This inventive restaurant is putting Shenzhen on the culinary map
Over the past year, Fumée in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District has become one of southern China’s most talked-about restaurants, drawing diners eager to experience its inventive cuisine. A visit here brings a refreshing discovery: a world of flavours that feels both global and unmistakably Chinese.
Founded in 2022 by visionary restaurateur David Pan, Fumée champions traditional Chinese flavours through creative modern techniques led by chef Reina Chen. The latter’s stint at Mugaritz in San Sebastian (one of the world’s most experimental fine dining institutions) and her former career as a Kunqu Opera singer has shaped her belief that food should engage all five senses and tell a story.
Located in the city’s tech and dining hub, Fumée welcomes guests into a warmly lit space where a rustic counter, adorned in greenery, frames an open kitchen. Here, Chen infuses her dishes with a “glocal” perspective – blending global technique with local tradition to create a “province-less” Chinese cuisine that reflects the cultural exchange and migration shaping China’s culinary heritage.
Her 11-course seasonal tasting menu is paired with four cocktails, each designed to heighten the sensory experience. Expect surprising yet moreish flavour compositions: a quenelle of Chaoshan sweet olive ice cream balanced by pickled nectarine and a plump French oyster; 10-day aged duck piped with prawn mousse below puckering skin to resemble a layer of glossy fat; and Dongbei glutinous rice layered with jamón ibérico, Jinhua ham and Dalian sea urchin.
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