Champion of French Cuisine Red House Restaurant
法菜之王·红房子西菜馆

The Red House Restaurant has long enjoyed the reputation of "Champion of French Cuisine". Formally known as "Chez Louis", the restaurant was first opened by an Italian named Louis Rover in 1935 on former Xiafei Road (currently 975 Huaihaizhong Road).

In 1941, the Pacific War broke out and the Japanese troops marched into the French Concessios. Mr. Rover, as an Italian Jewish, was brought to the concentration camp by the Japanese. And the restaurant was forced to be closed. It was not until the end of World War Ⅱ that Louis Rover was released and he resumed his former career. Unfortunately, the property had been used for other purpose. So Rover bought two shops on Ya'erpei Road (37 South Shanxi Road today) and set up a restaurant with seven dining tables. After opening, the restaurant received few customers due to the bad location. Rover finally sold it to another foreigner. In the 1950s, many foreigners went back to their own countries. At that time, a Shanghainess called Liu Ruifu bought the restaurant for 2000 RMB and resumed the business. Because the door was painted red, Mei Lanfang, the great master of Beijing Opera, always recommended this restaurant to his friends as "Red House". After the joint of state and private ownership in 1956, the restaurant was officially registered as "Red House Restaurant".

"Red House" employs many famous chefs who specialize in western cooking. They have developed series of distinctive western dishes by incorporating the essence of the traditional Chinese cuisine with the western cooking, which place a special emphasis on nutrition and culinary standards. The unique western dishes they created include French Onion Soup, Mustard Steak, Mandarin Fish Baked with Cheese, Chicken Menacini, Red Wine Chicken, Cheese Veal, and its specialties "Soufflé", "Baked Alaska", etc.

One cannot talk about Red House's specialties without mentioning "Baked Clam". It is not a traditional French dish but was adapted from "Baked Snail". After 1946, the import of snails from France was suspended and that had a great negative impact on "Chez Louis" which was relatively new in business. Under such circumstances, the Chinese chef Yu Yongli, who was only 24 at the time, tried to substitute snails with escargot. However, the meat of escargot was too tough to chew and the taste was too bland. Yu Yongli then tried razor clam as the raw ingredient. Although the razor clam was tender in texture, the meat had a naturally mild taste and it was hard to add any flavor to it. By chance, Yu Yongli ate the Chinese clam and suddenly got inspiration to bake the clam. First, Yu picked out the flesh of the clam, washed and drained it well. The clam meat was then drizzled with salad dressing, wine, minced garlic and chopped celery. Finally the meat was put back into the shell and placed onto a slotted metal tray, which is then baked in oven. The baked clam had a tempting appearance and the chef received a round of applause from the customers. Savory and tender, and intensely aromatic, this clam dish brought an explosive flavor and a refreshing taste on the palate. Many of the successful businessmen of that time, such as King of Flour, King of Soy Sauce, King of Gourmet Powder and King of Coal, came to Red House for this dish. Ten years later, Yu Yongli won the title of Superior National Chef. The "Baked Clam" created by him is still a best selling item and is recognized as the house specialty.

On Dec. 13, 1959, Chairman Liu Shaoqi had dinner at the Red House. After he tasted the Baked Clam, Onion Soup and other gourmet dishes, he held the waiter by the hand and said, "Red House is small in size but big in fame." Other national leaders also came to Red House for the French cuisine, including Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Peng Zhen, Chen Yi and He Long. Among them, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yi had studied in France so French cuisine was familiar to them. They sang high praise for the Red House dishes rich French Haver. Even when the former municipal leader Chen Peixian was close to the end of life, he still expressed the desire of eating the Red House's salad. During the foreign affair activities in the 1960's, Premier Zhou Enlai introduced Red House to foreign guests many times. After that, many distinguished foreign leaders such as French President Pompidou and Denmark Prime Minister Anker Joergensen came to Red House for French cuisine and spoke highly of it. At this news, journalists from America, Britain and France all swarmed to Red House to interview, record and videotape the restaurant, which brought great fame to Red House both at home and abroad.

Cultural celebrities have a special love for Red House, including film director Xie Jin, famour actors and actresses such as Zhao Dan, Bai Yang, Zhang Ruifang, Qin Yi, Liu Qiong, Shu Shi, Gu Yelu, Pu Cunxi, writers like Wang Yuanhua, Ke Ling, He Manzi, Yu Qiuyu, Ye Xin, Zhao Changtian, Wang Zhousheng, painters such as Zhu Qizhan, Huang Yongyu, Huang Miaozi, Yu Feng, Chen Yifei, actors and actresses of Peking and Kunqu opera such as Zhao Yanxia, Li Yuru, Cai Zhengren, Yue Meidi, Zhang Jingxian, Hua Wenyi, actors and actresses of Yue opera such as Fu Quanxiang, Fan Ruijuan, Xu Yulan, Wang Wenjuan, Jin Caifeng, Qi Yaxian, actors and actresses of Pingtan opera such as Jiang Yuequan, Zhang Rujun, Liu Yunruo, famous people in the press such as Feng Yingzi, Huang Tang, Zheng Shifeng. So many public figures and celebrities dined here once or more. Even in his sick bed, Cao Yu, the Master of Drama, wrote a scroll "House of Gourmet Foods" in Beijing and sent it to the Red House Restaurant for its 60th anniversary. When Cao Yu was in Shanghai, he often had meals at the restaurant which had left him with too many precious memories. Ba Jin, a famous Chinese author, also gave great preference to Red House. As Ba Jin once said, "I studied in France during my earlier years and was used to the western food. The Association of Writers was on Julu Road so that I often went to the nearby Red House Restaurant for meals. For a long time before the 'Cultural Revolution', whenever I walked out of the Association of Writers on weekends, I always went to the Red House and it had become one of my habits".

During the past seventy years, an army of talented chefs has greatly enhanced the food quality and the restaurant's reputation. Since China's economic reform, the restaurant has repeatedly sent staff to France to study modern French cuisine which place emphasis on the integral beauty of color, smell, taste and appearance. Based on the traditions of French cuisine, the restaurant formulates an optimized principle of selecting the main ingredients, the supplementary ingredients, the seasoning and the garnish. Against the background of the unique French culinary culture, the restaurant emphasizes on the cooking principle of "low fat, low calorie, high protein, low sugar and low sodium". These principles bring the Red House in line with the international trend of the contemporary French cuisine. After the staff returned from France, the restaurant has held many influential activities in Shanghai, including "Greetings from Paris"-new dishes in Paris, "Linking on the Dining-table"-traditional dishes in Lyons, and "French Local Food Promotion"-seafood from Nice.

A few years ago, the European Communities once sent 6 food experts who specialized in cooking western food and making western desserts making to inspect Red House. They ordered seven dishes including Seafood Cup, Backed Clam, Onion Soup, Stewed Prawn with Soy Sauce, Sliced Chicken with Cream, Mustard Steak and Assorted Lettuce. For dessert, they ordered Soufflé and Creamy Strawberry. When they finished the meals, they asked to see the executive chef. They held the chef's hand with warmth and said: "This is the best western food we have eaten in China. We enjoy it very much." Once a Frenchman named Anand Kallon remarked with excitement after he tasted the dishes at the Red House, "Today I had an authentic traditional French cuisine at Red House", "This is definitely an unforgettable meal!"

French Onion Soup 法式洋葱汤

The classic French Onion Soup is made with premium quality red onion, beef soup stock and cheese. Onions are first cut into thin slices, and vigorously stir-fried for three or four hours. The resulting soup is dark brown in color and has a rich onion flavor. This sweet mellow broth leaves an endless aftertaste in your mouth.

French Style Ox-Tail Soup
法式牛尾汤

To prepare this soup, cook selected ox-tail in beef stock keeping the skin. Tomato paste and brandy are then added to give the bright red color and an intense aroma of the wine taste.

Baked Crab with Cheese
奶油起司烙蟹斗

The ingredients include crab meat taken from fresh live crabs, butter, cream cheese, onion, ginger and lemon. The baked crab has golden color and imparts a subtle refreshing lemon fragrance. This rich-yet-not-greasy crab dish is simply the ultimate treat for any occasion.

Fresh Style Baked Snail
法式烙蜗牛

Giant white snails are selected and baked in a creamy sauce specially prepared with spices and brandy. Sweet and tender, soft but not mushy, the French Style Baked Snails has an explosive aroma and flavor in the nose and the mouth, delivering the flavors of the authentic French cuisine.

Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
培根厚牛排

This famous dish is prepared with selected Premium quality beef filet which is wrapped with bacon. The beef steak is brushed with Bordeaux Wine Sauce and fan-fried until browned on the outside. The guests may decide how well their steak can be done. Extremely soft and tender, this elegant Filet Mignon gives a hint of smoky flavor and tastes absolutely divine.

Black Pepper Steak 黑椒牛排

This dish is prepared using quality beef filet seasoned with ground black pepper sauce. The steak is cooked over the grill to the degree desired. Deliciously tender, the black pepper enriches the grilled steak with a bold aroma and a slight hint of heat.

Mustard Steak 芥末牛排

Using top quality beef fillet and made with a specially prepared mustard marinade, the steak is pan-fried until it reaches the desired doneness. Soft and tender, this delectable steak has a tangy and spicy flavor.

Address: 845 Middle Huaihai Road

Telephone: 021-64374902

021-64456291

Hours of operation: 11:00 - 22:00