In the summer time

Pineapple carpaccio with rosemary ice cream goes down a treat. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Pineapple carpaccio with rosemary ice cream

Paris Rouge French Café

Guenael is lanky and funny, but his creations are seriously good, cementing the already excellent culinary reputation that this off-Rock Bund eatery already has.

Wafer-thin pineapple slices are marinated and carefully plated carpaccio style. The slivers are sweet without being cloying and light on the palate, with just that slight bite that declares it is indeed pineapple.

What makes this fruit plate stand out is the handcrafted rosemary ice cream, with its almost licorice-mint tones and a haunting aroma that stays on the lips long after the last mouthful.

Guenal says he combines the "sweet and acid flavors of the pineapple with the bitter, fresh scent of rosemary", rounding it off with a salty crumble base and one perfect pineapple crisp.

For that final flourish to a satisfying lunch, this gets my vote. And yes, it is offered only for lunch.

Address: Paris Rouge, First Floor, YWCA Building, 131 Yuanmingyuan Road, Huangpu district.

021-5386-6011