Asia Flavours

Lost Heaven, Shanghai

Lost Heaven is stunning from an interior design perspective - the dark reds and dark woods combine with the dim lighting and abundant Yunnan art to create a visually spectacular venue. Added to that was the great atmosphere - the whole restaurant was full when we went and the noise level was just right, you could hear yourself talk but no one else! 

I suspect that Shanghai folk think it is rather expensive but from a Hong Kong perspective it is reasonably priced - with a particular note to the wine list which has a good range of wine prices on it. The food was all very tasty and the menu gave you quite a lot of information about the different tribes the food was supposed to come from. If I'm honest, during my trip to Yunnan I didn't have food anywhere nearly as sophisticated so I'm glad I've been to this restaurant!! 

Ovologue (8/10)

The food at Ovologue is very good and the presentation is stunning. There is only one thing that lets it down: the service. To be fair, we had a bad experience which I think we were unlucky to have. We booked a table and arrived to discover that they'd obviously overbooked and we were shoved into the entrance hall where they have two low tables. The draft from the door which was open all evening was horrendous and the atmosphere non-existent. If I'd known how bad it would be I'd have left before the meal but I didn't. Made worse, it was really difficult to get the waiters' attention and when we did, the orders got confused - the cappucino and two black coffees emerged as two cappucinos and no black coffee. 

Still, moans aside, the food was good. The steamed codfish with fermented black bean sauce was excellent, as was the Ovologue stewed chicken and sweet and sour pork. 

I'd be interested to try it again, this time in the main dining room.... 

American Peking Restaurant (7/10)

I'm always looking for restaurants that you can go to for a group meal where the food is good, the atmosphere loud enough that you don't feel embarrassed if you're a little noisy and the wine cheap enough that, despite loosing track of the number of bottles ordered, you don't get a sharp pain in your wallet when the bill arrives. The American Peking Restaurant in Wan Chai is one of those credit-crunch friendly places that is particularly good for group dining, with tasty, reliable food and some surprisingly cheap wine available on the menu. At HK$120 a bottle, the wine is not exactly of the highest quality but then it's an evening out in Wan Chai... 

The only downside to the group dining area upstairs is that the combination of rather large round tables, closely spaced together and low ceilings is that the noise levels can get really quite high. The problem only escalates throughout the night and you really need to talk loudly to be able to have any form of conversation across the table. 

The food was varied and interesting with spicy aubergine and minced pork being one of my favourites. The sizzler dish of seafood added a touch of drama to the evening and was as tasty as it looked. The only dish that didn't really pass muster was the lemon chicken which was so neon in colouring that it looked like it had had a bit of a run-in with a nuclear reactor somewhere along the way. Despite the extreme yellow food colouring overload, it didn't taste particularly lemony which was all a bit odd. 

If you can cope with the noise levels, this is a good group dining place in which to being a Wan Chai night out.... 

20 Lockhart Rd.

Wan Chai

Tel: 25277770

Precious Old China, Kuala Lumpur

Despite the fact that we were unable to find the restaurant until the owner came out to track us down, this was a really good choice and one of the highlights of my weekend in Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant itself, hidden in Central Market, has lovely atmospheric decor, great Nyonya cuisine and terrific service. Each dish was interesting, flavoursome and generously proportioned - we couldn't get enough of it.  

We started with little top hats filled with minced chicken, sweet turnip, carrots and green beans and eaten with chilli sauce. Yep, the top hats were totally gimmicky but the filing was excellent so it made it sweet, rather than naff! 

And they had blue rice to go with the beef rendang... Blue rice is apparently a Malaysian speciality although I'm all up for spreading the message globally - it just makes you smile! 

The starters and mains were excellent but the puddings were definitely the highlight - unexpectedly so. To be honest, I didn't have particularly high expectations for the Bubur Gha-cha, a desert of sweet potato and yam cooked in coconut cream and sago, flavoured with Pandan leaf and topped with stewed banana, but it was delicious, as was the really smooth sago gula melaka, a pudding of sago pearl served with coconut cream and palm sugar. 

In addition to the food, the service was particularly notable. After getting slightly side-tracked in a shopping mall, we were running hideously late for our dinner but the owner came out to find us when we called to say we were lost and didn't rush us when every other diner had left. He even helped us get a taxi which was lovely, extra service (although it doesn't say much about how hopeless he thought we looked!!). 

Central Market

Second Floor

11 Jalan Hang Kasturi

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 60 3 2273 7372

Irori (7/10)

Irori is a great little restaurant. It's homestyle Japanese food at its best with a lively atmosphere and friendly, enthusiastic service. The restaurant itself is pretty small (with the lack of natural light making it seem even smaller) but the noise level means that you just don't notice that the tables are actually quite close together. 

Completely thrown by the seriously extensive and varied menu, we ended up ordering a little bit of everything. Some of the dishes like the salmon sashimi and cod with teriyaki sauce were excellent. The mixed tempura was beautifully light and non-greasy; the soft shell crab handroll that my friend KK had was apparently delicious. 

Almost as interesting as the successful dishes were the slightly odd ones we accumulated through our somewhat random ordering policy. The Japanese rice flour pizza was really tasty but wasn't going to make Italian pizza makers quake in their boots - it was almost impossible to speak for the five minutes it took to shift the sticky rice base from one side of the roof of your mouth to the other and back again. Then there were the really beautifully presented fermented soybeans. Frankly, an acquired taste and not one that any of us acquired, despite repeated attempts. Covered in quail egg yolk, they were seriously bitter with an aftertaste that made you physically squirm. 

Working out at just over HK$200 a head, including sake, it was very good value for money. 

2F, Bartlock Centre

3 Yiu Wa Street

Causeway Bay

Tel: 2838 5939