Have you eaten Michael Wendling's food yet? If not, you probably should. The talented Frenchman, who can always be found manning the open kitchen at Allure, is also usually wearing a bright smile. But his friendly ease belies a precise, elegant cooking style that tilts toward the great old Gallic three stars, which is not incidental. He learned many of his tricks at Georges Blanc.

Last year, some Shanghai hack wrote that Allure, despite the obvious limitations of the space, was one of Asia's Best New Hotel Restaurants for Travel + Leisure. You can see the article here. Why? Because Michael's cooking combined with the informed but relaxed service of his longtime teammate Fannie adds up to a really polished dining experience.

Try this man's madelines!

For the next several months, Allure is running a Saturday lunch promotion where Wendling picks a region (I tried Alsace) and serves his nuanced take on traditional dishes, paired with wines from that place. It’s also an amazing deal at RMB 238+, considering the quality and quantity of the food (if you leave hungry, you might have an eating problem). And if you bring 4 people, you get a bottle of wine from that region, rather than a glass each.

Meals start with a salad and three small starters, followed by a main and dessert. I had a wonderful dish of braised veal with a richly acidic Gewurztraminer reduction that was served atop a neat ladder of asparagus, followed by a crisp apple tart with crème fraiche ice cream. It was better than good. There is one Saturday left in the Alsace promotion, and the Loire valley is next up. I can’t wait until they hop down to Burgundy. Mmm... frog's legs.

Call Allure at 3318 9999 for reservations. It’s located on the lobby level of the Le Royal Meridien Hotel, 789 Nanjing Lu.