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Tags:Frédéric Jaros doesn't merely cook fantastic food—he takes you on a journey.
From his childhood in Quebec to ski slopes in the Alps, from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the ocean floor, each seasonal menu at intimate chef's table TING tells a story pulled straight from memory.
With a pastry chef's precision and a savory cook's soul, chef-owner Jaros—alongside his wife and storytelling partner Xinxin—turns fine dining into a theatrical, playful, and deeply personal experience.
We sat down with the Montreal-born chef to talk about going solo, building chocolate houses, chasing turtles, and why a TING meal stays with you long after the last bite.
Frédéric Jaros and his wife and storytelling partner Xinxin
On the pursuit of perfection...
I’ve always been in pursuit of Michelin-starred restaurants. Since there was no Michelin Guide in Canada when I first started, I moved to Italy for four years to learn from the best.
I worked at Contraste in Milan, where we earned one star together, and later came to Shanghai with Da Vittorio as pastry chef, where we achieved two Michelin stars.
After five years at Da Vittorio Shanghai, it felt like the right time to start my own journey—to bring together my experiences from Canada, Europe, and now Shanghai, and create my own cuisine at TING.
Frédéric Jaros at Contraste Milan
On becoming an entrepreneur...
The biggest challenge of transitioning from chef to owner is that you suddenly have to become an entrepreneur.
You need to be aware of—and in charge of—every aspect of running a business, especially in a restaurant.
Day-to-day operations become a significant challenge because you're managing everything: strategy, marketing and communications, design and construction, food and supplies, staffing and team management, budget planning, multiple project streams.
The list goes on...
Learning the art of sugar
On his culinary journey...
I became the pastry chef of Da Vittorio Shanghai only two years after diving into the pastry world.
I started my career on the savory side. But at Contraste Milano, I was really drawn to pastry because I saw it as art beyond the plate.
I volunteered to learn the craft and was lucky enough to be trained by a consultant chef who was also the pastry chef of Da Vittorio Italy.
After countless days and nights practicing pastry, that opportunity eventually led me to the pastry chef position in Shanghai.
A fresh-faced young Frédéric with a fresh fish
On being a 'double major'...
I'd say I'm lucky to be a 'double major.' It allows me to leverage knowledge from both worlds: the savory side influences my pastry design, and pastry techniques empower my savory imagination.
Both are toolboxes I use to express what I want to convey through my cuisine—my life journey.
On menu inspiration...
Food is the ultimate vehicle for memory and emotion. That’s why I want each menu to convey a specific mood, feeling, and story from a moment in life.
So far, all our menus are rooted in personal experience, shaped by the season and environment.
For example, my first two menus explored my childhood memories. Spring featured a Quebec tradition—the 'Sugar Shack.'
Wandering the Maple Forest—Smoked Salmon, Fennel, Horseradish; Pork, Ham Stock, Balsamic Vinegar; Hazelnut Tofu, Chickpea Chip
READ MORE: 5 Dishes: The Forest & the Trees of Quebec at TING
Summer recreated a day at the beach.
Xinxin on the beach
A beach-inspired treat
Fall told the story of my hike in Huangshan.
This pavilion...
... became this pavilion
Winter was all about the Olympics—I'm a ski maniac, so I recreated a snow-peak adventure.
Frederic on the piste...
... and the piste on a plate
This spring, the Year of the Horse, we shared our horseback journey through Inner Mongolia and my understanding of nomadic culture.
Xinxin & Frederic spot Genghis Khan
Horseplay
And now summer brings our scuba diving adventure—we're even officially collaborating with PADI to showcase the magic of diving.
Frederic & Xinxin meet a turtle
Sea green ingredients
On the process...
The concept always starts with me. Then we dive deeper into our imaginations and memories, creating specific elements from the story and associating them with a protein or ingredient we love to build the menu structure.
My job is to set the theme, the storyline, and bring each scene to life on the plate through meticulous ingredient choices and techniques.
Xinxin's role is to articulate each scene through storytelling, helping guests understand the layers of meaning I want to express.
She sees what I envision and translates that for the diner.
Frédéric Jaros – That's Shanghai Chef of the Year 2025
READ MORE: Who Won What at the That's Shanghai Food & Drink Awards 2025
On putting feelings onto the plate...
I'm a very visual person. For every memory, I try to capture it and shape it into the plating of each dish.
For example, on my winter menu, I had a dish called 'Leap of Faith.' It depicted a big jump in a terrain park while skiing.
I drew a flying bird with Mexican mole sauce—which contains chocolate and chili—because when you take a leap of faith, you feel like you're flying.
Leap of Faith
The chili gives a punch of flavor, representing a fearless spirit.
For the pigeon sauce, I made a chocolate beef jus to show that chocolate can be both savory and sweet—which might sound controversial, hence breaking a boundary.
I chose pigeon as the protein because it’s a red meat that pairs beautifully with chocolate sauce.
I also served a pigeon leg on the side to represent my broken leg after the big jump—a little humor.
On the TING duckie...
Shh! Don't tell anyone about the TING duckie!
The TING duckie represents my inner child. We hope to always keep that childlike wonder as we explore the world.
It’s like the spinning top from Inception—whenever you see the TING duckie, it’s like stepping into our dreams.
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The TING duckie from summer 2025 to summer 2026
Or maybe I'm just having too much fun building houses—a childhood dream job I didn’t pursue professionally, but I still get to play in the chocolate world.
TING's chocolate sculpture series for each seasonal menu is my playground. And this summer, I built a moving house—the TING cruise.
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TING's chocolate sculpture series – the story so far
On the theater of TING...
I think theatricality is all about interaction, whimsy, and surprise.
Liquid nitrogen is magical—the smoke and splash really catch your attention.
Live herb pruning is interactive and fun—it lets guests learn about new herbs and reconnects them with nature.
A corn that’s not a corn... I can't reveal all the secrets!
I've always been fascinated by colors, shapes, smoke, fire, music, lights, shadows—a sense of suspense and mystery.
I wanted to bring all that fun into a whole meal. That’s how we created this chef’s table—by weaving these playful elements throughout the experience.
It's cracking fun!
On his most successful dish...
The 'Bonfire Party,' the dessert from the Nomad's Journey menu.
When the dessert begins, we start with vivid, vibrant music that shifts the mood—signaling that the bonfire party is about to start.
Our entire team comes out one by one, building each part of the dessert in front of the guests.
You see the whole team assemble the dish, piece by piece, while moving in circles as if we're surrounding a bonfire and dancing.
It’s a shift in emotion—a live performance that brings people right back to a real bonfire party.
The 'Bonfire Party'
On his wildest ingredient...
The boldest flavor I've used was leek flower from Inner Mongolia. Its flavor really reminds me of garlic—it’s very intense.
For someone who prefers a more subtle garlic note, this is a daring choice.
We featured a dish with two types of lamb: one from New Zealand and one from Inner Mongolia.
The leek flower sauce turned out to be a perfect match for the Inner Mongolian lamb leg.
Inner Mongolian lamb leg with leek flower sauce
On drink pairings...
Aside from our wine pairing, which features some interesting wines and sake, our non-alcoholic pairings are also a lot of fun.
In our Nomad's Journey menu, we paired a seafood dish with a savory umami wine from Austria and nicknamed it 'salty wine.'
Following the same flavor logic, for the non-alcoholic pairing we featured salty milk tea from Inner Mongolia.
It’s quite creative because the local salty milk tea is a perfect match for savory, umami-rich seafood.
Flavor-wise, it worked beautifully—and the tea itself is a signature of Inner Mongolia, tying perfectly into the menu theme.
On diving deep...
In our current Scuba Diving
Marine mixology
On the beauty of herbs...
I really love working with fresh herbs. The aroma is incredible—the smell brings me straight back to my childhood, because we always had fresh herbs planted at home year-round.
I remember those scents and how they varied. It's a fragrance I carry in my heart.
On local inspiration...
Our Shanghainese guests were genuinely surprised when they found out I had a soup inspired by yan du xian 腌笃鲜 on my spring menu—that I could understand and even pronounce such a classic Shanghainese dish and use it as inspiration.
I learned about it from my parents-in-law.
The story begins at the TING staircase
On the fleeting nature of his work...
It takes us a very long time to create these storytelling menus and dishes. By the time a menu is finished, the seasons change so quickly.
I always feel a little heartbreak—we work so hard on these beautiful combinations, and then they're gone forever... maybe.
On his next trick...
Dog sledding! I don’t know how I’ll recreate it yet—maybe in a winter menu—but it’s such a quintessential Québécois element.
On why you should visit him...
TING is a space of unlimited imagination, where each season you enjoy a unique chef’s table journey curated by myself.
It’s one of a kind in Shanghai—and years later, you'll still remember your TING experience.
Join us to explore the world, explore yourself, and enjoy a night of fun dining.
TING & VERIE Bakehouse in Xintiandi
Scuba Diving Adventure Benefits
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For this summer’s Scuba Diving Adventure, TING is proud to partner with LAS Diving School and PADI.
Benefit 1
Each guest dining at TING will receive a coupon worth RMB480 toward an experience dive session at LAS.
Benefits 2 & 3
If you are a PADI-certified diver, simply show your certificate to enjoy:
An exclusive welcome drink
A 10% service fee waiver on the RMB1,680 set menu (beverages excluded)
Combined, these benefits are worth up to RMB800 in total!
Reservations
TING is open Tuesday through Sunday, with seating times at 6pm, 7pm, or 8.30pm depending on the date.
The current menu offers a 10-course tasting experience at RMB1,680 per person.
Guests can also opt for a six-glass wine pairing at RMB688, a non-alcoholic beverage pairing at RMB458, or a mixed pairing at RMB568 for those who wish to enjoy both.
By reservation only, details below.
TING, 245 Madang Lu, by Fuxing Zhong Lu, Huangpu District 马当路245号, 近复兴中路
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