Raw energy with burnt butter

DREAMY DESSERT: Tender figs are bathed in a creamy pudding that sets to a sugary crust. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

By the time this review appears, both lunch and dinner services will be ready, with special weekend brunches.

The yardstick for a good chef is when you truly enjoy his food with no complaints, but plenty of compliments. An outstanding chef is one who prepares a dish so memorable that you remember every detail, and you can savor each mouthful in your dreams.

I was definitely drooling in my sleep.

The first dream dish is the Iberia black pork shoulder with green apple salad, a meat dish that truly surprised the palate. The steak is done pink and the meat slices easily, each portion tender and succulent and nothing like the grey meat so ubiquitous in the Chinese diet. It tastes like a different animal.

Zhao proudly tells us, that in all of Shanghai, you can only eat this at Husk. The supplier is a good friend, so he gives the chef all he can get of this precious pork from Iberia. You have to love that. It’s the first time I have heard of a pork monopoly.

The pork is served with a red radicchio and green apple salad, crisp, crunchy and with a slight tartness that cuts through the richness of the meat.

The 450 days Australian Tajima Wagyu steak with herb-baked mushrooms was our second main, and on its own, it is an excellent, flavorsome cut. Unfortunately, we were so mesmerized by the pork that we somewhat neglected it. I did like the herb-baked mushroom side dish very much.

The one dish I will remember Michael Zhao by is his figs and burnt butter dessert. It looks like an accident that cannot decide whether it’s clafoutis, a self-saucing pudding or a soufflé-brulee.