The concept: Kikaboni. The tag line: "private dining in nature." The hope is to create in Moganshan an exclusive, bucolic dining destination along the same vein as restaurants like in Napa or in France鈥攖he kind of thing that gets Michelin stars and the stamp of approval from . It's quite a forward-thinking move. Developers are already building bigger, gaudier resorts and golf courses in Deqing, the nearest town. Clearly there is an emerging market for dining at this price point.
If you're familiar with naked, the "bucolic" part of the equation should be a no-brainer. It's a three-hour drive out of Shanghai, into the bamboo forests and tea groves of Moganshan. And the dining room only has nine tables鈥攈ard to get much more exclusive than that.
I've followed Stefan Stiller's work since his days at 鈥攂asically the last eight years of a career that's spanned more than 20. What I've always liked about his cooking is that he doesn't have anything to prove. He's not compelled to push envelopes. He fastidiously avoids gimmicks and silly premises. He recognizes the best cooking is usually the simplest. And if it really isn't that simple, it must belie complexity.
His seared asparagus starter is a fine example of this. It comprises scant elements: the aforementioned asparagus, cold-smoked salmon, a little smear of lemon brown butter and a dollop of domestic caviar. But some ingredients are deceptively complicated, like a rich custardy "onsen" egg. It has to be cooked at the precise temperature of 65 degrees for precisely the right duration. And it has a shelf life of mere minutes after that. It has to be served immediately. It can't be cooked to order; that takes too long. So, Stiller tells me, they have to schedule egg prep times according to the reservation book, staggering start times out according to when parties arrive.
He's also been playing around with some local flavors. He seasons what is by now a Stiller signature, his beef cheek "praline," with five spices and mandarin orange. It sits atop a skein of tender saute茅d bamboo that's been shredded as fine as sauerkraut (it was harvested from nearby forests, of course). It's been given the slightest dash of Sichuan peppercorn. A lesser chef would play up the Chinese component in a disingenuous nod to local culinary traditions. Stiller instead gracefully, seamless integrates. The sweetness of the orange and the five spices balance out just the faintest tingle from the peppercorn.
His seafood dishes show a knack for presentation. The colors really pop. Like with this lacquered filet of cod resting atop a papaya mango chutney. Flavors are bright and intense, a deft balance of sweet and umami.
His lobster over parsley risotto shows beautifully, too. For an extra wallop he reduces a stock made from the shells and heads (the most flavorful part) and froths it up.
Or there are simple pleasures like this cool, refreshing intermezzo: a cucumber dill salad with a quenelle of lime sorbet.
All of this and a few other creations are meant to be experienced as parts of a greater whole. In other words, it's prix fixe only. They offer three different price points: A full menu including seven courses, an intermezzo and an amuse bouche goes for 988rmb per person. They'll shear off the lobster course, and it's 785rmb. Get rid of the beef cheek course as well, and it's 645. But why would you want to do that?
They also offer a vegetarian option with a similar pricing structure: 788rmb, 688rmb or 568rmb.
So is it worth the trip? Yes. If you're staying at naked, surely you can splash for an excellent dinner for one night. If naked is full or beyond your means and you have to stay at hostel they'll still let you enjoy the restaurant. Just go.
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