natural light epitomize the essence of Origin. Restaurateur Fabrice Wattez hopes to bring horticultured harmony to Shanghai; his experiences at Arugula and A Future Perfect evolving to produce Origin’s core qualities of nature and transparency in dining. The menu is seasonal in the belief that seasonal vegetables hold the nutrients to aid the body in the blistering heat of a Shanghai summer. The ingredients are very much as Mother Nature intended, the House salad is a finely chopped and crunchy combination of herbs, carrot, courgette, tomato and onion presented in a perfectly shaped dome with a chisel of parmesan cheese. The Sweet Potato and Goat’s Cheese sandwich with Arugula is beautiful with caramelized onions moistening the ciabatta whilst not overshadowing the sweetness of the potato and spicy arugula leaves 48RMB. Lamb chops on a bed of pan-seared polenta with Chinese broad beans and tomato salsa is juicy and surprisingly light. The desserts will be the downfall to any diner on a diet, but not overly-indulgent as portions are small. The chocolate mousse is disgustingly good and innovatively infused with a hint of jasmine with a sponge base to soak up excess.
For those foraging for food, Origin is an energizing experience sure to be evergreen in the gastronomic garden of Taikang Road.
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