By Michael Elliott
Updated: 2008-03-05 11:29

Possessed of what may be the world's slowest elevator, the food at Hong Kong &Shanghai Restaurant is, thankfully, worth the wait.

The dining room is brand spanking new and service impeccable, although on a busy night we can't be sure we would have gotten the same attention. A mostly Cantonese menu has pictures and decent English translations to help the hanzi challenged. The nicely priced dim sum selection, some of which isn't available at night, yielded delicious siu mai (streamed dumplings, RMB22)—plump, meaty and topped with a slice of scallop. We'll certainly be back to try more.

We followed with a plate of char siu (roast pork, RMB35) that was perfectly cooked and seasoned, if a little lean for our liking. Filet of beef with spicy sauce (RMB58) was tender and not overly spicy, the latter being true of the one misstep, a Sichuan hot and sour soup (RMB68 for a large bowl) that, while tasty and well garnished, was neither hot nor sour to the point of being bland. The triumph of the night was definitely deep fried duck in mashed taro (RMB48), a galette of shredded duck topped with a taro puree deep-fried to crispy perfection.

We're always happy to find a new Cantonese favorite and this place fits the bill perfectly.

Add: 3-5/F, 1-5 Xiangyang Bei Lu
Tel: 5404-3577