Our first thought as we sauntered into this restaurant in Meilong Zhen was, "Wow." Swarovski crystal chandeliers welcomed us in shimmering glory, and the gold-plated wine case covered an entire wall.

This eatery isn't traditionally Cantonese in that open seating is scarce. Instead, the rooms scattered around encourage private dining. Our room was elegantly decked out in blue and purple. Our order of Steamed Dumplings with Fresh Shrimp (RMB18), though presented in cute little goldfish-shaped packages, only gave its star seafood partial justice. The Steamed Pork Balls topped with crab roe (RMB14) and the Fried Rice with Seafood and Abalone (RMB65) were a bit on the salty side but were fancy alternatives to our usual dim sum lunch. The chef's effort to introduce a new wave of Cantonese dining is noteworthy. Make sure to save room for some Sweetened Custard Buns with Egg Yolk (RMB18), but be careful of the squirt!

Perfect For: impressing the out-of-town guests
Address: 4/F Shanghai Westgate Mall, 1038 Nanjing Xi Road
Tel: 021-6218-6868