La Bourriche 133

On the Rockbund, where the city’s past and present quietly meet, La Bourriche 133 presents seafood with clarity and conviction. The partnership between founder Shen Jialin, known for his work with Jiarui Fine Foods, and Singaporean chef Lee Jiawei, formerly of Odette and The Ledge by Burnt Ends, anchors the restaurant in both rigour and craft.

The kitchen deals exclusively in the fruits of the sea, French turbot, Brittany oysters, Mont-Saint-Michel mussels, each treated with the respect due to an ingredient at its peak. Lee’s cooking is deliberate rather than showy: carabineros shrimp roasted with coffee carrot, whelk in truffle sauce, and crab baked Basque-style with toon leaf speak to his understanding of balance, depth and memory.

The dining room, shaped by Hummingbird Design Consultants, mirrors that philosophy. Travertine walls and hand-blown lighting nod to the motion of water, while an open seafood counter connects the kitchen’s rhythm to the room. The result is calm, confident and quietly persuasive, a reminder that the sea, when handled with care, needs little embellishment.

Tatler Tip

Book a counter seat near the seafood display to watch the chefs at work; it’s the best way to appreciate how precision, not spectacle, defines the La Bourriche 133 experience.