International cuisine is not a new concept in Shanghai, but is usually understood and presented in different ways. While some believe it should include the authentic flavour of any kind of regional cuisine, others would prefer to boast their creative fusion of different culinary styles in one dish.

The X-Sensation at the crest of the Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental fits in the latter category. When I visited this fancy revolving restaurant almost one year ago, it specialized in French cuisine, and did a good job. During my most recent dinner there last Thursday, I found the decor remained much the same and the view from the grand glass window was still splendid and alluring.

A special menu was provided that night for an Australian wine promotion, which included three courses, two desserts and four kinds of wine, priced at 488 yuan (US$61) per person. The starter, "Smoked trout mousse, king prawn, Semillon chardonnay sauce,"seemed to be a typical Western style with an attractive presentation. The fried prawn meat was rich and tasty,mixed with a savour of cream. The wine that accompanied the dish, "Berton Vineyards Hai Planes Semillon Chardonnay 2005," was nice, not heavy and quite crispy.

The next dish, "Pan fried daurade, enoki mushroom, shiraz braised shallots,"tasted much like a combination of the East and West.The fried fish actually had a stronger flavour than I expected, somewhat like the Chinese red cooked fish seasoned with soy sauce.

The main course was Australian beef skewer, comfit of red bell peppers,merlot bearnaise, which was my favourite dish of the dinner. The diced beef and mushroom on the skewer were a good combination of tastes.

The beef was tender, properly sauteed, and went well with the red sauce made from peppers and tomatoes.

The dessert, "chilled kiwi consomme, Cocoa ravioli,"was quite a creative delicacy. The sliced fruits including kiwi and watermelon tasted refreshing and washy. The ravioli, a very small portion of chocolate wrapped by pastry, looked especially cute. Accompanying the dessert was the Taltarni brut 2003.

X sensation
Location: 46F, Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental 889 South Yanggao Road
Tel: 5050-4888-74602