The Merchants is indeed quite something to behold.
The first restaurant to open at lifestyle destination FORTY-FIVE when it made its grand debut in early 2023, this upscale Shanghainese eatery showcases the winning fine-dining trifecta of expertly prepared cuisine, drop-dead views from its 44th-floor location, and a tasteful interior design that pays tribute to the glamour of Belle Époque Shanghai.
Chef Chen Tian Long is the perfect man for the job, crafting an expansive menu of Shanghainese dishes brushed by influences from the neighbouring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. For the seven years that chef Chen oversaw the kitchen of Shanghainese stalwart Jardin de Jade, the restaurant retained its Michelin star.
One of the eight great cuisines of China, Shanghainese cooking is not as subtle as Cantonese or Chiu Chow nor is it as in-your-face as Sichuan or Hunan. It has a distinct savoury-meets-sweet flavour profile, employing both soy sauce and sugar to great effect.
We visited The Merchants to try the newly unveiled weekend brunch menu (HKD580 pp), which is notable for its unlimited servings of a wide array of appetisers, dim sum, soup, mains, rice and noodles, and dessert. However, many of the bites featured on this menu are also available à la carte, so we’ll note these prices where appropriate.
Our table was wall-to-wall covered with dishes by the time all our orders had been placed, and whilst there were no disappointments, some dishes stood out more than others.
The appetiser winners were the chilled shredded chicken with green bean noodles and sesame sauce and marinated beef shank and tripe with five-spice soy sauce (HKD138 à la carte), a study in contrast.
The shredded sesame chicken is a Shanghainese staple, here elevated with super slippery, thick, and chewy noodles and a rich, nutty, salty sauce with a hint of sweetness enveloping the chicken and noodles.
The marinated beef, on the other hand, is an explosion of fiery, meaty flavour. We loved the textural variance between the tender shank and slightly chewy tripe.
In terms of dim sum at a Shanghainese restaurant, xiao long bao (HKD118/4pcs à la carte) is a given. The Merchants’ xiao long bao is a killer rendition featuring a delicate skin and plenty of savoury soup. At brunch, these dumplings are taken up a notch with a version made with huadiao wine, upping the aroma and depth of flavour.
Our first main, the braised meatball in sweet soy sauce (HKD228 à la carte), was our ultimate dish of the tasting. A classic Shanghainese recipe that’s often referred to as “lion’s head meatball,” this meatball has a supremely soft, almost fluffy texture and a traditional sweet sauce that also manages to achieve an intense umami. Bravo, chef Chen!
We took a turn to Sichuan with our next main, the deep-fried spicy and salted chicken with garlic (HKD298 à la carte), whose garlicky, chilli-laden aroma hit our nostrils before the plate landed on the table. This is an addictive dish, where the fried chicken remains both crispy and juicy.
You could also opt for the brunch-only main of salt-cured Yunnan pork, morel mushroom, white cabbage, and peas claypot rice, which is simultaneously earthy, salty, and slightly sweet – delicate and delicious.
We stuck to Shanghainese tradition with the dessert of glutinous pearls in osmanthus sweet soup with rice wine (HKD58). This soothing, aromatic soup has a unique flavour from the inclusion of fermented rice that never fails to satisfy.
Our verdict of The Merchants
We felt a sense of relaxation as soon as we walked into The Merchants’ elegant dining room, and the views only increased that sense of calm. Chef Chen’s refined Shanghainese menu is vast and diverse, yet each dish is thoughtfully designed and well executed. There are plenty of classics to please purists alongside more creative recipes to keep things modern and interesting.
The Merchants, 43–45/F, FORTY-FIVE, Gloucester Tower, LANDMARK, Central, 2155 4141, book here
| Order this: drunken chicken, spicy marinated beef shank, xiao long bao, tea-smoked duck, meatball in sweet soy sauce Menu: The Mercants à-la-carte menu Price for two: HKD1,200–1,400 | Atmosphere: graceful and tranquil; besides the views, we were fixated by the gorgeous embroidered wallpaper handcrafted by artisans in Wuxi Perfect for: a contemporary fine-dining Chinese culinary experience and to wow your dining partner(s) with those views |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
